Optoware, which is a company that specialises in the development of holographic disc storage, is trying to raise $14 million to finish off the development of its Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) technology. So far Toshiba has recently invested in Optoware, along with three other Japanese companies.
A HVD has the same diameter of a DVD, but its data is stored as holographic patterns. By using holographic patterns, this allows the disc to store up to 1TB (1,000GB) of data. Optoware aims to have its first generation 200GB HVD's finished and ready to go on sale from June 2006 and also expects to have a 100GB read-only HVD version along with HVD players on the consumer market in 2007. If you copy, please show appreciation by linking back to CDFreaks.
Optoware has been working on its HVD technology since 1999 and is also in the process of creating 30GB credit card sized discs as
well as 5GB memory-card sized discs. They expect either or both of these
to hit the market from Early 2007. Copyright © 2005 CDFreaks
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Toshiba is one of four Japanese companies that's invested in Optware, which is also talking to several US venture capital firms as part of its latest round of financing. This should finish shortly and the company is trying to raise $14 million, according to Optware President and Chief Executive Officer Yoshio Aoki. Aoki declined comment on which U.S. firms are considering investing. CDFreaks. The cash will enable Yokohama-based Optware to finish development of its HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc) technology that enables DVD-sized discs to store up to 1TB (1000GB) of data, he said. The HVD technology stores data inside a disc as holographic patterns. |
Over three years ago, Optoware announced that they will have 1TB holographic optical discs available within a year and February 2003 (one year after announcement) has come and gone and now we see yet a similar story again! Then again, even if the format had reached the market back in early 2003, I wonder just how many consumers would have been able to prepare enough content to fill a disc, let alone enough HDD's to provide enough content to fill a disc in one go. 😛
Well, if they do succeed in bringing out a 200GB disc in June 2006, then it will be interesting to see how well the format gets on. Even then, I could not imagine many consumers having even 200GB of data to back up in one ago. Chances are that the format would be more aimed at competing against Super DLT backup tape drives in businesses.
Feel free to discuss about the next generation of optical discs on our Satellite, HD-TV, Blu-ray and HD-DVD Forum.
Source: Digit Online
