New Pioneer Blu-ray discs are guaranteed to last at least 100 years

In a nutshell: There are justifiable issues in regards to the longevity of digitally saved information, particularly in Japan, the place sure tax-related info have to be preserved for 100 years. It is led to producer Pioneer creating Blu-ray discs which can be assured to retailer information for at the very least a century.

As reported by PC Watch (through Tom’s Hardware), Japan’s Electronic Books Preservation Act requires sure tax information to be saved electronically for 100 years. That is an issue for long-term digital storage codecs similar to NAND flash, exhausting drives, tape, and optical discs, which would not final a century.

Pioneer has supplied a solution to this drawback within the type of the BDR-WX01DM, a USB 3.0 (Kind-A) Blu-ray optical drive, and 25GB BD-R discs referred to as IPS-BD11J03P. Each carry the ‘DM for Archive’ label and meet the Japanese authorities’s JIS X6257 high quality normal for assured longevity.

The drive makes use of dependable motors, sturdy mechanical programs, and a mud protect construction. It is also appropriate with glassy carbon-based M-disc media that is designed to final 1,000 years. That each one goes a way towards explaining the $400 (with out tax) value.

The discs are additionally dearer than your normal Blu-rays, priced at round $16 for a pack of three. Nonetheless, customers should pay further prices to retailer the discs in particular environments with temperature and humidity controls. It is also really helpful that the discs be stored in buildings with hearth, earthquake, and flood safety for those who actually need to assist guarantee they survive for at the very least a century. On condition that these merchandise are designed for enterprise and authorities clients, the excessive prices and upkeep necessities are unlikely to be massive points.

Again in 2019, Warner Bros. and Microsoft collaborated on a proof of idea check for Project Silica, a Microsoft Analysis undertaking that used laser optics and AI to retailer information in quartz glass. It resulted in your complete Superman (1978) film being saved on a bit of seven.5 cm x 7.5 cm x 2 mm glass that ought to final for hundreds of years.