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--- hardware:dataplay [2026/09/26 20:33] – [History] massive rewrite hbm
+++ hardware:dataplay [2026/10/18 17:27] (current) – added images hbm
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 ====== DataPlay ======
-One of the smallest commercial examples of [[extras:glossary#disc-based_enclosed_media_dbem|Disc-Based Enclosed Media (DBEM)]] is the DataPlay disk.  Introduced in 2002 by DataPlay, Inc. (Later DPHM, inc.), DataPlay disks were intended to compete with the budding flash-based memory card market by offering a large capacity (250 MB per side, 500 MB per disk) in a small form-factor.
+{{ :hardware:dataplay:dataplay-disk_red_obverse-open.jpg?400|}}
-Their proprietary file system — //DataPlay File System (DFS)// — and support for DRM helped them gain initial interest in the portable music industry, but the prevalence of CDs and the recent release of portable MP3 players made this a tough market to enter.
+The smallest commercial example of [[extras:glossary#disc-based_enclosed_media_dbem|Disc-Based Enclosed Media (DBEM)]] is the DataPlay disk. Introduced in 2002 by DataPlay, Inc., DataPlay disks were intended to compete with the budding flash-based memory card market by offering a large capacity (250 MB per side, 500 MB per disk) on a 32 mm disc.
+Their built-in DRM support and ability to ship with pre-recorded data helped them gain initial interest in the portable music industry, but the prevalence of CDs and the recent release of portable MP3 players made this a difficult market to enter.
 ===== History =====
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 In October 2004 during Ceatec Japan, DPHI executives stated that the format would return to the consumer market at about half of the original price-per-disk — $4.50 instead of the original $10 for 500 MB — and that new devices are in development to support the use of DataPlay disks as general storage devices, ditching the proprietary DFS for the FAT file system(([[https://web.archive.org/web/20190331213038/https://www.pcworld.com/article/118108/article.html|PC World — DataPlay Discs Stage a Comeback]])).
-===== Physical Characteristics =====
-The 32 mm (1-1/4 inch) phase-change, optical disc was housed inside of a translucent and brightly-colored cartridge(({{https://web.archive.org/web/20250602231008/https://old.hotchips.org/wp-content/uploads/hc_archives/hc13/3_Tue/19dataplay.pdf|DataPlay — A New Technology for Information Distribution}})) with dimensions of 41 mm × 33.5 mm × 3 mm(({{wiki:docs:ieee-micro_vol-22-iss-2_dataplay-article.pdf|IEEE Micro, Vol. 22, Iss. 2 — DataPlay's Mobile Information Distribution and Storage Technology}})).
+===== Hardware =====
+The 32 mm (1-1/4 inch) phase-change, optical disc was housed inside of a translucent and brightly-colored cartridge(({{https://web.archive.org/web/20250602231008/https://old.hotchips.org/wp-content/uploads/hc_archives/hc13/3_Tue/19dataplay.pdf|DataPlay, a New Technology for Information Distribution}})) with dimensions of 41 mm × 33.5 mm × 3 mm(({{wiki:docs:ieee-micro_vol-22-iss-2_dataplay-article.pdf|IEEE Micro, Vol. 22, Iss. 2 — DataPlay's Mobile Information Distribution and Storage Technology}})).
+One of the only devices to feature DataPlay disks was the iMP-350 SlimX, developed by the Korean company iRiver. This player was rather expensive at ~$350 and showed off a design language reminiscent of its time; complete with translucent plastic, chrome accents, and "futuristic" aesthetic(([[https://web.archive.org/web/20191111145537/https://www.ixbt.com/multimedia/iriver-100.shtml|IXBT — MP3-плеер iRiver iDP-100 на носителях формата DataPlay]])). More manufacturers planned to produce readers and players for the format, but information about most of these models is scant.
 ===== Recording Technology =====
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 To locate a file, the drive reads system sectors starting with the most recently written one and checks whether it references the desired file. If found, that reference is used and reading stops. If not, the drive proceeds to progressively older sectors until the file is located or all sectors are exhausted. This "most recent wins" approach lets the drive present an accurate, up-to-date view of the file system — including files marked as deleted — despite the underlying inability to erase or move any data once written.
-===== Post Mortem =====
+===== Current Status =====
+Rating: **[[reference:format-death-scale#level_4_🟠_endangered|Level 4 🟠 — Endangered]]**
+As of now, there are no official channels in which to purchase DataPlay disks, readers, or players and all have been out of production for over two decades. The only eBay listings I could find for NOS disks(({{wiki:docs:ebay_307164516550_dataplay-disks.pdf|eBay — DataPlay Disk [Archive Listing]}})) and optical engines(({{wiki:docs:ebay_307164541213_dataplay-optical-engine.pdf|eBay — DataPlay Optical Engine [Archive Listing]}})) ship from Italy. I have no doubts that the disks are functional if one has a working reader, but the optical engines are bare units with only an undocumented ZIF connector, so testing them would require some electronics engineering. I have yet to see a DataPlay player or pre-recorded disk eBay, so its safe to assume they're exceedingly rare, thus making this format difficult to interface with.
+//Update:// The 21x disk packs (63x disks total) I received from this seller had moldy paper inserts. If you attempt to purchase these, be sure to have the seller send a photo before shipping.
+===== Gallery =====
+{{gallery>:hardware:dataplay}}