Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- hardware:form-factors [2026/10/02 18:53] – large rewrite and added UMD hbm
+++ hardware:form-factors [2026/10/30 19:46] (current) – partial rewrite (4) hbm
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Form Factors ======
-Many different implementations of a disc-based storage media have been developed in the previous decades; some with fairly high market share and some that barely made it to production. These devices range in size from just over an inch (~30 mm) to over 12 inches (~300 mm) with the smaller formats typically used for consumer electronics and home computers while the larger formats were primarily utilized in medical, industrial, and other enterprise contexts.
+Many different implementations of Disc-Based Enclosed Media (DBEM) have been developed over the previous decades; some achieved fairly high market share, while others barely made it to production. These devices range in size from just over an inch (~30 mm) to over 12 inches (~300 mm), with the smaller formats typically used for consumer electronics and home computers, while the larger formats were primarily utilized in medical, industrial, and other enterprise contexts. The below sections group the various formats based on the diameter of the inner recording medium, as is the convention.
-===== DataPlay =====
+^ Format                                        ^ Medium Size       ^ Max. Capacity ^ Year Introduced ^ Typical Use Case            ^
+| [[hardware:dataplay|DataPlay]]                | 32 mm (1-1/4 in)  | 500 MB        | 2002            | Portable Music & Media      |
+| Unnamed Sony / Sharp Disk                     | 50.8 mm (2 in)    | 1 GB          | 1995            | Unknown                     |
+| [[hardware:id_photo|iD Photo]]                | :::               | 730 MB        | 2001            | Digital Photography         |
+| [[hardware:umd|Universal Media Disc (UMD)]]   | 60 mm (2-3/8 in)  | 1.8 GB        | 2004            | Portable Media & Videogames |
+| [[hardware:md|MiniDisc (MD)]]                 | 64 mm (2-1/2 in)  | ~160 MB       | 1992            | Portable Music & Audio      |
+| [[hardware:md|MD Data (MDD)]]                 | :::               | 140 MB        | 1993            | :::                         |
+| [[hardware:md|MD Data2]]                      | :::               | 650 MB        | 1997            | :::                         |
+| [[hardware:md|Hi-MD]]                         | :::               | 1 GB          | 2004            | :::                         |
+| [[hardware:dvd_like|DVD-RAM (80 mm)]]         | 80 mm (3-1/8 in)  | 2.92 GB       | 2000            | Digital Videography         |
+| [[hardware:hs|Sony HS]]                       | 88 mm (3-1/2 in)  | 650 MB        | 1995            | General File Storage        |
+| [[hardware:90mm_iso|90 mm (3.5 in) ISO]]      | 90 mm (3-1/2 in)  | 2.3 GB        | 1991            | :::                         |
+| [[hardware:dvd_like|Phase-change Dual]]       | 120 mm (4-3/4 in) | 650 MB        | 1995            | General File Storage        |
+| [[hardware:dvd_like|DVD-RAM]]                 | :::               | 9.4 GB        | 1996            | :::                         |
+| [[hardware:dvd_like|Sony Professional Disc]]  | :::               | 128 GB        | 2003            | Digital Videography         |
+| [[hardware:dvd_like|Panasonic ADA]]           | :::               | 50 GB         | 2009            | Medical File Storage        |
+| [[hardware:130mm_iso|130 mm (5.25 in) ISO]]   | 130 mm (5-1/4 in) | 9.1 GB        |                 | Enterprise File Storage     |
+| [[hardware:large_disks|Sony Writable Disk]]   | 300 mm (8 in)+    | 12 GB         |                 | :::                         |
-The smallest commercial example of Disc-Based Enclosed Media (DBEM) is the [[hardware:dataplay|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.
+===== Micro Disks =====
-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 tough market to enter.
+Micro disks have a recording medium with a diameter of significantly less than 90 mm (3-1/2 in). These disks are mostly found in the consumer electronics and portable media industries, with some gaining wide appeal in their respective markets, while others faded into obscurity just as soon as they entered the market.
-===== iD Photo =====
+**DataPlay**
-The short-lived iD Photo system — developed jointly by [[reference:manufacturers#sanyo|Sanyo]], [[reference:manufacturers#olympus|Olympus]], and [[reference:manufacturers#maxell|Hitachi Maxell]] — was announced to the public in July 1999, poised to enter the crowded market soon after. Sanyo and Olympus developed the drive mechanism, while Maxell was responsible for disk development. With a footprint of only 56.5 mm × 59.5 mm × 4.8 mm, the iD Photo disks were quite small in size, but boasted a storage capacity of 730 MB(({{https://web.archive.org/web/20251118190512/https://www.weblio.jp/content/iD%E3%83%95%E3%82%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%83%E3%83%88|Weblio.jp — iD Format}}))(({{https://web.archive.org/web/20260923112146/https://www.avadocuments.com/preview/bs-en-62345-2005.pdf|British Standard — ID format for 50 mm magneto-optical disc system}})).
+  * The smallest commercial example of DBEM
+  * Total market failure with parent company going bankrupt the same year of release
+  * Very few devices utilized the format
+  * Only produced in a single capacity (500 MB) and only produced by one company ([[reference:manufacturers#imation|Imation]])
+  * Outer Casing: 41 mm × 33.5 mm × 3 mm
+  * Phase-Change, Multi-session, and WORM
-===== Universal Media Disc (UMD) =====
+**Unnamed Sony / Sharp Disk**
-The Universal Media Disc was developed by [[reference:manufacturers#sony|Sony]] as the proprietary optical format for the PlayStation Portable (PSP), which launched in Japan in December 2004. It consists of a 60 mm disc inside a plastic cartridge measuring roughly 64 mm × 63 mm × 4.2 mm(([[https://web.archive.org/web/20251208080859/https://ecma-international.org/wp-content/uploads/ECMA-365_1st_edition_june_2005.pdf|ECMA-365 — Data interchange on 60 mm read-only ODC]])). A dual-layer UMD holds up to 1.8 GB, enough for a full PSP game or a feature-length movie. Single-layer disks were also produced and had a capacity of 900 MB.
+  * Jointly developed by Sony and Sharp(([[https://web.archive.org/web/20251120063512/https://www.sony.com/ja/SonyInfo/News/Press/200003/00-0323/|Sony — シャープとソニー、小型高密度光磁気ディスクを共同開発]]))
+  * Not released commercially
+  * Capacity of 1 GB was shown in prototype stills, 2 GB and 4 GB versions were planned
+  * Very similar in appearance, medium size, and technology to the iD Photo disk
+  * Outer Casing: 58 mm × 54 mm × 4 mm
+  * Magneto-Optical, Rewritable
-Unlike most other DBEM formats, UMD is a read-only, pre-pressed format: discs are stamped at the factory like a CD or DVD, and consumer drives cannot record to them. Besides games, Sony and several studios released movies, TV episodes, and music videos on UMD. The format faded quickly as downloads took over, and the digital-only PSP Go (2009) dropped the UMD drive entirely.
+**iD Photo**
-===== MiniDisc (MD) =====
+  * Very small DBEM format focused on consumer camera market
+  * Market failure as they were quickly discontinued and only compatible with a single camera
+  * Only produced in a single capacity (730 MB)
+  * Outer Casing: 56.5 mm × 59.5 mm × 4.8 mm
+  * Magneto-Optical, Rewritable
-Introduced by [[reference:manufacturers#sony|Sony]] in 1992, MiniDisc was the most successful small-format DBEM. It was built as a recordable replacement for the cassette tape. The cartridge measures 70 mm × 67.5 mm × 5 mm and holds a 64 mm disc(([[https://web.archive.org/web/20260828212726/https://minidisc.org/minidisc_faq.html|MiniDisc.org — Frequently Asked Questions]])). Standard discs store 60 to 80 minutes of audio, compressed with Sony's ATRAC codec. Recordable disks use magneto-optical technology, while pre-recorded disks are stamped like a CD. MD was a major success in Japan and had a following in Europe, but it never displaced the cassette or CD in North America.
+**Universal Media Disc (UMD)**
-===== MiniDisc Data (MDD) =====
+  * Fairly popular format, limited to early Sony PSP devices
+  * Partially enclosed casing, medium could be damaged if care wasn't taken with carts
+  * Single-layer (900 MB) and Dual-layer (1.8 GB) disks were produced
+  * Videogames, Movies, TV shows, and music videos were sold in the UMD format
+  * Outer Casing: 64 mm × 63 mm × 4.2 mm
+  * Pre-pressed, Read Only
-MD Data was Sony's 1993 adaptation of the MiniDisc for computer storage, offering about 140 MB per disk. It uses the same cartridge and 64 mm disc as audio MD, but the format is not interchangeable with audio MiniDiscs, and MD Data drives were sold in limited numbers. Sony later revived the idea with Hi-MD (2004), which raised capacity to around 1 GB and allowed general-purpose data storage alongside audio.
+**MiniDisc (MD) Family**
-===== 3.5 in / 90 mm =====
+  *
+  * Outer Casing: 70 mm × 67.5 mm × 5 mm
-Of the different DBEM formats, 3.5 in (90 mm) was probably the most well adopted in the consumer market. It did not see much use in Western countries while it became relatively popular in some Asian markets (such as Japan). Cartridges have similar dimensions to a 3.5 in floppy disk, but they are about twice as thick. Capacities ranged from 128 MB to 2.3 GB across generations, and drives from the later generations were typically backward compatible with earlier media. Both rewritable and WORM variants were produced.
+===== Small Disks =====
-===== 5.25 in / 130 mm =====
+Small disks consist of a number of formats, all with a recording medium of around 90 mm (3-1/2 in). Most formats had similar dimensions to a 3-1/2 in floppy diskette, but were usually thicker. While some of the formats were used in various enterprise, industrial, and medical fields, they were most often used by consumers for general file storage.
-The 5.25 in (130 mm) cartridge was the workhorse of professional and enterprise optical storage. Capacities grew from roughly 600 MB in early generations to 60 GB in the final iterations. The size supported rewritable MO, ablative and MO WORM, and phase-change formats. It was widely used in workstations, document imaging systems, and automated optical libraries (i.e. "jukeboxes"), where many cartridges were managed by robotics for enterprise archiving.
+**Sony HS**
-===== 12 in / 300 mm =====
+  * Proprietary Sony format
+  * Similar in size to a 90 mm ISO disk
+  * Only available in 650 MB capacity
+  * Magneto-Optical, Rewritable
+**90 mm ISO**
+  * The most common and widely adopted variant in the consumer market
+  * Typically used for storing computer files and backups
+  * More popular in Asian markets than in North America
+  * Available in capacities from 128 MB to 2.3 GB
+  * Magneto-Optical, Rewritable and WORM
+===== Medium Disks =====
+Medium disks all have a recording medium with a diameter of around 130 mm (5-1/4 in) with many different form factors, recording technologies, and niches. Formats such as DVD-RAM, Sony PD, and Panasonic ADA use a 120 mm (4-3/4 in) disc, but their similarly dimensioned disks and drives mean they are usually grouped in with 130 mm disks. Capacities grew from roughly 600 MB in early generations to 9.1 GB for the ISO format, 128 GB for Sony PD, and 300 GB for InPhase Tapestry disks. Many of these formats were used in workstations, document imaging systems, and automated optical libraries (i.e., "jukeboxes"), where many cartridges were managed by robotics for enterprise archiving. Others were used in film production, general file storage, or in the medical industry.
+**Phase-change Dual (PD)**
+**DVD-RAM**
+**Panasonic Advanced Disc for Archive (ADA)**
+**130 mm ISO**
+  * The most common and widely adopted variant in industrial and enterprise environments
+  * Typically used for storing documents, backups, medical information, and data libraries
+  * Available in capacities from 600 MB to 9.1 GB
+  * Magneto-Optical, Rewritable and WORM
+===== Large Disks =====
+Large disks are any format with a recording medium of 200 mm (8 in) or larger. The vast majority are around 300 mm (12 in), although formats with 355 mm (14 in) recording mediums were also present.
+  * [[hardware:300mm-disks|Full Article — 12 in Disks]]
+  * The 2nd largest commercial examples of DBEM
+  * Many different manufacturers, formats, capacities, and recording technologies
+  * Typically for enterprise or medical facilities in the 1980s–1990s, with some examples still being produced in the 2000s
+==== Identification ====
+  * Casing around ~13 in (330 mm) tall and wide
+  * May have large, metal shutter
+  * Material colors vary
+==== Dimensions ====
+  * Outer Casing: ~330 mm × ~330 mm × ~20 mm
+  * Inner Media: 300 mm (12 inch)
+==== Technology ====
+  * Various recording technologies
+  * Sometime rewritable, usually WORM
-The largest DBEM format, 12 in (300 mm) cartridges were used almost exclusively in industrial, government, medical, and enterprise archiving, where huge volumes of records needed to be stored permanently. They were most often ablative WORM, with capacities from a few gigabytes into the double digits per cartridge. Drives were large and expensive, and media was usually handled through high-capacity disk-changers. Few of these systems remain, and documentation is especially scarce.