Storage

New Disc Publishers Produce Archival DVDs

• By Evan Tassistro
• 04/26/10

The creation of millenium-spanning archival DVDs is now possible through a partnership between Primera and Millenniata, companies specializing in the manufacture of CD and DVD publishing systems, drives, and discs.

Conventional DVD burning technology involves laser etching of marks onto a surface coated with organic dye. Carbon-based, or organic, molecules are generally more susceptible to environmental effects such as light, heat, and biological activity than inorganic ones. The Millenniata drives employ a modified laser system to burn the data marks onto disks composed of sturdier inorganic materials to achieve this increase in durability. The technology has been named "M-DISC" by Millenniata.

According to information released by Primera, the usable life for these discs, once recorded, is "1,000 years or more." Millenniata manufactures the drives themselves, but Primera manufactures the publishing systems into which the drives are integrated. The publishing systems are devices for managing process flow, disc switching, and data transfer. Two models of publishing machines, the Bravo SE and BravoPro Xi2, are available with the new M-DISC capability. For those unfamiliar with CD/DVD publishing machines, such a device automates the process of burning, printing, and transferring large numbers of discs. The Bravo SE has one recording drive, while the BravoPro Xi2 has two, which, along with its increased disc capacity, is designed to speed up the disc production process.

The single-drive Bravo SE is priced at $2,995, while the dual-drive, higher-capacity BravoPro Xi2 goes for $5,295. The DVDs themselves cost $22.95 each. Further information can be found here.