A reliable format for data-storage applications
The pursuit of more storage space in smaller, more mobile packages, such as 100MB Zip disks and 120MB SuperDisks, dominates the computer industry. Some of the first removable storage media on IBM-compatible systems were single- and double-sided disks that held 360KB and 720KB of data, respectively. Since then, engineers have developed a variety of removable storage media that hold greater amounts of data without being unwieldy. At the time of their inception, those storage media seem adequate, but the need for additional and more mobile storage alternatives quickly outgrows the latest storage technology.
Until recently, no product has been available for users who want to use multiple removable storage devices in one system. If users want to read CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs, they purchase a DVD-ROM player, but the device can't write to discs. If users want to write to CD-ROMs, they purchase a CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) device, but the device can't read DVD-ROMs. Neither DVD-ROM nor CD-RW devices are a complete solution for users who want to read CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs and use one device to store data. However, DVD-RAM drives now provide users with this functionality.
In 1997, the DVD Forum defined a standard for rewritable storage—DVD-RAM. DVD-RAM's founders sought to provide a format for data-storage applications that offers reliability, high data integrity, affordability, and compatibility. Compatibility is important so you can play all forms of CD-ROM, such as high-capacity DVD-RAM and DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, and CD-Recordable (CD-R) discs, from the same device.
DVD-RAM drives read and write to 4.5" * 5.25" removable cartridges. In addition, they read DVD-ROM, DVD-Recordable (DVD-R), audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and CD-Interactive (CD-I) media. Vendors offer DVD-RAMs in single-sided 2.6GB or double-sided 5.2GB formats.
To format DVD-RAMs for a Windows NT system, you must use Software Architects' (http://www.softarch.com) FormatterOne Pro DVD on NT software. Most DVD-RAM drives don't include this software, but you can purchase it from a vendor when you buy the drive. Vendors usually preformat DVD-RAMs as FAT16. Although I used NT's Disk Administrator to format DVD-RAMs as NTFS, I couldn't find any vendor documentation to support this method. This lack of compatibility results from vendors' focus on DVD-RAM in the Windows 9x market rather than in the NT arena.
To reformat a FAT16-formatted DVD-RAM, open Disk Administrator, which lets Disk Administrator write a signature to the disc, save the configuration changes, and exit Disk Administrator. You can now format the disc by selecting the drive in My Computer and selecting NTFS as the file system in the Format dialog box. I formatted one side of a DVD-RAM in about 20 seconds.
Additional data security is one benefit of formatting DVD-RAMs as NTFS, but a disadvantage is that you can't share the disc with other OSs. Software Architects is developing Universal Disk Format (UDF) for NT, which will let you share DVD-RAMs among multiple OSs.
Most DVD-RAM drives include audio input connectors that you connect to a sound card to play audio CDs. To view DVD-Video, you must purchase a separate Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)-2 decoder card.
DVD-RAMs aren't susceptible to magnetic fields, which helps protect your data from accidental erasure. In addition, the laser head never physically contacts the media, so you won't experience the media damage problems that physical contact can create. Also, you can expect your DVD-RAMs to last at least 50 years, and they cost less than 1 cent per megabyte.