Prospects for New Storage Technologies in the Age of Communication-Broadcasting Fusion

摘要

As use of the Internet expands and broadband network operations increase remarkably, so too methods of using pictures, sounds an" other media contents are beginning to change dramatically. These contents, which are conventionally transmitted by broadcasting, CATV, and packaging, can now be taken from networks as communications and broadcasting fusion. Broadcasting is becoming increasingly digitized, thus broadening the range of new services it can provide such as multi-channel, Hi-vision, data broadcasting, and storage-type broadcasting. With its rich media contents, broadcasters now see broadband as a new business opportunity, and several attempts to exploit it have already been made. Furthermore, there has been impressive progress in storage technology. For instance, the "Blu-ray Disk," a large-capacity optical disk, can store up to 13 hours of regular-definition television programs and up to two hours of Hi-vision programs. If this technology is applied to professional use recording devices, these optical disks can be used for all operations including archive management at broadcasting stations. As the hard disk, which was originally developed as a memory device for computers, becomes ever more powerful and cheaper to produce, it is becoming possible to use it as a video storage device. Contents are the key for expansion of broadband use. In the flow of contents from production and distribution to storage and reproduction, the role of the storage device will continue to grow. This paper describes the prospects of broadband applications and mounting expectations for storage devices.