Betamax Magnetic Tape Makes A Comeback, Up To 330TB Of Storage In A Smaller Package

Remember the magnetic tape? It’s the one used on all those Betamax, VCR, and cassette cartridges that were so popular until the mid-90s. Well, it’s making a comeback and in a huge way. Apparently, a collaboration between IBM and Sony produced a new type of magnetic tape that can hold up to 330 terabytes of data, while occupying a much smaller space than current HDD or SSD units.

As Gizmodo notes, computer storage companies are making huge strides in the amount of data they can store in smaller cases. Seagate recently announced an SSD drive that could hold up to 60TB of data, which is considered a huge deal, especially for data centers.

With the announcement by Sony that it worked with IBM to create a new kind of magnetic tape that can hold significantly more than what current storage options can, however, the joint venture between these two companies have just changed the game. Then again, as with any new technology, there are a few drawbacks.

One of the biggest reasons for companies increasingly turning to SSDs is the matter of speed. Data transfer from the computer to the drive and back is incredibly fast, largely because of the limited moving parts. This is not something that the magnetic tape technology that was recently created can offer. As a result, it will most likely be used by companies to store huge amounts of data to be put away.

The secret to the new technology apparently stems from a better layer of lubricant and the use of sputter deposition to apply the magnetic layer on the tape, Ars Technica reports. The latter method is particularly interesting because it allows magnetic grains that are several times smaller than conventional magnetic application.

It’s not yet known when the new tapes are going to be available, but they are expected to cost significantly more than current HDD or SSD drives. Considering the storage capacity, however, companies are also predicted to heavily invest in this new technology.