Quantum DLT 2000 Handbook page 16

Content is Everything
Another trend driving the DLTtape system market is the shift in
application content. When images, color, full motion video, and
audio are added to the content mix, storage requirements explode.
This growth is generating demand for high capacity storage, and
for backup.
Applications that use non-traditional content have other require-
ments beyond just size. For instance, these applications often
involve distribution of content (for example, programming for
video-on-demand applications). It is important to have durable,
reliable media that can stand up to the abuse of shipping, frequent
use, and storage in hostile environments.
Tape Technology Trends
Trends at the system level and in applications are driving changes
in the tape backup market. Another factor in the evolving tape
market is the changing tape technology itself.
One of the most important trends in the tape environment is the con-
tinuing proliferation of incompatible tape formats. New tape formats
are being introduced, not by newcomers and start ups, but by some of
the biggest names in the technology world. A review of available tape
technologies would include 4mm DAT, 8mm, quarter-inch (QIC), and
half-inch, including the DLTtape system. There have always been
options available, and new options keep coming. There are quarter
inch cartridge (QIC) drives that use quarter-inch tape, and there is
quarter-inch tape that is actually .315 inches wide. There are three dif-
ferent types of 4mm DAT tape: DDS-2, DDS-3, and DDS-4.
Fortunately, the latest and the highest capacity DDS-4 tapes are back-
ward compatible with the earlier versions. That isn't always true as
1.8 THE EVOLVING TAPE STORAGE MARKET