What are “ML” discs and devices?
“ML” is short for “MultiLevel”. Devices and media constructed by Calimetrics (http://www.calimetrics.com/) boast 3x the storage capacity and 3x the recording speed of conventional CD-R and CD-RW media. CD technology works by measuring the light reflected from the surface of the disc. Traditional discs only have two levels (“pit” and “land”), ML discs have more than one. By increasing the effective bit density of the media, you can write 3x as much data in one revolution of the disc, improving both the storage capacity and the recording speed. The technology requires minor changes to existing hardware, and requires discs optimized for ML recording. Discs written with ML devices will not be compatible with existing CD players and CD-ROM drives. However, ML recorders are expected to be able to record on CD-R/CD-RW media as well, so ML support could be a low-cost bonus feature on new drives.
“ML” is short for “MultiLevel”. Devices and media constructed by Calimetrics (http://www.calimetrics.com/) boast 3x the storage capacity and 3x the recording speed of conventional CD-R and CD-RW media. CD technology works by measuring the light reflected from the surface of the disc. Traditional discs only have two levels (“pit” and “land”), ML discs have more than one. By increasing the effective bit density of the media, you can write 3x as much data in one revolution of the disc, improving both the storage capacity and the recording speed. The technology requires minor changes to existing hardware, and requires discs optimized for ML recording. Discs written with ML devices will not be compatible with existing CD players and CD-ROM drives. However, ML recorders are expected to be able to record on CD-R/CD-RW media as well, so ML support could be a low-cost bonus feature on new drives. [ Announced in early 2002, this never really materialized as a consumer CD technology.
(2002/01/18) “ML” is short for “MultiLevel”. Devices and media constructed by Calimetrics (http://www.calimetrics.com/) boast 3x the storage capacity and 3x the recording speed of conventional CD-R and CD-RW media. CD technology works by measuring the light reflected from the surface of the disc. Traditional discs only have two levels (“pit” and “land”), ML discs have more than one. By increasing the effective bit density of the media, you can write 3x as much data in one revolution of the disc, improving both the storage capacity and the recording speed. The technology requires minor changes to existing hardware, and requires discs optimized for ML recording. Discs written with ML devices will not be compatible with existing CD players and CD-ROM drives. However, ML recorders are expected to be able to record on CD-R/CD-RW media as well, so ML support could be a low-cost bonus feature on new drives. [ Announced in early 2002, this never really materialized as a consumer CD technology.
(2002/12/11) ATIP is an acronym for Absolute Time In Pregroove. All CD-R and CD-RW discs have a pre-cut spiral groove that wobbles slightly. The groove keeps the write head tracking properly, and the wobble (sinusoidal with a frequency of 22.05KHz) provides timing information to the recorder. The wobble is frequency-modulated with a +/-1KHz signal, which creates an absolute time clocking signal, known as the Absolute Time In Pregroove (ATIP). In the lead-in area, which is at the start of the disc, the ATIP signal can be read to get some information about the disc. The only really useful bit of information is the number of blocks on the disc, which is determined by the length of the pre-formed groove. The ATIP signal also holds some information about the disc’s construction and manufacturer, but see section (2-33) for some comments about their usefulness. http://www.orangeforum.or.jp/e/reference/index.htm used to have ATIP information, but the “Disc Identification Method” link is now pa
