Removable Storage Roundup

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Recovery for Removable Storage

SanDisk offers every type of removable storage covered in thisroundup article, including the top-of-the-line Ultra series ofCompactFlash cards.

Removable storage is a booming industry. As companies create moredigital devices, the need for removable storage to hold data continuesto increase. In addition to video and digital cameras, other devicessuch as PDAs, mobile phones, and audio gadgets are now sporting slotsthat accept removable storage cards.

As a video producer, no doubt you are currently using some form ofremovable storage for transporting scripts, graphics for on-air titles,short MPEG movies, on-set stills, storyboards, technicalinformation—and just about anything else you need to get to otherpeople or equipment in a portable manner.

I recently used a CompactFlash card with my Sony three-chip miniDVcam-corder. I shot an audition for a short I am directing. The next dayI played the tape in- camera. When I got to a shot of the actor Iwanted to store, I hit the Photo button on the camera, saving a JPEG ofthe frame in realtime to the CompactFlash card, which is inside thecamera’s media slot via a PC card adapter. It’s very handy.In addition, I could play the stills back one after another with thecamera. That way I could be reminded about who is on the tape withoutscanning all the way through.

For a video producer, there are many uses for removable storage. Butwhat do we really know about the storage cards themselves? Which onesare best? What are the advantages of one format over another? In thisarticle we’ll take a look at the cards available now, get someadvice for proper handling of cards, and see what the technical futureholds for this expanding market.

Currently, the three most popular types of removable storage areCompactFlash, which has the largest marketshare; SmartMedia, which issupported by major digital camera players Fuji and Olympus; andSony’s Memory Stick, which is backed by the electronicspowerhouse for all its digital products. Bringing up the rear aresmaller offerings: SD (Secure Digital) cards and MultiMedia cards.

CompactFlash

CompactFlash leads in the race for marketshare for several reasons.First released to the public by SanDisk Corporation, CompactFlash (CF)enjoys a healthy one-third of marketshare (according to SanDisk) thanksto a head start—it was one of the first cards out back in 1994. ACF weighs half an ounce and conforms to standards such as PCMCIA-ATA,which is widely used in products like notebook computers. The cards areproduced by several companies, including SanDisk, PNY, SimpleTech,Ken-sington, and Think Computer Products.

CF cards have 50 pins for connecting to digital cameras and manyother devices. They come in two varieties, CF Type I and CF Type II.The original CF Type I is 3.3mm thick, and the newer CF Type II is alittle chunkier at about 5mm. Mechanically, this is the only differencebetween the Type I and II cards; however, some of the newer Type IIcards feature higher speeds (which we’ll get to in a minute).

A CF Type I card operates in a CF Type I or CF Type II slot. A CFType II card will fit only in a CF Type II slot. Most companies thatproduce CF cards have manufactured both varieties. Some cards, likeIBM’s Microdrive, are available only in the CF Type IIvariety.

The term “flash” designates the type of memory used inthe cards. Flash memory is nonvolatile storage that does not require apower source such as a battery to retain data. Unlike hard drives orIBM’s Microdrive, the cards are solid state—hence noplatters or moving items inside. Because of the lack of moving parts,CompactFlash cards are surprisingly rugged and consume a fraction ofthe juice needed by a standard disk drive.

Also, because the pin configuration is so similar to that of aPCMCIA card, over the years companies have been able to adapt andperfect a solid connector type that withstands lots of plugging andunplugging. There is a reason users generally don’t sufferalignment problems or bent pins, and that is because the time-testedPCMCIA cards paved the way for the newer CF generation.

As for what’s inside, CF cards contain non-volatile RAM,meaning once the data is saved, it sticks. And it stays until youdelete it or save over it.

Sony has recently started licensing other manufacturers to produceversions of its tiny Memory Stick removable storage cards.

Currently the only card to break out from the pack with a differentformat is IBM’s Microdrive. Rather than RAM chips, the unitactually contains a tiny hard drive. This creates several differencesworth noting. The first is price. Digit for digit, the Microdrive has alower cost per megabyte. Engineers increased the areal density of thedrive, which is the amount of data the platter can hold per squareinch. Also, while keeping the drive tiny, IBM has been able expand thedrive size to hold up to a gigabyte of data. Last year the IBM card hada lead because CF RAM cards did not hit that number. This year, theydo. As mentioned, the IBM Microdrive is available only in the CF TypeII variety, excluding it from use with some older cameras and CFreaders.

All CF cards contain a controller, the brains behind the unit thatdesignate how the data is written to the card. The playing field haschanged recently with the introduction of higher-speed controllers,along with the fastest flash memory. Cards such as Lexar’s Xseries and SanDisk’s Ultra line employ these controllers andpromise faster read and write times. They come through in lab tests,but the snag is that not all cameras support the faster modes. A newdigital SLR might zip at full speed, while a less expensive cameraplods along no faster than if it had a regular-speed card. Now thecamera manufacturers have to play catch-up so their products can handlethe higher rates. Late this year and into next year we will see morecameras that take advantage of higher-speed cards.

Other Players

As thin as a credit card and as small as a couple of quarters,SmartMedia is pretty cool to hold. There are, however, a few thingsworth keeping in mind about this media.

First of all, the memory is exposed on the side of the card. If ittakes a hard dig or scratch, your data could be compromised. Also, thethin size means there is no controller on the card, so it resides inthe camera. Camera companies need to program their devices to ensurecompatibility. Finally, SmartMedia cards are topping out at 128MB, alittle slim for storage of multiple-megapixel entities. If itsexpansion of its capacity does not accelerate, SmartMedia could be leftbehind.

Also idling at 128MB is Sony’s Memory Stick. Again, though,it’s very cool to hold and is smaller than a stick of chewinggum. This little blue wonder is the standard for Sony products, and thepopular card is now being licensed and sold by other companies. Fasterand larger sticks are coming, with a goal of hitting the 1GB markwithin two years.

Finally, picking up speed are MultiMedia and Secure Digital (SD)cards. Featuring an onboard controller, these cards aretiny—about the size of a postage stamp—but thicker thanSmartMedia cards. Though currently mired at 128MB, they will hit themarket in larger sizes in the coming year. Also, SD cards can beprogrammed to protect your data, unlike the other cards in thisroundup.

Flash Forward

Going over the current options, it’s fairly easy to see wherethe industry is headed. CF cards will be tweaked to feature fastercontrollers, because that is really the only way companies candesignate their card as superior to the competition’s.

The problem we face now is the lack of a standard by which companiescan agree to measure speed increases. Lexar promotes speed with an X,such as X4 or X16. This means a card simply is that much of a factorfaster than some original standard card. But how much faster is thatcompared to SanDisk’s Ultracard? Or PNY’s standard card?This might have to be regulated by the CompactFlash Association(www.compactflash .org), an independent governing body that has so fardone a great job of fostering compatibility across different brands andsizes.

Camera manufacturers also have to be aware of these new higherspeeds in the coming year and adapt accordingly. When you spend extrafor a speedier card, you should actually get that advertisedperformance when you slip it into the camera.

As camera components record higher megapixel counts, the largerstorage options will become more appealing to consumers. Increasingdemand will no doubt continue to drive prices down on the higher-endcards. All removable storage cards will be playing catch-up in themegabyte race with CompactFlash. With Memory Sticks, MultiMedia cards,SD, and SmartMedia all topping at 128MB, the completive landscape willbe shaped by companies that produce storage cards with more memory.Cards without controllers, such as SmartMedia and Memory Stick, willhave to work extra hard without the option of ramping up controllerspeeds.

The good news is that prices are coming down and this year’swave of 1GB cards makes a great solution for video professionals andphotographers shooting at higher resolutions. As the controllerscontinue to be tweaked and cameras are produced with higher speeds inmind, the choices will be plenty.

Recovery for Removable Storage

Power surges, earthquakes, fires, floods, and other hazards canwreak havoc on data, especially content stored on removable media.Cameras and laptops especially are prone to falling into water andbeing dropped, crushed, or burned—leaving data irretrievable.

DriveSavers is one company that’s made a name for itselfpartly by zeroing in on the niche market of data recovery for removablestorage cards. The reason this is a niche market is that most peoplefigure that if they have destroyed their data card, all has been lost.DriveSavers (www.drivesavers.com) thinks otherwise. The companycurrently boasts a 90% success rate and even offers 24-hour service inNorthern California. The company prides itself on recovering data thatother companies have given up on.

DriveSavers focuses not only on hardware problems such ascontrollers and disk errors, but also dives into data lost due to powerproblems, electrical errors, and conflicting software. In the 17 yearsit’s been in business, the company has saved a lot of data. Witha client list that includes Adobe, Xerox, and Kodak, DriveSavers haseven worked directly with drive companies to create advanced datarecovery techniques for specific hardware.

After the data is recovered, it’s saved to a media format ofyour choice and shipped back to you. Just be careful with it this time,OK? — FM

To comment on this article, email the Video Systems editorialstaff at vsfeedback@primedia.com.