Magnetic Media Technical Specifications And: Fill & Download for Free

I think we should leave the entropy aside... The question is impossible to answer without knowing the technical details of how data is encoded in the magnetic domains of the disk. Specifically does writing of data increase the number of changes of magnetic field direction between neighbor domains. This is not at all obvious - I think the way data is encoded on magnetic media ensures, that there is a transition even for zero bits. Thus my initial guess would be, that any change of total energy would really be negligible. Especially that the magnetic media are fabricated in such a way, as to ensure that interactions between neighbor domains are not too strong.Outgassing from the disk components during writing (caused by them being heated) is probably much more significant source of change in the mass of the disk.

I think over time, Blu-Ray/DVD combo releases will become common for first-run launches.Eventually streaming is going to take over, but even for well resourced, highly technical users, it's kind of a toss-up between pirate 1080p rips (with local storage on rotating magnetic media) and purchasing Blu-Ray discs. The one factor right now in favor of rips is being able to do local video on demand, multi-device simultaneous streaming, and not having to deal with physical media. I still purchase Blu-Ray discs, but am starting to rip them onto a local video server, and may augment with 1080p downloads of specific content.I'd probably give discs as a whole 5-10 years of life as a primary way to buy movies. Both Blu Ray and DVD will ramp down around the same time, and will be at least as common as CD audio is now for the next 20 years.

So many good answers here! One post, however, is telling us that vinyl is of lower resolution than CD, and by that measure, all other answers are "dead wrong." While the science presented in the answer is true, there’s much more to the story. The resolution vs. enjoyment factor have been long studied and thoroughly debated in the recording industry where I’ve spent my career.The hot debate for many years in my industry was the scientific proof that 192 kHz digital sampling rates were sonically superior to the more common 44.1 kHz sampling rate. Yeah. It was true in the lab. But it was also shown many times over that no one could tell the difference between the two in blind listening tests. More information available on this topic if you’re interested: SamplingRateAs far as making a general comparison between any two delivery platforms, we need to remember that the original production quality as it was made in the studio is a far greater determinant than the differences in the delivery media. While CD is superior to vinyl as measured in the lab and restricted to only the differences between the two, a poorly engineered project on CD is inferior to a brilliantly engineered project on vinyl. I recall a phrase from Bob Ludwig (famous audio mastering engineer), when he said, “Any thing that is well built and carefully crafted will sound better than a poorly crafted thing that has higher technical specifications.” This applies to the art of crafting a music project as well as equipment design. It's not just the media that determines the quality of the delivery.Distortion is beautiful! But it’s a deep art. Rock guitar players obsess over finding the most inspiring kinds of distortions and an entire industry of equipment and publications is built around it. Rock guitar distortion has been been studied in the lab for several decades and has only recently begun to be understood. It’s a tough proposition for lab analysis, but the musicians and artists make it their tool of trade.When the recording industry first made our transition from analog tape to digital capture, we knew that the science was showing digital to be more accurate. Yet our emotional response to digital was that it felt pale, hollow and lackluster as compared to analog tape. The search was on. Across two decades, we learned that the distortions of analog technology, and in particular, the distortions generated within high quality inductors, transformers, and tape heads were something we liked a lot better than sonic purity. Similar things can happen at the consumer end. The magnetic cartridge mounted near the tip of the turntable tonearm uses copper coils immersed in a magnetic field to convert the stylus motion into an electrical signal. Based on what we’ve learned about inductors, magnets and coils as used in studio recording gear, it would be plausible to argue that this is a primary factor influencing the sound of vinyl as opposed to the little indentations in the vinyl grooves. Bear in mind also, that the processes used for creating a vinyl master also use coils immersed in a magnetic field. Little coils of copper in the circuit tend to be pleasing to the human ear, because of their particular inaccuracies.While distortion may be good, not just any old distortion will do. Again, I emphasize, it’s a deep art and not one that is easily given to scientific analysis. There are many more kinds of distortions that sound wretched than those that sound good. It's about sorting out the good from the bad, which is no simple task. I am often asked to provide MP3 files for online distribution. Having spent months slaving over a project, I will then do the .WAV to MP3 conversion and listen to the MP3 with horror and heartbreak. “All my hard work! Totally turned to crap! Makes me look like a total incompetent idiot as a recording engineer!” It’s just one of those first-world hardships we live with. (smiley icon) After a while I get used to it and find that it’s bearable as long as I don’t directly compare it to the original .WAV file.Recording engineers must balance their scientific objectivity with the intangibles of the art form. The science is necessary to get us where we want to go, but it needs to be balanced with the intangible and irrational nature of enjoying the arts. We want our work to appear to you in the best light possible. So some study, expense and effort on the part of the consumer is appreciated. That said, when we’re working with art forms, part of the brew is that perception is reality. Listening to music is an emotional experience, not a lab test. If the media you choose is offering you the best experience, then that’s the one you should use. One of the most famous quotes in the recording field comes from Joe Meek (early British pioneer in the biz), who said, “If it sounds good, it is good.” Beautiful. Go. Listen. Don’t worry, just enjoy.If someone comes along to tell you that the way you’re enjoying music is incorrect, using language like, “dead wrong,” it's a hint that there may be some one-upmanship involved. It's a kind of "perception is reality" in reverse. We techies seem to do that a lot because we get tunnel vision. We’re often too deeply immersed in our studies to see the bigger picture. Forgive us. Thanks for reading.