A playback device reads out from a recording medium and plays multiple High Dynamic Range (HDR) video streams that are encoded with video information. The playback device includes a first register, a second register and a playback unit. For each of the HDR video streams, the first register stores first information indicating whether the playback device corresponds to or not, and the second register stores second information indicating whether a display device connected to the playback device corresponds to or not. The playback unit plays the HDR video streams using a playback format selected based on a playback program stored in the recording medium, in a case where the first information and the second information indicate that there are multiple playback formats corresponding to both the playback device and the display device.

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes an array of transducers, where the array of transducers includes at least one contiguous group of transducers in a number specified in a format and at least two servo readers, where the servo readers are symmetrically positioned about the contiguous group of transducers and the servo readers are asymmetrically positioned relative to a centerline of the array of transducers.

A shingled magnetic recording (SMR) hard disk drive (HDD) receives a read command for data associated with a range of logical block addresses (LBAs). In situations where a first portion of valid data associated with the range of LBAs is stored in an SMR region of the HDD and a second portion of valid data associated with the range of LBAs is stored in a non-SMR region of the HDD, the first portion is read from the SMR region in a single disk access and copied to a first buffer of the HDD, and the second portion is read from the non-SMR region in one or more disk accesses and copied to a second buffer of the HDD. The valid data associated with the range of LBAs stored in the second buffer are copied to the first buffer to be combined with valid data associated with the range of LBAs stored in the first buffer, and the combined valid data is then transferred to the host to complete execution of the read command.

Methods and systems that reduce off-track write retry operations in shingled magnetic recording systems. In one implementation, the method includes writing data to an initial track, determining which side of the initial track is a shingled side, calculating a percentage of position error signal (PES) at a shingled side end of the initial track (PES1) when an off-track write operation occurs, determining whether the PES1 meets a first pre-determined threshold, continue writing data to a second track responsive to determining the PES1 is below a first pre-determined threshold, calculating a percentage of PES at a shingled side end of the second track (PES2), determining whether a combined value of PES1 and PES2 is above a second predetermined threshold to determine a probability value of the initial track being erased, and continue writing to a third track if the combined value is below the second predetermined threshold.

Methods and systems that reduce off-track write retry operations in shingled magnetic recording systems. In one implementation, the method includes writing data to an initial track, determining which side of the initial track is a shingled side, calculating a percentage of position error signal (PES) at a shingled side end of the initial track (PES1) when an off-track write operation occurs, determining whether the PES1 meets a first pre-determined threshold, continue writing data to a second track responsive to determining the PES1 is below a first pre-determined threshold, calculating a percentage of PES at a shingled side end of the second track (PES2), determining whether a combined value of PES1 and PES2 is above a second predetermined threshold to determine a probability value of the initial track being erased, and continue writing to a third track if the combined value is below the second predetermined threshold.

A tape drive, according to one embodiment, includes: a processor, and logic which is integrated with the processor, executable by the processor, or integrated with and executable by the processor. The logic is configured to: determine whether a difference between information and corresponding design values is in a range. The information corresponds to how an array of writers write and/or are expected to write to a magnetic medium during shingled recording. Moreover, the logic is configured to: compute, using the information, data describing a lateral writing position to use during writing such that shingled track edges are aligned according to a format in response to determining that the difference between the information and corresponding design values is not in the range.

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes an array of 2N+1 transducers, and a controller electrically coupled only to transducers in odd positions in the array. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes an array of 2N+1 transducers, where at least one of the transducers within the array is configured as a servo reader, a controller electrically coupled only to transducers in odd positions in the array, and a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the array.

The disclosed technology provides a method that reduces time to recover in storage systems. In one implementation, the method comprises entering an idle status, determining if there is an incomplete band update operation, invalidating a media scratch pad (MSP) by clearing headers responsive to determining there is no incomplete band update operation, performing a power cycle, reading an MSP header, and determining if an MSP header is valid. If a rude power cycle occurs and the MSP header is determined to be valid, an MSP is examined, and restored if required. If a safe power cycle occurs, an MSP restore operation is not required, reducing time to recover.

A disk device includes a disk medium, a magnetic recording head, a processor configured to control the magnetic recording head to write data to and read data from a plurality of tracks of the disk medium on a sector-by-sector basis, and a check value generation circuit configured to generate, for each of the plurality of tracks, check value data based on data stored in one or more sectors of the track. The processor controls the magnetic recording head to write check value data for a first track of the plurality of tracks in a first sector on the disk medium and check value data for a second track of the plurality of tracks in a second sector on the disk medium that is adjacent to the first sector.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for timing index write to a tape medium of a tape system. Index write timing data that specifies index write timing based on file metadata attributes is stored. Metadata attributes of a first file are analyzed to determine whether a first index should be written at a first time based on the index write timing data. In response to determining that an index should be written, the first index is written to the tape medium at the first time.