Bottom tracks are written to a recording medium using a first setting of a spin-torque oscillator of a single microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) head. Top tracks are written interlaced between and partially overlapping the bottom tracks using the single MAMR head at a second setting of the MAMR head, the first and second settings resulting in different bit aspect ratios for the top and bottom tracks.

Disclosed are systems, methods, and devices for increasing the storage areal density of a storage device. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising receiving host data, the host data including first data and extra bit data; generating run-length limited (RLL) data by encoding the first data with an RLL encoder; generating a symbol corresponding to at least one bit of the extra bit data; and generating superpositioned data by inserting the symbol within a contiguous section of repeating bits in the RLL-encoded first data.

A plurality of kinds of LPCM signals/compression digital audio signals is switched to one another in transmission, thereby enabling audio reproduction to be satisfactorily carried out. A digital audio signal is transmitted to an external apparatus through a predetermined transmission path. Information associated with the digital audio signal to be next transmitted is added to the digital audio signal which is currently being transmitted. For example, first metadata exhibiting a transmission frequency of the digital audio signal, and second metadata exhibiting a data type of the digital audio signal are contained in the information.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a first controller and a second controller. The first controller includes a first communication circuits and a first buffer and configured to control a first actuator, and the second controller includes a second communication circuit and a second buffer and configured to control a second actuator. The first controller is configured to receive the data from outside by the first buffer and configured to be able to communicate with the second controller through the first and the second communication circuit.

A play back device includes a readout unit and a playback unit. The readout unit reads out an encoded main video stream and an encoded sub-video stream that are recorded in a recording medium. The sub-video stream is a sub-video that is to be superimposed on the main video and displayed. The playback unit plays the main video stream and the sub-video stream that have been read out. The sub-video stream includes multiple sets, each set including a first sub-video stream for a first luminance dynamic range and a second sub-video stream for a second luminance dynamic range, which is wider than the first luminance dynamic range. In the same set in the multiple sets, a registration order of the first sub-video stream in the first database and a registration order of the second sub-video stream in the second database are the same.

A playback device and playback method are provided for reading out and playing content from a recording medium in which are recorded a video stream that is encoded video information, map information, and bitrate information of the video stream. The map information includes playback start time information, start position information, and size information. The playback method includes reading out the map information and the bitrate information, and determining the stipulated data size in accordance with the bitrate information. The playback method also includes acquiring the picture from the video stream based on the result of the determination, and the start position information and the size information included in the map information that has been read out. The method further includes decoding and playing the acquired picture, wherein the stipulated data size differs between 2K resolution of the video stream and 4K resolution of the video stream.

Systems and methods for storing data are provided herein using a data archive architecture controlled by a head server. The head server can write data in a contiguous manner across multiple storage devices by partitioning objects into multiple portions and spreading the portions across the multiple storage devices. Portions of a first object can be transmitted to a first subset of storage devices and portions of a second object can be transmitted to a second subset of storage devices. The first subset of storage devices can write the portions of the first object to a first write location indicated by a write pointer. The head server can increment the write pointer based on a length of the portions of the first object to a second write location. The second subset of storage devices can write the portions of the second object to the second write location.

According to one embodiment, a drive-implemented method includes, in a first mode of operation, processing data using only transducers of subarrays positioned on opposite sides of an inner transducer in an array of transducers, and processing data using only a portion of the transducers in each of the subarrays in a second mode of operation, wherein the inner transducer is inactive in the second mode of operation.

A drive-implemented method includes performing an operation on a storage medium using an array of 2N+1 transducers using transducers on only one side of a centerline of the array in a first mode of operation.

In one embodiment, a drive-implemented method includes determining, by a tape drive, that a magnetic recording tape is compatible with a first format, the tape drive having an array of transducers including an inner transducer and subarrays of the transducers positioned on opposite sides of the inner transducer, reading from or writing to the magnetic recording tape, by the tape drive, using the array of transducers in a first mode of operation corresponding to the first format, and processing data, by the tape drive, using only the transducers in the subarrays in the first mode of operation.