Diskular

Diskular is a proprietary optical disk format introduced in the early 1990s by the Japanese manufacturer Nomura Disc Systems. The format was designed to provide a higher capacity than the then-standard compact disc while maintaining backward compatibility with existing CD players. Diskular discs use a pyramidal recording method that allows for approximately 200 MB of data per side, roughly double the capacity of a standard compact disc. The discs are physically similar in shape to CDs, but they have a thicker substrate to accommodate the additional data layers and a darker reflective surface to improve read reliability.

The technology was marketed primarily for multimedia distribution, including video and audio content as well as data backups. Despite its technical advantages, Diskular never achieved widespread adoption, largely due to the rapid emergence of CD-ROM drives capable of supporting mixed media formats and the later standardisation of the compact disc audio format. Several early multimedia titles, such as certain 3D animation programs and video game releases, were distributed exclusively on Diskular discs, which are now considered rare collector items.

Diskular's legacy lies mainly in its influence on subsequent optical storage research. The pyramidal recording technique it employed helped inform later developments in red and blue laser disc technologies, which now dominate the digital media landscape. While the format itself has been discontinued, its contributions to optical storage are occasionally cited in academic discussions about the evolution of media formats.