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Hitachi 200025 MAXELL DDS-3 Data Tape Cartridge - 12/24GB — main product image
Hitachi

Hitachi 200025 MAXELL DDS-3 Data Tape Cartridge - 12/24GB

★★★★★5.0 (1 reviews)

Maxell DDS-3 data tape cartridge with 12GB native and 24GB compressed capacity for reliable backup on legacy DDS drives.

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Overview

The Maxell 200025 DDS-3 data tape cartridge is a 4mm tape medium built to the DDS-3 (HS-4/125) standard, offering 12GB of native storage capacity on 125 meters of tape. When used with a DDS-3 or DDS-4 tape drive that supports hardware compression, the effective capacity reaches up to 24GB, making it a practical choice for incremental backups, archival storage, and data migration tasks within legacy tape-based environments. Maxell's tape manufacturing process is designed for reliability, providing consistent performance across repeated read and write cycles.

This cartridge is purpose-built for organizations that continue to rely on DDS tape infrastructure for their backup routines. While the DDS-3 format has been superseded by higher-capacity technologies like LTO, it remains relevant for maintaining compatibility with existing tape libraries and drives. The cartridge includes a 1-year manufacturer warranty, offering assurance against media defects. For best results and longest media life, store cartridges in a controlled environment away from extreme temperatures, humidity, and magnetic sources.

Key Features

1-Year Mfg Warranty

Maxell 200025

MAXELL 200025 4mm DDS-3 125m 12/24GB Tape Data Cartridge

Specifications

Brand
Maxell
Model
200025
Type
DDS-3 (HS-4/125)
Native Capacity
12GB
Compressed Capacity
24GB
Tape Length
125m
Tape Width
4mm
Warranty
1 Year Manufacturer

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • 125 meters of tape provides 12GB native storage, sufficient for incremental backups and smaller datasets
  • Hardware compression support doubles effective capacity to 24GB without additional cost
  • Maxell's manufacturing quality ensures consistent read/write reliability across the full tape length
  • Backed by a 1-year manufacturer warranty for defective media replacement
  • DDS-3 format is well-established with broad compatibility across legacy backup systems

👎 Cons

  • DDS-3 is an older tape format with limited capacity compared to modern LTO or even later DDS generations
  • Sequential access means retrieving specific files is significantly slower than disk-based backup
  • Requires a compatible DDS-3 or DDS-4 tape drive, which are increasingly difficult to source
  • Physical tape media is susceptible to degradation from heat, humidity, and magnetic field exposure over time
  • 12GB native capacity may require multiple cartridges for even modest full-system backups

Frequently Asked Questions

This cartridge is compatible with DDS-3 and DDS-4 tape drives that accept 4mm DDS media. It is not compatible with DDS-1 or DDS-2 drives due to differences in recording density.
The 12GB figure is native (uncompressed) capacity, while 24GB is the compressed capacity achieved through hardware compression in the tape drive, assuming a typical 2:1 compression ratio. Actual compressed capacity depends on the data being written.
Under proper storage conditions—cool, dry, and away from magnetic fields—DDS-3 tapes can reliably retain data for many years, though regular verification and migration to fresh media is recommended for critical archives.
DDS-3 cartridges do not require pre-formatting. The tape drive formats the media during the first write operation, so the cartridge is ready to use out of the package.

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