Sony DGDAT72 1/8" DAT 72 Data Cartridge

The Sony DGDAT72 is a DAT 72 (DDS-5) data cartridge housing 170 meters of 1/8-inch magnetic tape, rated at 36 GB native capacity and 72 GB compressed at a 2:1 ratio. In the context of a DDS-5 drive infrastructure, these specifications represent the ceiling of the DAT format's evolution — DAT 72 doubled the capacity of its DDS-4 predecessor by increasing linear density on the same physical tape width. The 170m length and DDS-5 encoding standard are what produce the native figure; the compressed figure is only realized when backing up data types with meaningful compressibility, a distinction that matters when sizing backup windows and rotation schedules.

The DGDAT72 is the correct replacement media for any facility operating DAT 72 drives in an active backup rotation. It is a rewritable cartridge suited to multi-cycle use in full and incremental backup schemes. Sony's tape formulation has historically shown stable error rates across the rated lifecycle when cartridges are stored within recommended environmental parameters. The format's relevance today is purely operational continuity: DAT 72 drives are no longer manufactured, and organizations still running DDS-5 infrastructure are managing media supply chain for legacy systems rather than selecting a format on current merits. For that specific procurement need, the DGDAT72 is a dependable, specification-compliant cartridge from the format's original equipment manufacturer.