Abstract: An evaluation pattern, for evaluating the extent of occurrence of thermal interference, is recorded with recording power being varied stepwise from a low recording power to a high recording power. This test-written evaluation pattern is played back, and levels of occurrence of thermal interference are quantified for each recording power level of the recording. Then, recording power is set to a value such that a quantified value therefor is smaller than a pre-specified slice level. For the slice level, a measured value of PI errors (correctable errors) for carrying out acceptable recording is found, and the slice level is determined by finding a variation amount that corresponds to this measured value of PI errors.

Abstract: The optical information recording medium comprises a reflective layer, a recording layer, a barrier layer, and a cover layer in this order on a surface of a support, and a layer formed by curing an ultraviolet radiation-curable composition between the barrier layer and the cover layer, the layer having a glass transition temperature of equal to or lower than 25° C. The surface of the support has pregrooves with a track pitch of 50 to 500 nm. The recording layer ranges in thickness from 1 to 100 nm on the lands and from 5 to 150 nm on the grooves, and comprises at least one azo dye compound selected from the group consisting of an azo compound and an azo metal complex compound comprising an azo compound and a metal ion or metal oxide ion, with an attenuation coefficient of 0.15 to 0.3 at a wavelength of 405 nm.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for inspecting a recording medium, for thereby detecting a defect in the recording medium, in which the apparatus includes inspection subjects made up of first to fourth recording media on which audio signals having a constant frequency are recorded. The apparatus further includes first to fourth non-defective drives for reading out signals from the first to fourth recording media and for outputting signals therefrom, a detector for detecting the audio signals from among the signals output from the first to fourth drives, and a determining means for determining that the first to fourth recording media are defective when the audio signals output from the detector deviate from the constant frequency.

Abstract: Disclosed are a magnetic tape cartridge and a servo writer which both allow a magnetic tape drive to recognize a level of a voltage signal being read from a servo signal. In a magnetic tape included in the magnetic tape cartridge, a servo signal that has been written on a servo band contains output level data indicating an output level of the servo signal itself. The magnetic tape drive reads the servo signal, then extracts the output level data therefrom, and adjusts the output level of the servo signal to a predetermined level.

Abstract: An evaluation pattern, for evaluating the extent of occurrence of thermal interference, is recorded with recording power being varied stepwise from a low recording power to a high recording power. This test-written evaluation pattern is played back, and levels of occurrence of thermal interference are quantified for each recording power level of the recording. Then, recording power is set to a value such that a quantified value therefor is smaller than a pre-specified slice level. For the slice level, a measured value of PI errors (correctable errors) for carrying out acceptable recording is found, and the slice level is determined by finding a variation amount that corresponds to this measured value of PI errors.

Abstract: Disclosed are a magnetic tape cartridge and a servo writer which both allow a magnetic tape drive to recognize a level of a voltage signal being read from a servo signal. In a magnetic tape included in the magnetic tape cartridge, a servo signal that has been written on a servo band contains output level data indicating an output level of the servo signal itself. The magnetic tape drive reads the servo signal, then extracts the output level data therefrom, and adjusts the output level of the servo signal to a predetermined level.