The LTO technology has an open-format specifications, made available to all who want to participate through standard licensing provisions. It means that LTO-compliant media from any vendor can be read and written in LTO-compliant drives from any vendor. You can take an IBM media for instance and use it in Quantum Drive.
Despite this, there are various packings available for LTO tape media which sometimes cause confusion. We look at various packings and product differentiation in LTO Ultrium Media
Retail Pack of 5 Box /20 Carton - The Staple
The most common packing sold is the carton of 20 tapes which has 4 boxes of 5 Tapes Inside. Each tape has an inlay card and the Tape case which can be used to store the tape. This is always available with the channel and is the default part number that is quoted.
Pre-Labelled Tapes 5 Box / 20 Carton
With this packing, there are 20 tapes to a carton and 5 to a box. Each tape is pre-labelled and comes with the individual tape case, but there is no inlay card. These tapes are usually sold in multiples of 20. Sometimes in multiples of 5 also but never single units.
Library Packs 20 per Carton
With this packing, there are 20 tapes to a carton packed in bulk. There is no Inlay card and no Tape case. This is convenient for consumers when they rapidly want to place them in the library and don't want to remove the tapes from the casing.
Eco Pack of HP
HP LTO Eco case uses the casing made of recycled paper instead of plastic. It’s the first environmentally sound case made of rigid, moulded recycled paper. This is mostly never available in Middle East.
TeraPack Media
Multiple tapes are offered in a TeraPack Container, with each tape unwrapped and pre-labelled , ready for bulk loading.
No matter which packing you choose , the tape inside is exactly the same.
| Packing Name | Inlay Card | Individual case | Labelled |
| Retail Pack 5 box, 20 Carton | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pre-Labelled Tape | No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Library Pack | No | No | Depending on Part number |
| Eco Pack ( Only HPE) | No | Yes, Paper Case | No |
| TeraPack Media | No | No individual case. Packed in Terapack Container | Yes |
