Holographic recording drives encode data for recording into a holographic medium. The steps comprise run length limited encoding three bytes of data into 5×5 matrix information, the data subject to a 4-byte error correction code; and providing the 5×5 matrix information to a spatial light modulator (SLM), as a portion of a two-dimensional pixel matrix of the spatial light modulator, for recording into a holographic image on the holographic medium.