31. The method of claim 23 , further comprising applying error correction coding to each of the columns to form two code words in each column, wherein the two code words in each column are interleaved such that portions of the two code words are interleaved along the column.
23. A method of writing data to a tape data storage medium, said method comprising: arranging a block of user data into a data group of a logical array of data bytes, the array comprising a plurality of rows of said data bytes and a plurality of columns of said data bytes; applying error correction coding to individual ones of said rows, wherein applying the error correction coding to each said individual row of data bytes results in the individual row having four interleaved code words, wherein each of the four interleaved code words in the corresponding error correction coded row comprises data bytes and error correcting bytes; writing said data group as a single data track extending across a width of said tape data storage medium such that all of said data group is contained within said single data track extending across said width of said tape data storage medium, said data group comprising 448 C 2 code words.