An apparatus and method are disclosed to encode binary data into trinary data. Applicants' method provides binary data, and encodes that binary data into trinary data. By “binary data,” Applicants mean a plurality of bits, wherein each of those bits comprises a value selected from the group consisting of a first value and a second value. By “trinary data,” Applicants mean a plurality of bits, wherein each of those bits comprises a value selected from the group consisting of a first value, a second value, and a third value. The trinary data may be stored in ROM optical disks, nano-sized indentations in a thin-film, or multi-level magnetic storage. The trinary data may be also transmitted via three light levels in an optical communications network.