Bit error rates (BER) for playback of (1,7) code employed in optical disc recording were simulated using an ideal (Gaussian) playback waveform, with playback being performed by PRML (Partial Response Maximum-Likelihood) combining a partial response equalizer and a double clock weighted Viterbi decoder. It was found that best BER occurs for PR(2,3,3,2) +7/10 level Viterbi decoding at a weighted value of w = 0.5 for data consisting of 107 symbols. For a minimum bit length of 0.28 µm, BER of 10-4 and less than 10-6 was obtained for SN ratios of 15.6 dB and 17.7 dB, respectively. And for a minimum bit length of 0.26 µm, BER of 10-4 and less than 10-6 was obtained for SN ratios of 16.7 dB and 18.8 dB, respectively. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a minimum bit length of 0.26 µm in current optical disc recorders.