History of DVD

Symon · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:23 pm

Digital Versatile Disc - DVD
DVD started as the Digital Video Disc but now means Digital Versatile Disc or just DVD. It is a multi-application family of optical disc formats for read-only, recordable and re-writable applications. The main features of the DVD formats are:

Backwards compatibility with current CD media. All DVD hardware will play audio CDs and CD-ROMs (although not all hardware will play CD-Rs or CD-RWs).
Physical dimensions identical to compact disc but using two 0.6 mm thick substrates, bonded together.
Single-layer/dual-layer and single/double sided options.
Up to 4.7 GB read-only capacity per layer, 8.5 GB per side maximum.
Designed from the outset for video, audio and multimedia, not just audio.
All formats use a common file system (UDF).
Digital and analogue copy protection for DVD-Video and DVD-Audio built into standard.
Recordable and re-writable versions are part of the family.

DVD started in 1994 as two competing formats, Super Disc (SD) and Multimedia CD (MMCD). DVD now is the result of an agreement by both camps on a single standard to meet the requirements of all the various industries involved.

Physical Differencies of CD & DVD
-- CD DVD
Disc-diameter 120 mm 120 mm
Disc-thickness 1,2 mm 1,2 mm
Page numbers 1 page 1 or 2 page(s)
Layers per page 1 layer 1 or 2 layer(s)
Holediameter 15 mm 15 mm
smallest Pit-size 0,834 micrometer 0,4 micrometer
Track width 3,058 micrometer 0,74 micrometer
Laser wavelength 780 nanometer 650/635 nanometer
Average Bitrate 0,15 Mbytes/s 4,7 Mbytes/s
Year Events
1994 Hollywood ad hoc committee defined features for movies on 'CD'
1995 Philips/Sony announced and demonstrate MMCD
Toshiba & Warner announce and demonstrate SD
Agreement on a single standard format called DVD
1996 DVD-ROM and DVD-Video specifications version 1.0 published
Digital copy protection scheme (CSS) agreed
First DVD-Video players sold in Tokyo (Nov)
1997 Launch of DVD in USA (Aug)
DVD Consortium becomes DVD Forum, expands membership and holds first General DVD Forum Meeting with 120 members
1998 DVD-Video version 1.1 and DVD-ROM version 1.01 specifications released
DVD Forum adopts DVD-RW
DVD Forum announces 7 new members of DVD steering committee making 17 in all
DVD Forum publishes DVD-Audio (0.9) specification
Full launch of DVD in Europe
1m DVD-Video players sold in USA
4.7 GB DVD-R and DVD-RAM version 1.9 specifications released
1999 DVD-Audio (1.0), DVD-Video Recording (0.9 & 1.0), DVD-RW (0.9) and DVD-RAM (2.0) specifications published.
2000 CPPM copy protection for DVD-Audio agreed
DVD-Audio players launched in USA (Jul)
First DVD-Audio discs in USA (Nov)
DVD-RW Part 2 (1.0), DVD-R for Authoring (2.0), DVD-R for General (2.0) and DVD Stream Recording (0.9) specifications published.
2001 DVD-Audio players & discs available
DVD Video Recorders launched in Europe etc
DVD-Multi (1.0), DVD Stream Recording (1.0), DVD-Audio (1.2) and DVD-Video Recording (1.1) specifications published.
DVD Video Recorders launched in Europe etc
Guidelines for IEEE 1394 transmission for DVD-Video/Audio issued.
2002 WG-11 created to study future blue laser format
DVD-Audio recording specification ver 0.9 issued
Hybrid DVD-Audio format approved by DVD Forum