DVD-Recordables.........................
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DVD - Technology Update
JAPAN - Competing formats emerge
There are several different formats for DVD equipment. These include: DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-R/W, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM.
According to Hideyuki Irie, director of the DVD Forum, version 1.0 of the DVD-Audio format is not expected to be completed before the year is out, and DVD-Audio players will not be commercialized for at least a few more months.
The DVD-Video format is already well established and quite a few manufacturers have started selling DVD players. The market has expanded rapidly. In 1997, an estimated 140,000 units were sold in Japan and nearly 800,000 units in the rest of the world. It is expected that this year, 400,000 to 450,000 units will be sold in Japan and 2 million to 2.5 million units will be sold worldwide. DVD players are usually compatible with Audio CDs and Video CDs. Some models are compatible with laser discs as well.
DVD-ROM has also now been standardized. Several makers offer DVD-ROM drives in Japan. It is estimated that some 1 million units were sold in the international market in 1997, a figure that is expected to rise to 7.5 million units this year, according to an official at Hitachi Ltd. The firm's DVD-ROM drives accounted for more than half of the total volume of DVD-ROM drives sold worldwide last year, and the company expects to sell some 4 million units this year. DVD-ROM drives are compatible with CD, CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW disks as well as DVD-Video, DVD-R and DVD-ROM disks. Competition is expected to intensify in the recordable arena in future.
Rewritable standard gains increasing support
DVD-R/W, developed last year by Pioneer Electronic Corp. in cooperation with Pioneer Video Corp., has similar recording/playback physical characteristics to DVD-R. Several leading firms have expressed their support for this format, including TDK Corp., Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., Hitachi Maxell Ltd and Victor Co. The DVD Forum expects to finalize version 1.0 of the DVD-R/W standard by the end of the year.
The DVD+RW format was announced by Sony, Philips, Hewlett-Packard, Mitsubishi Chemical, Ricoh, and Yamaha in September 1997. DVD+RW and DVD-RAM drives are not compatible, but drives conforming to both standards can read DVD-ROM disks. No DVD+RW drives are yet available. The format has not been endorsed by the DVD Forum.
DVD-RAM Version 1.0 was announced in August 1997 and several Japanese makers have introduced DVD-RAM drives during the past few months. Those firms that have adopted this format claim that an incorporated cartridge improves reliability, especially for double-sided disks.
DVD products offer range of features
A variety of DVD players are available from leading suppliers in Japan. Pioneer Electronic, which has been actively promoting LD players, offers a DVD/LD/VCD/CD fully-compatible player, the DVL-909. The model features a hi-bit Legato Link conversion processor and Virtual Dolby Surround with two speakers for realistic surround sound effects. It measures 420 by 463 by 146mm.
Matsushita Electric Ind. Co. Ltd claims its DVD-L10 is the industry's first portable model with a 5.8-inch LCD monitor. It features 96kHz, 24-bit audio DAC, Virtual Surround Sound, a compact traverse mechanism and built-in stereo speakers. The unit measures is 160 by 160 by 43mm.
In addition to single-disk DVD players, some makers will soon introduce DVD changers. Toshiba Corp. is an active maker of DVD-Video, DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM lines. The company's SD-C2102 is a very slim internal DVD-ROM drive. Measuring 128 by 129 by 12.7mm, it is suitable for notebook PCs. It features a data transfer rate of 2.4-speed, or 3.268MBps, for DVD-ROM disks and 20-speed, or 3MBps, for CD-ROM disks, and a power consumption of 3W when running DVD-ROM disks.
Toshiba's SD-M1202 is a high-end DVD-ROM drive for desktop applications. Features include a data transfer rate of 4.8-speed, or 6.535MBps, for DVD-ROM disks and 32-speed, or 4.8MBps, for CD-ROM disks, and a CAV rotation for stable reading. It is an internal model that measures 146 by 193 by 41.5mm.
Hitachi's GF-1055 is an external DVD-RAM drive. It comes with a DVD-RAM disk, UDF file system drivers and other items for quick PC installation. It features a two-lens, two-laser beam head and an LSI chipset with high-speed DSP capability. It can read CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM and DVD-R disks. It measures 180 by 343 by 50mm.
Hitachi has released a DVD-RAM library, the DL series. Three models are available, with the largest holding up to 150 DVD-RAM disks with a total storage capacity of 390G. The unit measures 215 by 700 by 600mm.
Matsushita Electric Ind.'s DVD-RAM drive, the LF-D101J, permits the user to record and play back PD as well as CD and DVD disks. The drive measures 146 by 196 by 41.3mm.
Content, price still big hurdles
Most DVD equipment sold today is designed to use single-sided disks. According to one maker, this is because drives that play double-sided disks will become more and more bulky and costly.
CD-ROM drives have almost become a standard feature of PCs. Makers expect DVD-ROM drives will come to be used just like CD-ROM drives in the years ahead, though before this can happen, certain issues need to be addressed. One key question is whether software applications will be developed that make full use of the huge capacity of DVD disks. Prices also need to come down before DVD drive production can reach volume output levels.
It is still not clear whether a single DVD format will become dominant or whether several will coexist.
Toshiba currently produces DVD players, DVD-ROM drives and DVD-RAM drives. An official said that the company expects to sell 6.8 million units of DVD players, 79.2 million units of DVD-ROM drives and 9.3 million units of DVD-RAM drives in the world market by 2001.
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