1.1 What is DVD?
Description
This article is from the DVD Formats FAQ, by jtfrog@usa.net (Jim Taylor) with numerous contributions by others.
1.1 What is DVD?
DVD, which once stood for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc, is
the next generation of optical disc storage technology. It's essentially a
bigger, faster CD that can hold video as well as audio and computer data.
DVD aims to encompass home entertainment, computers, and business
information with a single digital format, eventually replacing audio CD,
videotape, laserdisc, CD-ROM, and perhaps even video game cartridges. DVD
has widespread support from all major electronics companies, all major
computer hardware companies, and all major movie and music studios. With
this unprecedented support, DVD has become the most successful consumer
electronics product of all time in less than three years of its
introduction.
It's important to understand the difference between DVD-Video and DVD-ROM.
DVD-Video (often simply called DVD) holds video programs and is played in a
DVD player hooked up to a TV. DVD-ROM holds computer data and is read by a
DVD-ROM drive hooked up to a computer. The difference is similar to that
between Audio CD and CD-ROM. DVD-ROM also includes recordable variations
(DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW; see 4.3). Most people expect DVD-ROM to be
initially much more successful than DVD-Video. Most new computers with
DVD-ROM drives can also play DVD-Videos (see 4.1).
There's also the DVD-Audio format that was finalized in late 1999 but won't
be available outside of Japan until late 2000 at the earliest (see 1.23 and
3.6.1).
Continue to:
My Books
