4.1 What specifications govern HD DVD discs?
4.2 What HD DVD formats are available?
4.3 What file systems are used on HD DVD discs?
4.4 What are HD DVD-ROM/DVD-ROM Combo and Twin Discs?
4.5 Is there an HD DVD-ROM version being developed specially for the Chinese market?
4.6 What is the UDO-DMD professional mastering format?
4.7 What is a Total Hi Def disc?
4.8 What is a 3x-speed DVD-ROM disc?
4.9 What are Performance Level 1 and 2 HD DVD players?
4.10 What video codecs does the HD DVD-Video format support?
4.11 What audio codecs does the HD DVD-Video format support?
4.12 What audio codecs must all HD DVD players decode?
4.13 How do HD DVD, BD and DVD video formats and player requirements compare?
What specifications govern HD DVD discs?
All HD DVD disc formats are governed by a variety of specifications (books) defining their mechanical properties, optical signal characteristics, physical arrangement, writing methods and testing conditions as well as file systems and applications (see chart).
Specifications for HD DVD physical formats (HD DVD-ROM, C-HD DVD-ROM, HD DVD-R, HD DVD-R DL, HD DVD-RW, HD DVD-RW DL and HD DVD-RAM) and applications (HD DVD-Video, HD DVD-VR) were established and are continually updated by the DVD Forum (originally DVD Consortium), an alliance of manufacturers founded in 1995 by Hitachi, Matsushita Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Philips Electronics, Sony, Thomson, Time Warner, Toshiba and JVC.
HD DVD Specification Books
Initial Publication Dates
| Format | Physical Format Specification | File System Specification | Application Format Specification |
| HD DVD-ROM | v. 1.0 (June 2004) Optional: Triple Layer Twin r. 1.0 (Sept. 2007) | v. 1.0 (Aug. 2005) | NA |
| HD DVD-ROM (51G) | v. 2.0 (Dec. 2007) | NA | NA |
| HD DVD-R | v. 1.0 (Feb. 2005) Optional: 1x-speed r. 1.0 (Feb. 2005) Optional: 2x speed r. 2.0 (Feb. 2007) Optional: Case r. 1.0 (Feb. 2005) Optional: Holder for 8 cm disc r. 1.0 (Sept. 2006) | v. 1.0 (Aug. 2005) | NA |
| HD DVD-R DL | v. 2.0 (Dec. 2005) Optional: 1x-speed r. 1.0 (Dec. 2005) Optional: Case r. 1.0 (Dec. 2005) Optional: Holder for 8 cm disc r. 1.0 (Sept. 2006) | v. 2.0 (May 2006) | NA |
| HD DVD-RW | v. 1.0 (May 2006) Optional: 1x-speed r. 1.0 (May 2006) Optional: 2x-speed r. 2.0 (Feb. 2007) Optional: Case r. 1.0 (May 2006) Optional: Holder for 8 cm disc r. 1.0 (Sept. 2006) | v. 1.0 (Apr. 2007) | NA |
| HD DVD-RW DL | v. 2.0 (May 2006) Optional: 1x-speed r. 1.0 (May 2006) Optional: Case r. 1.0 (May 2006) Optional: Holder for 8 cm disc r. 1.0 (Sept. 2006) | v. 2.0 (Apr. 2007) | NA |
| HD DVD-RAM | v. 1.0 (Sept. 2004) Optional: 1x-speed r. 1.0 (Sept. 2004) Optional: Case r. 1.0 (Feb. 2005) Optional: Holder for 8 cm disc r. 1.0 (Sept. 2006) | v. 1.0 (Aug. 2005) | NA |
| HD DVD-Video | NA | NA | v. 1.0 (Aug. 2005) Reference: MLP v. 1.0 (Aug. 2005) Reference: DTS-HD v. 1.0 (Aug. 2005) |
| HD DVD-VR | NA | NA | v. 1.0 (Oct. 2005) |
| C-HD DVD-ROM | v. 10.0 (Feb. 2007) | r. 1.0 (Dec. 2007) | r. 1.0 (Oct. 2007) |
What HD DVD formats are available?
HD DVD comes in prerecorded (HD DVD-ROM), recordable (HD DVD-R), re-recordable (HD DVD-RW) and rewritable (HD DVD-RAM) configurations (see chart).
Similar to familiar CD and DVD-ROM, HD DVD-ROM has information permanently molded (pressed) into it at the factory and is typically used to distribute commercial content (movies, games, software, etc.). Initial HD DVD-ROM physical format specifications (version 1.0) were released in 2004 to define 12 cm single (SL) and dual-layer (DL) discs storing 15 GB per layer in single (SS) and double-sided (DS) configurations. A 4.7 GB per layer 8 cm disc (version 1.1), along with a Twin type combining separate HD DVD-ROM and DVD-ROM layers on a single disc side (version 1.2), were defined in 2005 while a three-layer (TL) Twin consisting of one DVD-ROM and two HD DVD-ROM layers (optional 1.0) was specified in 2007. Expected to appear in Dec. 2007 are specifications for a single-sided (SS) three-layer (TL) HD DVD-ROM storing 17 GB per layer (51 GB). The first generation of discs, drives and players began appearing in May 2006.
Akin to CD-R and DVD±R, HD DVD-R is the recordable format used for data storage as well as audio/video recording. It is write-once employing an organic dye (or inorganic material) recording layer to which information is written by means of a laser. With the same capacity and layout as HD DVD-ROM, 12 cm HD DVD-R SL (version 1.0) and DL (version 2.0) specifications were first released in 2005 and 8 cm SL (version 1.1) and DL (version 2.1) in 2006.
Resembling CD-RW and DVD±RW, HD DVD-RW is a rewritable (a.k.a. re-recordable) format incorporating a recording layer composed of a phase-change alloy that can be rewritten multiple times. With capacity equal to HD DVD-R, 12 cm HD DVD-RW SL (version 1.0) and DL (version 2.0) and 8 cm SL (version 1.1) and DL (version 2.1) specifications were released in 2006.
Based on DVD-RAM, HD DVD-RAM also employs a phase-change recording layer that can be rewritten but incorporates a zoned layout, hard sectors, a double spiral track structure (land and groove), hardware-based defect management and higher 20 GB SL (12 cm) capacity. These features distinguish HD DVD-RAM from the prerecorded HD DVD-ROM format that acts as the foundation for all other HD DVD discs. Known briefly as HD DVD-ARW and then HD DVD-RW during its development, 12 cm HD DVD-RAM (version 1.0) specifications were first released in 2004 and 8 cm (version 1.1) in 2006. Initial products have yet to be announced.
HD DVD Physical Format Comparison
| Features | HD DVD-ROM | HD DVD-R | HD DVD-RW | HD DVD-RAM |
| Type of disc | Prerecorded | Write-once | Rewritable (re-recordable) | Rewritable |
| Data layer type | Molded | Dye, organic | Phase-change | Phase-change |
| Rewrite cycles | NA | NA | TBA | TBA |
| Disc diameter | 12 cm, 8 cm | 12 cm, 8 cm | 12 cm, 8 cm | 12 cm, 8 cm |
| Data sides | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Data layers | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 1 |
| Capacity per layer | 15GB (12 cm), 4.7GB (8 cm) | 15 GB (12 cm), 4.7 GB (8 cm) | 15 GB (12 cm), 4.7 GB (8 cm) | 20 GB (12 cm), 6.1 GB (8 cm) |
| Cartridge | No | Optional | Optional | Optional |
What file systems are used on HD DVD discs?
While it is possible for HD DVD discs to employ any number of file systems, the Universal Disc Format (UDF) version 2.5 developed by the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) is specified for most applications.
HD DVD-Video and HD DVD-VR Disc File Systems
(as of Jan. 2008)
| Disc Type | UDF Version | Volume Structure |
| HD DVD-ROM | 2.5 | Read-only partition |
| HD DVD-R | 2.5 | Read-only partition, VAT |
| HD DVD-R DL | 2.5 | Read-only partition, VAT |
| HD DVD-RAM | 2.5 | Overwritable partition |
| HD DVD-RW | 2.5 | Read-only partition, sparable partition |
| HD DVD-RW DL | 2.5 | Read-only partition, sparable partition |
| 3x DVD-ROM | 2.5 | Read-only partition |
| DVD-R (G) | 2.5 | Read-only partition, VAT |
| DVD-R DL | 2.5 | Read-only partition, VAT |
| DVD-RW | 2.0 | Sparable partition |
| DVD-RW DL | 2.0 | Sparable partition |
| DVD-RAM | 2.0 | Overwritable partition |
What are HD DVD-ROM/DVD-ROM Combo and Twin discs?
HD DVD Combo and Twin discs bring together prerecorded HD DVD-ROM and DVD-ROM physical formats in a single disc. These combination discs are possible because both formats share many physical characteristics (radius, thickness, spiral and rotational directions, etc.) but with important differences (data read using different wavelength lasers, etc.).
A Combo is double-sided (DS) disc containing one or two pre-recorded HD DVD-ROM layers (15 GB or 30 GB) on its top side and one or two traditional DVD-ROM layers (4.7 GB or 8.5 GB) on its flip side.
A Twin is a pairing of one HD DVD-ROM layer (15 GB) with a DVD-ROM (4.7GB) layer both on the same side (single-sided) and a three-layer (TL) Twin joins two HD DVD-ROM layers (30GB) and one DVD-ROM layer (4.7GB).
Although Twin discs are designed to play in both HD DVD and DVD devices, manufacturers caution that they may not be compatible with some existing DVD equipment (because of close proximity of data layers creating light interference and focus difficulties, layer identification issues, etc.). Given such unpredictability and insufficient capacity for most commercial movies (typical titles would require two DVD and two HD DVD layers), Twin may remain a seldom-used curiosity.
As of Jan. 2008, Warner Home Video, Universal Studios Entertainment, Paramount, DVD International and Concert Hot Spot (United States) have released or announced that they will offer selected movies on Combo discs while several dual-layer Twin titles are available from Pony Canyon (Japan), Shogakukan (Japan) and Bandai Visual (Japan, United States).
Numerically speaking, as of Jan. 29, 2007, of the 233 movies listed by the HDDVDPRG as being released in the U.S. and Japan eight (3.4%) are available in Twin format, 26 in Combo (11.2%) and the rest in conventional HD DVD-ROM. Of the 456 listed as current and planned for future release, nine (2.0%) are in Twin and 40 (8.8%) are in Combo.
Is there an HD DVD-ROM version being developed specially for the Chinese market?
The DVD Forum, in cooperation with a Chinese government research organization called the Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center (OMNERC), has developed physical format specifications for a HD DVD-ROM (pre-recorded) version to be marketed in China.
First proposed in May 2005 by OMNERC, the China Blue High-Definition Disc (CBHD) or China HD DVD-ROM (C-HD DVD-ROM) format (formerly called China High Definition DVD (CH-DVD) and HD DVD-ROM for China Only) employs a Four-to-Six Modulation (FSM) encoding system, instead of HD DVD’s standard Eight-to-Twelve Modulation (ETM), and thus is incompatible with players and drives sold in the rest of the world. Other differences include CBHD’s use of a simplified navigation system, the Audio Video Standard (AVS) and Digital Round Audio (DRA) codecs as well as the China Digital Rights Management System (CDRM).
In Sept. 2007, OMNERC established the China High Definition DVD Industry Association (CHDA) to promote the CBHD format.
OMNERC CBHD Industry Projections
(as of Nov. 2007)
| Year | Hardware Unit Sales | Software Titles | Industry Output Value |
| 2008 | 500,000 | 200 | 4B RMB ($550M USD) |
| 2009 | 5 million | 800 | 40B RMB ($5.5B USD) |
| 2010 | 10 million | 1,600 | 80B RMB ($11B USD) |
What is the UDO-DMD professional mastering format?
Ultra Density Optical-Digital Master Disc (UDO-DMD) is a recently announced professional optical storage system designed to archive as well as physically transport newly minted HD DVD movies from their creating authoring studios to disc mastering and replication facilities for commercial production. Introduced by Verbatim/MKM, Plasmon and Memory-Tech and scheduled for rollout in early 2007, UDO-DMD is promoted as an alternative to magnetic tapes and hard disk drives.
UDO-DMD is a slightly modified version of Plasmon’s existing Ultra Density Optical (UDO) format that has been available since 2003. Thus, it employs a blue laser (405 mw) to read and write recordable and rewritable discs i.e. 130 mm, phase change, single-layer/double-sided housed in sealed cartridges, storing roughly 15 GB per side for a total of 30 GB.
To accommodate the full contents of a dual-layer HD DVD-ROM and its related descriptor files, this first generation of UDO-DMD (known as DMD30) offers marginally greater capacity than its conventional UDO counterpart. Planned for release mid-2007 is its second generation (DMD60) that will be capable of storing a little over 60 GB (30.2 GB per side).
To help guard against theft, tampering or other unauthorized user access, a DMD disc cannot be written or read by a standard UDO drive. Additional protection comes by way of an electronic serial number embedded in each disc along with optional user-specified key locks.
What is a Total Hi Def disc?
Total Hi Def (THD) brings together prerecorded HD DVD-ROM and Blu-ray Disc (BD-ROM) physical formats in a single disc. THD is double-sided (DS) containing one or two prerecorded HD DVD-ROM layers (15 GB or 30 GB) on its top side and one or two BD-ROM layers (25 GB or 50 GB) on its flip side. Warner Bros. (Warner Home Video, HBO Video, New Line Home Entertainment) originally planned to offer THD discs in the second half of 2007 but has since put those plans on hold indefinitely.
What is a 3x-speed DVD-ROM disc?
A 3x-speed DVD-ROM is a prerecorded DVD-ROM disc designed for playback in HD DVD players that contains audio and video authored in the same format employed in commercial HD DVD-ROM movies (HD DVD-Video).
Physically, a 3x-speed DVD-ROM is simply a 12 cm DVD-ROM disc with standard 4.7 GB (single-layer) or 8.5 GB (dual-layer) capacities but is fabricated to somewhat tighter specification for dynamic imbalance. It is also spun at three times the normal speed of a DVD resulting in a proportionally higher data transfer rate (33.24 Mbps vs. 11.08 Mbps).
In terms of its logical and application formats, 3x-speed DVD-ROM employs the same file system (UDF 2.5), content protection (AACS) and structure (HD DVD-Video) used by commercial HD DVD movies. As such 3x-speed DVD-ROM offers identical features to HD DVD-ROM although there are some restrictions arising from its somewhat lower performance (33.24 Mbps vs. 36.55 Mbps).
3x-speed DVD-ROM is intended to leverage existing DVD manufacturing infrastructure in order to potentially provide a lower cost vehicle for publishing budget and lesser quality high definition titles, short studio and independent movies and presentations, television shows, music albums as well as bonus content. However, given its lower capacity and the expectation of rapidly declining HD DVD-ROM production costs, 3x-speed DVD-ROM (like its Blu-ray Disc BD9 counterpart) is not widely promoted and may remain a seldom-used curiosity. As of Mar. 2007, no 3x-speed DVD-ROM titles have yet been announced.
3x-speed DVD-ROM and BD9 Format Comparison
| Features | 3x-speed DVD-ROM | BD9 |
| Type of disc | DVD-ROM (prerecorded) | DVD-ROM (prerecorded) |
| Wavelength (nm) | 650 (red) | 650 (red) |
| Disc capacity | 4.7 GB (SL), 8.5 GB (DL) | 4.7 GB (SL), 8.5 GB (DL) |
| Disc diameter | 12 cm | 12 cm |
| Data layers | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Dynamic unbalance/imbalance (g.mm) | ≤ 4.4 | ≤ 4.4 |
| Channel bit rate (Mbps) | 78.46875 | 78.46875 |
| User data rate (Mbps) | 33.24 | 33.24 |
| Transport stream max. data rate (Mbps) | 30.24 | 28 |
| Reference velocity (m/s) | 10.47 (SL), 11.52 (DL) | 10.47 (SL), 11.52 (DL) |
| File system | UDF 2.5 | UDF 2.5 |
| Application formats | HD DVD-Video | BD-ROM AV (HDMV, BD-J) |
| Content protection | AACS | AACS, BD+, ROM Mark |
What are Performance Level 1 and 2 HD DVD players?
Features obviously vary among models and versions from different manufacturers but there are two basic types of HD DVD-Video consumer electronics (CE) players and computer playback software (Performance Level 1 and Performance Level 2).
In specific terms, HD DVD-Video guidelines define separate Performance Level 1 (PL1) and Performance Level 2 (PL2) requirements, each outlining various functions and minimums that must be supported and met in their respective conforming players and software. These include specifications for persistent storage, sub video decoding, audio/video output, graphic/text drawing, rendering, conversion and others (see chart).
Also under consideration is an additional Performance Level 3 (PL3) player type that specifies increased graphic, text rendering and other processing speed. A further Performance Level 0 (PL0) specification intended for portable, automotive, audio and inexpensive devices was also debated but eventually abandoned by the DVD Forum.
HD DVD Video Player Performance Levels
(abridged)
| Functions | Performance Level 1 (PL1) | Performance Level 2 (PL2) |
| Persistent storage capacity (minimum) | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Persistent storage data throughput (minimum) | 10 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| Connection to additional persistent storage | optional | mandatory |
| 5.1 ch. audio output for all mandatory codecs | optional | mandatory |
| Trusted content test mode | mandatory | mandatory |
| Sub video decoder standard video (mandatory) | MPEG-2 (3 Mbps average, 6 Mbps peak) MPEG-4 AVC/VC-1 (2 Mbps average, 4 Mbps peak) | MPEG-2 (3 Mbps average, 6 Mbps peak) MPEG-4 AVC/VC-1 (2 Mbps average, 4 Mbps peak) |
| Sub video decoder enhanced video (optional) | All codecs (8 Mbps average, 15 Mbps peak) | All codecs (8 Mbps average, 15 Mbps peak) |
| 24p video output (optional) | optional compose all planes at 24p domain and output composed signal at 24p | mandatory compose all planes at 24p domain and output composed signal at 24p |
HD DVD Video Player Performance Level Compliance
(as of Dec. 2007)
| Brand/Manufacturer | Model | Performance Level | Persistent Storage Capacity | Sub Video Decoder |
| Integra | DHS-8.8 | Level 1 | 128 MB | SD |
| Microsoft | Xbox 360 w/ HD DVD player | Level 1 | 192 MB | SD |
| Onkyo | DV-HD805 | Level 1 | 128 MB | SD |
| RCA | HDV5000 | Level 1 | 128 MB | SD |
| Samsung | BD-UP5000 | Level 1 | 128 MB | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-A1 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-XA1 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-A2 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-XA2 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-A20 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-A3 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-A30 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
| Toshiba | HD-A35 | Level 1 | 128 MB* | SD |
to connect additional persistent storage if enabled by a firmware update.
Video format support?
Even a single hour of high definition video can occupy hundreds of gigabytes of space. To allow a serviceable amount of material to fit on a single HD DVD-Video disc, video is compressed using one of three codecs: MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC or VC-1. Though the choice of scheme is made while encoding the source material, before or while authoring the disc, every HD DVD-Video playback device is designed to decode all three codecs (see chart).
HD DVD-Video Format Video Streams
| MPEG-2 | MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 | VC-1 | |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 13818-2, ITU-T Rec. H.262 | ISO/IEC 14496-10, ITU-T Rec. H.264 | SMPTE 421M |
| Profile and Level | MP@HL, MP@ML, SP@ML | HP@L4.1, HP@L3.2 | AP@L3, AP@L2 |
| Film Grain Technology (FGT) | NA | Yes (SMPTE RDD 5-2006) | NA |
| Main Video Stream Max. Data Rate (Mbps) | 29.40 (HD), 15.0 (SD) | 29.40 (HD), 15.0 (SD) | 29.40 (HD), 15.0 (SD) |
| Sub Video Stream Max. Data Rate (Mbps) | 3 CBR or 6 VBR (SD), 8 CBR or 15 VBR (HD) | 2 CBR or 4 VBR (SD), 8 CBR or 15 VBR (HD) | 2 CBR or 4 VBR (SD), 8 CBR or 15 VBR (HD) |
What audio codecs does the HD DVD-Video format support?
HD DVD-Video (HD DVD-V) main, sub and effect audio streams support the following codecs:
Main Audio: Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM), Dolby Digital (DD/AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (DD+/E-AC-3), Dolby TrueHD, MPEG-1 Layer II, MPEG-2 BC Layer II and DTS-HD which can include in its bitstream DTS Core, DTS-96/24, DTS-ES, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio (DTS-HD HR) and DTS-HD Master Audio (DTS-HD MA).
Sub Audio: Dolby Digital Plus, DTS Digital Surround (DTS), DTS Express (formerly DTS-HD LBR), MPEG-4 AAC, MPEG-4 HE-AAC v2, MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3) and WMA Pro.
Effect Audio: LPCM.
HD DVD-Video Format Sub Audio Stream
| DTS | DTS Express | |
| Max. Bit Rate (Mbps) | 0.510 | 0.192 |
| No. Channels | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Bits/sample | 16, 24 | 16, 24 |
| Sampling Frequency (kHz) | 48 | 12, 24, 48 |
What audio codecs must all HD DVD players decode?
All HD DVD-Video players and playback software must decode the following with the other codecs available as options:
Main Audio: LPCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, MLP Lossless, DTS-HD (DTS Core only), MPEG-1 Layer II, MPEG-2 BC Layer II (w/o extensions) in either two (Performance Level 1) or 5.1 (Performance Level 2) channels.
Sub Audio: Dolby Digital Plus, DTS Digital Surround and DTS Express.
Effect Audio: LPCM.
HD DVD-Video Player Mandatory Audio Decoding
| Codec | Performance Level 1 (PL1) | Performance Level 1 (PL1) | Performance Level 2 (PL2) | Performance Level 2 (PL2) | |
| Main Audio | Sub Audio | Main Audio | Sub Audio | ||
| LPCM | 2 channels | NA | 5.1 channels | NA | |
| Dolby Digital | 2 channels | NA | 5.1 channels | NA | |
| Dolby Digital Plus | 2 channels | 2 channels | 5.1 channels | 2 channels | |
| Dolby TrueHD | 2 channels | NA | 5.1 channels | NA | |
| MLP Lossless | 2 channels | NA | 5.1 channels | NA | |
| MPEG-1 Layer II | 2 channels | NA | 5.1 channels | NA | |
| MPEG-2 BC Layer II | 2 channels | NA | 5.1 channels | NA | |
| DTS-HD | DTS Core | 2 channels | NA | 5.1 channels | NA |
| DTS-96/24 | option | NA | option | NA | |
| DTS-ES | option | NA | option | NA | |
| DTS-HD HR | option | NA | option | NA | |
| DTS-HD MA | option | NA | option | NA | |
| DTS Express | NA | 2 channels | NA | 2 channels | |
| DTS | NA | 2 channels | NA | 2 channels | |
| AAC | NA | option | NA | option | |
| HE-AAC v2 | NA | option | NA | option | |
| MP3 | NA | option | NA | option | |
| WMA Pro | NA | option | NA | option |
How do HD DVD, BD and DVD video formats and player requirements compare?
HD DVD/BD/DVD
Video Format and Player Comparison
| HD DVD-Video (HD DVD-V) | BD-ROM AV (HDMV, BD-J) | DVD-Video (DVD-V) | |
| Disc Rotational Speed | 1x reference velocity | 1.5x reference velocity | 1x reference velocity |
| User Data Rate (Mbps) | 36.55 | 53.9475 | 11.08 |
| All Streams Max. Data Rate (Mbps) | 30.24 | 48 | 10.08 |
| Primary/Main Video Stream Max. Data Rate (Mbps) | 29.4 (HD), 15.0 (SD) | 40 | 9.8 (MPEG-2), 1.856 (MPEG-1) |
| Secondary/Sub Video Stream Max. Data Rate (Mbps) | 3 CBR/6 VBR MPEG-2, 2 CBR/4 VBR MPEG-4 AVC or VC-1 (SD) 8 CBR/15 VBR MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC or VC-1 (HD) | 40 (HD), 8 (SD) | NA |
| Multiplexing System | MPEG-2 PS | MPEG-2 TS | MPEG-2 PS |
| Primary/Main Video Stream | MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1 | MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1 | MPEG-1, MPEG-2 |
| Secondary/Sub Video Stream | MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1 | MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1 | NA |
| Video Codec Profile and Level | MPEG-2 (MP@HL, MP@ML, SP@ML), MPEG-4 AVC (HP@L4.1, HP@L3.2), VC-1 (AP@L3, AP@L2 | MPEG-2 (MP@HL, MP@ML), MPEG-4 AVC (HP@L4.1, MP@L4.1), VC-1 (AP@L3) | MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (subset MP@ML, SP@ML) |
| Film Grain Technology (FGT) | MPEG-4 AVC | NA | NA |
| Primary/Main Audio Stream | LPCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, MPEG-1 Layer II, MPEG-2 BC Layer II, DTS-HD** up to 18.432 Mbps, up to 8 channels, up to 24 bit, up to 192 kHz (codec dependent) | LPCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Lossless*, DTS, DTS-HD** up to 27.648 Mbps, up to 8 channels, up to 24 bit, up to 192 kHz (codec dependent) | LPCM, MPEG-1 Layer II, MPEG-2 BC Layer II, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS up to 6.144 Mbps, up to 8 channels, up to 24 bit, up to 96 kHz (codec dependent) |
| Secondary/Sub Audio Stream | Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS Express, AAC, HE-AAC v2, MP3, WMA Pro | Dolby Digital Plus, DTS Express | NA |
| Interactive/Effect Audio Stream | LPCM | LPCM | NA |
| Audio Mixing | Main Audio, Sub Audio, Effect Audio | Primary Audio, Secondary Audio, Interactive Audio | NA |
| Presentation Planes/Overlays | Main Video, Sub Video, Sub Picture, Graphics, Cursor | Primary Video, Secondary Video, Presentation Graphics, Interactive Graphics, BD-J Background | Video, Subpicture |
| Primary/Main Video Plane Resolution | up to 1920 x 1080 | up to 1920 x 1080 | up to 720 x 480 (MPEG-2), 352 x 240/288 (MPEG-1) |
| Secondary/Sub Video Plane Resolution | up to 1920 x 1080 | up to 1920 x 1080 | NA |
| Secondary/Sub Video Plane Player Min. Requirements | up to 720 x 480 | up to 720 x 480 | NA |
| Graphics/Sub Picture Planes Resolution | up to 1920 x 1080 | up to 1920 x 1080 | up to 720 x 478 |
| Regional Playback Control (RPC) | NA | 3 regions (A, B, C) | 8 regions (1 to 8) |
| Multiple Angles | up to 9 | up to 9 | up to 9 |
| Seamless Branching | yes | yes | yes |
| Picture-in-Picture (PiP) | yes | BD-Video FSP/BONUSVIEW, BD-Live | NA |
| Content Protection | AACS, Media Mark | AACS, BD+, ROM Mark | CSS, CPRM, VCPS |
| Digital Output Content Protection | HDCP, DTCP, WMDRM, AACS (DOT) | HDCP, DTCP, WMDRM, AACS (DOT) | CGMS-D, DTCP |
| Analog Output Content Protection | ACP, CGMS-A, AACS (ICT, analog sunset | ACP, CGMS-A, AACS (ICT, analog sunset) | ACP, AGC, CGMS-A |
| Managed Copy | AACS (TBA) | AACS (TBA) | NA |
| Audio Watermark | AACS (TBA) | AACS (TBA) | NA |
| Play Modes | Standard Content (Category 1), Advanced Content (Category 2) | HDMV, BD-J | NA |
| Feature Profiles | Performance Level 1, 2 | BD-Video (Profile 1 GP, 1.1 FSP/BONUSVIEW), BD-Live (Profile 2) | NA |
| Advanced Interactivity/Features | Advanced Content | BD-J | NA |
| Local/Persistent Storage Min. Capacity | 128 MB | 256 MB (BD-Video 1.1 FSP/ BONUSVIEW), 1 GB (BD-Live | NA |
| Connection to Additional Local/Persistent Storage | optional: Performance Level 1 yes: Performance Level 2 | optional | NA |
| Internet/Network Connection | yes | BD-Live | NA |
** A DTS-HD bitstream consists of the DTS Core and optional extensions including DTS-96/24, DTS-ES, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio (DTS-HD HR) and DTS-HD Master Audio (DTS-HD MA).