Blu-ray Disc and the Meaning of Backwards Compatibility

Change is unsettling. But, like it or not, change is once again upon us—this time with the arrival of next generation Blu-ray Disc (BD). Naturally, consumers and even professionals are apprehensive about this new format but, even so, BD’s promoters are doing an embarrassingly poor job of understanding and answering concerns. For example, manufacturers and …

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The Truth About Total Hi Def Disc (THD)

At a flashy press conference a month ago to promote its new Total Hi Def Disc, Warner Home Video invoked the heroic image of Superman rescuing a crashing airliner. Expected later this year, Total Hi Def disc (THD) will combine HD DVD on one side and Blu-ray Disc (BD) on the other side, thus delivering …

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DVD-9 to 5: The New Copying Reality

How hard is it to copy a DVD movie? Not as difficult or time-consuming as some make it out to be — and it’s getting easier and more convenient every day.

OSTA Specifies MultiPlay

DVD devices of every description must read CD-R discs. It’s been more than five years since I first delivered that simple message. The consumer electronics industry, however, has yet to take it to heart.

Computer CD Music Recorders

CD recorders are selling like hotcakes, but despite this overwhelming success, several companies feel they can reach an untapped market by promoting recorders as consumer audio products rather than as removable storage devices, which incidentally happen to have audio capabilities.

MultiRead – The DVD Sequel

The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) has undertaken a renewed effort to surpass its previous accomplishments in the hope of bringing some clarity to the DVD storage marketplace. I’m of course referring to the existing MultiRead specification for CD and OSTA’s desire to create a new MultiRead 2 specification designed to promote and facilitate compatibility …

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CD-R’s Digital Destiny

Some aspire to greatness while others have greatness thrust upon them. Certainly, greatness appears to have been thrust upon CD-R, which started life humbly enough as an expensive prototyping system. Beginning almost in obscurity, it now is poised to be the dominant optical storage technology for the next five years. Where else can so much …

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The Time is Right for MultiWrite

Isn’t it odd that with all the talk about the importance of DVD drives being able to read CD-Recordable and CD-ReWritable discs, no one has stopped to consider the desirability of DVD devices also being able to write these formats?