The long awaited new type of format known as DVD that has been seen in conventions has now arrive. Then again HAS IT ARRIVE??? Or still in the vague stage.
What is DVD?
DVD stands for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc. This is
a new type of format that has an appearance of a compact disc however has
more capabilities that a standard compact disc both in storage and quality.
The reason that DVD is also known as Digital Versatile Disc is because
it is not only created for the use for storing full length movies but is
created for the use in the music and computer industry hence the versatility.
This new format is going to be standard for movies, music and computer
application as we head toward the 21st Century.
Technicality of DVD
Basically DVD is made from a two half layer of compact disc that are bonded
together on the same side, forming a look alike of a compact disc. However
there is vast difference in sound and picture quality and this is achieve
by having much finer pitch on the disc. The picture and sound quality are
said to be much better that a VHS and slightly better than a laserdisc.
The video compression that is used is MPEG-2 which has an excellent bit
rate. The sound quality can have a sampling rate up to 96kHz and this is
almost close to the original disc. It will also include Dolby Digital encoding
on the audio track. The DVD also offers more than good audio and video,
the disc can store up to 133 minutes of audio and video on a single disc
without interruptions unlike a laserdisc. With DVD it is possible in as
touch of a button to change the ratio aspect from a 16:9 cinema aspect
to letter boxed aspect and 4:3 aspect. The DVD disc has the capacity to
store these aspects and this has never been done before. Another function
that DVD has that no other format has is it capabilities to have 8 different
soundtrack/languages or have 32 different subtitles. Therefore the DVD
will not be limited to a specific language or even to a niche market in
term of language. Finally another capability of DVD is to be able to create
your own story lines and to view the movie in your own preferences. This
means interaction with movies that you are viewing and allow you to be
the director of the movie. To this date, this function is not yet available
on the current DVD disc.
Views On DVD DVD sounds like and impressive format and in fact it is an impressive format. However there are many different opinions in regard to the DVD format. These differences in opinion are due to the politics involved behind a launch or a new format.
Technically speaking DVD if officially releases in the US market and will be soon in Australia. The reason for technically is because there is only a small quantity of available players but there has been minor problem with the software. The software is very limited and that the titles that are available are not recent movie release. Currently there are only 3 film studios, Columbia Tristar Home Video, Warner Home Video and New Line Home Video that are producing DVD titles. The reason for this is due to the high cost for the original master DVD before repress (about $72 000) and hence the shear amount of DVD that has to be sold before a profit is made. It is because DVD is not a tested format that can guarantee that consumer will make it a success or it will become another flop like so many products. Therefore there is a substantial risk that is involved, DVD can either towards success and that company started the initial stage will profit significantly or towards failure where millions of dollars will be lost for a failed format.
The subject of copyright is very well known throughout the entertainment industry. This has caused the lost of several million dollars in the entertainment industry due to the breach of copyright and piracy of movies. DVD has attempted to overcome this by providing DVD with a special chip that only can play the movie in TV or projection however cannot be recorder to an external source such as a VHS or recordable CD. The last that was heard was the film studios were discussing this with DVD members and that there was some sort of copyright prevention install. Film studios are quite reluctant to venture into DVD is because DVD is such a superior format providing excellent sound and picture quality that makes copyright even more tempting hence producing a good copy quality. Unless there is a very good or unknown standard in copyright prevention people will still be able to break the copyright prevention and this will be possible in due time especially in Asia.
There has been fears from laserphilis that DVD will take over the whole of laser disc industry and that their collection of LD will be left in the dark. This view will not be entirely true because DVD is not a proven format and that it success will be seen in the long term like LD and not just by early adaptors. There is also the upper hand that LD has had that is the vast amount of different titles from the classics to the current releases (around 10 000 titles) All the film studios also have enforce this further by signing contracts to produce LD till the turn of the century. DVD would have to do some serious work before it can proven that it is a worth while format to purchase. Only time can tell if this would happen. Although it is said that DVD will change the entire format in the entertainment industry there will be some doubt because of the cost and the other available format such as VHS that has very strong control by film studios and also laserphilis and Direct Satellite System (DSS). Therefore DVD will be another format that has to work side by side with other format and in doing so capture the real enthusiastic movie lover.