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Recently we were asked why we didn’t get more excited about
the hardware that will deliver 8.5GB single-side writing capabilities
to DVD.
Maybe we were a little negligent
because the engineers at Philips, Pioneer and Matsushita have done
a great job of proving the technology. But only a few firms (such
as NEC, Toshiba and Matsushita) produce the laser diodes which are
bought by the true burner manufacturers that are then bought by
the PC manufacturers and branded product producers. After they are
all done, you can buy the new burner, produce your great DVDs and
send copies to friends & family…
Compared to the present DVD+/-R
media you use (see image at right) the new dual-layer discs are
a beautiful work of art and technology.
The media chemists and scientists
deserve a tremendous amount of credit for developing the two dye
layers and special UV adhesive that bond the two breath-thin resin
layers. Moving those specifications onto the high-speed media production
line demands a lot of quality production attention. During the early
stages only the name brand media manufacturers will have the equipment
and talent necessary so you don’t produce more coasters.
Dual Standards, Dual-Layer
Because neither side has yet to blink, there
will still be two different versions of DVD-R9 media (+/-). By the
time you read this the DVD+R9 media spec will be a matter of record.
The DVD-R9 specs will still be making their way through committee
and DVD Forum approval.
One format won’t be better than
the other (unless you ask someone deeply committed to one camp or
the other). However,
it is a lot easier for two companies to work on a common goal and
have six others agree than have multiple camps reach agreement and
then get the coliseum of interested parties to agree.
All Philips and MKM (Mitsubishi
Kagaku Media)/Verbatim had to do is develop the hardware/media technologies,
make certain it could be inexpensively and reliably produced and
the +RW Alliance was off to the races. Most of the rest of the members
don’t care which way the wind blows…as long as it blows.
On the other hand, Pioneer, Toshiba
and Matsushita/Panasonic (two of the three don’t play well together)
had to hammer out their differences, go through a series of different
working group studies and get the 200+ members of the DVD Forum
to agree.
Dictatorships just seem to reach
consensus faster than democracies!
Despite the fact that there are differences
(incompatibilities) between the two approaches there are some similarities.
Both have two thin substrates joined by specially
designed UV bonding materials. When the laser is through writing
to the first layer, it increases power slightly and begins writing
to the second layer. When you are playing the dual-layer DVDR9 disc
(+ or -) you’ll have to look hard to notice the switch over from
one layer to the other.
The result is a full 8.5GB or 4 hours of
DVD-quality (16 hours of VHS –quality) video. Some manufacturers
may refer to the capacity of 4 hours of SP and 16 hours of EP so
make certain you understand the playback quality you want before
you begin writing your write-once discs.
The other big similarity is that
the DVD specification requires that players and drives read dual-layer
discs. If you encounter one that will read "standard" +/- discs
but won’t read DVD+/-R9 media it means the manufacturer had a design
flaw which they should correct at no charge.
DVD+R9
Cross-section of a dual-layer
DVD+R disc
The big hurdle
was to keep the new write-once discs compatible with existing player
standards.
MKM was able to deliver compatibility
by designing media that uses a thin layer silver-alloy as a reflector
in the upper layer. This has produced reflectivity that complies
with dual-layer DVD-ROM standards. In addition, the laser beam can
pass thru the first and reflective layers to write to the second
layer. Viola! You can write and read to each layer.
Of course all of that is an over
simplification because they also had to develop unique dye materials
and coating techniques, silver deposition and grooves that are stamped
into the media to guide the write and read processes.
The DVD+R9 format book has already
been completed and approved by the Alliance.
The organization also has more feature and performance plans they
are working on that you’ll be seeing over the next few years (speed
increases and rewritable DVD).
DVD-R9
Dual-layer, single-sided
DVD-R9 disc
The –R or DVD Forum approach is
similar for write-once DVD media. It also provides 8.5GB storage
capacity.
The reflection film on the first
layer is semi-transparent. The bonding agent is totally transparent
(as in dual-layer DVD Video discs). You simply fill up the first
layer and the (write or read) laser automatically moves to the second
layer without missing a beat.
The pits on both layers are 10
per cent longer than on your present DVD-R discs. Each layer is
molded in one substrate and the substrates are joined with the optically
transparent bonding layer.
Even thought you’ll be able to
write your data a number of different ways depending upon the application
you are using, the two layers are treated as a single volume.
That means you can expect to have
to upgrade your software to take advantage of the new burners and
media (this is true of both +/-). This is because for video applications
the software will take what is called the opposite track path (OTP)
approach. The first layer
starts at the ID (inner) area of the disc and the second layer starts
where the first layer ends. This produces the seamless video storage
and playback you expect with your movies.
Your Next Move?
Are you quivering to buy one of the new DVDR9
burners? Technical editors can’t wait to get their hands on the
new devices (burners will be available before the media) to test
them for you. At the same time he’ll also be rushing to test the
8x and 12x "standard" DVD+/-R burners.
So
you’re going to face a double dilemma. Are you going to ride the
speed wagon or the capacity wagon because there will be differences
for some time to come?
Ask
yourself a few questions?
- Will I be satisfied producing 20 minutes
of great video? Or 2 hours of great video? Or 4 hours of great
video?
- Will I get people to sit still that long
to watch it (any of the lengths)?
- How much am I willing to pay to be the
first in my neighborhood to own a dual-layer burner and how quickly
will multiple sources of media be supplying economic media?
- Do I want to use my burner for data backup?
4,700 or 8,000 full color pictures? 400,000+ documents (8 four-drawer
filing cabinets) or about 800,000 (nearly 16 four-drawer filing
cabinets?
If you’re satisfied with 20 minutes of great
video you probably use your burner to write VCDs. If you need a
full 2 hours of video from the kids’ recital, from your vacation,
your wedding or son’s/daughter’s birth you probably are very happy
with DVD+/-R and will want to simply upgrade to higher speed burners.
If
you want to sit (and have others sit) through four hours of video
or put months of movies on a single disc, you’re a prime candidate
for DVDR9 burners. Or perhaps you want to save all of your video
footage and use the burner for backup and disaster recovery. Again
take a close look at the new dual-layer solutions.
Just
when you thought your decisions had been simplified with dual format
burners/media, someone comes along and offers you dual-layer solutions.
CD-R/RW; 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x DVD+/-R; 2x, 2.4x, 4x DVD+/-RW; dual-layer
DVD+/-R…
Life
will never be simple again!
- the DVD Insider
The DVD Insider is a DVD and video industry
insider with more than 15 years of management, marketing and communications
experience.
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