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Intel Rallies PC and Content Industries to Bring DVD Technology to European PC Users
Intel brought the PC and software content industries together on April 2-3 in Duesseldorf, Germany for Europe's first DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) industry event. The "DVD on the PC" event was attended by more than 80 representatives of Europe's PC hardware, software and reselling communities who share a goal of accelerating the delivery of DVD drives and software content to European PC users. The event also included Europe's first DVD "Plug Fest," at which developers of DVD hardware and content tested their products in a broad variety of configurations to ensure interoperability and ease of use. Overall, the "DVD on the PC" event demonstrated the industry's readiness for broad DVD deployment in 1998.
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New White Paper Available: Video Playback Visual Performance Evaluation
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Looking for Interactive DVD Content? Here is a list of interactive titles currently available. ISVs—to add your titles to the list, please send an e-mail to Platform Solutions with your title, company, and URL. This list will be updated monthly on this page.
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Press Release: DVD-AUDIO: Intel Announces Support FOR DVD WG-4 Audio Specification to Bring Advanced Consumer-Quality Audio To the PC: Intel is the First PC Industry Company to Join Audio Working Group Creating Next-Generation Music Industry Format (2/19/98).
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Download the DVD white papers provided at the Intel Developer Forum on February 19
* Copy Protection Licensing Requirements for the
Css DVD Method
*Tamper Resistant Software: An Implementation
* Implementation of a High-Quality Dolby* Digital Decoder
Using MMX* Technology
* DVD Video Playback Primer
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Read the top story in Issue #3 of Platform Solutions on "Host-based DVD: Arriving on PC Platforms Today, by Rajesh Shakkarwar, Intel's DVD Technology Development Manager.
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New List of DVD Internet Sites.
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Industry Status |
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Next Steps
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DVD is the new generation of CD technology. DVD discs can contain a combination of MPEG-2 video, digital AC3 audio, and traditional computer data. A DVD disc can currently store 4.7 GB on a single side, seven times as much information as a conventional CD-ROM. Future DVD discs will be double sided and double layered, allowing four times again as much data to be stored (up to 17 GB).
There are five variations of DVD technology to meet the needs of both the home entertainment and PC environments:
- DVD-Video—Read-only storage intended for the playback of video content, such as movies, in consumer DVD players or DVD drives in a PC.
- DVD-ROM—Read-only storage intended for PCs. Essentially a much higher capacity CD-ROM, that can also store MPEG2 video, AC3 audio, and traditional PC content. This format is ideal for PC content such as games, reference materials and other data intensive applications.
- DVD-R (Recordable—A DVD format which supports write-once, read-many. The target usage model includes archiving, software development and low-volume data distribution.
- DVD-RAM—A DVD format which supports write-many, read-many storage. Example applications include short-term archiving, software development, and media recording.
- DVD-Audio—This format focuses on music and other forms of audio-only content. This is the only DVD format which has not been finalized.
Consumer electronics companies are currently producing DVD-Video players to be used primarily for playing movies on televisions. PC-based DVD playback, however, can support all of the DVD formats ushering in a broader array of applications, including interactive titles, archiving and movies. PC DVD drives are also backwards compatible and will play existing CD-ROM titles and CD audio discs.
PCs based on Intel's Pentium® II processor are especially well-suited for software, or host-based, playback. Host-based DVD uses the power of the microprocessor to do the decode and playback of MPEG2 video, AC3 audio, and Css copy protected content. With the power of the Pentium II processor, full DVD playback and quality is achieved without the need for costly, additional hardware.
Due to the ease with which digital content can be replicated, copy protection has been an important issue in the development of DVD technology. Intel has worked closely with Hollywood studios and the electronics industry to define copy protection solutions that are suitable for both the consumer electronics and PC industry. For more reference, refer to Intel's copy protection Css white paper and recent press release on 1394 content protection.
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DVD promises to offer consumers a new level of visual computing experience on their PCs. Users can come to expect the following benefits from DVD technology:
- Large storage capacity—Today's applications requiring multiple CD-ROMs (e.g., WingCommander II*) can be consolidated onto a single DVD-ROM disc.
- Incredible quality—With DVD, consumers will be able to experience theater-quality video and audio on their PC.
- Rich interactivity—The large capacity of DVDs combined with the processing power of the PC will enable software vendors to create applications that provide visually rich, interactive experiences for end users.
- Convergence—DVD video discs will play on both set-top players and PCs.
- Backward compatibility—DVD drives can play existing audio CDs and CD-ROMs.
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DVD technology promises to benefit a wide array of industries and companies. PC OEMs will be able to deliver a more interactive and media-rich experience to end users. Solutions that use both dedicated hardware for playback, as well as host-based software playback, on PCs are already available today. Software providers will be able to create new titles that integrate full-motion video, high-quality audio, graphics and images. In the near term, they can consolidate multi-CD titles onto a single DVD. Drive manufacturers stand to see increased business as the momentum behind DVD builds and sales of PC DVD drives explode. CD drive and disc manufacturers can leverage their existing manufacturing technology to make DVD products.
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All major consumer electronics companies have released or announced DVD-Video players. Moreover, most major Hollywood studios support the medium and have begun releasing movies on DVD. At least 900 movie titles are shipping today; new ones are being released almost daily. In the PC market, the first DVD-ROM drives for computers began shipping in April 1997. PC OEMs are integrating DVD drives into their product lines today. Some OEMs have already announced host-based solutions that utilize the Pentium II processor. The more cost-effective host-based DVD playback solution on Pentium II processor-based platforms will allow DVD on the PC to reach mainstream price points by the second half of 1998. In addition, the software industry is making a concerted move to DVD-ROM, with over 120 interactive titles in development. The DVD-R and DVD-RAM specifications are complete, and products will be shipping soon. The DVD-Audio specification is still under development and products are not expected until 1999.
Intel has been working with the PC and consumer electronics industries on DVD technology diffusion for over two years. Intel and the Software Publishers Association hosted a DVD Developer Conference in the Fall of 1997 to provide development guidelines, tools and solutions to bring more compatible DVD interactive titles to PCs. The conference was a success with over 220 attendees from a variety of industries hearing presentations from Intel the SPA and others involved in DVD technology development. To view some of the presentations given at the DVD Developer Conference, please visit the SPA web site.
Intel also hosted a DVD day at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) on September 29, 1997 and February 19, 1998. During the sessions, Intel and industry representatives provided a day-long training for OEMs and IHVs on implementing host-based DVD playback, DVD Audio, and copy protection on Pentium II processor-based PC platforms.
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- PC OEMs—Download the new DVD white papers from the DVD Developers' Conference and the Intel Developer Forum and become familiar with DVD implementation. Start preparing for host-based DVD in your platform designs for 1998.
- Software Developers —Download the DVD white papers provided at the DVD Developers' Conference and the Intel Developer Forum to ease development of compatible interactive titles for the PC. Start porting multi-CD titles to DVD-ROM. More importantly, begin developing new titles that incorporate full-motion video, high-quality audio, images and 3D graphics. Visit Intel's DVD Authoring Studio for assistance with getting your title on DVD. Also, be sure to add your DVD titles to our DVD-ROM Content list!
- Studios —Continue the transition to the DVD format. Expand the collection of titles on DVD.
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Links listed below are to sites maintained by third parties. Intel does not warrant their accuracy and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed there.
GENERAL SITES
INTERNATIONAL SITES
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* Legal Information © 1998 Intel Corporation
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