| DVD Format Unification 8 December, 1995 (The following is the text of the statement anouncing final agreement on the DVD format, as released by the companies supporting the format, on 8 December 1995.)
STATEMENT
Since September 15, when a general agreement was reached on a common format for the high-density optical disc, the SD and MMCD groups have continued discussions to finalize details of the format. Today, they announced an agreement on the final details of the new format. This technical breakthrough in digital storage was reached by Toshiba, Matsushita, Sony, Philips, Time Warner, Pioneer, JVC, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric. DVD technology promises important benefits for consumers, the film and computer industries, and consumer electronics firms. The nine companies will now undertake discussions in an effort to develop a patent licensing program. Thomson, which has worked closely on DVD development, has expressed a desire to join the discussion. From today on, the companies supporting DVD will propose and promote a wide range of applications for the format. They will continue to develop the technology and work to position DVD optical discs as the ideal digital storage medium for the age of multimedia. Specifications have now been finalized for the DVD movie player and the ROM (Read Only Memory) for computer application. These specifications reflect the recommendations made by the Hollywood studios and the computer industry. Specifications for music applications will be finalized after hearing opinions from the music industry.
The technical specifications are as shown in the appendix.
Main Specifications
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Physical Characteristics
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Information in the press releases, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the press announcement,but is subject to change without prior notice. |