by Gill Boyd
This month we begin an ongoing evaluation of perhaps the most exciting trend Non-Magnetic Storage technologies ever. The hottest events at this years PC Expo were the DVD+RW conference and Digital Focus98/NYC. Both technologies go hand in hand. This article highlights DVD+ReWritable (DVD+RW) – Storage Solutions for Everyone!
In the coming months we will be evaluating and reviewing products from every vendor in this arena and reporting our findings to the members of HAL-PC both on the pages of this Magazine and at our monthly General Meetings and Technology Showcase.
A sample of the products to be reviewed includes DVD Players, DVD+Rewritable, and DVD Recordable devices.
“Touch Today, Tomorrow and The Future – All At Once!”
There appears to be three factions each presenting a different view on this technology and it’s anybody’s guess as to who will win. First we have Leaders In CD-RW Technology Announce Alliance To Promote Adoption Of DVD+RW Format, followed by Panasonic DVD-RAM Drives Currently shipping OEM Product in SCSI & ATAPI Configurations and being sold by Creative Labs Rewritable PC-DVD RAM, $499.99. (Only on the Net) and finally as previously announced at the Build Or Buy A PC SIG – Pioneer DVD-Recordable Drive DVR-S101, SRP $16,995 at time of publication.
DVD+RW compliments the DVD-ROM market whereas, DVD-RAM (Panasonic) similar to PD Technology (Phase change Dual), takes a different approach.
Panasonic introduced PD Technology in 1995.
A PD Disk Cartridge is a Rewritable optical disk that uses the phase change recording technique. PD Drives can read a CD-ROM Disc and read and write a 650MB-phase change [cartridge] disk.
Panasonic is taking the same approach with DVD-RAM as they chose with PD, which reads a DVD-ROM Disc and a Cartridge Configured [DVD-RAM] Disk.
DVD Compatibility Issues
DVD+RW has the same issues on DVD-ROM Drives to work through as CD-RW has on CD-ROM Drives. For current CD-ROM Drives to read CD-RW Disks, CD-ROM Drives must be MultiRead compatible. A MultiRead drive can read CD-ROM, CD-Audio, CD-R and CD-RW disks. This specification enables all classes of CD Disks to be readable on current and future CD and DVD devices. Look for the MultiRead logo when purchasing a CD-ROM Drive for compatibility.
Technology Demo Presentation
Hewlett Packard (HP) spearheaded this Media Conference to announce support of the DVD+ReWritable (DVD+RW) Format. HP gave an uncontrolled, no smoke and mirrors, live demonstration using 2 PC’s. First a Digital Camera was used to capture digital images of the audience. These images were then downloaded to the PC containing the DVD+RW Drive. Microsoft “Picture It” was used to acquire images from the camera. The files were then written to the DVD+RW Disk. The newly created Disk was removed from the first PC, then inserted into the second PC, which read the created DVD+RW Disk. The Disk was then read through driver letter access to see the images on the newly created Disk. Current DVD-ROM Drives have to be modified to read a DVD+RW Disk.
Universal Disk Format (UDF)
Crucial to the success of this format was the UDF format support. The Universal Disk Format (UDF) is a file system for writable optical disk devices and media developed by the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA).
Currently, most new high speed CD-ROM drives incorporate MultiRead compatibility. If you’re MultiRead CD-ROM Drive will not read CD-RW Disks, you may try downloading the Free UDF Reader from Adaptec’s web site.
The UDF Reader compliments Adaptec’s packet writing application, DirectCD, which gives users drive letter access to their CD-R/RW drive. Adaptec’s DirectCD software is part of the Adaptec Easy CD Creator application, which is currently the preferred software for creating CD’s on the desktop.
Who’s Minding the Store On Standards?
Places to be aware of when looking for answers regarding optical storage technologies include the following: Optical Storage Technology Association, ECMA, DVD+RW and HP! Competing standards compete for our next generation Digital Versatile Dollars (DVD, a.k.a. Digital Versatile Disc). Who will decide and who will win – The consumer! Products are market driven. First to market and first to market a Standard can make a big difference. Look at the players, look what Microsoft has done with operating systems. Look for compatibility! DVD-R is a write-once medium (Pioneer); Rewritable PC-DVD RAM (Panasonic / Creative Labs) requires a Cartridge Configuration Disk which will also play existing non-cartridge DVD-ROM Discs; DVD+RW is Rewritable and compatible with current DVD-ROM Discs. A picture is worth a thousand words.
DVD+RW Media Conference Speakers
Presenters & Vendors were HP, Mitsubishi (MCC/Verbatim), Philips, Ricoh, Sony, and Yamaha. Application providers included Seagate Software, MGI, Adaptec, Cakewalk, CeQuadrat, Corel and Live Pix. Certainly a formidable market driven group eager to market product and test the waters. All were well received. HP knew this game better than anyone. Expect new, faster HP CD+RW products Fall ’98.
Seagate Software discussed CD-RW and their new DeskTop 98 BackUp solution for Win95/98 and NT. There’s not much to get excited about with backup software until you start creating non-magnetic Disks readable on MultiRead CD-ROM Drives! Afterwards, by Press Release, Seagate Software announced support for DVD-RAM (Panasonic) also. It’s only backup software! Seagate Software saw CD-RW as an option for low-end servers & workstations. As stated by Jerry Kelly, “…we’ve moved from QIC to Zip and now to CD-RW.” Yamaha current goals include replacing ALL CD-ROM Drives with CD-RW Drives. Ricoh mentioned the demand for mass storage media. They also mentioned a multi-media printer (MMP) in the near future.
Q&A
A Q&A Panel of some of the guest speakers enlightened the media further. 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation drives – Where does the user stand in this shakeout? Technology of the Future appears to be DVD+RW, not DVD-RAM. The user will decide where the market will go. Main goal – Compatibility is crucial key. Philips said, “Create a spec allowing room for compatibility.” Will drives be compatible on ship day one? Vendor Statement: Ask DVD-ROM makers which format they will support in future drives. Philips gave a positive yes! Again, UDF format support is crucial to success. The CD+RW Disks will have a one thousand write end of life cycle, which is really infinite they claimed. Sony was questioned regarding their new HiFD, a 200 Meg floppy. Sony replied by saying, “…DVD+RW and HiFD will both work together.” HiFD is high capacity temporary magnetic media storage whereas, DVD+RW is high capacity non-magnetic storage.
The panel of Vendors was asked, “What about compatibility of media’s? Will DVD+RW write CD-R and CD-RW media?” According to Philips, “An inevitable requirement. DVD+RW will be in OEM price range for mass markets.
To be successful in the marketplace, be compatible.” Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (MCC/Verbatim) also agreed, “…market would dictate requirements.”
Vendors were then questioned on ship dates of DVD+RW products: HP, by end of ’98, 100,000 samples; Yamaha, some time next year; Sony Engineering Section – Within ’98 4th quarter and volume shipments afterwards; Ricoh, who took a more conservative approach has agreed to support the technology. MCC/Verbatim said media would be available by end of this year in volume. When asked the definition of volume, MCC remarked, “Depends on who you’re talking to.” Philips will be there in ’99 with product. As Philips put it best, “If you write a DVD Disk today, who’ll read it?” DVD+RW needs an installed base of DVD-ROM Drive [MultiRead] Readers. After the Media Conference, the Media was invited to visit with participating ISV’s present to see what they were doing with CD-RW technologies.
Developers
Developers Assistance Programs will be available for $5000.00. Developer tools will include Technical Seminars starting in Tokyo, Japan, on 7-8-98, the US in September or October ’98 then moving on to Europe thereafter. No specifics could be given on the US event @ this time other than to say New York. Currently there are 3 Gig prototypes and the 4.7 Gig are a “work in progress.”
Observation
We currently have 2nd generation DVD-ROM Players in PC’s and Entertainment Centers. These DVD-ROM Drives – A toy for some, a tool for others. For some, still a novelty. DVD-ROM Drives are playback only devices, just like our current CD-ROM Drives. The DVD format offers non-magnetic storage capacities of 5 Gig’s and beyond up to 17 Gigs or more. DVD-ROM Disc, pre-recorded, titles abound of old and new, “feature length,” high quality movies. DVD may even replace Laser Disc format for quality audio and video. For the PC, DVD affords a luxury heretofore only dreamed of in quality digital non-magnetic high volume storage capacity. Instead of someone else creating a Disc, we can create a DVD Disk on the desktop!
New Dimensions in DeskTop Publishing
As the standards change, watch the specs, the players and the formats. DVD+RW appears to be headed in the right direction. DVD+RW will compliment the next generation DVD-ROM market where DVD-RAM cannot. DVD-RAM Disks require a Cartridge Configuration whereas DVD+RW Disks do not.
Current DVD-ROM products of course do not require and will not work with a Cartridge Configuration Disk.
Note: Nomenclature is important so as not to get lost in the acronym jungle. Disc – An alternate spelling for Disk. “Disc” is usually used with read-only media, such as compact discs and videodiscs. Rewritable Disks are spelled with a “k.”
Gill Boyd is HAL-PC VP of Programs and SIG leader for the How to Build or Buy a PC SIG. He can gboyd@hal-pc.org. n