What is DVD?

Originally DVD stood for Digital Video Disc but since DVD can also be used in many other ways DVD has now become shorthand for Digital Versatile Disc. There are many flavors of DVD but most uses applications center around three common formats: DVD-V, DVD-ROM, and Hybrid DVD.

DVD-ROM discs are designed to playback on a computer and leverage the increased storage capacity of DVD allowing full screen MPEG-2 video. Hybrid DVDs are designed to work in set-top DVD players, but then provide enhanced options when used in a computer for things like web connectivity.

DVD-V interactivity is based on making choices from a menu and going down a pre-determined path. Random access control allows content creators and storytellers to develop multi-level nonlinear programs. DVD-V menus can have static backgrounds or have looping video motion menus. DVD-V users can not enter and store responses unless advanced industrial DVD players are used and even then the capacity is limited. The DVD-ROM format offers higher level interactivity and web connectivity, but requires a computer. The digital format and loop programming capability of DVD-V are ideally suited to display environments that require continuous play and currently rely on tape-based playback or expensive server solutions.

Multiple audio tracks, sub-pictures and camera angles can be used to enrich the communication process far beyond their original intent. DVD-V offers up to eight alternate audio tracks, which can include foreign language translations, commentary, music or other audio content. DVD-V offers up to 32 sub-picture tracks, which can be used for foreign language sub-titles, captioning or special program features.