Trends in DVD Formats
The development of recordable formats has been developing since 1996 with the launch of the DVD Ram. The DVD Ram was developed as a rewritable optical disc that was normally inside of a cartridge when sold. Most of the older DVD players favor the format of DVD-R which was launched in 1997, giving it a 5 year lead on the DVD+R. Over the past few years there has been an effort to create DVD devices that are compatible for both technologies to create a more favorable consumer marketplace for buyers and suppliers. The DVD+R was launched in 2002 as a more reliable technology. This technology is able to burn DVD’s with a more reliable consistency and speed than its predecessor, resulting in fewer errors and wasted DVD’s.
The newest additions to DVD technology include the HD DVD, Blue Ray and Holographic Versatile Discs. HD DVD’s were designed to be the next phase in DVD technology and have approximately 3x the traditional DVD storage capacity. Blue Ray Discs (BD) were designed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high definition (HD) videos as well as to serve as a high volume storage device. The technology allows for DVD copying and DVD burning with proper installation and compatibility. The most revolutionary innovation in this field is the Holographic Versatile Discs that combine both red and green lasers into a single beam, creating the ability for these discs to hold 3.9 terabytes (TB) of information, more than 5500 times the capacity of the compact disc and 830 times the capacity of the DVD.