Since the introduction of the audio compact disc in 1982 and the CD-ROM in 1985, the CD has become a universal carrier for music, data, and multimedia entertainment. It has become the most popular consumer media format ever, yet it soon may be overshadowed by DVD.

Since the CD format first appeared on shelves, consumer electronics and CD manufacturing companies have been working on new techniques to increase the density of the standard 74-minute/650 megabyte optical media format. In 1993, Nimbus Technology and Engineering debuted the first double-density CD format with two hours of MPEG-1 video playback. This was the first demonstration that CD technology could carry high-quality video as well as audio and that a new format might be on the horizon.

By 1994 cable, satellite, and video-on-demand services were making strong inroads into the home market, competing for the consumer's time and money. The home video industry, seeing increased competition for VHS sales and rentals, recognized the need for a new consumer video format which could deliver superior quality pictures and sound. A consumer format based on the compact disc, which had revitalized the recording industry years before, could provide the solution that Hollywood sought. An advisory committee was formed to create a set of requirements for such a format.

Their recommendations included:

High-resolution video (CCIR-601 broadcast standard)

133-minute movie to fit onto one side of a high-density disc

High-quality adio--stereo and six or more channels of surround sound

Three to five language streams

Up to 30 subtitle streams

Copy protection

Parental lock for adult oriented titles

Multiple aspect ratios--16:9 wide-screen; 4:3 pan-scan and letterbox

Table 1: Hollywood DVD recommendations

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