DVD, EVD, now FVD: OES announces new development

GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us that besides the EVD format as developed by the Chinese, there will now likely also be a FVD format, a DVD format developed by the Taiwanese. Also this format was developed to minimize royality costs for the DVD player and recoder manufacturers. The FVD format will be based on Windows Media 9 which is developed and marketed by Microsoft.

Following on the heels of the EVD (enhanced versatile disc) movement, the Opto-electronics & Systems Laboratories (OES) under the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is developing a new DVD standard, tentatively called FVD (finalized versatile disc), according to OES deputy director Huang Der-ray.Originally reported in local news media in the fourth quarter of 2003, the FVD standard has appeared in the news now as Philips is considering a change in its royalty charging mechanism, according to local drive makers. As with EVD, FVD is seen as a way for local manufacturers of DVD drives to minimize royalty payments.FVD adopts the video/audio compression technology WMV9 (Windows Media Video 9) and WMA9 (Windows Media Audio 9) developed by Microsoft, which is different from the MPEG technology developed by the DVD Forum. Currently, Philips audits individual shipments and determines due royalty payments from the recorded shipment volumes. According to Taiwanese manufacturers, the company now plans to allow them to declare their own volumes. Declarations will of course be subject to auditing by Philips.Philips's move may have been prompted by the establishment of several joint ventures in this area, including Philips BenQ Digital Storage (PBDS) between Philips and BenQ, Hitachi-LG Data Storage (HLDS) between Hitachi and LG, and one between Toshiba and Samsung.

More information about this new format can be found here. FVD might be a serious competitor,
supporting Microsoft has many times proven to be the right way and most cheaper
hardware comes from Taiwan. Digitimes also reports about a new joint venture for Pickup Heads as used in DVD recorders.

Source: Digitimes.com