(known as the RWPPI, and led by its Representative Director, Koki Aizawa) and
the Recordable DVD Council (known as the RDVDC, and led by its Chairman, Bon-Guk
Koo) have been jointly carrying out compatibility tests for recordable DVD
products including 4X speed DVD-R, 2X speed DVD-RW and 3X speed DVD-RAM. The
tests have been carried out since September 2003, and results are scheduled to
be announced March 2004.
These compatibility tests, in which almost all the
major manufacturers in the world involved in recordable DVD products (hardware,
DVD disc making, PC application software and others) are participating, is
expected to positively contribute to the future development of the entire DVD
market by enhancing recording and playback compatibility among the products they
make.
The compatibility tests have been conducted with
the participation of member companies from both the RWPPI Round Robin Test and
the RDVDC Compatibility Working Group. The factors to be tested and the schedule
for the testing are discussed and implemented through general meetings and
individual meetings. Recording and playback compatibility tests, including the
examination of evaluation methods, evaluation of physical characteristics and
logical characteristics, and confirmation of playback compatibility, have been
carried out for all combinations of products of every participating
manufacturer. (Note the joint compatibility test schedule attached.)
"To participate in the joint compatibility tests is
very important for disc manufacturers because it will ensure stable product
quality in the market by confirming compatibility among the products of the
major hardware manufacturers in the world," said Mr. Hideo Kobayashi, Senior
Manager, Patent Engineering Group, TDK Corporation.
"The whole DVD industry will benefit greatly from
the fact that recording and playback compatibility can be examined in these
tests using the hardware from major manufacturers in the industry," said Mr.
Nobuyasu Kikuchi, Electrical Manager, Sony Corporation. "In particular, we
hardware manufacturers can confirm the compatibility of a product during the
development process before releasing it into the market."
"It is extremely useful for our product development
that compatibility can be examined in a very effective manner because there are
so many kinds of hardware and media," said Mr. Nobuhiro Tokushuku, Chief
Specialist, Development Division, Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc. "It would be
quite impossible for a company to do this on its own. This is the major benefit
of the joint compatibility tests."
The RWPPI and RDVDC plan to continue with these
joint compatibility tests and improve compatibility of even higher speed media
of the DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM recordable DVD formats that are anticipated in
the future.
* RW Products Promotion Initiative (RWPPI) http://www.rwppi.com
The RWPPI aims at the effective popularization and promotion of
related products based on DVD-R and DVD-RW standards that allow
recording and playback of DVD discs. The organization strives to
achieve high levels of customer satisfaction by proposing a range
of standard specifications and ensuring hardware/software
compatibility related to DVD-R and DVD-RW products.
* Recordable DVD Council (RDVDC) http://www.rdvdc.org
The RDVDC was established in April 2001 with the aim of
popularizing and promoting recordable DVD products which comply
with the recordable DVD standards (DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW)
specified by the DVD Forum. Its activities include information
exchange among member companies, compatibility promotion
activities, and cooperative product promotion at exhibitions.
Example of the Joint Round Robin Compatibility Test
Schedule for DVD recorders/players/PCs Under Way
2003
September
Plan the test evaluation methods and implementation schedule
October - December
Compatibility tests for recording/rewriting/editing by DVD recorders and
PC authoring application software
2004
January - February
Playback compatibility tests by DVD players and PC playback application
software
March
Evaluation and summary of test results
Source: RW Products Promotion Initiative; Recordable DVD
Council
Source: Yahoo.com
