Press Releases 29 September, 1999 | News

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Hitachi, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) and Toshiba To Apply DVD Video Recording Technology In Consumer Electronics Products

29 September, 1999

Hitachi, Ltd.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Toshiba Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic) and Toshiba Corporation announced today that they intend to develop products based on DVD video recording technology, that complies with the new DVD specifications for video recording and for 4.7 GB rewritable discs (DVD-RAM) developed under the DVD Forum Working Group and approved by the DVD Forum's Steering Committee, with hope that this would become a worldwide standard.

With recordable DVD, users can enjoy video recording, taking full advantage of the potential of optical disc technology. This will expand the DVD market with such possible products as DVD video recorders and DVD video cameras. Although a video recorder which uses an optical disc different from DVD has been announced, there is strong desire for optical disc recorders compatible with DVD discs based on the specifications designated by the DVD Forum.

The three companies will work with the audio-video sector of the consumer electronics industry and the personal computer industry to support this DVD-RAM standard. They also have been in discussions with key interested parties related to establish the most adequate copy protection mechanism of video content worldwide.

The new technology, which includes individual developments by each of the three companies, applies the following DVD specifications designated by the DVD Forum:

1)	Specification for 4.7GB optical disc known as DVD-RAM (Officially known as "DVD Specifications for Rewritable Disc, version 2.0"). This enables recording of 120 minutes of MPEG2 video data on a single side of a DVD-RAM disc.
2)	DVD specifications for rewritable/re-recordable disc part 3 video recording. This enables Real Time Video Recording and Playback functions. It is also possible to record and read various kinds of data such as video, still image, sound and PC data files from the same disc.

The DVD video recording technology offers the following features:

1)	It realizes interactive playback of recorded content, such as instant display of selected content via menu function, programming of playing order of multiple video scenes of selected content.
2)	Because DVD-RAM is a format which realizes a wide range of compatibility among PC and audio-video products, recorded discs can be edited by PCs and can be played back on DVD players that have DVD-RAM disc reading capability.
3)	Because of its technological structure, the DVD-RAM format has been highly regarded by Hollywood studios as suitable media to protect artists and other copyright owners from having their work copied without authorization.

Media Contacts

Hitachi, Ltd.	Setsuko Minamikawa	Tel. 03-3258-2057 Fax 03-3258-5480
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.	Yoshihiro Kitadeya	Tel. 03-3578-1237 Fax 03-3437-2776
Toshiba Corporation	Yumiko Kokubu	Tel. 03-3457-2105 Fax 03-5444-9202

Information in the press releases, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the press announcement,but is subject to change without prior notice.