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| September 04, 1997 |
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| LEADERS in CD-R and CD-RW Announce Phase-Change
ReWritable, DVD-Compatible Disc Format |
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Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.
Cargill, Inc. (USA) |
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MPALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 3, 1997 -- Hewlett-Packard Company, Philips Electronics
N.V., Sony Corporation, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Ricoh Company Ltd. and
Yamaha Corporation today announced the format specifications for Phase-Change
ReWritable, a 120mm disc format designed to be read easily by future DVD-ROM drives.
This data-storage format specifies an initial capacity of 3.0 gigabytes (GB) per
disc surface. In the Constant Angular Velocity (CAV)(1) mode, high-performance
random-access and transfer rates are achieved by using techniques similar to those
used in hard-disk drives. The new format enables the development of products that
will read DVD discs and write/rewrite ReWritable discs. According to the companies,
these products will be known as DVD+RW drives.
The six companies are widely recognized as industry leaders in CD-Recordable and
CD-ReWritable technology and represent a combined share of more than 75 percent
of the drive market. The DVD+RW proposal aims to offer data-storage and distribution
markets a smooth migration path from the world of Compact Disc into the DVD domain.
By building upon the established success of CD technology, DVD+RW products can
be optimized to preserve present and future customer investments.
The ReWritable media has the familiar look and feel of CDs and DVD-ROM discs.
The new format adds only the minimal features to the existing DVD-ROM spec to
allow random rewritability, thus allowing DVD-ROM drives to read DVD+RW discs
at virtually no additional cost.
The DVD+RW proposal is based on input from a wide range of key stakeholders, including
end users, PC manufacturers, CD- and DVD-ROM drive manufacturers, media manufacturers
and software developers. As such, the proposal encompasses key requirements for
capacity, cost/MB, performance and ROM compatibility.
Developed by HP, Philips and Sony, the ReWritable specification is an open format
that has been submitted to ECMA(2), a widely recognized international standards
body, for review and adoption.
"DVD+RW addresses the most fundamental storage requirement of customers, and that
is compatibility," said Mike Matson, vice president and general manager of HP's
Information Storage Group. "HP is committed to preserving customers' investments
in storing and managing their information, and we believe DVD+RW best meets that
need."
"Much attention was given to make the ReWritable format flexible and extensible
to the future," said Dr. Teruaki Aoki, president of Computer Peripherals and Components
Company of Sony Corporation. "The format provides superior capacity and performance,
as well as the flexibility to meet the storage needs of customers now and in the
future."
"The ReWritable specification was designed to heavily leverage from existing CD
and DVD-ROM investments within the industry infrastructure, thus minimizing implementation
costs," said Jan Oosterveld, senior director of Philips Electronics. "It offers
the most straightforward migration path during the extended period of time that
CD and DVD products are expected to coexist."
| ReWritable Format Specification Highlights |
| disk diameter |
120mm |
| disc thickness |
0.6 mm x 2 |
| physical address |
FM modulated in CAV wobble groove |
| track pitch |
0.8 micrometer |
| formatted capacity |
3.0 GB/side |
| laser wavelength |
650 nanometers |
| modulation code |
8-16 modulation (2, 10) RLL |
| recording principle |
mark-edge recording on phase-change material |
| writing method |
CAV/CLV |
| written format |
CLD (Constant Linear Density) |
(1) Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) -- A recording technique that rotates the
disk at a constant speed.
(2) ECMA -- ECMA is an international, Europe-based industry association founded
in 1961 and dedicated to the standardization of information and communication
systems.
About HP
HP is the official information-technology hardware and maintenance supplier to
the 1998 World Cup soccer tournament. Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global
provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communications
products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence
in quality and support. HP has 114,600 employees and had revenue of $38.4 billion
in its 1996 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on
the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.
About Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of
information storage products as well as chemical products. In a line-up of information
storage products, we are marketing various products such as floppy disks, magnetic
tapes, hard disk media, 130mm and 90mm MO disks, 130mm WORM disks and CD-R and
CD-RW disks. Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. recorded around $14 billion for 1996 ended
March 31, 1997 on a consolidated basis and employs around 30,000.
About Philips Electronics
Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's largest electronics
companies, with sales of $41 billion in 1996. Its 262,500 employees in more than
60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, semiconductors and components,
consumer products and systems, and software and services. Quoted on the NYSE,
London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges, it is a world leader in
lighting, color television sets, electric shavers and recorded music (PolyGram).
About Ricoh Company, Limited
Ricoh Company, Limited, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of office
equipment, including copiers, facsimiles, digital equipment. The Ricoh group consists
of 128 consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates in Japan and 232 overseas, which
includes production, sales and research and development facilities. As of March
1997, the Ricoh group employed approximately 60,000 people with recorded annual
revenues of $10.6 billion.
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of audio, video,
and information technology products in both the consumer and professional fields.
Its music, pictures, and video game businesses also make Sony one of the world's
most comprehensive entertainment companies. Sony recorded consolidated annual
sales of over $45 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 1997 and employs
163,000 worldwide.
About Yamaha Corporation
Yamaha Corporation, the world's largest musical instrument manufacturer, offers
a diversity of sound, music, and multimedia products. Yamaha's recent venture
into sound source technology applied to sound generator chips and electronic devices
is enjoying exponential growth. It also developed the world's first 4X-speed CD-R
and commercialized CD-ReWritable. Yamaha recorded sales of $3.2 billion in the
fiscal year ended March, 1997.
| For further information, please contact |
| HP: |
Dave Deane, (970) 635-6720, dave_deane@hp.com
Paul Guerrero, (970) 635-6013, paul_guerrero@hp.com |
| Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation: |
| Kouji Yamamoto, +81-3-3283-6274, fax: +81-3-3283-6287 |
| Philips Electronics: |
Marty Gordon, (408) 467-3666, Marty.Gordon@NA.KM.philips.com
Marijke van Hooren, +31-402-734-866, hoorenm@am.umc.philips.nl |
| Ricoh Corporation: |
| Jeff Lengyel, +1-702-352-1600, fax: +1-702-352-1615, jlengyel@ricohcpg.com |
| Sony Corporation: |
Aldo Liguori, +81-3-5448-2200, aliguori@ccom.sony.co.jp
Andy Bubala, +81-3-5448-2200, abubala@ccom.sony.co.jp |
| Yamaha Corporation: |
| Yuji Hoshino, +81-3-5488-6601, fax: +81-3-5488-5060, hoshino@caucus.yamaha.co.jp |
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