Optical Storage
News
June 2004
Number 2
In this Issue:• OSTA Holds MPV Development Training Seminar in Tokyo, Japan
- Press Conference to announce support from HP, Nikon, Olympus and Samsung
• Third Annual Optical Storage Symposium Set for October 17-19, 2004 in San Francisco
• OSTA Posts White Paper on "Understanding Recordable and Rewritable DVD"
• OSTA Marketing Committee Welcome Participation, Demos, and News from Member and Associate Companies
• NIST to Speak on Optical Media Life Expectancy Tests
• Next Quarterly Meeting June 14-16, 2004
• On The Horizon – Commentary from OSTA President David Bunzel
OSTA Holds MPV
Developers Training Seminar
in Tokyo, Japan
The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) held an MPV™ (MusicPhotoVideo) developers training seminar in Japan on April 7, 2004, in the Shinjuku business district of Tokyo. The interactive session, hosted by Olympus Corporation, was staged specifically to provide Japanese digital imaging and consumer electronics (CE) designers and developers with tools and information to implement the OSTA-developed MPV Specification. The MPV specification is a new open standard format to enhance the way consumers store and enjoy collections of personal music, photo and video content on storage media, such as data CDs and DVDs. It creates multimedia playlists that can be viewed on personal computers (PCs) and a myriad of CE products, including MP3 players, PDAs, DVD drives and players, digital cameras, and imaging software.
The seminar, which was free to all confirmed attendees, was deemed a huge success by David Bunzel, president of OSTA and the other organizers. Over 60 professionals participated, from 30 prominent Japanese consumer electronics companies, including Canon, Casio, FujiFilm, Konica-Minolta, Marantz, NEC, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax, Pioneer, Ricoh, Sanyo, Seiko Epson, Sharp, Sony, TAEC, Toshiba, and Yamaha.
Trainees listened to presentations by the authors of the MPV Specification and experienced implementers of the technology, including Dave Bunzel of OSTA; Pieter van Zee, of HP (shown at left); Dr. Hung of Konica- Minolta, Shoko Yoshida of Nikon, Kenji Ichimura of Olympus, Youngyoon Kim of Samsung, Bob Zollo of Software Architects, and Dick Thompson of Thompson Consulting.
The seminar attendees were also provided with simultaneous language translation services by JCS International Communications Company, which had three interpreters on site to facilitate open communication and feedback between presenters and the participants.
The content of the all-day event was comprised of various technical sessions and implementation examples (van Zee gives attendees the business and technical overview, above), through which attendees learned about MPV technology and how it can be incorporated into the designs of specific CE products. Seminar participants also heard about important new OSTA-led initiatives to extend the MPV Specification to provide additional capabilities for digital cameras, the sharing of digital photo and audio files over home networks, and the archival and indexing of such files on various devices. Additional topics covered were validation and compatibility testing and logo licensing.
“ To accelerate the ongoing implementation of the MPV Specification, it is critical that OSTA continue to educate the global consumer electronics marketplace about the viability and importance of this technology to the design of existing and future products,” said Pieter van Zee, chairman of OSTA’s MPV Working Group, senior architect for digital home solutions at Hewlett-Packard, and a featured presenter at the training seminar.“
The coordination of this seminar in Japan, where many of the world’s leading consumer electronics manufacturers and developers are located, demonstrates OSTA’scommitment to working with these and other companies to enhance their respective product lines by leveraging MPV.” The MPV specification is designed to facilitate the interchange of file-based digital media with DVD video players and recorders (such as the Samsung digital player, pictured Left)
and other CE playback devices. MPV was recently extended by OSTA to support digital music playlists in any of the popular compressed music file formats, including MP3, WMA, RM, AAC and others. An extension to MPV to define a standard for portable, updatable archives of personal digital photos and video on recordable CDs and DVDs is under development. A MPV playlist provides easy navigation and improved playback of large collections of personal music, photos, and video files in a standard format that can be used by PCs, DVD players and recorders, digital cameras, and other CE products.
The day concluded with an informal reception (featured below), during which participants were encouraged to interact with OSTA representatives to learn more about the MPV and how it may enhance a wide range of consumer electronics products and applications.
David Bunzel, President of OSTA, Koki Hayahsi, Roxio and Pieter van Zee, HP
Mr. Shin and Mr. Kim, both of Samsung Electronics. Mr. Kim presented
“Implementing MPV in DVD Players,” and Mr. Kim provided a demonstration
of Samsung’s MPVenabled Samsung DVD player.
Optical Storage
Symposium 2004
Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco, CA
October 17-19, 2004
Optical Storage Symposium
Set For October 17-19, 2004
In San FranciscoThe Optical Storage Technology Association recently announced that it will hold its third annual Optical Storage Symposium on October 17-19, 2004, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California. This year’s event, which carries the theme “Perspectives and Prospects for Optical Storage,” will be co-located with the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) Industry Forum to enable attendees of both events to network with more professionals and participate in more sessions of interest.
The organization is currently finalizing the conference sessions, which will
address the following industry trends and issues:
• MarketWatch: Conversations and Perspectives with Industry Leaders:
What’s driving HDTV, Recordable DVD and DVHS?
• Why Optical Makes Sense for Archive
• Blue Laser Goes to Market (Joint session with the CEA’s Video Division)
• Managing the Digital File Explosion
• MPV: How Do We Manage Personal Content in the Living Room
• How Optical Meets Archive and Compliance Requirements Standards
• Digital Imaging Driving CE and Storage
These sessions, along with opportunities to see the industry’s latest technology in the MarketPlace exhibits will draw important decision makers from the optical storage, PC and consumer electronics industries.
To register for this year’s Optical Storage Symposium, or for additional information on the conference, please contact Debbie Maguire at debbieosta
org, or visit the OSTA’s Web site at http://www.osta.org. Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are still available.
Next OSTA Quarterly Meeting:
June 14-16, 2004The next OSTA quarterly meeting will be held June 14-16, 2004, at the Embassy Suites in South San Francisco, California. To RSVP and make arrangements to attend, please contact Debbie Maguire at debbie
“ Understanding Recordable and Rewritable DVD” is a
complement to
OSTA’s popular companion reference
guide,
“ Understanding CD-R
& CD-RW.” Both
white papers are
available free
through OSTA’s Web
site at
http://www.osta.org
OSTA Posts White Paper on
“ Understanding Recordable
and Rewriteable DVD "The Optical Storage Technology Association recently announced the online availability of a comprehensive reference guide on DVD recording technologies entitled, “Understanding Recordable and Rewritable DVD.” The 49-page white paper, authored by Hugh Bennett and available free through OSTA's Web site at http://www.osta.org, answers basic questions about DVD recordable and rewritable technologies using simple language and an easy-to-follow format.
In the continuing evolution of writable optical storage beyond CD-R and CD-RW, recordable and rewritable DVD meet the expanded demands of personal and professional video, as well as still uncharted applications. "Understanding Recordable and Rewritable DVD" is a complement to OSTA's companion reference guide, "Understanding CD-R & CD-RW," a popular reference tool published by the organization in February 2003 that is posted at http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa.htm.
" 'Understanding Recordable and Rewritable DVD' is another valuable and insightful resource published by OSTA and fact checked by major manufacturers to enhance the consumer electronics industry's recognition of the value and viability of recordable optical disc technologies," said David Bunzel, president of the Optical Storage Technology Association. "OSTA will continue to offer similar reference tools in the future for OEMs, suppliers, and consumers."
The new guide covers a wide range of both basic and technical information about recordable and rewritable DVD technology encompassing all five writable DVD formats (DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM). Highlights include an overview of physical, logical, and application specifications, and discussions of recording hardware and speed; physical compatibility; disc size, configuration and capacity; and copying deterrents and content protection. The white paper also addresses the issues of DVD duplication, replication, and publishing, and disc labeling, handling, storage, and disposal. Additional chapters cover disc longevity, testing and verification, and disc construction and manufacturing.
A comprehensive appendix includes suggestions of additional print and online informational resources, as well as links to industry periodicals, trade shows, newsgroups, web sites, industry associations, and manufacturers by product category.ufacturers by product category.
OSTA members can showcase new
technology at an
upcoming Marketing Committee meeting,
or post corporate or product announcements related to optical storage on OSTA’s online industry news room.
Marketing Committee Welcomes
Participation, Demos and NewsOSTA's Marketing Committee is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of OSTA's organizational roadmap and marketing plan, including recruiting and retention of members, identifying potential new technologies and markets, their needs, and how to meet those needs with services and programs.
One important activity of the Marketing Committee is to help introduce major new developments or emerging optical storage technologies to OSTA members. For example, at the March 2004 meeting, Rajeev Mishra, Director, Home Entertainment Division for Epson America, Inc., presented "Music, Photos, and Video in the Digitally Converging Lifestyle." He addressed some of the issues consumers face in managing digital content, and how OSTA's MPV standard can help manufacturers build products that help solve these issues. Epson's Photo on Demand(tm) technology for easier viewing, printing and storing photos on memory cards was demonstrated as a step toward the imaginative future vision he portrayed of a networked digital household, with the family room as an entertainment hub, with other content and information available throughout the house on demand.
If you have new Optical technology that your company would like to showcase in an upcoming Marketing Committee meeting, please contact Perry Solomon, Marketing Committee Chairman, by email at psolomon@aleratec.com.
In addition to its own collection of press releases and other resources for media and industry analysts, OSTA's Marketing Committee maintains an online industry news room for member and associate companies to post their relevant corporate and product announcements.
The news archive is available on the OSTA Web site at http://www.osta.org/osta/newslist.lasso, while official OSTA news may be accessed at http://www.osta.org/osta/news.htm. To submit an appropriate press release, please contact Debbie Maguire at debbie
The next Marketing Committee meeting is at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, at the Embassy Suites Hotel, South San Francisco. We welcome representatives from member companies or prospective members.
Fred Byers, NIST, will discuss proposed new industry standard test methodologies to measure longevity in optical media at the COSA committee meeting on June 14, at
1 p.m.
NIST to Speak on Optical Media Life
Expectancy Tests
As part of the June 2004 OSTA meetings in San Francisco, the Commercial Optical Storage and Archive (COSA) committee has arranged for Fred Byers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to present new archive media life expectancy test proposals to optical drive and media manufacturers.
This presentation is to propose an industry standard test methodology in measuring "archival", "long-life" or other similarly labeled discs intended for long-term storage. NIST believes that both the consumer and the industry can benefit from an industry standard test methodology in measuring or testing these discs.
NIST is proposing a test that is shorter than the LE test, and instead, projects the ability of the disc to perform above a lower limit (number of years). The lower limit can be determined by consumer needs and may contain more than one target i.e. 30, 50, or 100 years. The idea is that the disc will have a grade associated with it that correlates to a minimum number of years the disc will last as determined by a standard test measurement.
The goal is to make available discs that have a logo or some form of reference that identifies that disc type as having passed an industry standard test that quantifies a projected minimum performance, according to Byers. "We believe an industry standard 'archival' or 'grade' measurement can increase consumer confidence and reduce uncertainty in their purchasing decisions. We believe that consumers interested in saving information long-term will be interested in these discs and will specify such discs for long-term storage."
NIST would like to share their ideas with the OSTA optical disc manufacturers members and to ask for their thoughts/questions/concerns and hopefully for their continual input for further development in this effort.
The meeting will be held at 1 p.m., June 14, 2004, at the Embassy Suites in South San Francisco, California. Who should attend: Optical drive and media manufacturers. Currently the tests are centered around CD and DVD. NIST would like to hear from other manufacturers as part of the discussion.
OSTA
19925 Stevens Creek
Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014 USA
David Bunzel
President
(408) 253-3695
(408) 253-9938 FAX dbunzel@osta.org
Visit OSTA on the
Web at www.osta.org
Newsletter Editor
Jan Johnson
jan@multipathcom.com
On The Horizon
By David Bunzel
President
Optical Storage Technology Association
As summertime rapidly approaches, it is hard to believe how fast the first half of 2004 has flown by. For those of us involved with the Optical Storage Technology Association, 2004 has been a landmark year for the organization in terms of industry exposure, evangelism, and goodwill as we continue to proactively promote the worldwide use of recordable optical storage technologies and products.
As this newsletter indicates, OSTA's MultiRead Committee and MPV Working Group have been diligently working on multiple fronts to generate visibility for this important specification, and are aggressively encouraging members, associates, and other OEMs to incorporate MPV into the designs of current and future consumer electronics products. The extremely warm reception and positive feedback received by OSTA in Japan for its MPV developers training seminar is further evidence that these efforts are gaining more and more traction in the industry as time goes on, and that MPV has tremendous potential. The Tokyo seminar follows positive response to MPV activity at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and Photo Marketing Association trade show in February. Indeed, there is still much work for us to do, but it is rewarding to see that the organization's efforts are continuing to pay off.
In addition, OSTA is gearing up for its third annual Optical Storage Symposium in October, which promises to be the best event yet. Stay tuned for additional details as they become available. This is an affair that should not be missed.
We welcome any feedback you may have on this newsletter, and encourage interested industry participants to attend our next quarterly meeting. For more information on membership, visit our website at www.osta.org or contact Debbie Maguire, OSTA Administrator, at (408) 253-3695, or by e-mail at debbie