Kodak’s Sandra K. Morris to Present
Joint Keynote Address at OSS 2005
and Digital Imaging ’05:
Keeping up with generation digital

Sandra K. Morris, VP and GM for Eastman Kodak Company’s Digital Imaging Services, will present the joint keynote luncheon address, “Keeping up with generation digital” to attendees of OSS 2005 and InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ Digital Imaging ’05.

Generation d is changing the way we look at photography and communication. Sandra will discuss building new products and services that meet the needs of anytime anywhere anyway picture communication and sharing.

As general manager of Digital Imaging Services, Morris is responsible for driving growth of the KODAK EASYSHARE Gallery (formerly Ofoto), the company’s online photo sharing and printing service and the KODAK Mobile Service.

Prior to Kodak, Morris spent 17 years at Intel Corporation in a variety of roles. Most recently, she was corporate vice president and general manager of business operations for the Mobility Group (formerly the Intel Communications Group) where she was responsible for marketing, business development, business operations and overall supply line activities for the division. Morris also led Intel’s 100 percent e-Corporation strategy – the company’s move to manage customer and supplier relationships via the Internet.

Morris joined Intel from the David Sarnoff Research Center for RCA Corporation, where she prototyped the use of PCs in innovative multimedia applications. Prior to her work at RCA, Morris was a faculty member at the University of Delaware, where her research focused on the use of computers in families and schools. Morris is a graduate of the University of Delaware where she earned her bachelor’s degree with honors and distinction in education in 1976 and her masters’ degree in human resources in 1981. She has also completed post graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and the Stanford Business School Executive Program. Morris is co-author of a book published by McGraw-Hill entitled Multimedia Application Development Using Indeo® Video and DVI Technology.

The objective of the
MPV Interoperability
Specification is to
make consistent MPV
playlist writing,
reading and playback
to ensure
interoperability
between devices that
conform to the
specification.







MPV is an open
standard, extensible,
and no per-unit
royalty is charged for
the use of the
specifications from
OSTA.





The MPV
specifications can be
found at http://www.osta.org/mp

MPV™ Interoperability Specification and
Trademark Licensing Program Available
New MPV Specification Improves Playback Interoperability
and Exchange of Collections of Digital Media

The MPV Interoperability Specification (MPV-IS) version 1.0 is now available for downloading from the OSTA website. MPV or MusicPhotoVideo™ is a series of specifications aimed at developers of digital imaging and consumer electronics solutions to enhance interoperability of large collections of personal digital photo and video content. Many digital media companies are already using the specifications in various consumer electronics and PC-based products. To date, these implementations have been strictly to manage the transfer of data between products from the same company. With the MPV Interoperability Specification, companies can now guarantee interoperability with MPV-IS-compliant products from other companies.

OSTA has also unveiled its MPV trademark licensing program to build awareness of compatibility between MPV-IS compliant products. The licensing program includes a MPV Distribution License Agreement enabling compliant companies to use OSTA’s MPV trademarks for use on products and marketing materials and a self-certification Validation Tool to test MPV-IS product compliance.

MPV Interoperability Specification
The completion and release of the MPV-IS is a significant development for companies that have been looking for enhanced interoperability between devices that capture digital media content and playback devices that need a simple, fast, and easy way for consumers to quickly view, navigate, and share their digital media collections.

To insure interoperability between capture devices (“writers”) and playback devices (“readers”), the MPV-IS defines certain guidelines for implementation of MPV in a consistent manner on all consumer electronics devices, including those with limited performance or memory. The guidelines provide a list of Do’s and Don’ts that must be implemented in each product. The current MPV-IS v1.0 supports the MPV Basic, Presentation, and Music Profiles.

MPV Trademark Licensing Program
Companies wishing to release products compatible with the MPV-IS must successfully complete a certification process comprised of 1) passing validation tests and 2) sending the positive results along with an administrative fee to OSTA’s Licensing Administrator.

The MPV Validation Tools for self-certification will be available shortly from OSTA-approved third-party vendors. Software Architects’ ValidateMPV! writer test tool is currently in beta and available to interested parties by contacting Lee Prewitt at leep@softarch.com. For a current list of suppliers, please go to http://www.osta.org/mpv/licensing/validationtools.htm.

Companies that successfully implement the MPV-IS and pass the validation tests may license the MPV trademarks. Use of the MPV trademarks on products and their accompanying marketing material will provide a powerful visual indicator and recognition of interoperability between devices for collections of digital media content

 

For more information,
the MPV White Paper is
available on the OSTA
website at:
www.osta.org/mpv/public/
documents/technology/
MPV-Whitepaper-July-2005.pdf

Two Additional MPV Specifications Ratified

Portable Storage Profile v1.0 and MPV XML Manifest v2.0

In addition to the new MPV Interoperability Specification and Trademark Licensing Program, OSTA’s MPV Committee has also ratified and released two additional MPV specifications – the MPV Portable Storage Profile v1.0 (MPV-PS) and a new version of the MPV XML Manifest Specification v2.0.

MPV provides multimedia playlists and access to their associated metadata. It is an open specification that enhances the representation, exchange, processing and playback of collections of digital media content, including music, still images, stills with audio, still sequences, video clips, and audio clips. The MPV specifications are being developed in phases, and result in “Profiles” specific to product category implementation. All of these specifications are designed to enhance interoperability and playback of collections of personal digital media content (photos, video, audio) in consumer electronics products.

MPV Portable Storage Profile Specification
The MPV-PS Profile specification assists consumers and manufacturers in the storage and management of large collections of digital media files stored on CDs, DVDs or memory cards. The specification defines the minimum requirements of a directory tree structure which is suitable for the storage of thousands of digital still pictures and video for a long period. In order to maintain the structure, the MPV-PS Profile specification provides guidelines for the file handling rules such as importing, exporting, modification and migration procedures to a new medium.

The specification, developed by the Portable Storage Working Group chaired by Konica Minolta, enhances the ease of searching and browsing large quantities of digital media content and provides guidelines for a common naming convention and handling method for files and directories to reduce the chance of name conflict in future migration and archiving.

XML Manifest Specification v2.0
The OSTA XML Manifest provides a common XML document wrapper element, defines the concept of Profiles, and defines the mechanism for embedding content from multiple Profiles within the same XML document without collision, and allows a wide range of metadata to be encapsulated in a single document. Its initial purpose is to support the interchange of MPV (MusicPhotoVideo) metadata but it can also be used to transport metadata that does not directly conform to the mechanisms and policies defined by the various specifications that make up the MPV initiative. Version 2.0, approved in August 2005, includes added support for MPV manifest identification and manifest writer identification, and enables handling manifest updates by different writers. It also includes added support for product category specifications that refine Profiles.

Upcoming MPV
Meetings and Events:

Next MPV Committee Meeting, Sept. 26,
2005, at the Hyatt
Regency, San
Francisco Airport,
1333 Bayshore
Highway, Burlingame, CA.

MPV Seminar in
Tokyo, Oct. 12 will
including MPV Profile
Working Group review
meetings at the end
of the day.

OSTA MPV Interoperability Seminar in Tokyo

Focus is on newly approved MPV Interoperabilty Specification and implementing MPV in CE devices

OSTA’s MPV Committee is holding a seminar in Tokyo from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Oct. 12, 2005 to provide companies the tools and information needed to implement MPV in digital cameras, consumer electronics products (including music, photo, and video players and recorders) and PC photo software applications. The event is hosted by Olympus Corporation and Seiko Epson Corporation, and features speakers from Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Konica-Minolta, Olympus, Samsung and Software Architects.

Today, consumers are creating and managing large “collections” of digital Music, Photo, and Video content. Creating playlists and associations between these different types of digital content enhances sharing and enjoyment of life experiences. However, all too often, the “metadata” that manages the playback of these collections is lost when transferring content and there is no industry standard method for insuring interoperability between diverse capture and playback devices.

Many of today's leading consumer electronics and PC software companies are already introducing products using MPV. OSTA member companies have now released the MPV™– Interoperability Specification; a specification aimed at collection management, access, and interoperability for consumer electronics devices. This seminar will provide extensive information about MPV and the interoperability programs from OSTA.

Attendees will learn how to implement the OSTA-developed MPV Interoperability Specifications for PC and CE products. The training will be conducted by the authors of the MPV specifications and experienced implementers. Information will also be included on important new initiatives to extend the MPV specifications to provide additional capabilities for digital cameras, photo printers and kiosks, as well as music sharing over home networks, and photo archiving.

The seminar will include an overview of OSTA and the MPV Specification, with a review of the MPV Core, Basic, Presentation, and Music Profiles, and explanation of MPV SDK. The afternoon will include an MPV Interoperability Specification Session, with a technical overview of MPV-IS v1.0, and discussion of the MPV Logo Licensing Program and MPV Validation/Compatibility Tools. A review of MPV Profile Working Group activities for the Camera Profile, Portable Storage Profile and Print Profile concludes the sessions, to be followed by a closing reception.

The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2005, at the Shinjuku NS Bldg., 2-4-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, Japan. To RSVP, please send contact information including name, title, company, telephone and email to Ikuko Sugo, ikuko.sugo@hp.com, or call+81-3-5344-4487. For questions, please contact Dick Thompson at thompsonemail@comcast.net, telephone 541-757-3033.

Register Today!
OSS 2005 is Sept. 28
at the Hyatt Regency
San Francisco
Airport, in
Burlingame, CA

OSS 2005 Update
Fourth Annual Event Will Focus on Imaging
Interoperability, Blue Laser Technology, Archival Storage
and Alternative Data Storage

There is still time to register for the fourth annual Optical Storage Symposium on September 28, 2005, at the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco Airport, Burlingame, California. See below for session details. For more information and to register, visit http://www.osta.org/oss/ or contact and see below for session details:

Blue Laser Optical Storage: A Technology Waiting to Happen
8:30am Harbour Room
Vendors from both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD groups continue to promote their respective technologies, but is the market ready for these products? What factors will be critical for Blue Laser products to succeed? Will recordable or ROM technology drive the market? Will there be any content to record? Can Hollywood agree on copy protection that will also be acceptable to the consumer? Do consumers need high-definition movies? A panel of industry experts will discuss and debate the various issues that will influence the future prospects of Blue Laser Technology.

Moderator:

David Bunzel, President, Santa Clara Consulting Group and President, OSTA

Speakers:

• Diane Mermigas, Columnist, Hollywood Reporter
• David Naranjo- VP of TV Research, DisplaySearch
• Bob Freedman- Chief Technology Officer, Crest International

What to Choose…Alternate Data Storage Technologies
10:30am Harbour Room
While optical discs are a standard for removable storage, significant markets have developed for alternative storage products in both niche and mass market environments. USB Flash drives are not only replacing floppy disk drives, but new applications are developing for these products. Small hard disk drives are competing in the removable storage market because of their high capacity and decreasing cost. Other removable storage products are in the market and being developed, their proponents hoping to capture a share of this significant growth market

Moderator:

• Maciek Brzeski, VP Marketing, Storage Device Division, Toshiba America Information Systems

The Search for an Archival Medium - The 100 year Optical Disc
10:45am Boardroom IV
This session features presentations from the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the user community for what they envision as a medium of choice for archival and digital preservation. An important session for both optical disc manufacturers and end-users who have to decide what are the desired characteristics of the best optical medium for archival purposes. Issues to be discussed include:

 

• 
  
  • What are the critical applications that would require 100 year media performance?
• • What would end-users being willing to pay in terms of overall cost in time and expense?
• • What is the role of the Federal Government in digital preservation?
• • What is industry doing to address this problem?

Moderator:

• Dr. Victor McCrary, Business Executive for Science and Technology, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Speakers:

• • Oliver Slattery, Research Scientist, National Institute of
  Standards & Technology (NIST)
• • Fred Byers, National Institute of Standards and
  Technology (NIST)
• • Mike Burrows, President, Mike Burrows Consulting

Keynote Lunch - “Keeping Up With Generation Digital”
12:00 noon - Grand Peninsula Ballroom

Speaker:

• Sandra Morris, Vice President and General Manager, Digital Imaging Services Group, Digital and Film Imaging Systems,
Eastman Kodak Company

Imaging Interoperability Between CE Devices:
How Do We Get There?
1:45pm Grand Ballroom
Sure, all devices play JPGs but transferring collections of photos from device to device often means losing the "metadata" that was painstakingly entered by the consumer. Join a panel of industry leaders for a roundtable discussion about what companies and organizations are doing about imaging interoperability. They'll respond to key questions, such as:

• Do consumers care about or need better interoperability?
• How will interoperability affect consumers' behavior while using digital images?
• Will cell phone imaging drive the need for easier and better exchange of images & metadata?

Moderator:

• Parker Lee, OSTA Vice-Chairman

Speakers:

• Dr. Mark Tarlton - Distinguished Member of the Technical
Staff, Motorola Labs
• George W. Lynch - Strategic Technology Director, Imaging &
Printing Group, Hewlett Packard
• Jim Taylor, Sr. VP and GM. Advanced Technology Group, Sonic
Solutions

Global Working Group: Optical Disk Archive Test Standards
2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Boardroom IV
This meeting is to explore formation of a new OSTA Committee to address Optical Disk Archive Test Standards. See story, page 7.

Moderator:

• Chris Smith, General Manager, Data Media Business Development Center, Sony Corporation

Beyond DVD - What's In Store for the Future of Archival Optical Media
4:15pm Harbour Room

This session features presentations on the next generation of optical technologies for archival and digital preservation, including Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, FVD, and holographic disc storage. An important session for archivists, government agencies and librarians to become aware of future optical technologies and their impact on future collection management. This session also provides an opportunity for end-users to speak directly with the industry on their future storage needs and current challenges. Issues to be discussed include:

• • What are the differences in these technologies and the applications they address?
• • Have there been any successful early adopters with these technologies for archival purposes?
• • Where does industry see the role of standards and interoperability for these technologies?

Moderator:

• Dr. Victor McCrary, Business Executive for Science and Technology, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Speakers:

• • "FVD- A New Format" Dr. Der-Ray Huang, President,
  Taiwan Information Storage Association
• • William Wilson, Chief Scientist,
  InPhase Technologies
• • Tony Jasionowski, Technology Liaison & Alliance Group
  (TLAG), Panasonic

Room locations subject to change. There will be a reception following the sessions.

---

Global Working Group on Optical Disc
Archive Test Standards at OSS 2005

OSTA is calling on interested parties to participate in a global working group on Optical Disc Archive Test Standards (ODATS).

An initial meeting to explore formation of a new ODATS Committee will be held at OSTA’s 4th annual Optical Storage Symposium 2005, on Sept. 28th at the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco Airport in Burlingame.

This initiative is to address end user needs calling for established practices in media archive life testing and classification, third party evaluation and verification, and verified, reliable optical media products.

The goals of the initial meeting are to establish OSTA as the recognized venue for this activity, and to solicit input from interested participants. Representatives from companies interested in improving ROI on their optical storage product line-up are welcome to participate in the ODATS Subcommittee, as well as others willing to contribute to the development and implementation of the specifications

UDF 2.6 will allows
sequential recording
on new types of
write-once discs
including BD-R.

 

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
Multipath
Communications.
jan@multipathcom.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

On The Horizon
By David Bunzel
President
Optical Storage Technology Association

With OSS 2005 rapidly approaching on Sept. 28, I want to encourage you to attend, if you haven’t already made plans to do so. We have an excellent lineup of speakers on topics ranging from the issues that impact the prospects for blue laser technology to interchangeability of digital content on different CE devices, and on to keeping up with generation digital, alternate data storage technologies, and what’s next beyond DVD in optical storage. For the Commercial Optical Storage Applications (COSA)-track, there are sessions specific to archival storage, as well as a meeting to discuss formation of a new OSTA committee on Optical Disk Archive Test Standards. If this is an area of interest to you, I encourage you to get involved and take an active role.

I’m very pleased with the initiatives underway throughout OSTA. The progress outlined in this issue from the MPV Committee is one example. The new MPV Interoperability Specification will enable consistent MPV playlist writing, reading and playback between devices that conform to the specification, and an MPV Logo Licensing Program will help manufacturers promote interoperable devices. An MPV Interoperability Seminar in Japan in October will provide information on how to implement MPV-IS devices.

On other fronts, the UDF Committee is continuing its efforts to keep the Universal Disk Format and files system current with next-generation technology. Version 2.6, highlighted in this issue, adds a mechanism to support sequential recording on new types of write-once discs and drives such as Blu-Ray Disc – Write Once and HD DVD-R. T

OSTA encourages you to provide the organization with any feedback you may have regarding this newsletter. I also would like to invite interested industry participants to attend our next quarterly meeting. For more information on membership or the organization’s activities, visit the OSTA Web site at www.osta.org, or contact Debbie Maguire, OSTA Administrator, at (408) 253-3695 or at debbieostaorg
.

Warmest regards,

David Bunzel
President
Optical Storage Technology Association