A Brief Overview

The initiation of home video era in UK started with the VHS (Video Home System). This was the first affordable and highly popular home entertainment medium in the 80s. The VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) was used to playback these video cassettes, which consisted of a half inch magnetic tape with 240 lines resolution. The quality of audio and video were not very good, but VHS were the preferred mode of movie watching and recording. There was a limited storage capacity and the life of a video cassette got diminished with use, as did the quality.

The next big invention was the polycarbonate optical disc in the form of compact discs in 1993. These were capable of storing data, audio and video formats. They had better storage capacity and were very compact and handy. The VCDs or Video Compact Disc were developed for use in recording and viewing movies. A video CD can hold VHS-quality video of 74 minutes and has a CD-quality sound using MPEG-1 compression. This format did not become very popular in UK or even in the U.S. This was mainly due to its unauthorized copying and rampant misuse due to its low cost and simple technology. The UK and U.S. entertainment industry did not support and promote the VCD medium due to the same reason. However, the VCDs were very successful in the Asian countries owing to their affordability.

The breakthrough in home entertainment came in the form of the DVD technology introduced in the year 1997. DVD or the Digital Video Disc is a 0.6mm layer coated dual medium fused back-to back as a 120mm diameter disc. The DVD has data capacity of 4.6GB and can store two hours of 525-line resolution standard definition video. The DVD is read using a 650nm red laser and has a numerical aperture of 0.6 in its optical pick-up head. The later versions of DVD players were multi region enabled to allow playing of all region DVDs. The DVD players have been designed to playback any TV standard like NTSC, PAL, or SECAM. The recent models of DVD players are compatible with a variety of playing media such as CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, MP3, DivX and WMA, among others.

The TV standard used in UK is PAL, however in certain places NTSC is also used. The region code for UK is 2, therefore DVDs and DVD players made and sold in the United Kingdom are marked as region 2. With the arrival of region free DVD players in the market, there is no limitation for viewing DVDs from any region in United Kingdom. The movies made in the U.S. are released a year later in Europe, and the DVDs are also released accordingly.

HD DVD Technology and the UK scenario

The latest and most advanced technology is the HD DVD (High Definition Digital Video Disc) which is a high capacity rewritable optical disk. The HD-DVD technology is supported by Toshiba, NEC, and Intel. Microsoft also supports HD DVD and incorporates the HD DVD exclusively in its Xbox 360 gaming consoles. The HD DVD has a single layer data storage capacity of 15GB and a double layer storage capacity of 30GB.

The surface layer of an HD DVD is 0.6mm thick, which is the same as that of standard DVDs. This common disc structure with DVDs allows for full backwards compatibility of HD DVD drives which will be able to play both DVDs and CDs. This also ensures that the basic technology and manufacturing equipment for HD DVDs are almost the same, except a few minor modifications. This factor has brought down the manufacturing costs tremendously and provided for greater affordability of the media. This technology also promises the ability to create discs with HD DVD on one side, and (standard) DVD-9 on the reverse. This makes it possible for consumers to watch a movie, regardless of the system they own.

The unique iHD system enables the synchronization of audio and graphic information from an online source, with the contents of the disc. This implies that soundtracks, graphics, and sub-titles can be added to a movie while it is playing, using a Internet connection. The managed copy feature can copy a movie on a computers hard drive and can be played on a local network later. The HD DVD format is being supported and promoted by Paramount Home Entertainment, HBO, and New Line Cinema.

The HD DVDs and HD DVD players are yet to be launched in the United Kingdom, and the inauguration is slated for end of April 2006. The stores and retailers are geared up to meet the demand of the new technology and are undertaking pre-orders for the HD DVD players, which will be available in April, depending on their launch. The retailers and electronics stores have also made provisions for stocking and selling of the new movie titles in HD DVDs.

The television medium in UK is opening its doors to the HD technology and has equipped the electronics stores with HD televisions and many film and program makers have even started filming in HD format. The HD DVDs and players will be available online as well as in all leading retail outlets. Some of the online purchase stores are Amazon, Apple, Ebuyer, Insight, W-Store, and PC World, among others. The retail outlets include ASDA, Blackwells, Comet, Dixons, Evesham, Eason, Micro Anvika, Ryman, Tesco, and several others.

Toshiba has introduced two of its HD DVD players, the HD A1 and HD XA1 in the U.S. The HD A1 is priced at $500 (285) and the HD XA1 is priced at $800 (457). Other brands are also available, the Samsung DVD HD 850 priced at around 100, and several others. The voltage requirement of 220-230 volts and 50-60 Hz is met by these HD DVD players and are PAL-NTSC compatible for usage in the United Kingdom. The HD DVD players are going to change the face of home entertainment in UK, and are being anticipated eagerly by the consumers and the retailers alike.