VIDEODISC-DIGITAL

A videodisc in digital format. For example, the DDV-7100 8-bit, 4.5 MHz bandwidth model was unveiled in October 1993 by Optical Disc Corporation (800-350-3500). The DDV-7100 will hold four hours of compressed digital video on one side of a 12-inch videodisc. Later systems will hold up to 10 gigabytes of data or one hour of HDTV. This technology is intended for interactive television of the future and for satellite uplinks and mass storage video servers. Playback units start at under $5,000 but recording units are likely to be found only in professional videodisc recording and reproduction laboratories since the disc recorder sells for almost $100,000 and requires other workstation hardware and software. This technology will probably be overtaken by newer CD-DVD technology. (See also CD-DVD )