TO: All NDA Contractors of DVD Specifications for Read-Only Disc

Dear Sirs,

DVD Forum has contributed in enabling DVD-related business companies worldwide participation in DVD Business by commencing DVD Format Verification Service on DVD-ROM and DVD Video Products since November, 1996. Prior to the commercial availability of DVD-RAM Drive and DVD-RAM Media, we have announced you that we have commenced DVD-RAM Format Verification Service. Manufacturers successfully completing the verification process will enable you to release DVD RAM compatible products. DVD-RAM logotype on your product is a proof of full DVD-RAM specifications compliant products for your users.

DVD-RAM Format Verification Service is made available by the three following DVD Format Verification Laboratories.

Matsushita Verification Lab.
Director : Asaichi Akagi (Fax : 06-909-5027)

Hitachi Format Verification Lab.
Director : Takao Arai (Fax : 03-3506-1631)

Toshiba DVD Format Verification Lab.
Director : Hisashi Yamada (Fax : 03-5444-9430)

Osaka (Matsushita) Laboratory, Tokyo (Toshiba) Laboratory, Tokyo (Sony) Laboratory, DVD Verification Centre by Philips, DVD Format Verification Services by Warner Advanced Media Operations will continue DVD-ROM/Video Format Verification Service.

Your application for DVD Format Verification Service would be greatly appreciated.

We would like to present our compliments to you for distributing of DVD Format Verification News File # 007 by introducing our new DVD-RAM Format Verification Service to you.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Tokyo (Toshiba) Laboratory Director : Hisashi Yamada
Tokyo (Sony) Laboratory Director : Jun Yonemitsu
Osaka (Matsushita) Laboratory Director : Asaichi Akagi

(Note 1) Distribution of DVD Format Verification News is restricted to NDA Contractors of DVD-Specifications for Read-Only Disc and/or DVD Specifications for Rewritable Disc (DVD-RAM), therefore, disclosure of information described in this newsletter is prohibited. This newsletter has been edited in accordance with information relating to Format Verification in the Japanese market.
This is an English translation of the Japanese version that has already been distributed.

(Note 2) Please distribute a copy of this newsletter to your staff who use the DVD Book.

1. Issues to be confirmed relating to Dual Layer Disc

Environment for Dual Layer Disc, which one of strong features of DVD- Video Disc, has been getting ready. We expect that a large number of Dual Layer Disc will be produced this year. We would appreciate it if you would kindly pay attention to the following two points again prior to production of Dual Layer Disc.

Issue to be confirmed :

When layer 0 and layer 1 are recorded consecutively, such layer 0 and layer 1 shall be connected with Non-seamless.

As for Dual Layer, especially, Opposite Path Disc, we anticipates that seamless connection is used for consecutive recording of layer 0 and layer 1 due to disc structure. However, seamless connection is allowed to use for the same layer, considering such limitation on motion of player which comes along with layer change as defined in DVD Book, Part 3, VI 3-5, 3.15 Relation between Logical Structure and Physical Structure 2 ). Your kind cooperation and understanding in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Please note that if seamless connection is forced, player playback malfunction might occur.

Additional note : Dual/Opposite

1. For Contents Providers/Authoring Manufacturers :

Seamless connection for consecutive recording of layer 0 and layer 1 is not guaranteed. Therefore, please design Dual Layer Disc in a manner that it is connected with seam.

2. For Player Manufacturers :

It is desirable for some contents of discs that it is played seamless regardless of disc structure. We would appreciate it if you would kindly design player in a manner it is played smoothly as much as possible although connection between the cell of layer 0, and layer 1 is non-seamless.

2. Information on DVD-Video Book maintenance

Three doubts arise relating to DVD-Video Book through verification activities. Such doubts relating to DVD-Video Book has been submitted to WG1-TG1, and were reviewed. The following amendments to DVD Brook have been approved by WG1- TG1. We would like to inform you about amendments in advance. For actual description of amendments, it will be discussed. Such authorized amendments to DVD-Video Book will be distributed to each DVD-Video Book Contractor as DVD-Video Book Supplemental Information.

(1) With regards to size definition of Display Area of SP PXD, it is as defined in Book Part 3. V15-72, " PXD is the run-length compressed bitmap which may be equal or greater in size as the display area of the SP ", however, it has been confirmed that PXD size which is smaller than Display Area violates the DVD Format.

We would like to call the attention of you to the following three points relating to this matter.

1. PXD which is large enough to fill up Display Area is required if SP is scrolled.

2. It is allowed to share the same data between TOP field and BOTTOM field. In this case, PXD size can be greater than half the size of Display Area.

3. Regarding horizontal direction of picture data, the decoded bitmap pixel data and horizontal display area shall be always equal.

(2) It is confirmed that in case of PGC whose PG Playback mode is with Random, or Shuffle, the first Cell of each PG, Seamless flag shall be 0.

For instance,

If the structure is as described above, it is not guaranteed that Cell #n and Cell # n+2 can be seamless connected with the preceding Cell.

The following is why it should be non-seamless connection.
The following is described in the last paragraph of Table M.1 in P. VIX-74 of Book Part 3. Seamless playback flag Current Cell is 0, and STC discontinuity flag of Current Cell is 1 in case that Current Cell is the first Cell of a PGC in any allocation.

The above interpretation is valid, since all the first Cell of each PG in PGC will be able to be played back as the first Cell of PGC with Random/Shuffle playback.

(3) With regards to definition of valid period of HLI, description in p.VI3-64 and p.VI4-121of Book Part 3 contradicts.

Description of (9) FOSL _BTNN in p.I4-121 is going to be revised, since when the player starts playback during the HLI valid period, FOSL_BTNN is ignored.

The following is why it will be revised. < Angle changing and HLI (Non-seamless Angle)> described in p.VI3-64, HLI/SP is ignored before new HLI/SP is available, if playback is jumped into middle of valid period of HLI/SP in newly selected angle. And also, described in p.VI3-64, HLI/SP which the player jumps into middle by UOP is ignored.

However, if the second description of (9)FOSL_BTNN in p.VI4-121 is not revised, when the player starts playback from the middle of valid period of HLI, FOSL-BTNN which is set at HLI shall be forced to be chosen, therefore, it contradicts.

There must be the reasons for FOSL _ BTNN should be forced to be chosen, however, it is not clear.

3. Information on DVD Player playback problems

The objective here is to describe DVD Player playback problems, and also to make the most use of them for verification of player to determine whether it is compliant to DVD Format in case it is developed in the future time.

We would appreciate it if a person who gets involved in authoring and contents provider would kindly avail to those information described in this newsletter.

For detailed information, please contact Format Verification Laboratories.

(1) ID No. : 107046

Description of playback problem of Disc

PGC which dose not have any of Cell, PRE_CMD, POST_CMD, C_CMD exist. ( Namely, disc which has PGC_GI that exists only PGC.)

Phenomena of playback problems

Unable to playback when PGC, which applies to described above, is executed.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

PGC which dose not have any of Cell, PRE_CMD, POST_CMD, C_CMD shall not be recorded, since it is meaningless.
Or, indicate not to execute the above in case that it is recorded.

(2) ID No. :107047

Description of playback problem of Disc

DVD program stream that includes SPU is recorded.

SP_DCSQ exists which includes CHG_COLON command and SP_DCSQ exists which dose not include CHG_COLCON command as SP_DCSQT.

Disc which includes larger PXCD than display area that is defined by SET_DAREA.

Phenomena of playback problems

SPU display will be messy when playback is transferred from SP_DCSQ which includes CHG_COLCON command to SP_DCSQ which dose not include CHG_COLCON command.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

1. In SPU, PXCD larger than display area defined by SET_DAREA shall be inhibited.

2. The first SP_DCSQ in SPU shall be SP_DCSQ which includes PXCD and also, consists of only termination code of PXCD.

(3) ID No. 107048 :

Description of playback problem of Disc

DVD program stream that includes SPU is recorded.

SP_DCSQ which includes CHG_COLCON command exists as SP_DCSQT. Value of change start SP line defined by LN_CTLI#n-1 of PXCD and the one of change termination SP line is the same.

Phenomena of playback problems

When SPU is decoded, SPU display after such SPU described above will be messy.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

Set the different value of change start SP line and change termination SP line defined by LN_CTL#n-1of PXCD in SPU .

The following is formula :

Change termination SP line - change start SP line >=1.

(4) ID No. : 107049

Description of playback problem of Disc

Disc whose data volume is 64-128 sector. And CELL of black picture is short.

Phenomena of playback problems

Picture will be blacked out.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

Do not set the CELL size of short picture to 64 - 128 sector.

(5) ID No. : 107050

Description of playback problem of Disc

A lot of consecutive Interleaved Block exist from beginning of PGC.

Phenomena of playback problems

Player playback will be still for one or two seconds at the connecting point of Interleaved Block.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

When a lot of Interleaved Block exist from the beginning of PGC, the first Cell of PGC shall be the consecutive Cell greater than two seconds.

(6) ID No. :107051

Description of playback problem of Disc

Control information for VTS recorded in layer 1 is recorded from lead- out area (or middle area) of layer 0 to within 32 sector.

Phenomena of playback problems

No playback of layer 1.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

In Dual layer Disc, no control information is recorded within 32 sector which is before lead-out area (or middle area) of layer 0.

(7) ID No. :107052

Description of playback problem of Disc

In case that each of VMGM and VTSM has different number of menu language unit and language code.

Phenomena of playback problems

In some cases, language menu, that is different from the one chosen by player in advance, is played back.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

All the VMGM and VTSM shall be the same language unit structure (language code and the number of language unit) when menu is recorded.

(8) ID No. :107053

Description of playback problem of Disc

Greater than 128 PGC exists in menu space.

Phenomena of playback problems

No playback of PGC after 128.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

The number of PGC in menu space, it shall be less than 127 per each language unit.

(9) ID No. :107054

Description of playback problem of Disc

The last B-frame of video stream is displayed as a still image, the streams followed by the last B-frame do not appear when it is displayed as a still image, like still picture which is displayed in menu.

Phenomena of playback problems

A horizontal white smear noise appears in a playback image.

Countermeasures to be taken with disc

In order to display still image, place "Sequence_ End _ Code" at the end of video packet, or end with I-frame (s), or P-frame (s).

____________________________________________________
Copyright© 2004, the DVD Forum | All Rights Reserved