There has, until now, been some question as to whether the copy protection system would be part of the initial specification and whether regional coding would be included at all.

The technical specifications are yet to be worked out, but engineers are now working on them and they will be published in the DVD Book, the official specifications, due sometime within the next two months, if all goes to plan.

Referring to the three main parties involved in the system -- the consumer electronics manufacturers, computer companies and motion picture studios -- Toshiba's Keisuke Ohmori explained, "The DVD system has, from the outset, been developed to satisfy the three parties involved. Copy protection and regional coding were requested by the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and will be included."

The copy protection system will employ the Macrovision anti-piracy system for its analog output to prevent copying of movies onto analog systems, such as VHS video. On the digital output, signals will be coded on the movie that tell the connected DVD machine that it cannot record the tape. These signals will be part of the basic specification, said the spokesman.

The final form of the regional coding system is less certain. While the Motion Picture Experts Group maintains that such a system is vital, there is disagreement between the studios as to how many regions the world will be divided up into and whether of not regionally coded disks will eventually unlock to allowing viewing all over the world.

Some parties, particularly the consumer electronics manufacturers, which have invested large amounts of money in the system, are keen to see all possible disadvantages of the system to be minimized and have voiced opposition to such a scheme. At the end of March, Sony Chairman Nobuyuki Idei was quoted as saying, "It will be troublesome if software made in, say, Europe cannot be seen in the United States."

Toshiba said it was still continuing on schedule and will launch DVD-Video and DVD-ROM in the US in the fall, followed by a Japan launch very soon after. Roll out into European and Asian countries is expected to come in late winter or early 1997.

At launch there are expected to be around 250 movies ready for the system in the United States.

(Martyn Williams/19960625)