What is a Hybrid DVD?
Do you really want the answer to this one? Ok, you asked for it… • A disc that works in both DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM PCs. (The most common use of the term hybrid, but more accurately called an enhanced DVD) • A DVD-ROM disc that runs on Windows and Mac OS computers. (More accurately called a cross-platform DVD.) • A DVD-ROM or DVD-Video disc that also contains Web content for connecting to the Internet. (More accurately called a WebDVD or Web-connected DVD.) • A disc that contains both DVD-Video and DVD-Audio content. (More accurately called a universal DVD.) • A disc with two layers, one that can be read in DVD players and one that can be read in CD players. (More accurately called a legacy or CD-compatible disc.) There are at least three variations of this hybrid (none were commercially available as of 12/99): • A 1.2mm CD substrate bonded to the back of a 0.6mm DVD substrate. One side can be read by CD players, the other side by DVD players. The resulting disc is 0.
A hybrid DVD is a term used to define DVD’s that offer more than 1 purpose. This could mean that the DVD is authored to run on both Mac and Windows platforms or it could mean that the DVD is authored in such a way that it will play video when used inside a DVD player but when used in a DVD drive of a PC might contain software applications and data files. It could even be that the DVD offers all of the above plus some other features.
There seems to be more than a little confusion in our industry over the use of the word ‘hybrid’. Understanding the term ‘hybrid’ can help us to understand what is a Hybrid DVD. A hybrid is the product of two dissimilar items. Thus a Hybrid CD-R is a disc which contains both pre-recorded and recordable areas. The DVD Forum is working on an official Hybrid DVD specification. This Hybrid DVD specification covers DVD discs with one DVD-Audio layer and one CD-audio layer. However, Hybrid DVD is also being used to describe a DVD disc containing more than one DVD application type such as DVD-Video content and DVD-Audio content or DVD-ROM content (such as PC games) and DVD-Video content. For mastering and verification, it does not matter what type of DVD content (ROM, Video, Audio) is placed on a DVD layer or in what combination. These are all simply DVD to DCA and all DCA products handle this media.
• A disc that works in both DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM PCs. (The most common use of the term hybrid, but more accurately called an enhanced DVD) • A DVD-ROM disc that runs on Windows and Mac OS computers. (More accurately called a cross-platform DVD.) • A DVD-ROM or DVD-Video disc that also contains Web content for connecting to the Internet. (More accurately called a WebDVD or Web-connected DVD.) • A disc that contains both DVD-Video and DVD-Audio content. (More accurately called a universal DVD.) • A disc with two layers, one that can be read in DVD players and one that can be read in CD players. (More accurately called a legacy or CD-compatible disc.) There are at least three variations of this hybrid (none were commercially available as of 12/99): • A 1.2mm CD substrate bonded to the back of a 0.6mm DVD substrate. One side can be read by CD players, the other side by DVD players. The resulting disc is 0.6mm thicker than a standard CD or DVD, which can cause problems in players w
