Video Formats: DVDs

The jump from analog to digital video was driven by the 1996 release of the digital video disc (DVD). Analog video encoded on optical discs had been in use since LaserDiscs (1978) and CD Videos (1987), but digital encoding allowed for increased data storage and improved audio and video quality. Initial competition led to the computer and electronics industries eventually collaborating on a standardized format. While DVDs and CDs look identical, the new design allowed for DVDs to store up to 8.5 gigabytes, enough to store surround sound audio and standard definition (SD) video around 480p resolution. The format war happened again when digital video discs went from SD to high definition (HD), which pitted Sony's Blu-ray format against Toshiba’s HD DVD. The Blu-ray format won out and has become the dominant physical format for video content. With the rise of streaming video, physical media has become a niche format for the distribution of film and television works.