CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) announced that its Universal Disc Format (UDF) Committee has released UDF Rev. 2.60. A major addition in Rev. 2.60 is the addition of a new Pseudo OverWrite (POW) mechanism that supports sequential recording on new types of write-once discs and drives such as BD-R (Blu-Ray Disc-Write Once). The special logical overwrite function of the POW mechanism that enables write-once media to behave more like a rewritable disc was developed in parallel by the Blu-Ray Disc Association (BDA). Rev. 2.60 with POW will also increase disc compatibility between consumer electronics video recorders and computer systems, and allow use of the Metadata File to locate metadata in a logically contiguous manner for increased efficiency. UDF Revision 2.6 can be downloaded from OSTA's website at http://www.osta.org/specs/.
UDF is a file system first defined by OSTA in 1997 to support transfer of Magneto-Optical (MO) discs and files between different computer systems. The specification, based on the ECMA-167/ISO 13346 standard, is intended for developers planning to implement UDF to enable disc and file interchange among different operating systems. UDF was originally specified for DVD applications but it has become an international format standard for many storage devices because it ensures that discs formatted in UDF can be properly used on all types of computer systems, large storage devices and consumer digital appliances. Implementation guidelines are published by OSTA (www.osta.org). With the appropriate software, the UDF file system can be used on any proprietary operating system. This format is suitable for data archival purposes where the recovery of data may be in the future when operating systems may have changed.
UDF was the file system selected by the computer and entertainment industries to enable complete data interchange between computer-based and entertainment-based media, referred to as digital convergence. "Initially OSTA wanted to enable disc interchange between different vendor's computers, video players and home entertainment systems," said Lee Prewitt, chairman of the UDF committee for OSTA. "The overall UDF goal is to facilitate data interchange independent of hardware, media and operating systems by standardizing on the way the information is stored and organized on the disc. This latest revision addresses the needs of the next-generation, high capacity blue-laser-based BD discs and drives."
About the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA)
The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) was incorporated as an international trade association in 1992 to promote the use of recordable optical technologies and products. The organization's membership includes optical product manufacturers and resellers from three continents, representing more than 85 percent of worldwide writable optical product shipments. They work to shape the future of the industry through regular meetings of DVD Compatibility, Commercial Optical Storage Applications (COSA), Marketing, MPV (MusicPhotoVideo), Planning and UDF committees. Interested companies worldwide are invited to join the organization and participate in its programs by contacting an OSTA representative at (408) 253-3695, by fax at (408) 253-9938, or by addressing its Web site at http://www.osta.org.
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