The DVD Forum is an international organization composed of hardware, software, media and content companies that use and develop the DVD

DVD

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 and formerly HD DVD

HD DVD

HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...

 formats. It was initially known as the DVD Consortium when it was founded in 1995.

Mission

The DVD Forum was created to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas about the DVD format, and to enable it to grow through technical improvement and innovation. The organization hopes to promote worldwide acceptance of DVD for entertainment

Entertainment

Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...

, consumer electronics

Consumer electronics

Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver...

 and information technology applications. Membership in the DVD Forum is open to any company or organization involved in DVD research, development, or manufacturing; software firms and other DVD users interested in developing the format are also encouraged to join. Forum members can support other formats in addition to DVD.

Function

The DVD Forum is responsible for the official DVD format specification. The group handles licensing of the DVD format and logo through the DVD Format and Logo Licensing Corporation (DVD FLLC), which also publishes the official specifications in book form. Reference materials and newsletters are published for DVD Forum members.

Structure

The DVD Forum is governed by an elected Steering Committee. It has a Chair Company, and three Vice-Chair Companies: one from each of the consumer electronics, information technology, and content industries. The Chair and Vice-Chair Companies are elected for two-year terms.

In addition to the Steering Committee, the DVD Forum has the following committees:

• Technical Coordination Group - to coordinate activities of the Working Groups and submit technical proposals to the Steering Committee
• a number of Working Groups - to work on various aspects of the DVD format.
• Promotion & Communication Committee - to promote the exchange of information among participants
• Verification Policy Committee - to maintain compliance of DVD products with the DVD Formats adopted by the DVD Forum
• Format/Logo Advisory Group - to advise the Steering Committee on matters relating to names and logos and the licensing of DVD Formats and DVD logos

Founding members

Ten companies founded the organization:

• Hitachi, Ltd.
  Hitachi, Ltd.
  is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
  
  
• Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
  Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
  , formerly known as , is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics corporation headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. Its main business is in electronics manufacturing....
  
  
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Pioneer Electronic Corporation
  Pioneer Corporation
  is a multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop...
  
  
• Royal Philips Electronics N.V.
• Sony Corporation
  Sony
  , commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
  
  
• Thomson
  Thomson SA
  Technicolor SA , formerly Thomson SA and Thomson Multimedia, is a French international provider of solutions for the creation, management, post-production, delivery and access of video, for the Communication, Media and Entertainment industries. Technicolor’s headquarters are located in Issy les...
  
  
• Time Warner
  Time Warner
  Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
  
   Inc.
• Toshiba
  Toshiba
  is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
  
   Corporation
• Victor Company of Japan
  JVC
  , usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
  
  , Ltd. (JVC)

In 2003, the DVD Forum had 208 members.

In 2007, 195 registered members.

In 2008, 159 registered members.

In 2010, 98 registered members.

External links

• DVD Forum
• DVD Format / Logo Licensing Corporation (DVD FLLC)