DVD Demystified

462
databases of supplemental information, still pictures in computer format,
instruction manuals in electronic form, short video clips in computer video
format, screen savers, icons, computer games, Internet Web links, and so on.
Computer-augmented DVD-Video
An augmented DVD product can be played on a DVD-Video player, but it is
amplified and changed when played on a computer. The viewer might have
more control over the sequence of the video, or the video might respond to
the actions of the viewer. Interludes in the video may offer a game or puzzle,
or perhaps the video is subsumed entirely by a computer-based game or
environment in which the video plays a supplemental or reward role. In this
case, the computer might present video segments in a different order or
generate additional graphics and create a composite image.
For example, a murder mystery could be played and enjoyed in a
straightforward way on a DVD-Video player and perhaps even have multiple
endings. But when the same disc is put into a computer, the viewer can
choose to become a character in the drama. If the viewer chooses to play the
role of the detective, the viewer can interrogate characters, search for
records, collect and manipulate objects, answer questions, and become an
interactive participant controlling the environment and outcome of the
game.
Split DVD-Video/DVD-ROM
This type of disc can be used in a player or in a computer, but no overlap
exists between the two. The computer version is usually related to the video
player version, but no content is shared. It’s basically a pure DVD-Video
product on one part of the disc and a multimedia DVD-ROM on the other
part (see the following paragraph).
Multimedia DVD-ROM
Chapter 11
A multimedia DVD-ROM product cannot be played in a DVD-Video player.
It’s intended for use in a computer only, like a traditional multimedia CD-
ROM. The disc may actually contain audio and video in the same MPEG
and Dolby Digital format as a DVD-Video disc, but it can be played back
only on a computer. The disc may also contain video at higher resolutions
and different aspect ratios than those supported by the DVD-Video format.