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Compact Disc
Books
The famous coloured books contain the technical
specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats. |
Red Book - CD
Audio
The Red Book describes the physical properties of the compact
disc and the digital audio encoding. It comprises:
- Audio specification for 16-bit PCM.
- Disc specification, including physical parameters.
- Optical stylus and parameters.
- Deviations and block error rate.
- Modulation system and error correction.
- Control and display system (ie subcode channels) & CD Graphics
The current status and versions of the Red Book and
extensions are listed below.
| Format |
Version |
Date |
Comments |
| CD
Audio |
- |
Aug 1995 |
Red
Book |
| Subcode/Control
& Display System |
- |
Nov 1991 |
Extension
to Red Book for CD Graphics |
| CD
Text |
1.0 |
Sep 1996 |
Extension
to Red Book |
Yellow Book - CD-ROM
& CD-ROM XA
The Yellow Book comprises the CD-ROM specification plus an extension for CD-ROM
XA.
The Yellow Book for CD-ROM was written in 1984 to describe
the extension of CD to store computer data.
This specification comprises the following:
- Disc specification, optical stylus parameters, modulation and error correction
and control & display system (from Red Book)
- Digital data structure, which describes the sector structure
and the ECC and EDC for a CD-ROM disc.
As a separate extension to the Yellow Book, the CD-ROM XA specification ("SYSTEM
DESCRIPTION CD-ROM XA") comprises the following:
- Disc format including Q channel and sector structure using Mode 2 sectors.
- Data retrieval structure based on ISO 9660 including file interleaving
which is not available for Mode 1
data.
- Audio and graphics encoding (now obsolete)
The current status and versions of the Yellow Book and
associated CD-ROM XA specification are listed below.
| Format |
Version |
Date |
Comments |
| CD-ROM |
- |
Nov 1988 |
Original
Yellow Book |
| CD-ROM XA |
- |
May 1991 |
CD-ROM
XA System Description |
White Book - Video CD
The White Book defines the Video CD
specification and comprises:
- Disc format including use of tracks, Video CD information
area, segment play item area, audio/video tracks and CD-DA tracks.
- Data Retrieval Structure, compatible with ISO 9660.
- MPEG
audio/video track encoding.
- Segment play item encoding for video sequences, video stills
and CD-DA tracks.
- Play sequence descriptors for pre-programmed sequences.
- User data fields for scan data (enabling fast
forward/reverse) and closed captions.
- Examples of play sequences and playback control.
The various Video CD formats and enhancements are listed in
the table below.
| Format |
Version |
Date |
Comments |
| Karaoke
CD |
1.0 |
1993 |
Original VCD for
Karaoke |
| Video CD |
2.0 |
Apr 1995 |
Current
Video CD specification |
| Internet |
- |
Apr 1997 |
Extension
for linking to websites |
| Super
Video CD |
0.9 |
Nov 1998 |
Higher
quality video using MPEG-2. |
Blue Book - Enhanced CD
The Blue Book defines the Enhanced Music CD
(also known as CD Extra) specification for multisession pressed disc (ie
not recordable) comprising audio and data sessions. These discs are intended to be played
on any CD audio player, on PCs and on future custom designed players. The Blue Book
comprises:
- Disc specification and data format including the two
sessions (audio and data).
- Directory structure (to ISO
9660) including the directories for CD Extra information, pictures and data.
It also defines the format of the CD Plus information files, picture file formats and
other codes and file formats.
- MPEG
still picture data format.
Last updated: Version 1.0, Dec 1995
Photo CD Book
Photo CD has been specified by Kodak and
Philips based on the CD-i Bridge specification. It comprises the following:
- General Disc format including example of program area
layout, index table, volume descriptor, data area, subcode Q-channel skew, CD-DA clips and
microcontroller readable sectors.
- Data retrieval structures including directory structure, the
INFO.PCD file and microcontroller readable sectors system
- Image data coding including a description of image coding
and image packs.
- ADPCM
files for simultaneous playback of audio and images by interleaving
- Playback program system including playlist files.
Last updated: Dec 1994
Multisession CD
Multisession CD specification for pressed discs is a Philips/Sony standard
(actually yellow in colour) defining discs which have two or more sessions but are pressed
not recordable.
The only pressed multisession disc
format currently defined is the Enhanced Music CD, defined in the Blue
Book.
The latest version of the Multisession CD book (Version
1.0, December 1995) defines the following:
- Data Format (including Sector Layout, Table of Contents,
Program Area of each session and Lead-Out Area of each session)
- Data Retrieval Structure ie the ISO 9660 file system.
Last updated: Dec 1995
Orange Book - CD-R and
CD-RW
The Orange Book defines CD-Recordable discs with multisession capability.
| Part |
Format |
Version |
Date |
Comments |
| I |
CD-MO |
- |
Nov
1990 |
Magneto Optical disks |
| II |
CD-R |
3.1 |
Dec
1998 |
was CD-WO - Write
Once |
| III |
CD-RW |
1.95 |
May
1998 |
ReWritable |
All three parts contain the following sections:
- Disc specification for unrecorded and recorded discs.
- Pre-groove modulation .
- Data organization including linking.
- Multisession and hybrid discs
- Recommendations for measurement of reflectivity, power
control etc
Contact Details
for CD Books
These Books are obtainable from:
Philips Intellectual Property & Standards,
Email: info.licensing@philips.com
URL:
www.licensing.philips.com
Fax: +31-40-2732113
Building WAH, Prof Holstlaan 6, 5656 AA Eindhoven or P.O. Box 220
5600 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
or the following address:
Building SFF 8, Glaslaan 2, 5616 LW Eindhoven or P.O. Box 80002,
5600 JB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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