Whats the difference between first, second, and third generation DVD?
There is no good answer to this question, since you’ll get a different response from everyone you ask. The terms “2nd generation” and “3rd generation” are used refer both to DVD-Video players and to DVD-ROM drives. In general, they simply mean newer versions of basic DVD playback systems. The terms haven’t been used (yet) to refer to DVD systems that can record, play video games, or so on. According to some people, second-generation DVD players came out in the fall of 1997 and third-generation players are those that came out in the beginning of 1998. According to others, the second generation of DVD will be “high-definition” players (see 2.9) that won’t come out until 2003 or so. There are many confusing variations between these extremes, including the viewpoint that DTS-compatible players or Divx players or progressive-scan players constitute the third generation. Things are a little more clear cut on the PC side, where second generation (DVD II) usually means 2x DVD-ROM drives that c
