DVD glossary

Mark

Low reflectance feature of a recording layer representing data that can be sensed by an optical system.

Master

Physical entity containing an image for duplication or replication (also see Glass Master.)

Mastering

The process of recording pre-mastered data on a master. The data source is sometimes referred to as a gold master.

MB

Megabyte, 1 MB equals 2²⁰ bytes or 1024 kB. Or, 1 MB may equal 10⁶ bytes. Mb may denote megabits.

Micrometer (µm)

One millionth of one meter or 39.4 microinches.

Microsecond (µs)

One millionth of one second.

Millimeter (mm)

One thousandth of one meter or 0.0394 inches.

Millisecond (ms)

One thousandth of one second.

Miscorrect

Parity operation that incorrectly replaces valid data with erroneous data.

Misdetect

Parity operation that fails to detect erroneous data.

Mixed Mode

CD-ROM and CD-DA on the same disc, data on track 1, audio on tracks 2 up to 99.

Mode 1

CD-ROM format containing three levels of error correction for reliable retrieval of error-sensitive computer data.

Mode 2

CD-ROM format containing two levels of error correction for uncompressed audio, video, and other types of information tolerant of sporadic uncorrectable errors. Should not be confused with CD-ROM XA Mode 2 (see Form 1 and Form 2.)

Modulation

Conversion of data bits to channel bits that normally enhances storage capacity and minimizes low frequency components of recorded information that might interfere with servomechanism functions.

Monochromatic Light

Illumination containing a single wavelength.

Mother

The electroformed part made from a father and containing a data image of the final disc.

MPEG

Motion Pictures Expert Group compression methods for video, graphics, or audio information.

MSCDEX

MicroSoft CD-ROM EXtension enabling computers using MS-DOS 3.1 or higher to access a CD-ROM as a large, read-only hard drive.

Multimedia

Integration of more than one form of information, such as text, graphics, audio, video, animation, and computer data.

Multisession

Multiple incremental recording events, or sessions, using non-incremental session-at-once or incremental track-at-once writing, each recording event resulting in a new lead-in (with TOC), program area, and lead-out. Multiple recording events at different times result in multiple sessions with a distinct TOC for each session.

Macrovision
An analog copy protection technology developed by Macrovision. It is widely used in VHS and has now been applied to DVD. When applied to DVD, it prevents unauthorized duplication by scrambling the recorded data, such that the recorded data cannot be viewed.

Matrix Decoding
A process of decoding multiple channels (i.e. four in the case of Dolby ProLogic) from a 2-channel source.

Matte
The "black bars" on a widescreen video being displayed on a 1.33:1 display (i.e. standard TV). "Soft" mattes are using in film playback to mask off the top and bottom of a film (1.33:1) before it is projected to make it appear widescreen. "Hard" mattes are actually printed on the film and cannot be removed during playback.

Media Conversion
The process of converting data from one type of media to another for premastering and mastering.

Middle area
Unused physical area that marks the transition from layer 0 to layer 1. Middle Area only exists in dual layer discs where the tracks of each layer are in opposite directions.

Mono
Short for monaural. Sound that comes from a single channel.

MPEG
(1) Moving Picture Experts Group. Sets the standards for video compression. (2) An international standard for compressing motion pictures and video with high quality. In addition to compressing single images-frames-frames are compressed relative to each other as well.

MPEG-1
A 30 fps system with a 6 to 1 compression ratio. MPEG-1 achieves approximately 1/4 the resolution of broadcast TV and is too slow for processing high quality moving images.

MPEG-2
The video compression technique used for DBS (satellite TV) and DVD.

Multichannel Surround Sound
Used to describe audio playback systems with more than two channels (stereo). Examples include Dolby Digital, Dolby ProLogic, DTS, and SDDS.

Multi-Language
This feature allows up to eight different audio tracks to be mastered on a single DVD. The user can then select the language track desired.

Multimedia
Information that combines some or all of text, still images, sound, animation, and video.

Multiple Audio Tracks
A DVD disc can contain up to nine separate and continuous audio tracks. You can select which of the nine language tracks through the disc's menus or the remote control. The value of such tracks is that they can be accessed instantly, and provide additional synched audio material in addition to the main soundtrack. Common uses are for foreign languages, alternate soundtracks, isolated musical scores or audio commentaries by the director, cast & crew or others associated with the material.

Multiple Video Tracks
One of the most interesting of DVD capabilities is its ability to show different angles of a scene or different versions of a scene. When it all comes down to the technical side of things, multiple angles are just multiple scenes filmed from a different camera angle, different opening and closing credits, or additional storyboard or graphical content. These multiple video streams can be accessed instantly via a player's Angle function, and DVD

Multisession
The ability to update the disc's table of contents file for CD-ROM.

Music Video
Music videos have become a powerful promotion tool for films today, and have become a common supplement for DVDs as well. Music videos included on DVDs may even contain alternate commentary tracks or be presented with different sound formats.