2013年职称英语综合类C级概括大意模拟题(8)" i/ Q6 p* S% N( {/ s1 _& W" Q: S
DVD for Rent 1 A pay-for-play system for video DVD will emerge by summer as an alternative, and possibly a competitor, to the DVD format currently available.
; x/ ]/ f4 Z5 h/ J' Y 2 The new system, called Digital Video Express (Divx), operates like a DVD player, except for the specially coded discs. These will cost $5 for initial viewing over a 48-hour period and can be viewed again for additional fees and even purchased for unlimited viewing. www.Examw.com' G- a7 i4 k& b' l( `% L, F {
3 Divx combines the service of a video rental (出租的) store with the operation of a pay-per-view "IV channel. Unlike a rented videotape, though, the Divx disc needn't be returned. Customers can retain the disc for replay in the future at an additional fee, or simply throw it away.
) B9 u& Q. ~( l# w! h* j4 a 4 Subsequent plays, or the purchase of unlimited-viewing rights, are billed to the customer's Divx account and charged to a credit card. The player's built-in memory keeps track of all Divx plays, and sends this information by toll-free phone modem (调制解调器) to the Divx record-keeping centre. Each Divx disc and player has a unique identification code, so the system knows which discs have been played and where. : ~. B! o4 R3 l9 Q1 c7 N& }3 q
5 Some Divx discs could be converted for unlimited play at a price likely to be lower than buying a conventional DVD. Others, called Divx Gold, would be sold from the beginning for unlimited play without further charge. Although conventional DVDs will run in a Divx player, conventional DVD players will lack the decoding (解码) and communications ability to play Divx discs. Divx players will be offered by Panasonic, RCA, and Zenith. % C0 ]1 S$ x5 O
: F* [; N" |9 z- r 6 About 100 discs will be available initially from Disney, Dreamworks, Paramount, and Universal, growing to 500 titles within a year. Other film makers have yet to adopt the Divx system, which is owned by retailer Circuit City, the 350-store electronics chain that bankrolled (提供资金)its development. |