The pioneers of optical recording worked mostly independently, and their solutions to the many technical challenges have very distinctive features, such as Laserdisc technology, using a transparent disc,[1] was invented by David Paul Gregg in 1958 (and patented in 1970 and 1990).
Several of the scientists responsible for the early research (John Winslow, Richard Wilkinson and Ray Dakin) founded Optical Disc Corporation (now ODC Nimbus).
While working at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, James Russell invented an optical storage system for digital audio and video, patenting the concept in 1970.
[4] Philips and Sony, however, were able to put far greater resources into the parallel development of the concept, arriving at a smaller and more sophisticated product in just a few years.
[8] Adrianus Korpel[9] worked for the Zenith Electronics Corporation, when he developed very early optical videodisc systems, including holographic storage.
[10][11] The Philips development of the videodisc technology began in 1969 with efforts by Dutch physicists Klaas Compaan and Piet Kramer to record video images in holographic form on disc.
[12][13] Their prototype Laserdisc shown in 1972 used a laser beam in reflective mode to read a track of pits using an FM video signal.
The technology was later adapted and expanded to include data storage CD-ROM, write-once audio and data storage CD-R, rewritable media CD-RW, Super Audio CD (SACD), Video Compact Discs (VCD), Super Video Compact Discs (SVCD), PhotoCD, PictureCD, CD-i, and Enhanced CD.