An attempt is made to analyze comprehensively present and future videodisc technologies and to present a thorough examination of the impacts of this technology on different information application classes and on other media. First the basic principles of this new technology are described. This is followed by a summary of some major hardware and software functions of such systems. The extremely broad range of videodisc applications is dealt with. Some conclusions are drawn pointing to the vast potential of this new technology, which could lead to a new revolution in the information and entertainment industry.