New Toshiba boss enters with DVD battle cry
Published by Admin on 26.2.06 at 2/26/2006 12:45:00 PM.
Matsushita Electric Industrial's newly appointed president has expressed confidence that the company and its partners would win the battle for dominance in next-generation DVD players.
Fumio Otsubo, named less than 24 hours earlier as head of the Japanese electronics giant behind the Panasonic brand, said Friday he would uphold his predecessor's policy of promoting the Blu-ray standard.
Supporters of the Blu-ray format, led by Matsushita and Sony, are waging a fierce battle against a rival HD DVD format pushed by Toshiba and NEC, with the two sides vying to set the common standard in the lucrative market.
The Blu-ray disc is expected to have a greater storage capacity than the HD DVD but also to be more expensive to make, at least in the short-term.
Otsubo said the Blu-ray format is more suitable for the use of large, flat screen television sets, now a rapidly growing market.
"We are confident that when high- quality content is observed through a large display, a big storage capacity is a strong point," Otsubo said in Tokyo.
The newly appointed president said his firm would increase its effort in development and production of both large flat television screens and Blu-ray DVD players.
"This is our winning scenario," he said. Link
Fumio Otsubo, named less than 24 hours earlier as head of the Japanese electronics giant behind the Panasonic brand, said Friday he would uphold his predecessor's policy of promoting the Blu-ray standard.
Supporters of the Blu-ray format, led by Matsushita and Sony, are waging a fierce battle against a rival HD DVD format pushed by Toshiba and NEC, with the two sides vying to set the common standard in the lucrative market.
The Blu-ray disc is expected to have a greater storage capacity than the HD DVD but also to be more expensive to make, at least in the short-term.
Otsubo said the Blu-ray format is more suitable for the use of large, flat screen television sets, now a rapidly growing market.
"We are confident that when high- quality content is observed through a large display, a big storage capacity is a strong point," Otsubo said in Tokyo.
The newly appointed president said his firm would increase its effort in development and production of both large flat television screens and Blu-ray DVD players.
"This is our winning scenario," he said. Link
HD-DVD won't output full quality to current HDTV devices
Published by Admin on at 2/26/2006 12:44:00 PM.
The movie industry and others will go to great lengths to combat piracy, even if that means hurting early adopters of HDTV technology by crippling functionality. AACS, the DRM-esque technology for HD-DVD players, will not produce a full quality signal from component video connectors, as analog is "unsafe". The resulting resolution is 960x540 - more than a standard TV, but vastly inferior to the actual 1920x1080 resolution that HD will support natively. That's not the end of it either. Link
Toshiba selects Spain for HD-DVD European launch
Published by Admin on at 2/26/2006 12:43:00 PM.
Toshiba has chosen the Spanish market for the European launch of its HD-DVD products. The new high-definition DVDs will offer enhanced image and sound quality. Toshiba's new range of Qosmio G30 high-quality laptops will be equipped with the new technology.
Link
Link
Police launch crackdown on DVD piracy
Published by Admin on 23.2.06 at 2/23/2006 02:06:00 PM.
A new police squad targeting the UK's illegal trade in pirated DVDs, which is estimated to earn criminals £300m a year, was launched today.
Hawkers of pirated DVDs - some of Hollywood movies still showing in cinemas - are an increasingly familiar sight in pubs and at markets. There is also a growing illegal internet market in pirated DVDs.
Experts say that, until around a year ago, the DVDs were mainly being made in the Far East and shipped to the UK. Link
Hawkers of pirated DVDs - some of Hollywood movies still showing in cinemas - are an increasingly familiar sight in pubs and at markets. There is also a growing illegal internet market in pirated DVDs.
Experts say that, until around a year ago, the DVDs were mainly being made in the Far East and shipped to the UK. Link
Sony Super Multi-Format DVD Burner
Published by Admin on at 2/23/2006 02:06:00 PM.
In addition to DVD-RAM media, the Sony DW-G120A supports all DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW media including the latest double and dual layer DVD Recordable discs.
Sony was the first manufacturer to introduce Dual-RW DVD burners supporting both the ‘plus’ and ‘minus’ formats back in 2002, and it is in response to customer demand that Sony is extending the support beyond DVD±R/RW to DVD-RAM, the company claims.
The DW-G120A drive promises state-of-the art performance with all supported media types, including 5x DVD-RAM, 16x DVD±R single layer writing and 8x (DVD+R DL), and 4x (DVD-R DL) double/dual layer disc recording.
Rewritable DVDs are recorded at 8x (DVD+RW) or 6x (DVD-RW) speed and the drive offers 48x CD speed. The DW-G120A is equipped with a fast Ultra DMA Mode 2 ATAPI interface. Link
Sony was the first manufacturer to introduce Dual-RW DVD burners supporting both the ‘plus’ and ‘minus’ formats back in 2002, and it is in response to customer demand that Sony is extending the support beyond DVD±R/RW to DVD-RAM, the company claims.
The DW-G120A drive promises state-of-the art performance with all supported media types, including 5x DVD-RAM, 16x DVD±R single layer writing and 8x (DVD+R DL), and 4x (DVD-R DL) double/dual layer disc recording.
Rewritable DVDs are recorded at 8x (DVD+RW) or 6x (DVD-RW) speed and the drive offers 48x CD speed. The DW-G120A is equipped with a fast Ultra DMA Mode 2 ATAPI interface. Link
Samsung cuts price of LightScribe DVD burners in China
Published by Admin on at 2/23/2006 02:05:00 PM.
Samsung Electronics recently kicked off promotion of its LightScribe 16x DVD Dual burners in the China market by lowering retail prices by 20% from 499 yuan (US$62) to 399 yuan (US$50), and Lite-On IT and BenQ, two leading Taiwanese makers of similar products, are watching the market response to determine whether to do the same in the Taiwan market, according to industry sources. Link
Will the shrinking release-to-DVD window burst the movie theater bubble?
Published by Admin on at 2/23/2006 02:04:00 PM.
Once upon a time, when I was a boy, movies lingered in theaters for months, starting out in big-city film palaces, gradually filtering out to small town movie houses and eventually winding up at the drive-in.
Then, three or four years later, they’d pop up again as some TV network’s “Movie of the Week.”
Cable and video changed this life cycle slightly. First, a movie showed at the Omniplex. Then, maybe a year later, it aired on HBO or Showtime. The VHS release followed a year, maybe six months after that.
As recently as the 1990s, the DVD or video edition followed a film’s theatrical release by an average of nine months or so.
Not any more.
Just look at this week’s new arrivals in the video store. North Country, with Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson “went wide” on Oct. 21. Two Oscar nominations later, its DVD version went on sale Wednesday. Link
Then, three or four years later, they’d pop up again as some TV network’s “Movie of the Week.”
Cable and video changed this life cycle slightly. First, a movie showed at the Omniplex. Then, maybe a year later, it aired on HBO or Showtime. The VHS release followed a year, maybe six months after that.
As recently as the 1990s, the DVD or video edition followed a film’s theatrical release by an average of nine months or so.
Not any more.
Just look at this week’s new arrivals in the video store. North Country, with Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson “went wide” on Oct. 21. Two Oscar nominations later, its DVD version went on sale Wednesday. Link
Samsung sued over DVD-duping by discontinued player
Published by Admin on 21.2.06 at 2/21/2006 04:32:00 PM.
Like a number older DVD players, Samsung's long-discontinued DVD-HD841 can be hacked via a sequence of remote-control keystrokes to, among other things, become a region-free player and disable copy protection. And even though Samsung stopped selling the DVD-HD841 in the US in October 2004, the big US movie studios have decided to make an example of the company. Disney, Time Warner, Fox, Paramount and Universal have filed a suit against Samsung, demanding that the company recall all affected players. Link
Lite-On EZ-DUB DVD writer
Published by Admin on at 2/21/2006 04:30:00 PM.
DVD writers have become something of a commodity item these days and you can pick up a top-of-the-range internal model for not much more than £30. However, bundled software packages can also be confusing for someone unfamiliar with how they work, and has most likely put off a fair few potential buyers. Lite-On thinks it has solved both these problems in a convenient way with the EZ-DUB external USB 2.0 DVD writer. Link
First HD-DVD players will support interactive
Published by Admin on 20.2.06 at 2/20/2006 12:49:00 PM.
"Toshiba's first HD-DVD players will support the advanced content features called for by HD-DVD," said Junko Furuta, a company spokeswoman. She said the firmware upgrade will come into use when new features that aren't yet part of the interactive system are added.
"While our players will provide support for current HD-DVD advanced content from the start, we anticipate that the industry may add to these capabilities as HD-DVD continues to develop. Toshiba's players can be updated to support future applications and services, which may include downloading supplemental audio and video content, disc-related online shopping and other features yet to be imagined."
Toshiba is planning to launch its first two HD-DVD players in the US market in March. The players, which were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, are the $500 (about £290) HD-A1 and the $800 (£460) HD-XA1. Link
"While our players will provide support for current HD-DVD advanced content from the start, we anticipate that the industry may add to these capabilities as HD-DVD continues to develop. Toshiba's players can be updated to support future applications and services, which may include downloading supplemental audio and video content, disc-related online shopping and other features yet to be imagined."
Toshiba is planning to launch its first two HD-DVD players in the US market in March. The players, which were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, are the $500 (about £290) HD-A1 and the $800 (£460) HD-XA1. Link
LiteOn SHM-165H6S LightScribe DVD Burner
Published by Admin on at 2/20/2006 12:48:00 PM.
LiteOn SHM-165H6S is a bargain-priced LightScribe DVD burner. It supports DVD+R DL (8x), DVD-R DL (4x), DVD±R (16x), DVD-RAM (5x), DVD+RW (8x), DVD-RW (6x), CD-R (48x), and CD-RW (24x) media formats. Bundled software includes “Nero OEM Edition”, “PowerDVD 5″, “Nero Express 6.6″, and “InCD 4″. The SHM-165H6S goes on sale February 25th in Japan. Link
Logitec DVD RAM/DL Burner
Published by Admin on at 2/20/2006 12:47:00 PM.
If you want a burner that’s a bit more stylish than most offerings, get the new Logitec model. It has the performance to back up its looks with 12x DVD RAM and 8x DVD DL recording speeds. Link
Blu-ray & HD-DVD Camps Ok AACS
Published by Admin on 19.2.06 at 2/19/2006 09:16:00 AM.
An Intermin agreement has permited both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD camps to obtain secret encryption keys needed to start processing discs and shipping players that are able to read the new formats.
Samsung and Pioneer will start to ship Blu-ray players in May with a world tour starting some time later this month. AACS is the encrption technology that will licence the new wave of media formats hitting the market this year with the HDTV platform looking to explode this year. Link
Samsung and Pioneer will start to ship Blu-ray players in May with a world tour starting some time later this month. AACS is the encrption technology that will licence the new wave of media formats hitting the market this year with the HDTV platform looking to explode this year. Link
Microsoft wants HD-DVD and Blu-Ray to fail?
Published by Admin on at 2/19/2006 09:15:00 AM.
Ross Rubin, analyst at NPD Techworld and Engadget columnist, has a theory that Microsoft is backing HD-DVD solely to ensure Blu-Ray isn't dominant. He puts it like this: "Microsoft has nothing to gain from either format winning. Listen to any of Gates' recent interviews and he talks about discs as a necessary evil until the world is ready for media-free distribution. That said, Microsoft has much to gain from both formats losing. Link
Toshiba to launch HD DVD players in March, even without some features
Published by Admin on at 2/19/2006 09:13:00 AM.
As Reuters reported this morning, agreement among CE manufacturers on the final specifications for the AACS copy protection system, to be used by both Toshiba and Blu-ray, are only just now being reached, with a possible breakthrough on one of many unspecified sticking points apparently having been reached earlier this week. Despite the AACS obstacles that may still remain, and that the specifications have yet to be completely written for carrying full digital sound over the HDMI high-def interface, Toshiba will go ahead with its planned educational tour of the US: a 40-city promotional tour of major electronics retailers, the first ten stops of which were announced today. Beginning in New York next week, Toshiba's HD DVD product managers and representatives will endeavor to educate consumers about the substantial benefits to be gained from upgrading their home entertainment platforms, even though some of these benefits will have yet to exist.
According to today's announcement from Toshiba, both players - the HD-A1 ($499.99) and the HD-XA1 ($799.99) - will fully support the iHD interactive layer, which Toshiba is referring to as "Advanced Navigation." As officials from Microsoft, iHD's co-authors, recently told TG Daily, at least that specification is fully completed. But whether consumers will be able to appreciate its full range of capabilities at the outset of HD DVD's launch is unclear. Even after CES, consumers have yet to see a full demonstration of how the first wave of HD DVD movies will utilize the iHD language, which is an implementation of XML that uses ECMAscript (standardized JavaScript) as its interpreted scripting component. Link
According to today's announcement from Toshiba, both players - the HD-A1 ($499.99) and the HD-XA1 ($799.99) - will fully support the iHD interactive layer, which Toshiba is referring to as "Advanced Navigation." As officials from Microsoft, iHD's co-authors, recently told TG Daily, at least that specification is fully completed. But whether consumers will be able to appreciate its full range of capabilities at the outset of HD DVD's launch is unclear. Even after CES, consumers have yet to see a full demonstration of how the first wave of HD DVD movies will utilize the iHD language, which is an implementation of XML that uses ECMAscript (standardized JavaScript) as its interpreted scripting component. Link
Toshiba Tours America to Promote the Launch of HD DVD Players
Published by Admin on 17.2.06 at 2/17/2006 09:54:00 AM.
The Toshiba HD DVD players, models HD-XA1 and HD-A1, will be the first HD DVD players to hit the U.S. market and will begin shipping to retailers in March of this year.
The multi-tiered initiative is designed to educate retail salespeople, provide them with support materials to aid in the sale of the HD DVD players and continue to increase consumer awareness of HD DVD players.
A dedicated teaser web site was the first component of the launch program. Launched in November of last year, the web site began providing information to consumers about the major characteristics and advantages of the HD DVD format and started a dialogue between Toshiba and consumers showing interest in HD DVD products.
The next phase of the integrated marketing communications plan in support of the launch of Toshiba HD DVD players will consist of a consumer and retailer tour, targeting over 40 cities across the country. Beginning on February 20th and continuing through April, Toshiba will conduct consumer and media demonstrations, as well as sales and product training for selected electronic retailers. Link
The multi-tiered initiative is designed to educate retail salespeople, provide them with support materials to aid in the sale of the HD DVD players and continue to increase consumer awareness of HD DVD players.
A dedicated teaser web site was the first component of the launch program. Launched in November of last year, the web site began providing information to consumers about the major characteristics and advantages of the HD DVD format and started a dialogue between Toshiba and consumers showing interest in HD DVD products.
The next phase of the integrated marketing communications plan in support of the launch of Toshiba HD DVD players will consist of a consumer and retailer tour, targeting over 40 cities across the country. Beginning on February 20th and continuing through April, Toshiba will conduct consumer and media demonstrations, as well as sales and product training for selected electronic retailers. Link
DVD Formats Getting Ready to Rumble
Published by Admin on at 2/17/2006 09:53:00 AM.
Remember Betamax?
For those of you who can't recall the early 1980s, there was a nasty format war between the Betamax videotape standard, created by Sony, and its rival, VHS, created by JVC and backed by virtually every other consumer-electronics company.
Betamax promised home users higher quality in a smaller package, but VHS (for "Video Home System") players cost less and, crucially, had tapes that ran two hours at high resolution, twice as long as their Beta counterparts and enough to hold full-length movies.
By the time the bitter, decade-long battle among manufacturers, retailers, Hollywood studios and rental stores for control of the world's home video market ended, VHS reigned supreme and Betamax found itself relegated to the dustbin of technological history.
History may be about to repeat itself.
The Blu-ray DVD format, again backed by Sony, and the rival HD DVD format, backed by Toshiba, are competing to become the standard for high-definition DVD players. Once again, the grand prize is a space in living rooms around the world.
(Story continues below)
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The essence of the battle deals with memory. A full-length movie in high-definition video simply can't fit into the 4.7 gigabytes per side available on a standard DVD.
But high-definition DVDs are read by blue-violet lasers with much a shorter wavelength than the red lasers that read regular DVDs and CDs. Because of the tighter focus, they use smaller digital "pits" to encode information, meaning they can hold much more data.
After that common basis, the two formats split.
HD DVD is in some respects just an upgrade to the current DVD standard and is recognized by the industry's DVD Forum as the official successor.
HD DVD and regular DVD discs are exactly the same thickness, the arrangement of pits is similar, and HD DVDs can be pressed on modified existing DVD machines, requiring minimal capital investment from the manufacturer.
Blu-ray discs are less compromising. They are thinner, with less clear plastic to protect the data layers in order to facilitate maximum laser focus. They can pack in up to 54 GB of data as opposed to HD DVD's 30 GB, but will need to be manufactured on entirely new presses.
For the consumer, either format would require upgrades to HD DVD or Blu-ray players, neither of which has hit the North American market yet. Most players will be able to read regular DVDs and CDs, good news for consumers who won't want to part with their existing collections.
Despite the common technology behind the formats, there has never really been any attempt at reconciliation.
Sony, with its longtime ally Philips (together they developed the CD), may still feel bitter about being cut out of the success of the regular DVD, largely developed by Toshiba after intervention by IBM prevented an earlier format war from taking place in the mid-1990s.
Instead, both sides have scrambled to gather allies in Japan, Europe, Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Sony and Philips, based in the Netherlands, have enlisted Pioneer, Sharp and Matsushita (maker of the JVC and Panasonic brands), as well as the French manufacturer Thomson, to support Blu-ray exclusively. Toshiba has gotten NEC, Sanyo and Onkyo to jump aboard the HD DVD bandwagon.
In the computer field, Dell and Apple back Blu-ray, while Intel and Microsoft support HD DVD. The latter's Xbox 360 video game console will handle HD DVD discs with an add-on player, while its much-anticipated rival, Sony's PlayStation 3, will play Blu-ray from the get-go.
Among the six major Hollywood movie studios, NBC Universal backs HD DVD, while Sony's Columbia and MGM, naturally, will issue only Blu-ray discs. Link
For those of you who can't recall the early 1980s, there was a nasty format war between the Betamax videotape standard, created by Sony, and its rival, VHS, created by JVC and backed by virtually every other consumer-electronics company.
Betamax promised home users higher quality in a smaller package, but VHS (for "Video Home System") players cost less and, crucially, had tapes that ran two hours at high resolution, twice as long as their Beta counterparts and enough to hold full-length movies.
By the time the bitter, decade-long battle among manufacturers, retailers, Hollywood studios and rental stores for control of the world's home video market ended, VHS reigned supreme and Betamax found itself relegated to the dustbin of technological history.
History may be about to repeat itself.
The Blu-ray DVD format, again backed by Sony, and the rival HD DVD format, backed by Toshiba, are competing to become the standard for high-definition DVD players. Once again, the grand prize is a space in living rooms around the world.
(Story continues below)
ADVERTISEMENTS
Advertise Here
The essence of the battle deals with memory. A full-length movie in high-definition video simply can't fit into the 4.7 gigabytes per side available on a standard DVD.
But high-definition DVDs are read by blue-violet lasers with much a shorter wavelength than the red lasers that read regular DVDs and CDs. Because of the tighter focus, they use smaller digital "pits" to encode information, meaning they can hold much more data.
After that common basis, the two formats split.
HD DVD is in some respects just an upgrade to the current DVD standard and is recognized by the industry's DVD Forum as the official successor.
HD DVD and regular DVD discs are exactly the same thickness, the arrangement of pits is similar, and HD DVDs can be pressed on modified existing DVD machines, requiring minimal capital investment from the manufacturer.
Blu-ray discs are less compromising. They are thinner, with less clear plastic to protect the data layers in order to facilitate maximum laser focus. They can pack in up to 54 GB of data as opposed to HD DVD's 30 GB, but will need to be manufactured on entirely new presses.
For the consumer, either format would require upgrades to HD DVD or Blu-ray players, neither of which has hit the North American market yet. Most players will be able to read regular DVDs and CDs, good news for consumers who won't want to part with their existing collections.
Despite the common technology behind the formats, there has never really been any attempt at reconciliation.
Sony, with its longtime ally Philips (together they developed the CD), may still feel bitter about being cut out of the success of the regular DVD, largely developed by Toshiba after intervention by IBM prevented an earlier format war from taking place in the mid-1990s.
Instead, both sides have scrambled to gather allies in Japan, Europe, Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Sony and Philips, based in the Netherlands, have enlisted Pioneer, Sharp and Matsushita (maker of the JVC and Panasonic brands), as well as the French manufacturer Thomson, to support Blu-ray exclusively. Toshiba has gotten NEC, Sanyo and Onkyo to jump aboard the HD DVD bandwagon.
In the computer field, Dell and Apple back Blu-ray, while Intel and Microsoft support HD DVD. The latter's Xbox 360 video game console will handle HD DVD discs with an add-on player, while its much-anticipated rival, Sony's PlayStation 3, will play Blu-ray from the get-go.
Among the six major Hollywood movie studios, NBC Universal backs HD DVD, while Sony's Columbia and MGM, naturally, will issue only Blu-ray discs. Link
Pioneer Readies Three New DVD Multi-Burners
Published by Admin on at 2/17/2006 09:51:00 AM.
The DVR-A11-J (pure white), DVR-A11-JBK (black) and DVR-A11-JSV (silver) employ the company’s newly-designed Disc-Resonance Stabilizer, helping to assure stable write and read operation with high accuracy.
At the same time, they realise impressively quiet operation even during high-speed rotation owing to Pioneer’s proprietary technologies including honey-comb structure, claims the company. They look really sweet, too!
Pioneer’s new DVD drives support the recording and playback of recordable discs in seven DVD formats (DVD-R, Dual Layer DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD+R Double Layer, and DVD+RW) as well as CD-R and CD-RW discs. The new drives offer industry-leading write speeds, including 8x on single-sided double-layer DVD formats (Dual Layer DVD-R and DVD+R Double Layer).
The new drives’ Disc-Resonance Stabilizer - the projections arranged on the inner surface of the upper case - controls the airflow generated by disc rotation to minimise disc warp which can be caused by disc resonance during high-speed rotation.
The new disc tray with airflow adjustment holes also helps suppress disc resonance. As a result of such structural improvements, the new drives provide users higher accuracy and stability in read and write with quiet operation even in high-speed modes.
The new drives write on Dual Layer DVD-R 4x and DVD+R Double Layer 2.4x discs at the maximum transfer rate of 8x, which helps you easily and smoothly record huge volumes of data, such as motion pictures and back-ups of hard disks, in a short time.
Pioneer has realised such high-speed, high-quality recording by applying its proprietary optical technologies, including Multi-Effect Liquid Crystal Tilt Compensator to improve the recording and playback characteristics by adding astigmatism correction to the existing tilt correction and spherical aberration correction. Link
At the same time, they realise impressively quiet operation even during high-speed rotation owing to Pioneer’s proprietary technologies including honey-comb structure, claims the company. They look really sweet, too!
Pioneer’s new DVD drives support the recording and playback of recordable discs in seven DVD formats (DVD-R, Dual Layer DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD+R Double Layer, and DVD+RW) as well as CD-R and CD-RW discs. The new drives offer industry-leading write speeds, including 8x on single-sided double-layer DVD formats (Dual Layer DVD-R and DVD+R Double Layer).
The new drives’ Disc-Resonance Stabilizer - the projections arranged on the inner surface of the upper case - controls the airflow generated by disc rotation to minimise disc warp which can be caused by disc resonance during high-speed rotation.
The new disc tray with airflow adjustment holes also helps suppress disc resonance. As a result of such structural improvements, the new drives provide users higher accuracy and stability in read and write with quiet operation even in high-speed modes.
The new drives write on Dual Layer DVD-R 4x and DVD+R Double Layer 2.4x discs at the maximum transfer rate of 8x, which helps you easily and smoothly record huge volumes of data, such as motion pictures and back-ups of hard disks, in a short time.
Pioneer has realised such high-speed, high-quality recording by applying its proprietary optical technologies, including Multi-Effect Liquid Crystal Tilt Compensator to improve the recording and playback characteristics by adding astigmatism correction to the existing tilt correction and spherical aberration correction. Link
Pioneer Introduces New Internal DVD Multi Writers
Published by Admin on 15.2.06 at 2/15/2006 10:57:00 AM.
The new DVD drives, employing the company's newly-designed Disc-Resonance Stabilizer. The system controls the airflow generated by disc rotation to minimize disc warp which can be caused by disc resonance during high-speed rotation. The new disc tray with airflow adjustment holes also helps suppress disc resonance. As a result of such structural improvements, the new drives provide users higher accuracy and stability in read and write with quiet operation even in high-speed modes.
Pioneer's new DVD drives support the recording and playback of recordable discs in seven DVD formats (DVD-R, Dual Layer DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD+R Double Layer, and DVD+RW), DVD-RAM (Version 2.0 and 2.1 non-cartridge type)) as well as CD-R and CD-RW discs. The new drives are offering 8x recording on single-sided double-layer DVD formats (Dual Layer DVD-R and DVD+R Double Layer). Link
Pioneer's new DVD drives support the recording and playback of recordable discs in seven DVD formats (DVD-R, Dual Layer DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD+R Double Layer, and DVD+RW), DVD-RAM (Version 2.0 and 2.1 non-cartridge type)) as well as CD-R and CD-RW discs. The new drives are offering 8x recording on single-sided double-layer DVD formats (Dual Layer DVD-R and DVD+R Double Layer). Link
HD DVD and Blu-ray delayed again, as AACS is pushed back
Published by Admin on at 2/15/2006 10:52:00 AM.
Remember all of the positioning about which next-generation optical format would hit the market first? Forget about it. It now appears that both formats will hit the market at the same time, because delays in the security specification that they both share have left everyone—device manufacturers, movie studios, and the leaders of the respective formats—in a holding pattern. The final specification of the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) has been delayed again, meaning that the final specifications needed to produce HD DVD and Blu-ray products still sits off in the undetermined future.
According to a report at Heise online, the members of the AACS licensing authority could not agree on a final specification last week. The hold up must infuriate HD DVD backers, because the last sticking point apparently only applies to the Blu-ray specific BD+ anti-piracy measure. BD+ is part of Blu-ray's "we have more protection than you" approach to appeasing the studios. Link
According to a report at Heise online, the members of the AACS licensing authority could not agree on a final specification last week. The hold up must infuriate HD DVD backers, because the last sticking point apparently only applies to the Blu-ray specific BD+ anti-piracy measure. BD+ is part of Blu-ray's "we have more protection than you" approach to appeasing the studios. Link
Plextor breaks 16x speed barrier for DVD writers
Published by Admin on at 2/15/2006 10:50:00 AM.
Plextor has not released the rotation speed of its new PX-760A writer, but claims that the data transfer speed increases by just about 15% over a 16x device, which effectively makes the model an 18x burner. 16x writers typically offer write speeds of up to 21 MB/s (16 x 1.32 MB/s); Plextor says that its PX-760A tops out at 24.94 MB/s, with sustained data rates dropping as low as 9.97 MB/s (8x).
Plextor claims that 18x speeds can be achieved with certified 16x DVD+/-R media. DVD+R double layer (8.5 GB) DVD media can we burned with up to 10x speeds.
Link
Plextor claims that 18x speeds can be achieved with certified 16x DVD+/-R media. DVD+R double layer (8.5 GB) DVD media can we burned with up to 10x speeds.
Link
Samsung DVD-HR720 DVD Recorder with built-in 120GB HDD Review
Published by Admin on 12.2.06 at 2/12/2006 05:22:00 PM.
Read the 8 pages of this latest review from Futurelooks, here is a small extract from the review:
Merely two years ago, single disc DVD recorders were considered high-end, luxury items. Only consumers with the means and the desire to own one of these would throw out their old VCRs to make space for one.
Fast-forward to the present and the landscape has changed quite drastically. Personal Video Recorders and DVD recorders are close to replacing VCRs. More and more people are opting to trade in their bulky VHS tapes for the durability of space-friendly DVDs and Hard Disc Drives. Manufacturers are spending less time and money developing VCRs and placing their efforts on creating this next generation of recordable media.
When the marketplace is flooded by as many manufacturers as there are, every company is forced to think of ways to make their product unique. In the case of HDD/DVD recorders, this usually means including a larger Hard Drive than the other guy. Samsung takes it one step further by introducing the DVD-HR720!
Link
Merely two years ago, single disc DVD recorders were considered high-end, luxury items. Only consumers with the means and the desire to own one of these would throw out their old VCRs to make space for one.
Fast-forward to the present and the landscape has changed quite drastically. Personal Video Recorders and DVD recorders are close to replacing VCRs. More and more people are opting to trade in their bulky VHS tapes for the durability of space-friendly DVDs and Hard Disc Drives. Manufacturers are spending less time and money developing VCRs and placing their efforts on creating this next generation of recordable media.
When the marketplace is flooded by as many manufacturers as there are, every company is forced to think of ways to make their product unique. In the case of HDD/DVD recorders, this usually means including a larger Hard Drive than the other guy. Samsung takes it one step further by introducing the DVD-HR720!
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Toshiba and LG ink HD-DVD patent-sharing deal
Published by Admin on 10.2.06 at 2/10/2006 10:10:00 AM.
When Samsung and Sony signed their patent-sharing deal in late 2004, it sealed a partnership that included joint development of LCD displays and participation in the Blu Ray alliance. Now Toshiba and LG have signed a similar deal, agreeing to cross-license patents related to HD DVD technology. Link
Sony Pictures Details High-Definition DVD Prices
Published by Admin on at 2/10/2006 10:09:00 AM.
Sony Pictures became the first studio to say how much it will charge for films released on the next-generation DVD format.
Sony is a backer of Blu-ray, a technology that displays films, TV shows and other programming in high definition. A rival and incompatible format, called HD DVD, will also hit shelves this year.
Sony set a wholesale price of US$23.45 for new releases and $17.95 for older titles. That translates into a retail price of about $34.95 for new movies and $29.95 for catalog films. Link
Sony is a backer of Blu-ray, a technology that displays films, TV shows and other programming in high definition. A rival and incompatible format, called HD DVD, will also hit shelves this year.
Sony set a wholesale price of US$23.45 for new releases and $17.95 for older titles. That translates into a retail price of about $34.95 for new movies and $29.95 for catalog films. Link
Sony set to release DVDs and UMDs together to add value and solve PSP owners quandaries
Published by Admin on at 2/10/2006 10:07:00 AM.
A common dilemma facing PSP owners tempted by taking their movies on the go with the UMD Movie format was today alleviated according to a report on News.com, suggesting that Sony Pictures will shortly introduce DVD/UMD combo packs retailing for marginally more then a new DVD release. Link
Denon reveals 1080p version of its renowned DVD-A1XV DVD player
Published by Admin on at 2/10/2006 10:06:00 AM.
With cheap chips abounding, 1080p upscaling is already appearing on DVD players as cheap as £200. But upscale a poor picture and you just get a hi-def poor picture. The A1XVA is the world's only player to fully enhance standard DVD content with Hollywood studio quality HQV Picture Improvement circuitry, before applying the finest 1080p upscaling.
The A1XVA combines Denon’s decades of audio video experience, with over $60,000 worth of Silicon Optix Realta 'HQV by Teranex', the latest DVDO 1080p PSII scaling, advanced technological architecture and battleship audiophile construction, to deliver astonishing results. In addition to being an awesome vision product, this is also a world class high-end music player for CD, SACD and DVD-A. Link
The A1XVA combines Denon’s decades of audio video experience, with over $60,000 worth of Silicon Optix Realta 'HQV by Teranex', the latest DVDO 1080p PSII scaling, advanced technological architecture and battleship audiophile construction, to deliver astonishing results. In addition to being an awesome vision product, this is also a world class high-end music player for CD, SACD and DVD-A. Link
Cucusoft DVD to iPod Converter (DVD Ripper Included)
Published by Admin on 8.2.06 at 2/08/2006 09:22:00 PM.
Cucusoft DVD to iPod Converter is the easiest-to-use and fastest DVD to iPod converter software for Apple iPod Movie and iPod Video. It can convert almost all kinds of DVD to iPod Movie / iPod Video format. It is also a powerful DVD to iPod converter due to the conversion speed is far faster than real-time. And the output iPod movie/video supports iPod screen, you can enjoy your favorite DVD on your iPod as a portable DVD Player. Now you can get this DVD to iPod Converter at a very competitive price! Link
New LG DVD-HDD Recorders Use Hitahic Hard Drives
Published by Admin on 6.2.06 at 2/06/2006 02:48:00 PM.
The RH7800 series use 160 GB hard drives for storing up to 220 hours of digital video content, including television programs, movies, music and photos. LG said that the Hitachi Deskstar drives were chosen for their substantial capacities, ability to handle multiple video streams simultaneously, quiet acoustics, low power requirements and overall reliability. Link
Panasonic Portable DVD Player with Digital TV Tuner DVD-LX97
Published by Admin on at 2/06/2006 02:47:00 PM.
Panasonic announces in Japan a portable DVD player with built-in tuner for receiving digital terrestrial TV. Link
HP's Blu-ray move spells doom for HD-DVD
Published by Admin on at 2/06/2006 02:46:00 PM.
Industry experts believe that HP's recent insistence on changes to the Blu-ray specification will provide a key boost for Sony's technology in its battle against Toshiba's HD-DVD system by removing Microsoft's and Intel's objections to Blu-ray.
The boost for Blu-ray came last week when HP announced its support for two new technologies (Mandatory Managed Copy and iHD) and requested that the Blu-ray Disc Association include these as part of the Blu-ray specification.
"This is the latest twist in the battle between the two camps vying to control the format for the next generation of optical media," a research report written by Gartner analysts Van Baker, Laura Behrens and Mike McGuire stated.
"If HP's proposed changes are approved, the Blu-ray format should emerge as the clear winner." Link
The boost for Blu-ray came last week when HP announced its support for two new technologies (Mandatory Managed Copy and iHD) and requested that the Blu-ray Disc Association include these as part of the Blu-ray specification.
"This is the latest twist in the battle between the two camps vying to control the format for the next generation of optical media," a research report written by Gartner analysts Van Baker, Laura Behrens and Mike McGuire stated.
"If HP's proposed changes are approved, the Blu-ray format should emerge as the clear winner." Link
Legal DVD downloads coming soon?
Published by Admin on 2.2.06 at 2/02/2006 10:23:00 AM.
An ambitious experiment with selling big-studio movies over a file-swapping network in Germany may portend new kinds of online movie sales in the US and UK -- and give Microsoft new allies in its battle with Apple.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment said on Monday that it would launch a peer-to-peer video download service in Germany beginning in March, using Bertelsmann-created file-swapping technology to sell movies online at the same time they're released on DVD.
The service is being launched in Germany first, in part to address that market's rampant piracy issues. But similar services are likely to emerge in the US from companies such as Amazon or Best Buy, said Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders.
"We don't know how big a market this is going to be in the US," Sanders said. However, he added, "Amazon is a big existing customer, and it would be natural for them to evolve into a download model." Link
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment said on Monday that it would launch a peer-to-peer video download service in Germany beginning in March, using Bertelsmann-created file-swapping technology to sell movies online at the same time they're released on DVD.
The service is being launched in Germany first, in part to address that market's rampant piracy issues. But similar services are likely to emerge in the US from companies such as Amazon or Best Buy, said Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders.
"We don't know how big a market this is going to be in the US," Sanders said. However, he added, "Amazon is a big existing customer, and it would be natural for them to evolve into a download model." Link
Infinity Resources helps DVD buyers see the bigger picture
Published by Admin on at 2/02/2006 10:06:00 AM.
To hook more movie buffs with a wider selection and an enhanced way to shop online, Infinity Resources Inc. is merging two of its most popular e-commerce sites. By April it will combine DigitalEyes.net and DVDPlanet.com into a broader DVDPlanet.com that will carry an inventory of 35,000 DVDs.
Infinity Resources, No. 382 in the Internet Retailer Top 400 Guide to Retail Web Sites, currently maintains DigitalEyes.net as an e-commerce site for DVD buyers who are serious about purchasing director’s edition and complete edition DVDs, while DVDPlanet.com attracts customers who purchase recently released and classic movies, says David Barker, vice president of e-commerce marketing.
The enhanced DVDPlanet.com will be more of an e-commerce superstore featuring a broader selection and improved customer service tools such as new ways to track orders and search for merchandise, Barker says. “We gain from consolidating back-end platforms and with offering DVD buyers more inventory on an enhanced site,” he says. Link
Infinity Resources, No. 382 in the Internet Retailer Top 400 Guide to Retail Web Sites, currently maintains DigitalEyes.net as an e-commerce site for DVD buyers who are serious about purchasing director’s edition and complete edition DVDs, while DVDPlanet.com attracts customers who purchase recently released and classic movies, says David Barker, vice president of e-commerce marketing.
The enhanced DVDPlanet.com will be more of an e-commerce superstore featuring a broader selection and improved customer service tools such as new ways to track orders and search for merchandise, Barker says. “We gain from consolidating back-end platforms and with offering DVD buyers more inventory on an enhanced site,” he says. Link
Momentum Continues to Build for DVD-RAM Format
Published by Admin on at 2/02/2006 10:01:00 AM.
SECAUCUS, N.J., Jan. 30, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The RAM Promotion Group (RAMPRG), an industry organization formed to promote the awareness and adoption of the DVD-RAM format, today announced that DVD-RAM made a strong push into 2006, as evidenced by over 50 DVD-RAM compatible products debuted at this year's International CES. RAMPRG member companies including Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc., Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic), Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., TEAC Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC), all announced or exhibited innovative product lines featuring DVD-RAM compatible recorders, camcorders, players, PC drives and media. Link
NEC HR-1100A HD-DVD Drive Review
Published by Admin on at 2/02/2006 09:59:00 AM.
NEC announced the HR-1100A HD-DVD drive at the IFA show last year in Germany.
German CT Magazine did it again and scored a pre-production model of a next generation HD PC drive. As reported they published last week also the first review of a Blu-ray Disc Burner.
The NEC HR-1100A is not a disc writer it only can read HD-DVDs, DVDs and CDs. NEC uses one lens in this drive. CT Magazine finds very slow access times (370 ms for HD-DVD) with this pre-production model. Data transfer rates from HD-DVDs clocked in at 8,7 MByte/s. Error correction is a problem with the HR-1100A. NEC says the final HR-1100A will have those issues fixed. Link
German CT Magazine did it again and scored a pre-production model of a next generation HD PC drive. As reported they published last week also the first review of a Blu-ray Disc Burner.
The NEC HR-1100A is not a disc writer it only can read HD-DVDs, DVDs and CDs. NEC uses one lens in this drive. CT Magazine finds very slow access times (370 ms for HD-DVD) with this pre-production model. Data transfer rates from HD-DVDs clocked in at 8,7 MByte/s. Error correction is a problem with the HR-1100A. NEC says the final HR-1100A will have those issues fixed. Link
Samsung announces new DVD range
Published by Admin on at 2/02/2006 09:58:00 AM.
Samsung has revealed some details about its upcoming range of standard DVD players, portable DVD players, and DVD recorders…
Leading the charge will be two new up-converting ‘Hypervision’ DVD models able to upgrade standard DVD resolution to 1080i, 720p, and on one model, 1080p. The DVD-HD860 will be available in March 2006 with a guide price of £99. The DCDi Faroudja-equipped DVD-HD1080 will be available in May 2006 with a guide price of just £249.
Samsung is also introducing a new compact portable model, the DVD-L760, which it claims offers improved battery life, 480P resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 160-degree viewing angle from its TFT LCD screen. The DVD-L760 will be available in June 2006, price TBC. Link
Leading the charge will be two new up-converting ‘Hypervision’ DVD models able to upgrade standard DVD resolution to 1080i, 720p, and on one model, 1080p. The DVD-HD860 will be available in March 2006 with a guide price of £99. The DCDi Faroudja-equipped DVD-HD1080 will be available in May 2006 with a guide price of just £249.
Samsung is also introducing a new compact portable model, the DVD-L760, which it claims offers improved battery life, 480P resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 160-degree viewing angle from its TFT LCD screen. The DVD-L760 will be available in June 2006, price TBC. Link