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Microsoft Denies Lite-On Blu-ray Rumour -- Posted by staff on Thursday, April 3 2008 Visit Techdeals
"Microsoft has officially denied that it’s working with a Taiwanese manufacturer to develop a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360.
On Tuesday Register Hardware reported that the software giant had inked a deal with Lite-On for the development of Xbox 360 Blu-ray drives. It was claimed the drives would be integrated into a smaller and less power-hungry Xbox 360s.
But a Microsoft spokeswoman has since told Register Hardware that the company has denied any such rumours. In a statement, Microsoft said: “No. Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360”.
The company added that Xbox 360 sales are driven by games and that the Redmond-based firm “remains focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available”.
Microsoft also claimed it has the “largest library of on-demand HD content available” and the ability to “play back DVDs in high definition”. The company recently canned production of the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on drive, following Toshiba’s decision to step back from the next generation format.
Although Microsoft may have denied it’s working with Lite-On to develop an Xbox 360 Blu-ray drive, the statement doesn’t rule out the possibility of a Blu-ray drive for the console altogether.
When Microsoft recently denied it was in Blu-ray talks with Sony, the software giant didn’t explicitly state that it isn’t considering the format. So, thanks to some careful wording on Microsoft’s part, a Blu-ray enabled Xbox 360 could still be a possibility, just not with Sony or Lite-On. "
[ http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/04/03/microsoft_denies_lite_on_blu_ray/ ] Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses -- Posted by staff on Friday, February 22 2008 Visit Techdeals
"Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.
HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.
“We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop,” said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.”
Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.
Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.
This decision will not impact on Toshiba’s commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.
Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD."
[ http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/ir/en/news/20080219_03.htm ] Plextor Launches A 4x SATA Blu-ray Drive (PX-B920SA) -- Posted by staff on Wednesday, February 6 2008 Visit Techdeals
"Plextor, a leading supplier of optical and storage devices, announces a new 4x Blu-ray DVD ReWriter drive using the SATA interface – the PX-B920SA. Building on the success of its previous version, the internal dual-format drive is capable of writing Blu-ray discs at 4x (BD-R) and also plays HD-DVD ROM discs.
In addition, Plextor has added extra convenience by including LightScribe technology to enable custom text and designs to be printed/burned onto discs.
Rudy de Meirsman, Sales & Marketing Manager of Plextor Europe, says: “Plextor has developed its second Blu-ray drive to be faster, dual-format, as it reads HD-DVD discs, and utilises the SATA interface. Plextor has a long history in providing premium, high reliability optical drives and the new PX-B920SA sets the standard again.”
The PX-B920SA not only uses the latest Blu-ray technology (and reads HD-DVDs), but is also a highly versatile dual-layer DVD drive that combines multiple formats - DVD R/RW and RAM - into one. It can accept both 12cm and 8cm discs (in the horizontal position) and has a large 4MB buffer to ensure there is no data interruption. Write speeds: 4x BD-R, 2xBD-RE, 16x DVD+R/-R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 4x DVD+/-R DL, 5x DVD-RAM, 40x CD-R and 24x CD-RW.
A comprehensive range of software is included: Intervideo WinDVD8, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5.5, Ulead Burn.Now 4.5.
Having been developed to strict environmental and recycling standards, the Plextor
PX-B920SA meets EU RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directives.
The Plextor PX-B920SA will be available from end of February 2008 at Plextor’s network of dealers. It is covered by Plextor’s Fast Warranty Service (2-year warranty in the EU, Norway and Switzerland (Collect & Return); other countries 1-year carry-in). "
[ http://www.plextor.be/press/releases/px-b920sa.asp?choice=PX-B920SA ] Copying CDs Could Be Made Legal -- Posted by staff on Saturday, January 12 2008 Visit Techdeals
"Copying music from a CD to a home computer could be made legal under new proposals from the UK government.
Millions of people already "rip" discs to their computers and move the files to MP3 players, although the process is technically against copyright law.
Intellectual property minister Lord Triesman said the law should be changed so it "keeps up with the times".
Music industry bodies gave a cautious welcome to the proposals, which are up for public consultation until 8 April.
The changes would apply only to people copying music for personal use - meaning multiple copying and internet file-sharing would still be banned.
Owners would not be allowed to sell or give away their original discs once they had made a copy.
Sales concerns
"To allow consumers to copy works and then pass on the original could result in a loss of sales," the proposals warn.
UK music industry body the BPI said it supported the move to clarify the law for consumers, but warned that any changes should not damage the rights of record companies.
The Association of Independent Music (Aim) said the proposals did not go far enough - pointing out that CDs could become obsolete in the next decade.
It said that, once CDs are replaced, the law could be misused to "open the floodgates to unstoppable copying", adding that it would like to see copyright holders compensated when music was copied.
Lord Triesman said the proposed changes would explore "where the boundaries lie between strong protection for right holders and appropriate levels of access for users".
The proposals also suggest schools and libraries should be given greater flexibility in how they use copyrighted material like CDs and DVDs, and suggests parodies of songs and films could be made exempt from copyright law.
The consultation follows the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, which recommended that aspects of the intellectual property system should be reformed." Dual Layer DVD Demand To Increase In 2008 -- Posted by staff on Friday, December 7 2007 Visit Techdeals
"The worldwide demand for single-side dual-layer DVD+R/-R discs will increase in 2008, according to sources at disc makers and research firms.
Since Ritek and CMC Magnetics expanded their 2.4x dual-layer DVD production capacity starting in 2007, pricing has dropped from NT$70-80 (US$2.17-2.48) to NT$55-60, which has helped to boost market demand, according the market sources.
The demand for dual-layer DVDs in 2007 is to be around 190 million units and is expected to go up to 400 million units in 2008, according to disc makers citing a report from BOC.
With worldwide demand for DVD-burners expected to reach 100-110 million units and DVD players around 20 million units in 2008, assuming just a few backup discs per system, demand for the dual-layer DVDs could be close to 400 million units in 2008, according to the sources.
Additionally, optical disc makers pointed to the popularity of Xbox 360 games consoles and the potential for backup game copies running on modified systems to further drive blank disc sales." Sony, Fuji and Maxell Fined For Price Fixing -- Posted by staff on Tuesday, November 20 2007 Visit Techdeals
"THE European Commission has fined Sony, Fuji and Maxell $109.8 million for price fixing.
According to Reuters the three between 1999 and 2002 managed to raise and control prices by holding secret meetings between them.
Sony was fined 30 per cent more for trying to cover up the investigation while Fujifilm had its fine reduced to 13.2 million euros for co-operating with investigators. Hitachi Maxell also co-operated and was only hit with a 14.4 million euros fine.
European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that the fines are a warning to outfits who thought cartels were a good way of doing business.
The investigation started in May 2002 when Inspector Knacker of the Euro Yard raided the offices of the three companies. He found shedloads of evidence about what the three were up too.
As coppers were swarming around the building. A Sony bigwig refused to answer questions. Another employee rushed to dump a ton of documents into the company shredder while Inspector Knacker was pounding on the door.
In fact Sony only said "Oh you mean THAT Cartel" after it received a formal charge sheet from the Commission.
The Cartel, which controlled 85 per cent of the market, covered two of the most popular professional videotape formats of the day, Betacam SP and Digital Betacam.
After more than 11 meetings the Cartel managed to organise three price increases and tried to stabilise prices whenever an increase was impossible, the Commission said." DVD Forum Approves High-Density DVD Disc Spec -- Posted by staff on Sunday, November 18 2007 Visit Techdeals
"DVD Forum, the international organization that oversees standardization of DVD and HD DVD optical disc formats, has finally approved version 2.0 of triple-layer HD DVD discs. The availability of physical specification of an HD DVD read-only media that can hold up to 51GB of data will allow the manufacturers to start producing the appropriate disks, whereas content producers may now start to think about how to use additional capacity.
The approval of DVD specifications for high density read-only disc [HD DVD-ROM (51G)] part 1 physical specifications, version 2.0, took place during the 40th steering committee meeting on November 15, 2007. Back in September, the DVD Forum also approved version 1.9 specification of 51GB HD DVD media as well as revision 1.0 of triple-layer twin format discs, which can hold up to 30GB of data on its HD DVD side and up to 4.7GB of data on its DVD side.
The new 51GB HD DVD ROM disc has a three-layer structure with each layer storing 17GB of data, which is an advancement in capacity over current ROM discs, which hold 15GB of data in each layer of a single-sided disc. Continued improvement in disc mastering technology has achieved further minimization in the recording pit, supporting a further boost in capacity to 17GB in single layer and a full 51GB on a single-sided triple-layer disc. Toshiba has confirmed the disc structure and its successful operation earlier this year.
Neither Toshiba, nor DVD Forum have confirmed that triple-layer HD DVDs will playback on existing HD DVD hardware, such as players and computer drives. But there are talks in dedicated high-definition related forums that improved 17GB layers actually gained in readability [compared to 15GB layers] and that even first-generation HD DVD players can read tree layers. Therefore, it is highly likely that movies distributed on triple-layer HD DVD 51GB discs will be playable even on the very first HD DVD players.
It remains to be seen whether triple-layer HD DVDs are more cost-efficient compared to dual-layer Blu-ray discs both in terms of media costs as well as replications costs."
[ http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/storage/display/20071118073411_Enlarged_Triple_Layer_HD_DVD_Finally_Gets_Approved.html ] Blu-ray BD+ Cracked -- Posted by staff on Tuesday, October 30 2007 Visit Techdeals
"COPY AND BURN FIRM, Slysoft reckons it has cracked the beefed-up copy protection on Blu-ray disks, BD+.
It reckons it has the routine cracked even though Sony reckons its protection will be good for ten years.
SlySoft boss, Giancarlo Bettini says he has wonders "when people will understand that the more restrictions, pressures and protection measures that are applied to limit the functionality of a thing, the fewer sales that will result, not more."
According to German reports, Bettini reckons he'll have commercial Blu-ray disk-copying software out by the end of the year."
[ http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/30/blu-ray-bd-cracked ] Sony Unveils 4x Blu-Ray Disc Writer Drive -- Posted by staff on Monday, October 22 2007 Visit Techdeals
"Sony Electronics today announced its second generation internal Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) writer drive for the computer aftermarket, which boasts 4X BD-R and 16X DVD+R recording speeds.
The new BWU-200S model cuts BD-R burning time by half compared to the first generation model, allowing for a full 50GB BD-R disc to be recorded in about 45 minutes. It also features improved DVD burning speeds, making it a multi-format combo burner that eliminates the need for more than one drive in a system.
The drive comes with CyberLink BD Solution software that provides a comprehensive application for capturing, authoring, editing, burning and viewing high-definition personal content captured in the native HDV 1080i format from an HDV camcorder. In addition, the software supports recording on DVDs and CDs, as well as playback of DVDs recorded in the AVCHD format.
The BWU-200S drive can record up to 50GB of data for random access storage and backup on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE
(rewritable) discs, or up to 230 minutes of high-definition HDV 1080i video on a BD-R/RE 50GB disc. It also supports
recording on standard single layer 4.7GB DVD+R/+RW/RAM discs, 8.5GB DVD+R double/dual layer discs, and CDs.
The internal drive features a Serial ATA (SATA) interface and standard 5.25-inch form-factor for easy installation inside a desktop PC with Microsoft® Windows® XP or Windows Vista® software.
“Consumers and professional videographers alike can enjoy the huge storage capacity to record and experience high-
definition video with our Blu-ray Disc drive,” said Bob DeMoulin, marketing manager for branded storage products in Sony Electronics’ IT Products Division.
The new drive is supported by Adobe® Encore® CS3 that now comes bundled with Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3 software, providing video production professionals with another option for outputting high-definition video on a Blu-ray Disc with MPEG-2 or H.264 compression.
“Advanced optical storage technologies, such as Blu-ray Disc technology with its vast capacity compared to DVD
technology, will be key enablers for next generation PC applications like HD personal video content and high-definition TV recording,” said Wolfgang Schlichting, research director for removable storage at IDC. “Sony's many innovations in optical storage have prepared the company to be a leader in the Blu-ray Disc writable market." First Bluray (BD+) Protected Titles Causing Problems -- Posted by staff on Friday, October 5 2007 Visit Techdeals
"Two of the most eagerly anticipated next-gen releases in recent memory have hit a series of playback snags on select Blu-ray players, but a fix is said to be on the way.
As we've previously reported, 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' and 'Day After Tomorrow' (both released this past Tuesday) mark the first Blu-ray releases from Fox Home Entertainment following a six month sabbatical.
But while the discs have generally been well-received (our own Peter Bracke raved about the audio/video quality in his review of 'Silver Surfer'), what was initially a cause for celebration has become an exercise in frustration for some Blu-ray fans as incompatibility issues with some players have hindered playback of the discs.
The most severe problems have been reported on Samsung's BDP-1200 and LG's BH100, which are both said to be incapable of playing back the discs at all. Less catastophic issues (error messages and playback stutter) have been reported for Samsung's BDP-1000. The discs appear to play back fine on all other Blu-ray players (including the PlayStation 3), although users have reported lengthy load times of up to two minutes.
It has been widely speculated that these issues stem from the use of BD+ copy protection on the two discs. We contacted Fox for comment, but so far there's no official word from the studio.
Calls placed to both Samsung and LG customer support revealed that both manufacturers are aware of the issue, and that both are working on firmware updates to correct it. Samsung promised a firmware update within "a couple" weeks, while LG said an update is expected in 3-4 days.
We'll keep you posted when/if any official statements are released by Fox or any of the manufacturers involved. In the meantime, we've set up a dedicated thread in our Forums area to discuss playback problems with both the 'Silver Surfer' and 'Day After Tomorrow' discs."
[ http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/1035 ] Pioneer to Exhibit Latest Technologies at CEATEC JAPAN 2007 -- Posted by staff on Wednesday, October 3 2007 Visit Techdeals
" Pioneer Corporation will be showcasing its latest technologies and premium products for discerning consumers under the theme, "Feel the Next Stage - a new generation of emotional experience," at CEATEC JAPAN 2007 which will be held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture from Tuesday, October 2 to Saturday, October 6.
The Pioneer booth (10A90) will feature the main stage presentation for its theme of the exhibition with live music, the "Smart-Loop" stage presentation for the innovative in-car life offered by the latest car navigation systems, and the "KURO" Theater focusing on the company's newest 1080p plasma TVs "KURO," as well as the Home entertainment, High-end Audio, Mobile entertainment, and R&D zones.
About Pioneer Booth
Home Entertainment
In the Home Entertainment zone, viewers will see, hear and feel an emotional experience like never before through Pioneer new-generation 1080p plasma display TVs "KURO," and home theater systems offering high-quality images and next-generation surround sound.
< Main exhibited products >
Plasma display TVs "KURO" (PDP-6010HD, PDP-5010HD, etc.)
AV multi-channel amplifiers (VSA-LX70, etc)
5.1ch surround systems (HTP-LX70, etc)
Blu-ray Disc player (BDP-LX80)
Speaker systems (S-1EX, S-3EX, etc.)
Mobile Entertainment
Pioneer third-generation CYBER NAVI car navigation systems, realizing its Smart Loop concept, will be introduced.
< Main exhibited products >
CYBER NAVI car navigation systems (AVIC-HG099G, etc.)
High-end car audio systems (RS-D7X III, RS-A9X)
High-end Audio
In the special audio room, the audience will enjoy Pioneer high-end speaker systems and car audio systems utilizing its know-how and technology that the company has cultivated for over 70 years. A special lecture will be held by the engineers.
< Main exhibited products >
TAD Reference One
Carrozzeria X series
5.1ch surround systems
R&D
In the R&D zone, part of Pioneer's R&D activities will be introduced covering the home entertainment and car entertainment technologies. Visitors will have a peep at the future of audiovisual equipment and car navigation systems.
< Main exhibited products >
3-D floating vision
Three-dimensional image display system is displayed as an in-car application.
HEED (High Efficiency Electro-Emission Device)
Using the "HEED" technology, small-sized TV tube with super high sensitivity is realized.
Optical fiber multiplex transfer
Single-optical fiber multiplex transfer technology (with the HDMI signal for digital audio/visual devices) is introduced.
Image-recognition car navigation system
The image-recognition technology using in-car cameras is applied to car navigation systems.
Organic-dye recording film Blu-ray Disc recordable disc and driver
For more details of the exhibits (in Japanese), please visit: http://www.pioneer-event.com" XBox 360 Price UK Cuts -- Posted by staff on Tuesday, August 21 2007 Visit Techdeals
A 'Microsoft source' has confirmed the 24th will see a price drop in the UK - with the following prices: Core 360: £179.99, Premium 360: £249.99, Elite 360: £299.99.
More Xbox info at:
[ http://www.xbox3sixty.co.uk ] Wii DVD Playback Software Released -- Posted by staff on Tuesday, August 21 2007 Visit Techdeals
"Team Symbiote have released a DVD Player for the Wii, now all those Wii modders can jump for joy. It seems as if a lot of hackers were at work on the project and it is a total software solution to get DVDs playing on the Wii. In order to get it working, you have to Burn the application with Clone CD, then boot it in a modded Wii with a homebrew program YAOSM 1.8, when the menu pops up you simply hit Z to unmount, change the disc to a DVD Movie and then hit START to play - DVD movies finally playable on the Wii!
Controls in Movie:
L, Left, and Down = Rewind
R, Right, and Up = Fast Forward
Start, and A = Pause/Play
B = Stop
X = Subtitles On/Off
Y, Left Thumbstick, and Right Thumbstick = Nothing
Z = Unmount"
[ http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=19907 ] Ritek Shifts Disk Production To Vietnam -- Posted by staff on Tuesday, August 7 2007 Visit Techdeals
"Ritek, the second largest Taiwan-based maker of optical discs, will, in line with its overall adjustment in production, shift some of its blank CD-R and DVD+R/-R disc manufacturing equipment from Taiwan-based factories to those of Ritek Vietnam, its subsidiary in Vietnam, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) on August 3.
The shift will be through Ritek's sale of manufacturing equipment to its wholly owned overseas subsidiary Score High Group for US$34.560 million, the current book value of the equipment. Score High will then resell the equipment to Ritek Vietnam, Ritek spokesman Eric Ai indicated.
Having begun production in the third quarter of 2006, Ritek Vietnam currently has a monthly capacity of 20 million CD-R discs plus three million DVD+R/-R discs, Ai pointed out. The additional manufacturing equipment will approximately double existing monthly capacity enabling Ritek Vietnam to supply fast growing markets in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand and Malaysia, as well as India and current main markets in Europe, Ai noted.
In addition to Ritek, CMC Magnetics, the largest Taiwan-based maker of optical discs, had its subsidiary maker in Thailand start production of blank CD-R discs in the third quarter of 2006, and production of DVD+R/-R discs is to begin in the second half of 2007, according to industry sources. Gigastorage, a second-tier optical disc maker in Taiwan, has also set up a subsidiary in Thailand, with production of blank CD-R discs having kicked off in May 2007, and that of DVD+R/-R discs to begin in the fourth quarter, the sources indicated." Pioneer Announces 4x Bluray Writer (BDR-202) -- Posted by staff on Thursday, August 2 2007 Visit Techdeals
"The versatile writer, which is now available in Europe, is also compatible with a range of DVD and CD media; speeds include 12X writing to DVD-R/+R, 6X to DVD-RW/+RW and 24X to CD-R/RW.
The optical pickup unit is equipped with our newly developed BD/DVD/CD three-way compatible lens that realises high-speed recording at a maximum speed of 4X on BD-R media and 2X speed on BD-RE.
The writer also reads BD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs, and read/writes to
DVD-R/+R
DVD-RW/+RW
DVD-R DL/+R DL Dual/Double-Layer discs and also CD-R/RW discs.
The BDR-202 includes a range of innovations to enhance read/write capabilities including:
Ultra DRA: which suppresses vibration when writing based on know-how that we have been cultivating in the development of DVD writers.
Limited Equalizer LSI : that dramatically improves reading reliability.
Multi-Effect Liquid Crystal Tilt Compensator: that advances the recording and playback characteristics by adding correction to the laser beam which compensates for disc impurities such as titled media and media of various thickness.
The BDR-202 includes CyberLink’s BD Solution software package to enable the creation and playback of BD movies and the creation and playback of DVDs and CDs."
[ http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/content/press/news/bdr202.html ] Microsoft Lowers Price Of HD-DVD Add-On Drive -- Posted by staff on Friday, July 27 2007 Visit Techdeals
"Today at Comic-Con International 2007, Microsoft Corp. announced it will lower the price of the popular Xbox 360 HD DVD Player from $199 to $179 ERP (United States only) starting Aug. 1, 2007, and will add five free HD DVD movies for anyone purchasing an Xbox 360 HD DVD Player between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30. In addition, Microsoft further solidified the Xbox 360 as the ultimate high-definition (HD) entertainment platform, with key announcements around the HD DVD launches of "300" from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and "Heroes: Season 1" from Universal Studios.
To promote the HD DVD versions of "300" and "Heroes: Season 1," Microsoft unveiled exclusive content for Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Xbox LIVE will offer "300" on demand in HD starting Aug. 14, and is working with Warner Bros. at Comic-Con on a Bringing It Home campaign featuring "300" and other Warner Bros. properties. In advance of the street date for the "Heroes: Season 1" HD DVD boxed set, Xbox LIVE members will be able to download for free the show's pilot episode in high definition for a limited time. Members will also be able to download trailers, teaser scenes and other promotional materials highlighting the "Heroes: Season 1" boxed set on HD DVD.
Already the most affordable high-definition player available, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is the best solution for movie lovers seeking HD content in the highest possible resolution. The player's price reduction to $179 (U.S. ERP) continues to set the bar for value, making the Xbox 360 platform the most affordable solution for consumers seeking the broadest, most compelling selection of next-generation gaming and HD video experiences.
"With the price reduction to $179, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player continues to be the most affordable way to enjoy high definition," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "From the beginning, we set out to offer Xbox 360 owners an unrivaled high-definition experience, with a choice of optical discs on the HD DVD format and digital downloads through Xbox LIVE Marketplace -- both of which have a selection of the best content Hollywood has to offer. Today's announcements around '300' and 'Heroes: Season 1' are great examples of how we believe HD content can be offered to consumers."
In addition to the price drop, Microsoft is extending Toshiba's highly successful "Perfect Offer" of five free HD DVD discs to Xbox 360 consumers. Previously exclusive to Toshiba HD DVD Players, with the purchase of an Xbox 360 HD DVD Player at the new low price of $179 ERP, consumers can choose five HD DVD titles for free from a selection of 15 popular titles through a mail-in offer. With a retail value of over $140 (U.S.), this promotion makes the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player one of the most compelling offerings for consumers looking to make the leap into HD this holiday season." LG To Release 6x Speed Bluray Burner -- Posted by staff on Monday, July 23 2007 Visit Techdeals
"LG is preparing a internal optical drive capable of reading both Blu-ray Discs and HD DVD media, it has been claimed. The South Korean giant is also readying a BD writer capable of 6x burn speeds.
Although we've seen no official announcement from LG itself, a number of websites have claimed the company last week unveiled its GGW-H20LI, the 6x BD burner, and the GGC-H20LI. Both drives can read and write the full array of CD and DVD formats.
As attested by the 'LI' suffix, both drives are also said to support LightScribe technology for etching labels on compatible media.
The two drives - said to be priced around $499 and $399, respectively - are expected to arrive later this quarter.
Last week, Lite-On IT said it will knock €100 off the price of its 2x Blu-ray Disc burner, the LH-2B1S."
[ http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/07/23/lg_preps_6x_bd_drive/ ] TDK Launches x4 DL Bluray Disks -- Posted by staff on Monday, July 16 2007 Visit Techdeals
"DK, a world leader in digital recording solutions, today announced the launch of two new write-once Blu-ray Discs capable of recording at 4x speed. TDK 4x 25GB BD-R Blu-ray Disc media and the 50GB version will both begin shipping later this summer. Retail pricing is set at $19.99 for a 4x 25GB BD-R25B (recordable), while pricing for the 4x 50GB BD-R50B (recordable) has not been finalized. A TDK 4x 25GB Blu-ray Disc can be fully recorded in 22 minutes, and a TDK 4x 50GB Blu-ray Disc can be fully recorded in 45 minutes, cutting the recording time in half in comparison to 2x Blu-ray Disc media. Additionally, TDK announced that it will offer business customers the world’s first 50 piece spindles of 4x 25GB BD-R Blu-ray Disc media.
A pioneer of blue laser recording technology and founding member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, TDK began offering its highly anticipated 2x 25GB recordable and rewritable Blu-ray Disc media in the first quarter of 2006. TDK first shipped mass production samples in December 2005, and with the subsequent issuance of the relevant license, the company immediately commenced full force manufacturing.
“Demand for recordable Blu-ray Disc media has been growing rapidly,” noted Bruce Youmans, TDK Vice President of Product Research and Development. “By achieving a 4x recording speed, TDK’s new discs slash recording times in half compared to 2x media, extending the format’s appeal even further by making it as convenient as it is powerful.” He continued, “Our 4x, 50GB and 25GB Blu-ray Disc media products solidify TDK’s role in enabling the achievement of remarkable capacities, fast transfer rates and revolutionary durability for TDK Blu-ray Discs.”
The BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) certified the specification for the new 4x, write-once type Blu-ray Discs, paving the way for their launch. The new discs support recording speeds from 1x to 4x, and like previous TDK Blu-ray Discs, incorporate a recording layer comprised of inorganic material. The discs are further highlighted by TDK’s exclusive DURABIS 2 hard coating technology, an ultra-smooth cover layer created through the innovative spin coating method, and a host of other advanced TDK technologies that enable the creation of high-reliability media.
TDK Technologies Make Bare Blu-ray Discs a Reality
TDK Blu-ray Discs are manufactured to the highest quality standards at the company’s Chikumagawa Techno Factory in Japan. Outfitted with state of the art technology, the Chikumagawa factory is poised to lead the charge on optical media development well into the future. TDK heavily committed its worldwide engineering resources to Blu-ray, and has created new formulations and manufacturing techniques that constitute revolutionary milestones in recording technology.
Because Blu-ray Disc media’s data tracks are quite narrow even in comparison with DVD media, precise, stable interaction between the laser and the recording material is especially critical to ensuring error-free recording and playback. That’s why TDK developed DURABIS 2, an innovative hard coating technology that makes bare Blu-ray Disc media a reality by protecting the disc surface against common contaminants such as scratches and fingerprints. DURABIS 2’s revolutionary resistance to fingerprints and scratches eliminates the need for a cartridge, minimizing manufacturing costs and allowing for the same user experience as with today’s CDs and DVDs. TDK pioneered hard coating technology, and its DURABIS 2 is the ultimate protective coating for Blu-ray Discs.
Main Features of TDK 4x Blu-ray Discs
1. 4x recording compatible: Reduces recording time by half compared to 2x disc.
A recording layer boasting high sensitivity is utilized for compatibility with 4x recording (144Mbps transfer rate). 4x recording reduces recording time by half compared with the previous 2x disc. 4.7GB of data can be copied in less than 5 minutes, which is comparable to a DVD-R recording speed of 16x.
2. DURABIS 2 coating provides significantly greater resistance to scratches and dirt (particularly fingerprint smudges), ensuring safe use even without a cartridge.
Since the area of the laser spot on the Blu-ray Disc is small (about one-fifth that of the DVD), scratches or dirt on the recording surface can have an especially detrimental effect, causing errors. DURABIS 2 overcomes the issue by offering significantly higher resistance to scratches, and exceptional resistance to dirt and grime (particularly fingerprint smudges).
3. Exclusive, high-precision spin coating creates a cover layer with nano-precise smoothness for breakthrough stability.
The precision and smoothness of the cover layer is extremely important, because the laser beam must cleanly pass through the cover layer in its path to the recording layer. To form this cover layer, TDK utilizes an exclusive high-precision spin coating method. The thickness of the cover layer is controlled to the nano-level. As a result, the load on the focus servo circuit used to correct laser beam positioning is reduced, enabling breakthrough stability.
4. Recording layer utilizing inorganic material in a metal, dual-layer structure is unaffected by exposure to light, giving it outstanding archivability.
Previous write-once optical media such as CD-R and DVD-R utilized organic dye for their recording layers. Write-once type BD-R media is based on a completely new concept for the recording material wherein a two-layer structure composed of silicon (Si) and copper alloy (Cu) inorganic materials is utilized. When heated by the recording laser beam, these melt and the Si and Cu alloy become a composite to form recording marks. Because the material is inorganic, it is not affected by light, and offers superior archivability." Panasonic to Introduce World's First 4x Write-Once Blu-ray Discs -- Posted by staff on Thursday, July 5 2007 Visit Techdeals
"anasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, announced today that the company will globally introduce Write-Once Blu-ray Discs (BD-R) with 4x writing speed.
The new discs will be available in both 25GB and 50GB, which will be introduced in the market this July and September respectively.
Model Number Specification Market Launch
LM-BR25LDE Write once, 25GB, Single-Sided, Single July, 2007 Layer
LM-BR50LDE Write once, 50GB, Single-Sided, Dual September, 2007 Layer
In conjunction with the launch of 4x BD drives, the new discs have the capability of 4x speed writing and reading, allowing users to handle large amount of data or High Definition content with greater convenience. Panasonic is the first company to announce the market introduction of 4x BD-R Discs.* *as of July 3rd, 2007
Since introducing the world's first dual layer 1xBD-RE Disc in 2004, Panasonic has continued to lead the market and develop the Blu-ray Disc technologies to meet the growing demand for high-speed reading and writing of massive volumes of data. The new 4x Discs have the maximum data transfer speed of 144Mbps, which means they can copy a 1GB folder in just one minute, while a DVD-RW(2x data transfer speed) needs 6 minutes. This is achieved by the application of new phase-change recording technology which was realized through Panasonic's 35-years of experience in Optical Disc development. The result is precise and stable recording even when writing at 4x high speed.
Panasonic succeeded in applying this technology to not only single layer Discs but also to dual layer Discs, allowing users to write massive 50GB data at 4x high-speed without turning over the Disc. With its advanced dual-layer technology, Panasonic, which was is the world's first to launch 50GB BD discs with 2x speed, is now bringing the 4x speed model to market as well for the first time in the industry.
Also the newly developed recording layer has a wide power margin at any writing speed from 1x to 4x. This enables high quality recording, even if the drive's laser power fluctuates, resulting in greater overall drive compatibility.
The new Discs offer extremely low error rate thanks to the newly developed film forming technology which minimizes dust generated in the sputtering process. The error rate is reduced to 1/10 that of a conventional Disc, ensuring high reliability and a high quality recording.
Specifications
4X BD-R
Format Name Blu-ray Disc Recordable Format Ver. 1.2
Model Number LM-BR25LDE LM-BR50LDE
Data Capacity 25GB 50GB
Layer Constitution Single Sided/ Single Single Sided/Dual
Layer Layer
Recording Format Phase Change Recordable
Laser Wavelength 405nm (Blue-violet Laser)
Objective Lens
Numerical Aperture (NA) 0.85
Disc Diameter/Thickness 120mm x 1.2mm
Track Pitch 0.32 um
Minimum Mark Length 0.149um
Data Transfer Speed 36Mbps(1x) / 72Mbps(2x) / 144Mbps(4x)
Hard Coating YES Proposed Amendment Would Ban All DVD Copying -- Posted by staff on Friday, June 22 2007 Visit Techdeals
"A proposed amendment to the current copy protection license governing DVDs would completely ban all DVD backups, and prevent DVD playback without the DVD disk being present inside the drive.
The proposed amendment was made public in a letter sent by Michael Malcolm, the chief executive of Kaleidescape, a DVD jukebox company which successfully defeated a suit by the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA) this past March. The proposed amendment is scheduled for a vote on Wednesday, according to Malcolm.
A spokesman for the CCA said he was not aware of the proposed amendment, but added that he could not comment until the CCA had finished its deliberations. A spokeswoman for Kaleidescape said she understood that a final decision could take weeks, if not months.
The amendment is currently being considered by the Content Protection Advisory Council (CPAC) of the DVD CCA. If enacted, it would become binding in 18 months from the date on which the CCA notified its licensees, which include DVD hardware and software manufacturers.
The terms of the amendment, formally referred to as the "Unknown Specification Amendment," are just a paragraph long, and would basically eliminate DVD copying of any form, whether for the purposes of fair use or not.
The amendment reads:
"6.4. Certain Requirements for DVD Products. DVD Products, alone or in combination with other DVD Products, shall not be designed to descramble scrambled CSS Data when the DVD Disc containing such CSS Data and associated CSS Keys is not physically present in the DVD Player or DVD Drive (as applicable), and a DVD Product shall not be designed to make or direct the making of a persistent copy of CSS Data that has been descrambled from such DVD Disc by such DVD Product."
The amendment was proposed by Chris Cookson of Warner Bros., Ben Carr of Walt Disney Studios, Jeffrey Lawrence of Intel, Gabe Beged-Dov of Hewlett-Packard, David Harshman of Toshiba, and Andy Parsons of Pioneer Electronics, according to Malcolm as well as the attached letter proposing the amendment, and signed by the legal counsel representing the signatories.
To Malcolm, the proposed amendment was designed to put Kaleidescape out of business, and represented an unfair monopoly that should be broken up. The letter was addressed to several members of the Federal Trade Commission, key members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Department of Justice staffers, EU regulatory bodies, and the chief executives of the companies the amendment signatories are employed by, as well as industry executives like Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer.
"The real purpose of this proposed amendment is to put Kaleidescape out of business by excluding the Kaleidescape System from the DVD playback devices authored by the CSS License Agreement," Malcolm wrote. "You should be aware before you vote on the proposed amendment that you expose yourself, your employer and the DVD CCA to serious and substantial antitrust liability if you vote for this amendment. Both state and federal laws outlaw anticompetitive conduct by businesses joining together to put a competitor out of business."
The DVD CCA has previously tried twice to add "managed copy" provisions to its licensing agreement, and both times the vote has failed, according to reports. Managed copies would either transfer the CSS key to the recordable DVD, which would require an additional CSS "replicator" license, or else use what is called "pre-keyed" media, which would include the CSS key already as part of the disc structure.
The proposed amendment would apparently add hardware restrictions to prevent DVD data from being descrambled and then copied. To date, that provision has been effectively enforced by litigation, which has effectively prevented mainstream software companies from copying or "backing up" DVD movies. A number of independent software developers, however, have published utilities or other applications for "ripping" DVD movies.
The proposed amendment would also prohibit software manufacturers to create "virtual drives," running a DVD image from a hard drive. The previous Kaleidescape case touched upon the company's use of ripping a DVD to a large internal hard drive, and playing back the movie on demand without the need for a physical disk to be inserted into the drive.
In the previous ruling settling the Kaleidescape-DVD CCA dispute, Judge Leslie C. Nichols of the Santa Clara Superior Court merely stated that the company had met its obligations to the CCA under its license agreement, without addressing the broader issue of fair use."
[ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2148802,00.asp ]
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