- Details
- Home Entertainment
If you've checked out the price of Blu-ray players, you've probably noticed that they've come down considerably over the last few months. According to a new report by ABI Research, the price of Blu-ray players are going to come down even more for the holiday season due to pressure from download services and speculation about the future success of the format.
The need for healthy holiday sales in a bear market, competitive pressure from movie download services, and media speculation about the future success of the Blu-ray format itself has resulted in falling Blu-ray player prices across a range of current and older models.
Tier 2 players and older models (6-9 months) are now widely available under $200. Amazon is offering a Samsung model bundled with four discs for that price. Holiday season prices may be in the $150-200 range. All of this runs counter to many of the industry’s original market forecasts and expectations.
“Blu-ray vendors and dealers are starting to realize that for Blu-ray to become the next DVD, they need to lower player prices in order to generate interest and build volumes,” comments ABI Research principal analyst Steve Wilson.
- Details
- Software
CyberLink PowerDirector 7 delivers up to five-times faster video previewing and rendering performance by using NVIDIA CUDA technology to utilize the power of the NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs). CyberLink PowerDirector supports CUDA-enabled NVIDIA GeForce®, NVIDIA Quadro® and NVIDIA Tesla™ graphics solutions. Applied with advanced video effects, the new version of PowerDirector 7 provides an improved user experience in HD video processing by dramatically reducing video processing time and lowering CPU utilization.
- Details
- Other
Cooler Master CM 690 NVIDIA Edition Case @ Benchmark Reviews
Lenovo Ideapad S10 Netbook @ HotHardware.com
MSI Wind U90 @ InsideHW
Noctua NH-U12P Intel/AMD Heatpipe CPU Cooler @ Tweaknews.net
OCZ Dominatrix Laser Gaming Mouse @ ThinkComputers.org
Smooth Creations Smoothbook DR Notebook @ TweakTown
Thecus N5200B PRO Five-Bay NAS Server @ Futurelooks
- Details
- Software
Pegasys, Inc. announced today that its TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4 software will be available for purchase on November 13th. This all-in-one media authoring solution offers a number of new features including Blu-Ray, DVD, and DivX Ultra authoring, AVCHD file import, fast HD video editing, slideshow creation and support for 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.
Pegasys, Inc. (http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com), the company that makes digital video easy, announces the upcoming availability of its TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4 software. It's the perfect, all-in-one media authoring solution for any video enthusiast. It is easy enough for a beginner to understand, and sophisticated enough to meet the demands of an experienced videographer. The U.S. release date is scheduled for November 13th, 2008. As a special promotion, users that purchase TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 between now and November 13th can purchase TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4 for only $10.00.
- Details
- Home Entertainment
Amazon is running a new promotion where you get a $100 discount on a participatingBlu-ray player when you buy 4 Warner Bros titles. The promotion includes the Playstation 3 (80GB), Sylvania NB500SL9, Sony BDP-S350 and Sony BDP-S550. With the discount, the Sylvania NB500SL9and Sony BDP-S350can be picked up for less than $130. The list of titles includes I Am Legend, Speed Racer, Batman Begins and Superman Returns as well as 29 others.
To take advantage of this promotion, simply add one of the participating Blu-ray players as well as f Warner movies to your cart. Enter the promotion code AMAZONBD at checkout and a $100 credit will automatically be applied to your order. The promotion runs through December 31, 2008 so there is plenty of time to get a Blu-ray player before the holidays.
Update: The Sharp BDHP50, Sharp BDHP21U, Samsung BD-P2500, Panasonic DMP-BD55K, Pioneer BDP-51FD and LG BD300 have been added to the promotion. Unfortunately, the Sony BDP-S350 and Sony BDP-S550 no longer qualify.
Add a comment- Details
- Flash Memory
SanDisk announced today that it has developed an advanced flash file system for solid-state drives. This new flash management system, named ExtremeFFS, operates on a page-based algorithm which puts data where where it is most convenient and efficient. According to SanDisk's claims, ExtremeFFS has the potential to accelerate random write speeds by up to 100x. The company also proposed two metrics to make it easier for consumers to compare the performance and endurance of SSDs.
SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today unveiled an advanced flash file system for solid-state drives (SSDs) that yields dramatic improvement in performance and reliability for computing applications. Called ExtremeFFS™, this next-generation patented flash management system – which has the potential to accelerate random write speeds by up to 100 times over existing systems – will ship in SanDisk products during 2009.
Speaking in Los Angeles at WinHEC 2008, Rich Heye, senior vice president and general manager for SanDisk’s Solid-State Drive (SSD) Business Unit, presented ExtremeFFS along with two metrics – vRPM and LDE – that can help end-users evaluate SSDs. vRPM enables comparisons in performance between an SSD and a hard disk drive (HDD) or another SSD, and LDE calculates the lifespan of a solid-state drive.
For SSDs to perform optimally in Windows Vista, and thus replicate or surpass the functionality of hard disk drives, a new flash management technology is needed to accelerate SSD write speed and endurance, he said. “SSDs will revolutionize client storage, but we need new benchmarks that allow them to be treated differently than HDDs.”
- Details
- Home Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment has launched a new high quality audio CD format called the Blu-spec CD. While sticking to the red book (CDDA) standard, the Blu-spec CD uses the same polycarbonate material and Blue Laser Diode (BLD) cutting process used to manufacture Blu-ray Discs. Jitter has been further reduced by eliminating vibration during the cutting process as well as the use of fiber optics to improve the quality of the beam.
Sony plans to have 60 titles ready for launch on December 24th, including albums from popular artists like Billy Joel, Santana and Aerosmith. Most Blu-spec CD's are priced at around 2,500 Yen ($25US).
Add a comment- Details
- Optical Storage
With Plextor's new 20x and 22x DVD writers being manufactured by Lite-On, it shouldn't be too surprising that their upcoming Blu-ray drives are also based on Lite-On designs. According to our sources, Plextor will soon be introducing two 6x Blu-ray combo drives based on the DH-6E2S (iHES106). The internal PX-B310SA and external PX-B310U read single layer Blu-ray discs at 6x and are capable of 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds. At this point, it is unknown whether or not these drives will be supported by Plextor's PlexUTILITIES software.
Plextor also has a number of Blu-ray drives on tap for 2009. In the fall, the company plans to introduce a 10x Blu-ray combo drive based on the DH-10E3S/L as well as an 8x Blu-ray Disc writer based on the DH-8B2S/L. Unfortunately, not much is known about these drives at this time.
As I hinted at the other day, Plextor will also be basing their external slim drives on Lite-On designs. Our sources indicated that the company will soon be releasing the PX-610U. This battery powered drive is based on the DB-8A2SB and is capable of 8x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Plextor will also be releasing another slim 8x DVD writer based on the DB-8A3U in the spring of 2009 with a DB-6B1U based slim Blu-ray Disc writer coming later in the year.
And yes, you can expect to see a series of Plextor drives based on the DH-24AAU some time next year. Aside from the fact that it will burn DVD's at 24x, not much is known about the drive at this time.
Add a comment
- Details
- Optical Storage
Plextor LLC has officially announced its new Qflix-enabled DVD writers. With the internal PX-806SA and external PX-Q840U, users can download movies and TV shows and then burn a permanent copy that can be played back on a standard DVD player. The two drives also offer 20x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds and support for Plextor's new PlexUTILITIES software.
Plextor LLC, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, reenters the market with the availability of two new drives, the PX-Q840U external and the PX-806SA internal. Both drives feature Qflix recording technology from Sonic Solutions, enabling consumers to download and burn movie and TV titles at home.
The Qflix-enabled Plextor drives make it easy for consumers to download and burn their favorite movies and TV titles directly to a DVD for immediate viewing. Developed by Sonic Solutions and Pioneer in 2007, the unique Qflix software uses Roxio® Venue, a rich, user-friendly application that allows consumers to search for and download their favorite Hollywood hits from digital entertainment innovator, CinemaNow (www.cinemanow.com). Once downloaded, users are able to create a permanent and portable DVD-format copy onto Qflix- enabled optical media.
“The Qflix technology makes it easy for all consumers, not just the tech-savvy, to access and manage digital entertainment at home,” said Bob Gronski, vice president of sales and marketing for Plextor. “In an economic time when people are going out less and taking advantage of home entertainment more, it’s exciting for us to offer a solution with such limitless entertainment capabilities.”
- Details
- Flash Memory
Transcend recently announced its new ultra-tiny USB drive, the JetFlash T5. While measuring only 29.9mm x 15.3mm x 6.1mm, the drive is rugged enough to resist bending, stress, vibration, shock and even full water submersion. The T5 also features a retractable connector and is compatible with Transcend’s JetFlash elite software.
Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a leading manufacturer of flash memory products, today introduced a new ultra-tiny USB flash drive, the JetFlash® T5. Measuring just 29.9mm x 15.3mm x 6.1mm (L x W x D), the T5 is incredibly compact, and only weighs a mere 2g. Unlike other miniature USB flash drives, the T5 is constructed with non-breakable plastic and is rugged enough to resist bending, stress, vibration, shock, and even full water submersion. Its retractable connector design and eye-catching two-tone color schemes not only make the drive easier to handle and use, but also give it a unique fashion accessory look. With its convenient attachment loop, the ultra-light T5 can be used as a mobile phone dongle or a keychain fob, making it easy to carry and store in places where ordinary flash drives just do not fit.
