TMPG, Inc. announced this week that it will be releasing an updated version of TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress at the end of June. This new version of their encoding software adds input support for AVCHD, AAC in an MPEG-2 stream and embedded MPEG-4. It also provides output support for High Definition MPEG-4 video and Blu-ray BDAV/BDMV templates.
TMPG, Inc. (www.tmpg-inc.com), the company that makes digital video easy, is introducing an updated version of its popular video encoding software TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress. Due to user demand TMPG, Inc. has now added input support for AVCHD, AAC in an MPEG-2 stream and embedded MPEG-4 input support. The new update also provides output support for High Definition MPEG-4 video and Blu-ray BDAV/BDMV templates. The software upgrade will be available at the end of June at www.tmpg-inc.com and will be free for current TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress users. New users may purchase the updated software for $99.95 per license.

"We have had many requests for these particular high definition video and Blu-ray upgrades and we are pleased to now offer them to our customers,” stated Kimi Matsuki, TMPG Inc. CEO. “As always, we will continue to keep TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress relevant and up to date with support for the latest formats for our customers."
More information, including the entire list of new features, can be found on TMPG's website. Add a comment

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Samsung held its yearly "Storage Power Lunch" in New York today. At the event, the company unveiled a number of storage products, including its new slim, portable DVD writer, the SE-T084M. Along with 8x DVD±R, 6x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds, the SE-T084M supports Samsung's TruDirect technology for easy and fast DVD title creation.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, is expanding its TruDirect[tm] line of optical disc drives with the development of a slim, slot-in external model, the SE-T084M/RSWD. Samsung's revolutionary TruDirect technology allows consumers to create DVDs and burn digital content through a PC without the need for a hard drive. The time-saving TruDirect[tm] SE-T084M provides easy and fast real-time recording of DVDs.

"Samsung offers consumers best-of-breed technologies and the new TruDirect SE-T084M continues to lead the pack in ODD innovation. With its slim and light portable design, the TruDirect SE-T084M lets users easily create DVDs more quickly and conveniently than ever before," said Richard Aguilera, national sales manager, Samsung Storage Division.

Samsung's External TruDirect[tm] drive weighs less than one pound and even works without a power cord. To make a DVD movie with TruDirect[tm], users only need to connect a digital video camera to their PC, press 'PLAY' on the camera, click the TruDirect shortcut icon that pops up in the TruDirect™ program window, and then click the 'RECORD' icon. All you need is a PC and TruDirect™ to turn wherever you are into a true DVD creation studio.
The SE-T084M will ship in July for a suggested retail price of $149. If you'd like to read more, Samsung's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Western Digital sent out a press release this morning, announcing its latest dual-drive storage system, the My Book Mirror Edition. Configured out-of-the box in RAID 1 mode, the My Book Mirror Edition automatically mirrors your data for extra protection.

WD® (NYSE: WDC) today introduced its new My Book® Mirror Edition™ dual-drive storage systems, which can automatically store valuable personal content not once, but twice, to maximize data safety. This RAID-based continuous data protection feature, called mirroring, makes WD's My Book Mirror Edition storage systems the safest place for storing irreplaceable data.

Personal collections of digital content, such as photos, music, and videos, continue to grow on desktop and notebook computers around the world. Consumers are increasingly aware that taking precautions to protect their data is vital and are looking for a simple solution.

When users store their personal content on a My Book Mirror Edition system, their valuable data is automatically mirrored for extra protection - making it easy and economical to benefit from the data redundancy typically found in corporate data centers. This mirroring technology makes the new dual-drive systems an ideal storage solution for photographers, home users and small offices and anyone looking for extra assurance that their data is safe.
My Book Mirror Edition is available now in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities and is priced at $289.99 and $549.99, respectively. Additional information is available on Western Digital's here. Add a comment
While 6x Blu-ray writers, like the LG GGW-H20L, have been around for some time, media capable of these speeds has been in short supply. To meet these needs, Panasonic has announced the launch of the world's first 6x BD-R media. Available in both 25GB and 50GB capacities, these new discs have a maximum data transfer speed of 216Mbps.

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While Blu-ray recorders haven't made their way to the US quite yet, they're very popular in Japan. So popular, in fact, that the Japanese government plans to add a copyright fee to the price of Blu-ray recorders and discs. As with other digital recording devices, this fee is meant to compensate content owners and allow consumers to copy or record digital TV broadcasts. Add a comment
OCZ Technology recently announced its latest USB flash drive, the OCZ Diesel. Developed with students and professionals in mind, the OCZ Diesel offers up to 16GB of storage in a sleek and compact design.
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While disgruntled HD DVD fans would like nothing more than to see Blu-ray fail, new research shows that the format is doing better than the DVD when it was first released. According to Futuresource Consulting, more than 10 million Blu-ray players will be in use by the end of 2008. In comparison, only 1.5 million DVD players were installed after being on the market for three years.
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Avalon Technology Group sent out a press release this morning, announcing what they claim is the world's fastest 8GB USB flash drive. The 8GB Speedster offers support for 256-bit AES encryption and is capable of 34MB/s read and 20MB/s write speeds.
Avalon Technology Group, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: AVLN) announced today that the Company has introduced the fastest available 8GB USB flash drive that features 256 AES Encryption. The Avalon Technology Group's 8GB USB Speedster is compatible with virtually all operating systems including the latest editions of Linux, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is currently being released to retailers worldwide.

Avalon Technology Group's main competitor is the market leading Sandisk® Cruzer® Titanium, which is limited to speeds of 15 MB/s (read) and 9 MB/s (write) and sells for approximately $99.00. The 8GB Speedster offers consumers more than twice the speed of Sandisk Cruzer Titanium with 34MB/s (read) and 20 MB/sec (write) at a suggested retail price of $79.00. The 8GB USB Speedster combines blazing speed, stainless steel water resistant casing, with no cap to lose and 256 AES encryption.
If you'd like to read more, Avalon Technology Group's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment