The DVD Forum held their 39th Steering Committee meeting earlier this week. Among other things, the group approved the physical specifications for the Triple Layer Twin format and 51GB High Density Read-Only Disc. Here are some of the highlights from the meeting:
  • Approval of Optional Specifications for HD DVD-ROM Physical Specifications Version 1.2: Triple Layer Twin format, Revision 1.0
  • Approval of DVD Specifications for High Density Read-Only Disc [HD DVD-ROM (51G)] Part 1 Physical Specifications, Version 1.9
  • Approval of
    -DVD Download Blank Disc Test Specification, Version 1.0
    -DVD Download Disc Writer Test Specification, Version 1.0
  • Approval of HD DVD & DVD Non-Mandatory Verification Tools Requirements & Guidelines, Version 1.0
  • Approval of Logo/Mark for HD DVD Format on Red-laser Recordable Disc
  • Approval of China HD DVD Format related issues
    -Use of Standard Contents of HD DVD-Video Specifications
    -Use of File System of HD DVD-ROM Specifications
So there you have it. The 51GB HD DVD Disc has been offically approved by the DVD Forum. Now we just need to wait and see if they can be read by existing HD DVD players. If you'd like to read more, the Steering Committee's entire list of resolutions can be found here. Add a comment

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Gigabyte GV-RX26T256H (Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB GDDR3) @Hardware Zone
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Microcool T441/T412 Thermal Pads and Chip Protectors @Madshrimps
Seagate Momentus ST9160823ASG 7200.2 160GB SATA Notebook Hard Drive @I4U
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At a recent press event, Sony Japan unveiled four new Blu-ray Disc recorders, the BDZ-T50, BDZ-T70, BDZ-L70 and BDZ-X90. These new models utilize a new MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoder, giving them the ability to store up to 16 hours of high-def video onto a single 50GB Blu-ray disc. They also include features like a built in hard drive, True Cinema 24p output and support for Sony's BRAVIA-Link technology.

Sony today announces four new Blu-ray Disc Recorders. These new models offer strengthened functionality to give improved performance in the key areas of “high picture and sound quality,” “long-duration recording,” and “easy operation.” HD content in the home is rapidly increasing, whether it be digital broadcasting, personal/home video or movies. Sony envisions the Blu-ray Disc Recorder at the center of the HD era, and the four new models target three styles of customer viewing enjoyment: “HD broadcasting enjoyment,” “personal/home video enjoyment” and “advanced picture and advanced sound quality home theater enjoyment.” This range of choice will be a key factor in accelerating the diffusion of the Blu-ray format.
While Sony has not announced how much their Blu-ray Disc recorders will be, AV Watch expects them to cost anywhere from 140,000 Yen ($1,226US) to 200,000 Yen ($1,752US), depending on the model. If you'd like to read more, Sony's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Memorex announced today that they will be bringing Labelflash DVD media to the U.S. and Canadian markets. Similar in concept to HP's LightScribe technology, Labelflash lets you burn graphics and text onto the tops of special DVD discs.

Memorex,the leading brand of optical media at U.S.retail and a portfolio brand of Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN),today expands its specialty optical media product familywith the addition of Labelflash technology. Memorex brings Labelflash DVD media to U.S.and Canadian retail, enabling the consumer to use this advanced technology to create custom high-resolution DVD disc designs. Consumers and prosumers alike can now create custom photo and video DVDs in sharp, deep blue, monochromatic designs using Memorex Labelflash DVD-R discs and a Labelflash-enabled drive.

“Labelflash is the elite solution for consumers and prosumers seeking to add finely detailed disc designs to their keepsake DVDs,” said Carla Pihowich, director of marketing, Imation. “With Labelflash DVD-Rs, consumers have another solution to take their digital creations to a new level of design and personalization that can resist damage from smudges, scratches and the test of time.”
Memorex's Labelflash DVD media will be available this month and is priced at $14.99 for a pack of 10. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
AOpen has officially announced their new 20x "Super Multi" drive, the DSW2012SA. Along with support for Serial ATA, the DSW2012SA features 20x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds.

AOpen, the leading DVD drive manufacturer, announces the new 20x multi- format internal DVD RW drive with the SATA interface -- DSW2012SA. With its blazing fast 20x writing speed and "All You Can Write" capability, AOpen DSW2012SA supports virtually all disk formats, including DVD±R/R DL/RW, DVD-RAM and D-R/RW. Being one of the few complete DVD/CD RW solutions in the industry, AOpen DSW2012SA is also the first DVD writer in the industry to use the SATA interface, making a giant leap in data transfer rate between DVD Drive and motherboard to a level of 150MB/s Ultra-DMA5. This allows users to always pioneer in major PC trends.

AOpen DSW2012SA is one of the few DVD RW drives that supports up to 20x DVD±R and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Its DVD±R DL Double/Dual Layer technology can also write up to 8.5GB data to a DVD disk at 8x speed. With its already mature CD writing technology, AOpen DSW2012SA lets you write disks of all formats using one single drive.
No word yet on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, AOpen's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Moser Baer announced today that they will be entering the PC peripherals market with their own line of optical disc drives. The company has partnered with Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions and will be selling combo drives and DVD writers under the name “Moser Baer-Lite-on”.
Moser Baer, India's largest and world’s second largest optical storage manufacturer today announced the launch of its Optical Disk Drive (ODD) i.e. Combo drive and DVD writer, which also marks the company's foray into the PC peripherals industry. Moser Baer in partnership with Taiwan’s Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions Corp., the world’s largest OEM/ODM optical disc drive manufacturer has launched their ODDs in India in the name of “Moser Baer-Lite-on”.

Having established itself as a global leader in the high technology manufacturing space and the global blank optical storage media industry, Moser Baer is now leveraging upon its existing synergies, established brand equity and large distribution network in the domestic market to enter the PC Peripherals market. Moser Baer brand is recognized for high quality products which the company now plans to extend into the fast growing PC Peripherals market in India, given its credibility amongst the drive manufacturers. The company plans to enter this market by launching products in five metros and create a niche for itself.
If you'd like to read more, Moser Baer's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

A4Tech X7 G100 Gaming Keyboard Pro @ThinkComputers.org
Antec TruePower Quattro 850W Modular PSU TPQ-850 @Benchmark Reviews
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Hitachi Deskstar 7k1000 1TB Hard Drive @HardwareLogic
Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Edition @OCModShop
Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini 80GB External Hard Drive @Bigbruin.com
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SteelSeries S&S Mousepad @DV Hardware
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Thermaltake LANBOX Lite Enclosure @Virtual-Hideout
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OCZ Technology recently announced two new USB 2.0 flash drives, the ATV and ATV Turbo. Designed to operate under harsh environments, the ATV and ATV Turbo feature a shock and water-proof design. The ATV Turbo also takes performance to a whole new level with 35MB/s write and 35MB/s read speeds.

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the toughest and fastest additions to its award-winning lineup of flash drives. The all-new ATV and ATV Turbo are ruggedized storage solutions for professionals, students, and gamers on the go, and are built to handle whatever rough terrain you encounter. Developed to compete with the fastest flash drives in the world, the ATV Turbo features unbelievable speed for today’s busy lifestyles.
If you'd like to read more, OCZ's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Until now, Nero's SecurDisc Technology has been available on only a few select drives like the LG GSA-H55L. At IFA, Nero announced that SecurDisc would be integrated into two more of LG's drives, the external GSA-E60N/L and slim portable GSA-E50N/L.
Nero, leaders in digital media technology, today announced the global availability of SecurDisc-enabled drives from LG Electronics, Inc. The addition of SecurDisc technology to the new LG GSA-E60N/L LG 20x External DVD Rewriter and the LG GSA-E50N/L Slim Portable provides secure data protection and content access control for data recorded on regular CD and DVD formats.

"With international headlines focused on the dangers of information loss, data security and document protection have become top of mind for consumers worldwide," said Charly Lippoth, Chief Technology Officer, Nero AG. "Information owners are increasingly aware of the need for strong access controls, and Nero continues to set the standard for what end-users will come to expect in ensuring the security of their files. The global availability of LG SecurDisc-enabled drives speaks to the market demand for this functionality."
If you'd like to read more, Nero's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment