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09 March 2007

Biostar VIA K8M800 Motherboard With Athlon 64 3000+ CPU Combo @ThinkComputers.org
ZeroTherm GX815 GPU Cooler @BCCHardware
NZXT ZERO Case @Madshrimps
Foxconn N68S7AA-8EKRS2H nForce 680i Motherboard @TweakTown
Geforce 8800 GTS 320Mb Roundup @Madshrimps

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Home Entertainment

09 March 2007

Vivid Entertainment has announced that they will be releasing "Debbie Does Dallas...Again" in both Blu-ray and HD DVD. While not the first adult title to be released in high-def, it is the first available in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats.

Vivid is the world's leading film studio and produces over 60 movies a year, but this particular production has already received widespread press attention because it is the first in the adult film industry to be available in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats and is also the first high definition feature with multiple camera angle options. The film will be sold in a three-disc set including the original "Debbie Does Dallas."

"Debbie Does Dallas...Again" will hit store shelves on April 18th. If you'd like to read more, Vivid's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

09 March 2007

DigiTimes has reported that the global demand for DVD±R DL discs may than double in 2007. According to their article, the increased demand is due to popularity of HD TV and the high costs of Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD media.

The global demand for 8.5GB DVD+R/-R DL (single-sided double-layer) discs, due to fast growing demand for full HD (high-definition) TV, may increase by 122% from an estimated 90 million discs in 2006 to 200 million discs in 2007, according to Japan-based market survey organization BOC at a round robin test seminar held in Taipei by the RW PPI (Re-writable Products Promotion Initiative) under the Japan-based DVD Forum on March 8.

The article also points out that Blu-ray and HD DVD discs are expected to account for 2% of total disc sales in 2007 and 11% in 2011. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

08 March 2007

While Blu-ray is the top dog in the US, DigiTimes has reported that HD DVD currently holds an 85% market share in Europe.

Toshiba, mainly through its US$499 HD-E1 HD DVD player, accounted for an 85% market share of next-generation blue-laser optical disc drives/players/recorders sold in Europe in January of this year, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Sony and Samsung Electronics, proponents of the competing Blu-ray Disc (BD) format, together accounted for the remaining 15% of the European market, the sources said, citing statistics by GfK Marketing Services. Prior to the launch of the HD-E1, Toshiba's European market share for blue-laser products in 2006 was only 58%, the sources pointed out. Though HD DVD currently has a lead in Europe, the upcoming launch there of Sony's Blu-ray equipped PS3 game console is expected to heat up competition between the two formats.

As DigiTimes points out, this is likely to change when the PS3 launches in Europe later this month. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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08 March 2007

New Medium Enterprises (NME) has announced that it will be debuting its HD VMD PC products this week at MEDIA-TECH. The company will also demonstrate its true HD VMD 20 (GB) disc playback using an "off the shelf" DVD drive.

New Medium Enterprises (NME) (OTC BB:NMEN.OB - News) today announced that it is publicly debuting its HD VMD PC products this week at MEDIA-TECH, the renowned annual conference for the packaged media manufacturing industry taking place in Barcelona, Spain.

NME's HD VMD PC technology will enable consumers to make their current PC drives compatible with VMD playback format through a simple download, and will also offer PC manufacturers VMD drives for future VMD technology formats. NME will officially demonstrate its true HD VMD 20 (GB) disc playback with an ``off the shelf'' DVD drive equipped with HD VMD PC playback software, along with its new HD VMD media player. The proprietary PC drives will go on sale in Q3 07.

I must admit that I've really been looking forward to NME's HD VMD PC products. The ability to playback HD VMD titles using your existing hardware just sweetens the deal. If you'd like to read more, NME's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

08 March 2007

Ricoh Europe has announed the launch of the world's first 16x DVD+R DL media. The discs have already been certified by the DVD+R/+RW Verification Laboratories Group and will ship to hardware manufacturers on March 7th, 2007.

With its recently launched 16x DVD+R Double Layer, Ricoh has significantly raised the standards for fast DL blank discs. At the same time this milestone has once again revealed the company's high level of technical competency in the field of innovative high-speed media development. This is confirmed by the certificate issued by the Verification Laboratories Group which sets the official standards for the new Double Layer DVD+R media with write speeds of up to 16x. Delivery of the first samples for hardware manufacturers started on 7th March 2007.

No word on price. However, Ricoh plans to start sales in summer of 2007. If you'd like to read more, Ricoh's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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07 March 2007

Microsoft Zune @The TechZone
Antec TruePower Trio 650 Watt Power Supply @Futurelooks
XClio StablePower 850 Watt Power Supply @Tweaknews.net
Xclio A380 Super Tower Case @Bigbruin.com

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07 March 2007

Imation has announced that they will be showcasing several products under its Imation and Memorex brands at the PMA 07 International Convention & Trade Show. Along with a selection of flash drives, the company will have its inkjet printable media and Odyssey disk storage system on display.

Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN - News), a worldwide leader in removable data storage media, will showcase several products under its Imation and Memorex brands on the eve of the PMA 07 International Convention & Trade Show. The Memorex and Imation brands of Imation Corp deliver a variety of innovative optical and flash solutions for professional photographers and photo enthusiasts, as well as consumers and business professionals. Many of these products will be on display at the DigitalFocus press event tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.

"When working with digital images -- either for business or fun -- you need to be confident that you have reliable solutions to transfer, store and protect your creations," said Steven Swenson, product line manager, Imation Corp. "Through both the Memorex and Imation brands, photographers of all levels have access to the tools they need to safeguard their work and share their digital lives no matter where they go."

More information, including a full list of products on display, can be found on Imation's website. Add a comment

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Software

07 March 2007

Erik Deppe has released yet another version of CD-DVD Speed. Along with the usual bug fixes and improvements, this version adds TA jitter testing for some of Lite-On's more recent drives as well as support for DVD-RW DL and DVD+RW DL media.

CD-DVD Speed v4.7.5.0 - Download

• Added TA jitter test for recent LiteOn drives
• Added support for DVD-RW DL and DVD+RW DL
• Disc Quality Test
  • Improved jitter reporting for LiteOn drives
  • Added recorder information in statistics window
  • PI/PIF averages calculated differently
• Added support for hybrid discs
• File dialogs are resizable
• Small improvements and bug fixes

More information can be found on the CD Speed website. Also, feel free to share your experiences in our forum. Add a comment