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Home Entertainment

26 February 2007

Sony has announced plans to introduce a new Blu-ray Disc player this summer. Smaller and more affordable than Sony's first generation player, the BDP-S300 is expected to cost only $599.

Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). said Monday it is bringing out a cheaper player for Blu-ray discs early this summer, a crucial step in its battle to make the high-definition format the replacement for DVDs.

The BDP-S300 will cost $599, yet will have the same capabilities as the $999 BDP-S1 Sony is currently selling, said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the home products division of Sony Electronics.

Sony and Samsung Corp., which also makes a Blu-ray player, have been undersold by Toshiba Corp.'s players for the rival HD DVD format. Toshiba has a model on the market for $499.

Sony still has a way to go in regards to price if they want to compete with Toshiba. You can already get the Toshiba HD-A2 for less than $400 and by summer, it will probably drop even more. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Software

26 February 2007

The folks at BHA sent us an email this morning, letting us know that B's Recorder GOLD8 and B's CLiP6 now support Windows Vista. One of the more recent updates to B's CLiP6 also adds support for DVD-RAM media. If you'd like to try them out, the updates for B's Recorder GOLD8 and B's CLiP6 can be downloaded for free from BHA's website. Add a comment

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Other

23 February 2007

OCZ ProXStream 1000 Watt Power Supply @TweakTown
ATP Electronics Pro Max 4GB SDHC @The TechZone
CoolerMaster Mars CPU Cooler @Futurelooks
Zalman HD135 HTPC Case @BCCHardware
Cooler Master CM Media 280 Convertible HTPC Case @Bigbruin.com

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Home Entertainment

23 February 2007

Home Media Magazine has reported that overall sales have finally tipped in favor of Blu-ray. As of February 18th, Blu-ray had sold 100 units to every 98.71 units of HD DVD.

The scales tipped in favor of Blu-ray Disc the week ended Feb. 18, according to preliminary data.

Since the inception of both formats, the Sony-backed Blu-ray disc has now sold more units than its Toshiba-backed HD DVD competitor, according to Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data.

Buoyed by a rush of titles this year, Blu-ray has racked up a slight lead in unit sales — 100 units to every 98.71 units of HD DVD — since the inception of both formats, according to First Alert data.

HD DVD has pretty much blown its lead and with Amazon.com stocking 50% more Blu-ray titles, you really have to wonder what's going to happen with the format. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

23 February 2007

The RW Products Promotion Initiative (RWPPI) has announced that they've completed the fourth round of DVD compatibility tests. According to their press release, forty seven companies have participated with a total of 164 product models being tested.

The RW Products Promotion Initiative (RWPPI, Representative Director: Koki Aizawa) and the Recordable DVD Council) RDVDC, Chairman: Bon-Guk Koo) have completed their DVD compatibility tests jointly conducted since June 2006. These tests were conducted on products compatible with recordable DVD: 6x to 12x DVD-RAM, 8cm DVD-RW, 16x speed DVD-R, and 4x and 8x DVD-R DL (Dual Layer). The test results were jointly announced on 23rd February at Conference Square M+ (M plus) (Marunouchi, Tokyo). The current round of compatibility tests was the fourth round of the compatibility tests jointed conducted by RWPPI and RDVDC. In the previous round, tests were conducted on 5x DVD-RAM, 6x to 12x speed DVD-RAM (tester only), 6x speed DVD-RW and 16x speed DVD-R, and their results were announced in April 2006. Detailed results of these tests are available at the website of RWPPI and RDVDC.

The RWPPI and RDVDC plan to continue their compatibility tests when faster DVD media is developed. If you'd like to read more, the RWPPI's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Software

22 February 2007

Sonic has announced the availability of a Vista compatible version of Roxio Central. Built upon Vista's design architecture, this new version offers a less cluttered screen environment and faster access to applications and frequent tasks.

Roxio, a division of Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced the availability of a new Windows Vista-compatible version of Roxio Central, which takes full advantage of the new Windows Vista design architecture to deliver a truly intuitive, interactive, and visually-rich software experience. Roxio Central serves as a core access point to digital media tasks across Roxio's software products and offers digital media recording and backup features. The latest version is designed to allow consumers to experience the many benefits of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), the new user interface development architecture that enables the incorporation of rich 3D graphics, animations, transitions, and stunning icons.

Roxio Central can be downloaded for free here. Otherwise, more information can be found on Roxio's website. Add a comment

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Other

22 February 2007

For the last year or so, the MPEG LA has been trying to get all the various Blu-ray Disc patent holders to come together and create a joint license. According to their most recent press release, the group has made significant progress in identifying licensing terms.

MPEG LA announced today that the fourth meeting of essential Blu-ray Disc(TM) patent owners, currently consisting of 18 companies, was held in New York on February 6-7 for the purpose of creating a joint license providing fair, reasonable, non-discriminatory access to essential patents, as an alternative to negotiating separate licenses. Significant progress has been made in identifying licensing terms for Blu-ray Disc(TM) products such as players, recorders, drives, software, recordable discs and prerecorded discs. Participating companies include CyberLink Corporation; Dell Inc.; Hewlett-Packard Company; Hitachi Ltd.; Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; LG Electronics Inc.; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic); Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Pioneer Corporation; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.; Sharp Corporation; Sonic Solutions; Sony Corporation; TDK Corporation; Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.; and Warner Home Video Inc.

Additional patent holder meetings are planned, and work on the joint license will continue. More information can be found here. Add a comment

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Other

21 February 2007

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro @BCCHardware
CORSAIR Flash Voyager 8 GB USB 2.0 Drive @Futurelooks
OCZ Technology ProXStream 1000 Watt Power Supply @Tweaknews.net,Overclockers Online
Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Gamer Case @Bigbruin.com
JVC LT-46FN97 46'' 1080p LCD HDTV @I4U

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Optical Storage

21 February 2007

Imation sent out a press release morning, announcing the industry's first water-resistant, inkjet printable Blu-ray media. Thanks to Imation's AquaGuard technology, these new discs are resistant to both water and smearing.

Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN), a worldwide leader in removable data storage media, today announced the world's first inkjet printable and water-resistant Blu-ray media. Optimized for professional disc duplication, users can record high-definition video, gaming, data and other content on Imation Inkjet Printable BD-R Media with AquaGuard(TM) technology, then print water- and smear-resistant graphics and text right on the disc's surface. The discs are compatible with Blu-ray disc players and recorders, including the Primera(R) Bravo XR-Blu Disc Publisher and the Bravo SE Blu, the world's first automated burn and print devices to support high-capacity Blu-ray media. Imation Inkjet Printable Media with AquaGuard technology also is ideal for reliable business backup of high-capacity digital files.

Imation's Inkjet Printable BD-R Media with AquaGuard technology is shipping now for a suggested retail price of $24.99 per disc. More information can be found here. Add a comment