Corel has announced that InterVideo WinDVD BD now supports the full range of Blu-ray formats, including BD-RE 3.0 and BD-R 2.0. The software will also be showcased this week at Corel's CES booth.
Corel Corporation (NASDAQ:CREL - News; TSX:CRE - News), a leading provider of digital media software, today announced that InterVideo WinDVD BD software now supports playback of rewriteable Blu-ray Discs, BD-RE 3.0 (BDMV format on BD-RE) as well as BD-R 2.0 (BDMV format on BD-R) and BD-ROM discs. Corel's next-generation Blu-ray (BD) playback solution will be showcased this week at Corel's CES Booth, South Hall - 4/35377. Visitors to the booth will learn first-hand how WinDVD BD can be combined with notebooks, barebone systems and TV tuners to maximize the high-definition experience.
The press release also mentions that WinDVD BD is being bundled with Plextor's new Blu-ray Disc writer, the PX-B900A. Of course, we wouldn't know this as Plextor has not sent us one yet (hint hint). If you'd like to read more, Corel's entire announcement can be found here. Add a comment
Aleratec recently announced a new DVD/CD autoloading disc duplicator with LightScribe technology. Thanks to its auto loading mechanism, the 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Publisher LS can duplicate or burn a label onto as many as 200 discs without any user intervention.
Aleratec, developer and manufacturer of Aleratec Award Winning DVD/CD Duplicating and Publishing Solutions announced today another industry first, a DVD/CD autoloading disc duplicator with LightScribe technology that burns labels directly on DVD/CD discs. The 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Publisher LS -- the only robotic LightScribe disc publisher on the market -- automatically records and duplicates DVDs and CDs, and then burns silkscreen quality labels on the discs without a printer.

"Prosumers have been delighted with our LightScribe based personal and production disc publishing solutions and have insisted on an automated version that they can load with blank discs, walk away and come back later to a finished disc duplicating or labeling job," stated Perry Solomon, Aleratec President and CEO. "To this end, we have developed the 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Publisher LS combining the advantages of LightScribe direct disc labeling with our proven robotic autoloader technology. Customers can duplicate up to 200 DVDs or CDs completely unattended, then just flip the discs over and it will laser burn silkscreen quality labels direct to the discs with no operator intervention. No printer is needed and that's important as customers do not want to be tethered to costly solutions with expensive proprietary consumables which are common characteristics of most disc publishing systems."
The 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Publisher LS isn't listed on Aleratec's website yet. However, it is expected to run about $2999. More information can be found here. Add a comment
Along with their new Blu-ray Disc products, TDK is showcasing their CD and DVD media in Snap N' Save cases. An alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cases offer greater protection and organization options.
TDK, a world leader in digital recording solutions, is exhibiting its Snap N' Save product line, recordable DVD and CD media supplied in innovative Snap N' Save cases, at the 2007 International CES, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 8-11, 2007 (TDK booth #N215). Offering the ultimate combination of robust disc protection and compact media storage, Snap N' Save cases snap closed, securely protecting your discs by sealing out dirt, dust and other contaminants that can have a negative impact on media performance. A new alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cuts down on case clutter, enables storing multiple disc sets together for superior organization, and seamlessly integrates with your home media library. TDK is offering DVD and CD media in Snap N' Save cases in a variety of colors and pack sizes.
Media using TDK's Snap N' Save cases are available now. More information, including prices, can be found here. Add a comment
ArcSoft has announced their new TotalMedia Extreme software suite. With its four primary applications, the TotalMedia Extreme suite can be used to playback and create Blu-ray titles.
ArcSoft, Inc. announced today at CES its full suite of Blu-ray solutions, including playback, video editing and authoring, plus data backup. ArcSoft TotalMedia(TM) Extreme is a suite of applications that allows consumers to play video, create and edit video and music discs, and back up files, using either Blu-ray discs (BDs), DVDs, or CDs. The component programs are fully integrated, providing an elegant and unified home entertainment experience. ArcSoft Digital Theatre(TM) 2, one of the TotalMedia Extreme applications, is also available as a standalone program. In addition to playing commercial and homemade DVD movies, Digital Theatre plays Blu-ray discs, HD DVDs, AVCHDs, CDs, and a variety of multimedia files.
TotalMedia Extreme is available now for OEM licensing and is expected to hit retail in the near future for $149.99. Digital Theatre 2 can also be purchased separately for $69.99. More information can be found on ArcSoft's website. Add a comment
The Blu-ray Disc Association sent out a press release this afternoon, declaring victory over HD DVD as the high definition DVD format of choice.
The Blu-ray Disc Association today declared its victory as the premiere high definition DVD format of choice. Debuted to the U.S. market in June 2006, over 25 companies have released Blu-ray Disc products to date, including players, recorders, high-definition computer drives, recordable media, PC applications, and announced almost 170 movie and music titles.

Driving demand for high definition content, more than one million Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) units, each featuring a Blu-ray Disc drive, were shipped to the United States in 2006, from launch through the end of the year, as reported by Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA). Demand for PS3 has been extremely high, and according to a recent SCEA survey of over 10,000 PS3 owners, 80 percent indicated they will buy Blu-ray movies and 75 percent said they use the PS3 as a primary device for viewing movies.
It's going to be interesting to see how the HD DVD Promotions Group responds to this. If you'd like to read more, the Blu-ray Disc Association's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Good news for those planning to get an HD DVD writer. Verbatim has announced that, once hardware becomes available, they will begin shipping dual-layer 30GB HD DVD-R media to the North American market.

Verbatim Corporation and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Verbatim/MKM) announced today that it will begin shipping single-sided, dual-layer 30GB HD DVD-R media to customers in North America when HD DVD-R DL-compatible hardware becomes available in Q1. The premium-quality dual-layer HD DVD-R media has been shipping throughout Japan since July 2006, when recordable HD DVD hardware first became available.

The high-capacity Verbatim/MKM HD DVD DL media will find extensive application in computer data storage. Business and home users will be able to back up their laptop PCs onto one long-lasting 30GB optical disc. Consumers will also record and enjoy the amazingly sharp images that high-definition video provides. Users will be able to save the data recorded by high-definition camcorders, author and edit the material on their PC, and then burn the content onto HD DVD-R media for viewing on an HD DVD playback device. Many new HD DVD hardware devices will be launched in 2007.
If you'd like to read more, Verbatim's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Verbatim has also announced that they've started producing 50GB Dual Layer BD-R and BD-RE media for the US market. The company also plans to launch 4X rated BD-R media later this year.

Verbatim Corporation and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Verbatim/MKM), announced today that it has started producing 2X speed 50GB Dual Layer (DL) Blu-ray Recordable (BD-R) and Blu-ray Rewriteable (BD-RE) media for shipment to the US market.

Known worldwide for its premier dual-layer technologies since the launch of the world's first DL DVD media under its own brand, Verbatim/MKM has continued to develop and refine its technologies. By leveraging its DL technologies and expertise, Verbatim/MKM now provides high-quality BD DL media.

With the ability to store up to 50GB or about 4 hours of HD-quality video on a single disc without having to flip or change the disc, the new media offers distinct advantages for professional video production, business storage, backup, archiving, radio and television broadcast storage, education, banking, healthcare and government applications.
No word on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, Verbatim's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Pioneer has announced a new Blu-ray Disc combo drive. The BDC-202 can read BD-ROM and BD-R/RE media at speeds as high as 5x and can read and write to most CD and DVD formats.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show today, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. announced the new BDC-202 combination Blu-ray Disc BD-ROM computer drive with enhanced DVD and CD writing and reading capabilities. The newly designed Pioneer drive offers playback of BD-ROM discs allowing users to view Blu-ray Disc high definition programs directly on a properly configured computer. The Pioneer BDC-202 can play multiple Blu-ray Disc formats, as well as provide high-speed reading and writing of DVD and CD formats.

With a focus on BD-ROM playback, the new Pioneer combination computer drive will be a significant contributor in the emergence of the Blu-ray Disc format for both professional and consumer use on computers. In addition to BD-ROM playback, the BDC-202 allows users to access and transfer A/V and data files rapidly to DVD and CD.
No word on price yet. However, Pioneer expects to ship the BDC-202 during the second quarter of 2007. More information, including a list of specs, can be found on Pioneer's website. Add a comment
Nero sent out a press release this morning, announcing their new SecurDisc technology. This new hardware/software solution offers features previously unavailable to optical storage media users including the ability to prohit unauthorized access to data through password protection.
Nero, leaders in digital media technology, today announced SecurDisc, the first solution for the access control and performance reliability of data stored on optical media that allows it to be distributed and shared securely. The benefits of this technology are realized with CD and DVD media authored via SecurDisc-certified devices and carry the SecurDisc logo. Nero is seeking to build a logo-certification program around its new format with software and hardware vendors interested in distinguishing themselves in the marketplace by offering this technology to their customers.

SecurDisc technology offers the following benefits that were previously unavailable to optical storage media users:
  • prohibits unauthorized access to data through password protection
  • detects altered data on authored media through checksum verification
  • increases performance and reliability through redundantly stored data
  • authenticates the origin of data through digital signature verification
  • SecurDisc works with most CD and DVD formats and can be added to existing drives via a firmware update. More information can be found on Nero's website. Add a comment
    With Blu-ray and HD DVD hogging most of the spotlight, most people don't realize that there are other, affordable high-def formats available. One of the more promising alternatives is HD VMD from NME. The company recently announced plans to target PC users by offering affordable HD VMD drives and downloadable playback software.
    NME Creative and Software Division announced today that it has successfully trialled its HD VMD playback software as well as VMD multilayer PC drives.

    The company will release the HD VMD playback software for download in February 2007, initially in 10 regions worldwide. The software will also be offered to hardware manufacturers as a bundling solution.

    The proprietary Multilayer PC drives will go on sale in the 2nd Quarter to playback the 4-layer VMD discs. The VMD multilayer drives will be made available at an affordable price and can replace all existing PC disc drives.
    While NME has yet to break into the US market, they've signed distribution deals in India and parts of Europe. If you'd like to read more, their entire press release can be found here. Add a comment