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Optical Storage
Verbatim has announced that they will begin shipping their Blue-ray Recordable/Rewriteable media in early 2006. Initial products will include 25GB single layer media in both write-once (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) formats.
Verbatim Corporation and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Verbatim/MKM), announced today that it will begin shipping its new Blue-ray Recordable/Rewriteable media in early 2006 when hardware and software products supporting the formats are launched. Produced at MKM's optical disc manufacturing facility in Mizushima, Japan, Verbatim initial products will include 25GB single layer media in both write-once (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) formats. Verbatim/MKM has already supplied burner/recorder manufacturers and their software suppliers with engineering samples of its new high-capacity media for securing read/write compatibility.

"Our automated manufacturing equipment is in place and we have confirmed the feasibility of mass production of BD-R and BD-RE media," said Tim Clatterbuck, Verbatim Optical Storage Manager. "We are just waiting for licensing and media qualification procedures to be established. As a true manufacturer, Verbatim looks forward to leading the industry in the production of high-quality, next-generation media as we did with CD and DVD recordable products. Our experience with DVD dual layer manufacturing also gives us a head start in producing 50GB dual layer Blu-ray media for launch later this year."
Verbatim's Blu-ray media will also include Verbatim BD media will include a proprietary super-hard coat developed by MKM. This protective coating protects the data layer from scratches and fingerprints and allows the usage of the media in a bare disc form, without a cartridge. More information on Verbatim's Blu-ray media can be found here. Add a comment

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Software
Droppix let us know that their Droppix Label Maker Pro software has received LightScribe certification from HP. This software is also the first with the ability to print to multiple LightScribe-enabled drives at once.
2006—Droppix, the new gold standard in digital media technology, today announced its new LightScribe-compliant Droppix Label Maker Pro software (multi-drive version) for creating and printing multiple professional quality CD and DVD labels simultaneously.

Droppix Label Maker Pro with LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling technology provides a complete and intuitive solution for creating customized labels for CDs and DVDs and printing them directly on the surface of multiple discs simultaneously via LightScribe-enabled optical drives.
If you'd like to read more, Droppix's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
Memorex isn't the only company offering Blu-ray and HD DVD media. Fuji Photo Film USA has announced that they will be releasing their media the summer of 2006 and that they are continuing to look into holographic storage technologies.
Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of the leading global imaging and information technologies company, today announced that Fujifilm-branded Blu-ray and HD DVD media will be available mid 2006. Prototypes of the new Fujifilm HD DVD and Blu-ray media will be on display at the Fujifilm booth at CES 2006 (Central Hall, N101/102).

The company also continues to conduct significant research and development in the area of holographic storage technologies that will bring future generation, multiple terabyte optical storage capacity to consumer, entertainment and commercial applications. A single terabyte of holographic disc storage is roughly the equivalent of 16 days of continuously running DVD movies, or 8,000 times more data than a human brain retains in a lifetime.
It's good to see that media manufacturers are getting ready for the flood of Blu-ray and HD DVD products that will be coming out later this year. If you'd like to read more, Fuji's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
Last but not least, Memorex has announced that they will be offering Blu-ray and HD DVD media this spring. Both formats will utilize their DuraLayer technology.
Memorex, the number one North American retail provider of digital media, will add the highly anticipated High Definition DVD (HD-DVD) and Blu-ray formats to its industry-leading family of recordable optical media early this year. The high definition discs will feature Memorex's DuraLayer Technology, a special scratch-resistant hard coating that protects media from dust, debris and rough handling.

HD-DVD and Blu-ray both feature very large storage capacities and high data transfer rates, making them ideal for consumers interested in recording high definition TV shows, sporting events and movies in crystal-clear, high-definition resolution. Both formats also offer high capacity storage capability for all data storage needs. The HD-DVD format supports 15GB of capacity on a single layer and 30GB on a double layer disc, while Blu-ray DVDs support 25GB of capacity on a single layer and 50GB on a double layer disc. In contrast, today's standard DVDs store up to 4.7GB on a single layer or 8.5GB on a double layer disc.
Memorex is expected to announce pricing later this year. If you'd like to read more, the entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
Memorex has also announced the release of their 8x DVD+R DL and 4x DVD-R DL media. Here's part of their press release:
Memorex, the number one North American retail provider of digital media, adds to its industry-leading line-up with the highest performing Double and Dual Layer (DL) DVD media available. Memorex 8X DVD+R Double Layer and 4X DVD-R Dual Layer discs deliver the industry's fastest recording speeds and up to 8.5 GB of recording capacity.

Ideally suited for home entertainment enthusiasts, Memorex DL media can record movies or other content, featuring 80 percent more capacity than a standard DVD. Longer continuous recording makes Memorex DL media ideal for recording movies, music and sporting events. DL discs offer DVD-quality picture resolution with four hours of recording time - about two hours more than a single layer DVD - accommodating most standard length movies on one disc. In addition to entertainment fans, computer users also will find high-capacity double layer DVDs to be an ideal back-up and storage medium for their data files.
Memorex's 8x DVD+R DL and 4x DVD-R DL media is expected to ship later this month. Suggested retail prices for both formats are $29.99 for a five-pack with slim jewel cases or $39.99 for a 10-pack spindle. More information can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
Memorex has announced their new line of Pro Gold Archival Media. Using a 24-karat gold reflective layer and Memorex's DuraLayer technology, these new discs last up to six times longer than traditional media.

Memorex, the number one North American retail provider of digital media, brings the durability and longevity of 24-karat gold to its industry-leading family of recordable media. Memorex combines a 24-karat gold reflective layer, high performance dye and its innovative DuraLayer scratch-resistant technology to create Memorex Pro Gold Archival CD and DVD Media. These archival grade discs raise the bar for optical media, come backed by a lifetime warranty, and will be the only gold archival media available at retail in the United States.

Memorex Pro Gold Archival Media is the ultimate solution for securely recording and archiving critical data and precious memories. The 24-karat gold reflective layer provides maximum resistance to aging and chemical breakdown, and the high performance dye is extremely stable and ideal for long-term storage. Memorex's innovative DuraLayer technology is a special scratch-resistant hard coating that further protects the discs from dust, debris and rough handling. Memorex offers Pro Gold Archival Media in CD-R and DVD-R formats, making them the ideal choice for long-term archival of important data, photos, music and home movies.
Memorex Pro Gold Archival media will be available this April. More information can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
According to an article at DigiTimes, Lite-On expects the global demand for DVD burners to hit 120 million this year.
Global demand for DVD burners, thanks to continued drops in prices, will rise to 120 million units this year, growing by 50% from 2005, according to general manager Michael Gong for the Optical Disc Drive Business Unit of Lite-On IT.

Part of the increased demand in 2006 is due to replacement of Combo drives (CD-RW plus DVD-ROM) with DVD burners because the price gap between the two have narrowed, Gong pointed out. Super Multi (triple standards) may supersede Dual modes as the mainstream type of DVD burners this year, Gong indicated.
If you want to read the entire article, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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Software
If you're heading out to Vegas for CES this week, make sure you stop by Nero's booth as they will be demonstrating their new technologies and software.
Nero, leaders in digital media technology, will take the stage in Vegas to expose their hottest products and technologies for 2006: Nero 7, Nero SIPPS(TM) Connect, Nero PhotoShow Deluxe 4, and Nero Digital(TM), along with HD delivery supporting Blu-ray and HD DVD...

...And finally, Nero will demonstrate their MPEG-4 standards-compliant Nero Digital(TM), harnessing the highest standards available in audio and video compression while delivering tomorrow's high-definition multimedia, including the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats. All HD technologies are definitely not created equal, and Nero will show why its implementation of these technologies will lead the pack of HD solutions.
If you'd like to read more about Nero's new technologies and software, their entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Other
The guys at CD Freaks have taken a look at ASUS's new 16x DVD±RW, the DRW-1608P2. Here's what they had to say about this Pioneer DVR-110D based drive:
The ASUS DRW-1608P2, which is based on Pioneer DVR-110D, is one of the world's first burners to support 8x write speed on DVD-R DL media. The drive also supports 8x write speed on DVD+R DL media with very good results. The write time to complete the Dual/Double Layer burn is also pretty fast.
We too have a review of the DRW-1608P2 in the works. In the mean time, head on over to CD Freaks and check out their review. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment
Broadcom has announced that they've developed a High-Definition decoder chip for set-top boxes. With support for H.264 and VC-1, the chip is compliant with both the HD DVD and Blu-ray formats.
Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM - News), a global leader in wired and wireless broadband communications semiconductors, today announced the industry's first high definition (HD) audio/video decoder chip that is fully compliant with the emerging Blu-ray(TM) and HD DVD(TM) optical disc formats. Compliance with Blu-ray and HD DVD formats permits the recording and playback of high definition video on blue laser-based optical disc media and drives. Broadcom's latest high definition decoder chip enables a new generation of consumer electronics devices that can decode compressed HD video stored on Blu-ray or HD DVD formatted discs.
If you'd like to read more, Broadcom's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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