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27 August 2007

Things aren't looking good for the Taiwan-developed FVD and China-developed EVD formats. According to DigiTimes, FVD and EVD players have been suffering from slow sales due to the lack of titles and increased competition from entry-level Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD players.

Audio/video players of FVD (forward versatile disc), a Taiwan-developed red-laser high-definition DVD standard, and EVD (enhanced versatile disc), a China-developed DVD standard, have faced slack sales in Taiwan and China since the beginning of 2007 because of pricing competition from Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD DVD players as well as insufficient supply of movies using the standards, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

The development of FVD and EVD was motivated by manufacturers in Taiwan and China wanting to avoid having to pay royalties to international companies holding DVD patents, the sources pointed out. In order to promote FVD in China, the Electronics & Optoelectronics Research Lab under the Taiwan government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the developer of FVD, has cooperated with organizations related to EVD in China, including making the two formats mutually compatible, the sources indicated.

If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

24 August 2007

Crave has reported that Mitsubishi is developing a 3D Blu-ray player. While details are still a bit sketchy, Mitsubishi claims that this player will be able to convert existing 2D movies into 3D.

Most of us were pretty impressed by the demo, which included clips from movies, commercials, and sporting events. There was real depth to the 3D, and you got that 3D-feeling of objects poking out at you from the screen. All the demo material had been shot in 3D, but the kicker to the whole presentation was that Mitsubishi apparently has a Blu-ray player in its labs that can convert existing 2D movies into 3D on the fly. Better yet, according to company representatives, it may be available early next year.

Crave also mentions that Mitsubishi is currently talking to one game console manufacturer about integrating this 3D technology into their system. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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23 August 2007

Fujitsu has announced that they've developed a new transcoder LSI that can compress and decompress HD H.264 video in real-time. By converting video to H.264, the MB86H52 can extend the recording time of a device by more than 2.5 times while maintaining the quality of the video.

Fujitsu Limited today announced the development and launch of a new transcoder large-scaled integrated (LSI) chip that can convert full HD (1920dot x 1080line) MPEG-2(1) video data to H.264(2) data and compress data size to less than one-half that of MPEG-2. Sample shipments of the new chip, the MB86H52, will start from September 1, 2007. This new transcoder makes it possible to extend recording time of recording devices such as hard disk recorders by over 2.5 times, as the chip enables data size compression without compromising video quality. The transcoder can also be embedded in a multitude of equipment requiring reduction of data size, and can realize full HD over narrower bandwidths used for home network, the use of which is anticipated to spread hereafter.

Samples of the MB86H52 will start shipping on September 1st and are expected to cost about 25,000 Yen ($215US). More information can be found on Fujitsu's website. Add a comment

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23 August 2007

While HD DVD backers are looking to Paramount and Dreamworks to swing the balance in their favor, the research firm Understanding & Solutions has stated that Blu-ray will still be the winner. According to the firm, most of the industry's support is still behind Blu-ray and this recent decision will do nothing more than prolong the format war.

Research firm Understanding & Solutions reiterated its stance that Blu-ray Disc will prove victorious in the high-definition format war, despite Paramount Home Entertainment’s and DreamWorks Animation’s move to back rival HD DVD exclusively.

During a breakfast update on consumer downloading and high-definition issues here Wednesday, U&S director Jim Bottoms cited as reason the larger number of studio titles produced exclusively for Blu-ray. Also, the Paramount/DreamWorks move to HD DVD exclusivity did not add any new titles to that side, he noted, since the studios until this week supported both formats.

If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

21 August 2007

As we reported yesterday, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation have decided release their titles exclusively on HD DVD. While both studios claimed that the format's lower costs made it the better choice for consumers, the true motivator appears to be a "promotional considerations" paid by HD DVD backers. According to a blog post at Deadline Hollywood Daily, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation received a total of $150 million to drop support for Blu-ray.

I've learned there will be two new developments announced later this week today in the ongoing Blu-ray vs HD-DVD format war: separate HD-DVD deals with Paramount and DreamWorks Animation that involve major millions of dollars. I've got a confidential report from Pali Research managing director Richard S. Greenfield, a media analyst for entertainment and cable, that discussed the deals (see below), spinning them as "the format war is now set to intensify". But sources have given me updated details which show the HD-DVD side is paying through the nose -- I'm told $50 million to Paramount, and $100 million to DreamWorks Animation -- to try to show the strength of what we all know is a dying format.

If you'd like to read more, the entire blog post can be found here. Also, feel free to join the ongoing discussion in our forum. Add a comment

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20 August 2007

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG announced today that they will be releasing their movies exclusively on HD DVD. After evaulating both Blu-ray and HD DVD, the two companies have decided that HD DVD's market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs make it the better of the two formats.

Paramount Pictures, aunit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) and DreamWorks Animation SKG(NYSE: DWA), each announced today that they will exclusively support thenext-generation HD DVD format on a worldwide basis. The exclusive HD DVDcommitment will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures,DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films,as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributedexclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively inthe HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current marketofferings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly itsmarket-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs. Paramount HomeEntertainment will launch its exclusive HD DVD program with the release ofthe blockbuster comedy hit "Blades of Glory" on August 28th and follow withtwo of the biggest grossing movies of the year "Transformers" and "Shrekthe Third". These three titles alone represent more than $1.5 billion inbox office ticket sales worldwide.

If you'd like to read more, the entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

17 August 2007

Sony has announced that they are launching a new marketing campaign to promote their high definition DNA, or "HDNA." The campaign will feature Peyton Manning and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and will focus on high definition products across multiple categories.

Sony Electronics launched its largestintegrated marketing campaign in the U.S., centering on its high definitionDNA known as "HDNA."

The campaign, featuring Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning of theIndianapolis Colts and NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt, Jr., focuses on how Sony'shigh-definition technology in a variety of product categories comestogether to bring consumers unparalleled HD entertainment experiences.

From its professional cameras and projectors used by televisionnetworks and Hollywood studios, to BRAVIA high-definition televisions,Blu-ray players, camcorders, digital cameras and notebook computers, noother company in the consumer electronics industry has the amount or degreeof high-definition expertise that can be shared across so many productlines. In addition, Sony's "HDNA" extends to high-definition entertainmentcontent produced and distributed by its sister companies in the motionpicture, television, music and videogame arenas.

Keep in mind that this marketing campaign isn't focusing solely on Blu-ray. However, with the holiday shopping season on the way, the format will probably be the focus of many of their ads. Full details on Sony's new marketing campaign can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

15 August 2007

While HD DVD is currently dominating the set-top player market, the format has steadily fallen behind Blu-ray in regards to movie sales. According to a report by Home Media Research, Blu-ray movies outsold HD DVD by 2-to-1 in the U.S. during the first half of 2007.

Blu-ray high-definition movie discs outsold films on the rival HD-DVD format by 2-to-1 in the United States in the first half of 2007, Home Media Research said on Tuesday.

The division of Home Media Magazine said total sales of Blu-ray discs, using a Sony Corp-backed technology, totaled 1.6 million units from January 1 through July 1, compared with 795,000 HD-DVD discs sold in that period.

If you look outside the US, the gap is even larger. Media Control GfK International has reported that Blu-ray is currently selling HD DVD by a 3:1 margin. At this point, I don't think price cuts or promotions like free movies are going to save the format. If Toshiba, Microsoft and Universal can't pull off a win this holiday season, they might as well pack it up and go home. Add a comment

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14 August 2007

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) announced today that they're seeing an increase in Blu-ray sales among the world's emerging markets. Since April, Blu-ray sales have accounted for 10% of the company's business in these regions.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) today announced an increase in total Blu-ray Disc(TM) (BD) sales across six emerging markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Eastern Europe, South Africa and the Middle East -- illuminating the positive reception from retailers and consumers for the new high-definition format since its launch just four months ago in April 2007.

Since April, Blu-ray Disc sales have accounted for 10% of SPHE's business in the regions. The company saw a 21% increase in BD orders across the month of June alone. "It is extremely positive to see an increase in volume of BD software sales in these markets where piracy has previously ravaged the DVD business," said T. Paul Miller, Senior Vice President, International, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

If you'd like to read more, SPHE's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment