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Hewlett-Packard (HP) has reduced the initial licensing fee to use its LightScribe technology to US$250,000-300,000 in order to encourage leading manufacturers of optical disc drives in Taiwan to adopt the technology over the competing LabelFlash technology developed by Fujifilm and Yamaha Corporation, according to industry sources. LightScribe and LabelFlash allows users to directly burn a label onto specially coated DVD discs.If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
With CMC Magnetics and Prodisc Technology the only two Taiwan-based makers adopting LightScribe, HP's promotion of the direct labeling technology in Taiwan has fallen short of expectations, the sources pointed out. HP lowered its initial licensing fee to produce LightScribe drives to encourage more manufacturers to make optical drives using the technology. HP is willing to negotiate the amount of the initial licensing fee and royalty payments with interested Taiwan-based makers, the sources indicated.
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A local court has imposed a provisional seizure of assets on Optodisc Technology, a second-tier maker of optical discs in Taiwan, as well as on the personal assets owned by company chairman David Wang and president Jasper Chao, according to the company's filings with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) on July 21.If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Two Taiwan-based banks, TC Bank and the Bank of Kaohsiung, asked for the provisional seizure to protect their creditor rights, according to the filings. According to the local court's decision, the provisional seizure covers a portion of Optodisc's factory buildings and manufacturing equipment as well as part of the personal assets of Wang and Chao, noted the filings.
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Lite-On IT delivered 500,000 slim-type DVD burners a month last quarter, for the first time gaining the upper hand over Quanta Storage in monthly shipment volume of slim-type DVD burners, according to industry sources. (Slim-type DVD burners are used in notebook PCs.)If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Quanta Storage is currently the largest maker of slim-type optical disc drives (ODDs) in Taiwan and shipped 300,000 slim-type DVD burners a month last quarter, the sources indicated. Since Quanta Storage obtained Dell's certification for slim-type DVD burners last quarter, the company's monthly shipment volume is expected to increase in the second half of this year, the sources noted.
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The DVD+RW Alliance, in light of Taiwan's importance in the production of optical discs and drives, will set up a Taiwan branch of its DVD+RW Compatibility and Convergence Group (DCCG), the Taiwan Compatibility and Convergence Group (TCCG), tentatively by September of this year, according to the alliance at a seminar in Taipei on July 19.The article also mentions that DCCG has offered certification for 8x DVD+RW DL discs to several makers and plans to finish the specs for 16x DVD+RW DL media at the end of this year. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Currently, Taiwan-based makers of DVD+R/RW burners and discs have to send their products to DCCG in Japan for compatibility testing and verification and the establishment of TCCG will reduce time and costs for the makers, according to industry sources.
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The VRD-MC3 and VRD-VC30 will ship in October and will cost about $250 and $200 respectively. More information can be found on Sony's website. Add a comment
Sony Electronics today expanded its DVDirect DVD recorder family with two new models - the video- and digital photo-capable VRD-MC3 and the video-only VRD-VC30 recorders.
Both sport "computer-free" synchronization with Sony's new Hard Disk Handycam camcorders, making it easier than ever to preserve and share memories.
The next-generation DVDirect recorders also enable easy, real-time recording of home video footage, digital still images (VRD-MC3 only) and TV shows from digital video recorders to DVDs, all without the need for a computer.
