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05 July 2006

Universal Music is reportedly overhauling the packaging of CD's sold in Europe in an effort to slow the decline of sales. Using a new three-tiered system, Universal plans to offer titles in DeLuxe, Standard or Slim packaging.

Universal Music Group International, the world's largest music company, announced Wednesday that it is overhauling the packaging of compact discs sold in Europe as part of an effort to slow the decline of CD sales as downloading takes hold.

The company unveiled a new three-tiered packaging system for both new albums and older recordings -- "DeLuxe" packaging for top artists' latest releases, "Standard" packaging for all new releases and a slim "Basic" sheathing for old classics.

I have to give Universal credit. Instead of suing grandmas and college students, they're trying to adapt to current market trends. If you'd like to read more about Universal's new packaging, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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04 July 2006

On behalf of the CDRLabs staff, I just wanted to wish all of our U.S. readers a happy Independance Day.



I know that many consider July 4th to be another day off and one more excuse to cook out, drink beer and blow things up. Just remember to take a few minutes to think about what this day is really about. Add a comment

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04 July 2006

The results are in and our readers have chosen the BenQ DW1640 as the top DVD writer for the month of June. Here are the top drives:

1. BenQ DW1640
2. Pioneer DVR-111/A11
3. BenQ DW1650/1655
4. (tied) Lite-On SHM-165H6S/165P6S, LG GSA-4167B, Plextor PX-716A and Plextor PX-755A/755SA

Your favorite drive didn't make it onto the list? Then go and vote for July's top DVD writer. Add a comment

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30 June 2006

Just a reminder that CDRLabs is offering an ad-free subscription-based service. For a low monthly or yearly fee, CDRLabs.com can be viewed without any ads. This subscription service also gives members access to a special "members only" section of the forum and benefits like a larger attachment quota. This is great for all of you that like to upload writing quality scans.

As part of your subscription, you will also get a vanity CDRLabs email address. Powered by Google, this email account comes with a whopping 2GB quota.

As our introductory price, we will be offering the following subscription options:

$1/month subscriptions, with the option of auto-renewing

$10/year subscriptions, with the option of auto-renewing

For instructions on how to subscribe, please see this forum thread. Add a comment

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30 June 2006

The guys at CD Freaks have taken a look at ASUS's new 16x DVD±RW, the DRW-1608P3. Here's what they had to say about this Pioneer DVR-111 based drive:

Following our extensive tests we found that this drive is a very good Multi DVD burner. The ASUS DRW-1608P3S is called "Multi DVD Burner" since it supports recording on all available media formats including CD-R/RW, DVD±R/±RW, DVD±R Double/Dual Layer, and DVD-RAM. It is able to read and write DVD-RAM using a fast 5x CLV method.

We too have a review of the DRW-1608P3 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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28 June 2006

According to an article at IGN, Sony's Playstation 3 console will support HDMI 1.3. Recently finalized, the new 1.3 spec features 48-Bit color and "lip sync support" which will automatically synchronizes audio and video tracks.

The new 1.3 spec HDMI standard will be incorporated in the PlayStation 3. Ken Kutaragi, president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, applauded the 1.3 spec finalization, saying "PlayStation3 will be the most advanced computer platform for enjoying a wide range of entertainment content, including the latest games and HD movies, in the home. By introducing the next-generation HDMI 1.3 technology, with its high speed and deep color capabilities, PS3 will push the boundaries of audiovisual quality to the next level of more natural and smoother expression on the latest large flat panel displays."

Assuming game developers choose to take advantage of 36- and 48-Bit color, the ability to output such a broader color spectrum could give the PS3 a solid technologic advantage over the Xbox 360, which will not be able to transmit such signals over component cables. If the promised, but still not officially announced, Xbox 360 DVI wire comes out, it too will not have the bandwidth to carry the high-Bit color that HDMI 1.3 supports.

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

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27 June 2006

Here's an interesting bit of news. At a recent shareholders' meeting, Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida announced that the company is still interested in developing a unified DVD format.

Toshiba Corp. (6502.T) said on Tuesday it would still like to develop a unified format for advanced optical DVD discs, but two competing -- and incompatible -- products are likely to hit the market at first.

Toshiba is a leading proponent of next-generation HD DVD optical disc technology, which competes with the Blu-ray standard promoted by Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). (6758.T) and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (6752.T), a maker of Panasonic brand electronics.

"We have not given up on a unified format. We would like to seek ways for unifying the standards if opportunities arise," Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida told an annual shareholders' meeting.

This late in the game, we're not going to see a unified format. Both sides have already invested a lot of time and money developing and promoting Blu-ray and HD DVD. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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23 June 2006

Panasonic has announced that they will be launching a Blu-ray Disc authoring service on July 1st. Using Panasonic's state-of-the-art Blu-ray Disc authoring equipment, movie studios will be able to produce titles with 1080p-quality video and advanced interactivity.

Panasonic, the brand for which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, announced today that it will commence Blu-ray Disc entertainment title (for Blu-ray Disc read-only media, or BD-ROM) authoring service for movie studios at Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) in Universal City, California on July 1. Optical discs, like Blu-ray Disc, or conventional DVDs, need to have their content authored as a step toward physical replication of the disc as an entertainment title.

As Panasonic and other electronics manufacturers plan to introduce Blu-ray Disc players this year, Blu-ray titles from the major movie studios are expected to become increasingly available for consumers. The BD-ROM authoring service launched by Panasonic will facilitate the production of Blu-ray Disc titles, so that consumers can experience High-Definition movie entertainment at home.

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

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14 June 2006

CDRLabs has taken an in depth look at Plextor's new 18x DVD±RW, the PX-760A. This highly anticipated drive features some of the fastest reading and writing speeds available. The PX-760A is capable of 18x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 10x DVD+R DL and 6x DVD-R DL writing speeds and has a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. It also supports many of the features we've come to expect from Plextor, including a number of more advanced technologies like GigaRec, Q-Check and AUTOSTRATEGY.

In this review we'll take a look at the features found on the PX-760A and see how it compares to some of the DVD±RW drives from the competition. Are 18x DVD±R writing speeds enough to put the PX-760A on top? You'll have to read the review to find out.

Plextor PX-760A 18x DVD±RW

As usual, if you have any comments or questions about this review or the Plextor PX-760A, please post them in the forum using the link provided below.
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