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- Home Entertainment
While the popularity of Blu-ray is on the rise, this high-def format hasn't been able to make up for declining DVD rentals and sales. According to a study by Screen Digest, global revenues dropped by 4.8% in 2008, resulting in a loss of $2.6 billion. Also, due to the current economic climate, Senior analysts at Screen Digest also don't expect Blu-ray to drive even minimal sector growth until 2010.
The global video business lost more than $2.6bn in 2008 due to a combination of a fall in both DVD purchase and rentals by consumers. The figure, which equates to a downturn of 4.8 percent globally, is published in the latest report from Screen Digest (www.screendigest.com). Whilst the decline in North American DVD sales is well documented, the decline in international markets (global excluding North America) has received less coverage.
Internationally last year consumers spent $26.4bn on video software, with two thirds of that figure ($18.1bn) spent on buying DVD discs. The overall figure represents a 3.6% drop on 2007 spend and a 4.7% drop on disc sales alone. The sales figures are in line with the overall trend which saw consumer spending plateau between 2004 and 2007 and the North American market starting to decline in 2007 which signalled the start of a global downward trend.
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- Flash Memory
Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of the DataTraveler® 200 (DT200), the world's first 128GB USB Flash drive. The large capacity along with password protection gives users the flexibility to carry critical data with them at all times in a very small form factor.
"The new DT200's robust storage capability lets consumers store complete libraries of music, photos and videos. It is also a great tool for business users who carry around large databases or files," said Andrew Ewing, USB business manager, Kingston®. "The password protection helps safeguard data and requires no admin rights, making the DT200 a terrific solution for the home or office."
The Kingston DataTraveler 200 features a capless design to protect the USB connector when not in use and is enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost™. It is available in 32-, 64- and 128GB capacities. The 128GB drive is build-to-order only. Customers who wish to purchase it can place an order through normal channels (e.g., e-tailers or resellers).
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- Hard Disks
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, today announced the launch of two new “Pop” colors, Sweet Pink and Ocean Blue, to its popular S Series external hard drives, along with the introduction of a new 160 Gigabyte (GB) density for the 1.8 inch S1 Mini drive. Samsung’s S Series external hard drives, the 1.8-inch 120GB S1 Mini and 2.5-inch 500GB S2 Portable 2.5 inch external hard drives, were first introduced last October in four colors: Piano Black, Snow White, Wine Red, and Chocolate Brown.
Personal storage is among the fastest growing markets due to an increasing demand for a portable means of storing personal photos, music, HD movies, schoolwork, business data and personal finance information. To illustrate this point, the S series has achieved record-breaking sales during the last six months amid a global economic recession. The monthly sales volume of the S1 Mini and S2 Portable has tripled since last December, linked to a rise in netbook and notebook sales.
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- Flash Memory
Power Quotient International Co., Ltd. （PQI）announces 2.5” SATAII SSD S527 that features a maximum read speed of 240MB/sec and a write speed of 161MB/sec. Both numbers are of significant improvements over products in the same category. S527 uses carefully selected flash memory modules and configured in Raid functionality, transfer rates are dramatically improved. Perfect for professionals often working with large file capacities such as audio / visual or other multimedia formats.
In addition to its ultra fast transfer rate, the 2.5inch PQI S527 has retained its SSD traits of low power consumption, quiet operation, shock and vibration proof. PQI’s S527 is available in 128GB / 256GB capacities and comes with a 2-year warranty.
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- Duplicators
Acronova Technology, Inc., the leading provider of affordable auto-loading systems for CD/DVD/BD, introduces a new ripping feature to the Nimbie series.
The new Nimbie NB11 is a PC-connected, 100-disc autoloader that is ideally designed for in-house duplication, LightScribe disc labeling, data back up, audio ripping and many other customized burning functions. The affordable, compact, user friendly Nimbie is targeted at home, office and studio users who are looking for a cost effective and functional solution. With a newly added audio ripping feature, Nimbie can cater to a more diverse market than traditional duplicators.
The new Windows XP/Vista compatible ripping software, called QQripper, is developed by Broadex Systems, Inc. QQripper works with iTunes or Windows Media Player to enable automated disc loading for unattended music ripping. Simply choose the desired ripping engine to start converting music from CDs to digital audio files. These digital audio files are stored in the HDD to allow users to easily archive their music collection and either play music on the computer or import to iPod or any other MP3 player.
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- Flash Memory
Mimoco’s STAR WARS MIMOBOT line of designer flash drives will explore the dark side with an all-new collection, featuring fan favorite Sith Lords and new versions of classic designs. In addition to the previously announced Darth Maul design, the fourth installment of the popular USB devices will also include a re-imagining of the original MIMOBOT series’ centerpiece – Darth Vader.
The new Darth Vader Unmasked MIMOBOT features a removable helmet, underneath which lurks the scarred countenance of Anakin Skywalker, as played by Hayden Christensen. For added excitement, one in six Darth Vader MIMOBOT drives will unveil “chase” variants of Anakin’s face from Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi – older, paler and at peace, having come to terms with his estranged son Luke.
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- Software
VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced that the recently launched VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs, the VIA Vinyl VT1818S and 1828S, are now supported by ArcSoft’s universal multimedia player, ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre.
With the rising demand for a realistic cinema experience in the comfort of the home, along with the growth in adoption of the Blu-ray Disc video format, VIA and ArcSoft have collaborated to provide an enhanced playback solution that makes home movie viewing more enjoyable than ever.
Essential for uncompromised audio performance, VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs support Blu-ray Disc audio content protection allowing for optimal, 24-bit/192 kHz audio output. Without content protection support, audio quality is dramatically reduced to that of a regular CD with a sampling rate of only 16-bit/48kHz.
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- Duplicators
Addonics Technologies (www.addonics.com) today announced a family of hard drive duplicators – all simple, fast and reliable tools for making an exact copy of any hard drive. The family of duplicators includes the HDD Duplicator, HDD Duplicator PRO, the HDD Duplicator PRO S, and the Zebra HDD Duplicator.
As an example of their copying abilities, the HDD Duplicator PRO can copy from a source drive of any type, from 2.5" to 3.5" hard drive or SSD with either SATA or IDE interface, to a target drive of any kind. With this flexibility, the Duplicator PRO is an ideal tool for cloning another hard drive, for making a back-up hard drive, or for quick data migration from a hard drive or SSD to another any type of hard drive -- no matter its interface or technology difference.
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- Flash Memory
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and computer components, today released the OCZ Agility SATA II 2.5” Solid State Drive (SSD) Series, an affordable offering for mainstream notebook and desktop users demanding the latest technology in this fast-developing sector of the storage market. OCZ continues to place solid state technology within reach of the average consumer, and delivers on the promise of SSDs as an alternative to traditional hard drives in consumer targeted mobile and desktop applications. The Agility Series will join the lineup as the latest solution for mainstream users including professionals, students, gamers, and enthusiasts on a budget.
“The new Agility Series of SSDs are the latest addition to the OCZ lineup of solid state drives and are designed for cost-conscious consumers seeking the performance and reliability benefits of SSDs at an aggressive price,” commented Ryan Edwards, Director of Product Management at the OCZ Technology Group. “The new Agility Series drives make use of cache to deliver better performance over a wide range of functions and applications, all at a price point that makes sense for everyday users.”
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- Home Entertainment
Harman Kardon, a division of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), today announced the introduction of its first Blu-ray Disc™ media player, the Harman Kardon® BDP 1. The Harman Kardon brand, long respected in the sound industry, builds on its home theater heritage by offering the exciting new features of the next-generation of Blu-ray Disc media. By including BD-Live with the BDP 1 player, home-theater buffs who have vast Blu-Ray-disc movie collections have access to a new world of interactive content, including games, ringtones and other specialized Internet content. With its elegant design, the BDP 1 complements high-definition displays and audio/video receivers, while the unique Harman Kardon user interface simplifies setup and operation.
People with existing DVD libraries will be happy to find that the BDP 1 is backward-compatible with standard DVDs. The BDP 1 also elevates standard DVDs to 1080p (via HDMI™ connection), which lets movie aficionados enjoy higher-quality playback than that from a standard DVD player. More than just a movie player, the BDP 1 allows for simultaneous JPEG and MP3 music file playback from discs or USB memory sticks. And users can dazzle their families and friends with a photo slideshow presentation using the BDP 1’s simultaneous playback feature for image and sound files.
