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Sonic announced today that they have signed a Qflix technology licensing agreement with one of Taiwan's leading media manufacturers, CMC Magnetics. According to Sonic's press release, CMC is beginning production on Qflix DVD media and it is expected to be in use by next year.
Sonic Solutions(R)(Nasdaq: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, announced today thatCMC Magnetics Corporation (TSEC: CMC), a leading optical storagemanufacturer, has signed a Qflix(TM) technology and IP licensing agreement.CMC is beginning production on Qflix DVDs, which enable the secure,on-demand recording of digitally distributed entertainment with the sameprotection as commercially mass-produced titles. CMC is currently takingorders for two versions of Qflix media expected to be in broad use nextyear. The first type will be employed by duplication system operatorsproviding custom DVD publishing services to retailers. The second type isdesigned for use in retail movie kiosks as well as in the home, where theywill enable consumers to legally record premium entertainment downloadedfrom the Internet.
If you'd like to read more, Sonic's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Nero sent out a press release this morning, announcing that Nero 8 has been certified for authoring and playback of Blu-ray Disc Video (BDMV) titles. The latest update for Nero 8 also offers improved file encoding speeds and support for Mini HD DVD-Video discs.
Nero 8 has received certification for authoring and playback of writeable Blu-ray Disc Video (BDMV) titles and with the new update now supports advanced and interactive features for High Definition audio and video. The certifications were presented by Sony Corporation’s Blu-ray Disc testing center and ensure maximum compatibility with other Blu-ray devices for trouble-free operation.

The latest update of Nero 8 also includes play back of Mini HD DVD-Video discs, and burning of HD DVD-Video onto DVD-R/RW media. Smart Encoding, a feature that detects compliant incoming data formats from AVCHD camcorders, avoids time-consuming re-encoding by skipping the recoding step for AVCHD content when the destination format is also AVCHD. Advancements in the Nero 8 home entertainment features offer even more flexibility by letting users fast forward, and pause content streamed throughout the digital home via Nero’s home media server application.
While the latest Nero 8 update adds these new features, you will still need to buy the Blu-ray/HD DVD Plug-in to take full advantage of them. If you'd like to read more, Nero's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Nero released a new version of Nero 8 this morning. There is no change log yet. However, this new update brings the version count up to 8.2.8.0. If you'd like to check it out, the update can be downloaded here. As usual, feel free to share your experiences in our forum. Add a comment
The battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD could be coming to an end next year. According to the research firm Screen Digest, the battle could come to an end if major players decided to change allegiances and support one or both formats.
The battle between high-definition formats HD DVD and Blu-ray is also set for a resolution next year, although which side will deliver the knockout blow is still unclear.

"It would only take one major player to shift allegiances to push the tipping point one way or another," said analyst Richard Cooper.

Sony's Blu-ray has enjoyed a good year, boosted by sales of the PlayStation 3 hardware and software. With both sides engaged in price-cutting of their hardware delivery systems, 2008 will see the battle shift to the content arena.
Screen Digest isn't naming any names. However, they're probably expecting Warner to choose a side in the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD. While the company has been releasing titles on both formats, its been rumored that they may support Blu-ray exclusively. If that was the case, the format battle could very likely be decided by the end of next year. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
Sony has finally released the v2.10 firmware for the Playstation 3. This highly anticipated update adds DivX and VC-1 (WMV) video playback support and upgrades the console's Blu-ray Disc player to Profile 1.1. From the Playstation Blog:
Firmware Update v2.10 is now live. This new system update enhances media playback on the PLAYSTATION 3 in a number of ways that the PS3 community has indicated are important.

We are introducing a much-requested video playback format with this update: DivX and VC-1 (WMV) videos become playable in the Video section of the XMB. This update also brings the PS3’s Blu-ray drive up to Profile 1.1. “Picture in Picture” and other enhancements become available on Profile 1.1 compatible Blu-ray discs.
While the first Profile 1.1 compatible titles won't hit stores for another month or so, its good to see that the Playstation 3 is ready for their release. If you'd like to read more, the entire blog post can be found here. Add a comment

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Intel sent out a press release today, announcing the Z-P140 PATA Solid-State Drive (SSD). Developed for handheld devices, this ultra-small SSD is available in 2GB and 4GB capacities and is capable of 40MB/s read and 30MB/s writing speeds.
Intel Corporation announced its latest entry into the solid-state drive market with the Intel Z-P140 PATA Solid-State Drive (SSD), one of the tiniest in the industry aimed at handheld mobile devices. Smaller than a penny and weighing less than a drop of water, these 2 Gigabyte (GB) and 4GB ultra-small devices are fast, low-power and rugged, with the right size, capacity and performance for mobile Internet devices, digital entertainment and embedded products.

SSDs use flash memory to store operating systems and computing data, emulating hard drives. The Intel Z-P140 PATA SSD has an industry standard parallel ATA (PATA) interface and is optimized to enhance Intel-based computers, and will be an optional part of Intel’s Menlow platform for mobile Internet devices debuting in 2008.
The Intel Z-P140 is currently sampling with mass production scheduled in the first quarter of 2008. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
The 1394 Trade Association recently announced a new specification, known as S3200, that will quadruple the speed of FireWire to 3.2Gbps. While slower than USB 3.0, which is expected to top out at 4.8Gbps, this new specification builds upon the IEEE 1394b standard and uses the same cables and connectors already deployed for FireWire 800 products.
The new electrical specification, known as S3200, builds upon the IEEE 1394b standard, preserving all the advantages of FireWire while offering a major and unprecedented boost in performance. The new speed uses the cables and connectors already deployed for FireWire 800 products, making the transition forward easy and convenient for 1394 product vendors and their customers. Because the 1394 arbitration, data, and service protocols were not modified for S3200, silicon and software vendors can deploy the faster speed FireWire quickly and with confidence that it will deliver its full potential performance. The S3200 specification is expected to be ratified by early February.

FireWire 800 products deployed since 2003 have proven that IEEE 1394b delivers outstanding performance. Operating without polling, without idle times, and without continuous software management, FireWire 800 efficiently delivers more than 97 percent of its bit rate as payload -- not overhead. FireWire 800 hard drives today can easily move over 90 megabytes per second. S3200 preserves 100 percent of the 1394b design efficiency and will deliver extremely high payload speeds reaching nearly 400 megabytes per second. Other interface technologies struggle to deliver half their advertised bit rate to the user, even under optimal conditions.
While there is no word on when S3200 devices will hit the market, the 1394 Trade Association expects to ratify the specification in February. If you'd like to read more, the entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
While much of the world is focused on the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD, companies on both sides are trying to grab their share of the high-def market. According to Video Business, Sony currently dominates the set-top Blu-ray player market with 60% of total unit sales. Their only real competition is Samsung who has accounted for 32% of units sold.
For the week ended Nov. 24, Sony captured 60% of all BD unit sales; and Samsung was its only significant competitor with 32%, according to DisplaySearch. Panasonic was far behind, corralling a 5% share.

Collectively, BD-exclusive players far outpaced demand for dual-format players, which primarily encompassed LG’s first-generation model on shelves. BD-only players represented 37% of all high-def units sold. HD DVD-only was at 62%, and dual-format, less than 1%.
If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment