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Home Entertainment

13 July 2006

Blu-ray backers like Sony and Pioneer aren't the only ones experiencing delays. Toshiba has reportedly pushed back the release of their first HD DVD recorder to July 27th.

Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will postpone the sale of the first recorder for HD DVD high-definition video discs because of a production delay.

The new recorder, the RD-A1, had been slated to go on sale Friday, but the release will be pushed back to July 27, the Tokyo-based electronics maker said in a release.

The new machine combines an HD DVD burner with a one-terabyte hard disk and can record and store up to 130 hours of high-definition broadcasts.

Unfortunately, Toshiba still has no plans to offer the RD-A1 outside of Japan. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

12 July 2006

According to research done by the Santa Clara Consulting Group, the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD will not impede the market. The group also expects sales to be nearly $2 billion in 2006 and more than $28 billion by 2010.

Paced by anticipated sales of blue laser players, game consoles, PC drives, and related media, the blue laser disc technology market is expected to exceed $28 billion in sales in 2010, according to Santa Clara Consulting Group (SCCG). Growth will be driven by six sub-segments, according to a report released today: Blu-ray and HD DVD Disc Technologies: Pursuit of a New Standard.

SCCG estimates that the game console segment, supported by sales of the PlayStation 3, will have the most important influence on the blue laser disc technology market, with more than half of the $2 billion in revenue for 2006. Content, including movies and games, will represent half of this market's revenues in 2010.

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

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Optical Storage

12 July 2006

I-O DATA Japan has announced a new series of drives based on Sony NEC Optiarc's upcoming 18x "Super-Multi" drive, the AD-7173A. Along with 18x DVD±R and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds, these internal and external drives feature support for Labelflash technology. Here are some of the specs:

Writing Speeds: DVD±R: 18x DVD±R DL: 8x DVD+RW: 8x DVD+R DL: 8x DVD-RW: 6x DVD-RAM: 12x CD-R: 48x CD-RW: 32x

Read Speeds: DVD-ROM (Single): 16x Max DVD-ROM (Dual): 12x Max DVD±R: 16x Max DVD±RW: 13x Max DVD±R DL: 12x Max DVD-RAM: 12X Max CD-R/ROM: 48x Max CD-RW: 40x Max

The DVR-AN18GL and DVR-UN18GL should hit store shelves in early August for ￥9,300 ($80US) and ￥13,600 ($117US) respectively. More information can be found here and here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

12 July 2006

TDK sent out a press release today, announcing the launch of its Snap N' Save product line. An alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cases offer greater protection and organization options.

TDK, a world leader in digital recording solutions, today announced the launch of its Snap N' Save product line, recordable DVD and CD media supplied in innovative Snap N' Save cases. Offering the ultimate combination of robust disc protection and compact media storage, Snap N' Save cases snap closed, securely protecting your discs by sealing out dirt, dust and other contaminants that can have a negative impact on media performance. A new alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cuts down on case clutter, enables keeping multiple disc sets together for superior organization, and seamlessly integrates with your home media library. TDK is offering DVD and CD media in Snap N' Save cases in a variety of colors and pack sizes.

"We're pleased to offer our customers ultimate performance DVD and CD media packaged in Snap N' Save cases," commented Bruce Youmans, TDK Vice President of Marketing. "Snap N' Save offers the same bulk storage capabilities of a spindle, but is designed to provide stronger disc protection. What's more, with a variety of colors and pack configurations, Snap N' Save offers seamless storage and organization options alongside CD jewel cases and DVD movie boxes in our customers' home media libraries."

Media using TDK's Snap N' Save cases are available now. More information, including prices, can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

12 July 2006

ATI has announced that their H.264 video decoder has been chosen by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player. Here's part of their press release:

ATI Technologies (TSX:ATY.TO - News)(NASDAQ:ATYT - News) today announced that Microsoft Corp. has chosen ATI's H.264 decoder for the Xbox 360(TM) HD DVD player, bringing users sharper, more true-to-life visuals and smoother playback of high-definition content. HD DVDs encoded using one of three approved codecs deliver up to six times the resolution of traditional DVDs all on a single disc. Built on ATI's Avivo(TM) technology, the decoder used for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player brings to bear ATI's considerable multimedia know-how to ensure gamers, home theatre buffs, and casual viewers alike get a more perfect picture from the H.264 format.

If you'd like to read more, the entire press release is available on ATI's website. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

12 July 2006

The HD DVD Promotional Group has announced the launch of "The Look and Sound of Perfect" marketing campaign. With this multi-million dollar advertising and publicity campaign, the group will promote HD DVD and educate consumers on the quality and value of the format.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Entertainment, HP, Intel, Microsoft and Toshiba today announced the formation of a new trade organization, the North American HD DVD Promotional Group, Inc., at the Video Software Dealers Association 2006 conference. The non-profit group will promote the companies' common interests in the success of HD DVD and to educate consumers on the quality and value of HD DVD.

A new advertising and marketing campaign, also unveiled today, showcases HD DVD as "The Look and Sound of Perfect(TM)". The campaign will be the cornerstone of efforts to be undertaken by the group. The group and its member companies plan to back the campaign with an anticipated $150M in trade and consumer marketing, advertising and promotion through the 2006 Holiday season and into 2007. The campaign will promote the format across all major consumer media outlets -- television, print, online, and outdoor -- co-marketing HD DVD hardware with hundreds of HD DVD titles expected on store shelves by year-end 2006.

With the Playstation 3 launching in November, the HD DVD Promotional Group has their work cut out for them. More information can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

12 July 2006

A scientist at the Harvard Medical School is reportedly developing a new DVD coated in proteins from a genetically altered microbes. Developed as a hard disk replacement, these protein-based DVDs will be able to store at least 20x more than the Blu-ray and eventually even up to 50TB of information.

An Indian born scientist in the US is working on developing DVD's which can be coated with a light -sensitive protein and can store up to 50 terabytes (about 50,000 gigabytes) of data.

Professor V Renugopalakrishnan of the Harvard Medical School in Boston has claimed to have developed a layer of protein made from tiny genetically altered microbe proteins which could store enough data to make computer hard disks almost obsolete.

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

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Home Entertainment

11 July 2006

It looks like Europeans are going to have to wait a bit longer for standalone Blu-ray players. The Taipei times has reported that Pioneer will not be ready to launch their Blu-ray players in time for IFA in September.

Advertising The on-again, off-again story of advanced optical-disc recording will keep consumers on tenterhooks yet again this autumn, with manufacturers in the Blu-ray camp still not ready to introduce their movie-players to the huge European market.

Pioneer, one of the stalwarts of the Blu-ray camp, admitted this week it would not be ready to launch the players by the time of the Sept. 1 to Sept. 6 trade fair IFA in Berlin, the principal European consumer electronics show.

The article mentions that the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show would most likely "lay the ground" for Pioneer's European launch. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

11 July 2006

Here's an interesting bit of news. According to DigiTimes, Lite-On may offer Serial ATA DVD burners in the 4Q of this year.

Lite-On IT, the largest maker of optical disc drives (ODDs) in Taiwan, is planning production of DVD burners supporting the SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) interface standard, according to industry sources.

Lite-On IT, recently scheduled a tentative launch for later this quarter in response to LG Electronics' unveiling its GSA-H30N, a SATA Super Multi DVD burner model, the sources pointed out.

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