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"We have a prototype ready and we are going to ship [the product] before the end of the year," BenQ Chairman KY Lee said in an interview. The prototype drive was unveiled at a Taipei news conference the same day. It is a standard "half-height" drive designed for use in desktop computers, and can also write DVDs and CDs.BenQ did not specify a price. However, if its like other Blu-ray drives, it won't be cheap. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
Blu-ray Disc is one of two new optical-disc formats vying to replace DVD for high-definition content. Blu-ray Disc and the competing HD DVD format aren't compatible, so consumers face a choice between the two or waiting until a clear victor emerges. BenQ has put its weight behind Blu-ray Disc, but Lee said its support isn't necessarily exclusive.
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Demand is increasing for 18x DVD burners with sales volume in 2007 expected to catch up with that of 16x models, currently the mainstream writing speed, according to sources in Taiwan's optical disc drive (ODD) industry.If you'd like to read the entire article, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology (TSST) this month will launch its 18x Super Multi DVD burners, which have a writing speed of 12x for the DVD-RAM format, higher than the 4-6x of other Super Multi models, the sources indicated. Japan-based Plextor launched a 18x DVD Dual burner in February of this year. Lite-On IT, Taiwan's largest ODD maker, is poised to begin volume production of 18x DVD burners next quarter.
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Officially endorsed by the DVD Forum industry organization as the next high-capacity DVD disc, the HD DVD format featured in the HDV5000 delivers sharper, more detailed picture performance than standard DVD discs. Moreover, the HD DVD format opens new avenues of interactivity including enhanced on-screen menus, scene searching, directors' commentaries and the potential for online shopping. For consumers with large libraries of digital disc content, the RCA HDV5000 player provides backward compatibility with current DVD discs as well as audio CDs that have been available for over 20 years.RCA's HD DVD player can also upconvert standard DVD's to 720p or 1080i. The HDV5000 is shipping now for a suggested retail price $499. More information can be found here. Add a comment
The HDV5000 supports various video formats including MPEG2, MPEG4/AVC and VC1. The unit plays back DVD/DVD-R/-RW/DVD-RAM discs and mp3 audio files from CD-R/CD-RW discs.
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Whether it's 1080p pass-through, eight channels of uncompressed audio, smooth video switching, simplifying set-up of a surround sound system, and automatically adjusting performance, this new A/V receiver is optimized for a full high-definition experience.The STR-DG1000 will ship in August for about $800. More information can be found on Sony's website. Add a comment
The STR-DG1000 receiver has several HD enhancing features, beginning with dual HDMI active intelligence, which automatically detects and receives the best possible video and audio signals from connected devices. This all-digital path from source to display also handles 1080p resolution and up to eight channels of uncompressed audio.
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InterVideo, Inc. (NASDAQ: IVII) announced today that it has partnered with Lenovo to bundle WinDVD Creator 3, a full-featured DVD authoring package, with select Lenovo notebook and desktop PCs.If you'd like to read more, InterVideo's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Lenovo, an innovative international technology company formed as a result of the acquisition by the Lenovo Group of the IBM Personal Computing Division, is including InterVideo's WinDVD Creator 3 pre-installed with its ThinkPad T Series, ThinkCentre A and M Series, and Lenovo 3000 family of notebook and desktop PCs.
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According to Alienware's website, the Aurora 7500 and Aurora ALX will ship in mid-June. More information can be found here. Add a comment
Alienware -- the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktop, notebook, media center, servers and professional systems -- will offer AMD LIVE!(TM) branded Aurora(TM) 7500 and Aurora ALX desktop systems, enabling users to consolidate their photos, videos, music, and movies in one place while accessing all of it through their TVs, game consoles, MP3 players, cell phones, and other common digital devices. In addition, Aurora 7500, Area-51 7500, and ALX desktop systems are now featuring Blu-ray storage technology, a breakthrough optical disc format that delivers a maximum storage capacity of 50GB on a single dual-layer disc.
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InterVideo, Inc. (NASDAQ:IVII - News) and its partner Ulead Systems, Inc. (TSE:2487 - News), industry leaders in video, image and next-generation DVD software, today announced that InterVideo Ulead's Blu-ray Disc (BD) playback and recording software are bundled with Sony Corporation's first-to-market BD notebook and desktop PCs, model name VAIO Type A - VGN-AR70B, VAIO Type R - VGN-RC72DPL9 and VGN-RC72DP. InterVideo WinDVD BD for VAIO is one of the earliest BD playback software and has complete support for all BD title formats. Ulead BD DiscRecorder(TM) for VAIO is a video-recording application that allows real-time and off-line recording of standard and high-definition video onto new high-capacity Blu-ray Discs. Ulead DVD DiskRecorder(TM) Move SDK is a built-in application which transfers recorded TV programs to Blu-ray Discs or DVDs and incorporates content protection.If you'd like to read more, InterVideo's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
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According to NEC's press release, the MC-10041 will be adopted by both Pioneer and Sony NEC Optiarc. More information can be found here. Add a comment
NEC Electronics developed a new product that was able to construct record type DVD drive economically by paying the function that had been distributed to two LSI to one package as a product lineup expansion of system LSI series "SCOMBO(R)" (Escombo) for record type DVD drive so far, and decided to begin the sample shipment of the name of "MC-10041" on June 1. Moreover, a new product enables the record and the reproduction by 18 X speed that becomes the highest level in the industry in two standards named DVD-R and DVD+R.
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Having grown tired of one war, we're on the eve of another, complete with alliances, secret codes, and laser beams. No, not Iran -- it's the fight over the next generation of DVD devices. The real battle isn't between Sony (SNE ) and Microsoft (MSFT ) and their chosen formats, it's between the manufacturers and us -- the consumers, the ones who ultimately pay for it all. And the battle is over Digital Rights Management (DRM), because in addition to increased storage, these new disks are packed full of copy-protection functions, some of which impair our ability to use the content we pay for, the way we like and are legally entitled to.It's definitely an interesting read. If you'd like to check it out, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
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As second-tier makers in Taiwan and smaller makers in China have given up production of CD-R discs due to intense competition and leading Taiwanese makers switch CD-R production capacity to making DVD discs, the global supply of CD-R discs is 20% short of demand this quarter, Wong indicated. The gap may expand to 30% next quarter and if so, CMC may further raise its quotes by another 5-10%, Wong noted.With CMC raising their prices, you can expect smaller manufacturers to do the same. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
