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DVD player and recorder units will have a combined market of 176.6 million units sold worldwide in 2010, up from 140.8 million units in 2005, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). The forecast for 2006 predicts that Europe will be the strongest region for DVD players and recorders with a combined total of 38.4 million units sold, the high-tech market research firm says.While there's a lot more to this study, I can't say that I'm surprised by any of the information in this press release. If you'd like to read more, In-Stat's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
"The DVD player market benefits from versatility in form factors. DVD players can be seen in portable renditions, or integrated with VCRs, or in the back panel seats of SUVs. While DVD recorders have come down in price, there is still delineation in the pricing of DVD players and DVD recorders- each represents a different value proposition," says Chris Kissel, In-Stat analyst. "The future of this market though is all about high definition DVD players based on 'blue laser' technology; however, the future may be farther off than we would like. These players will enter the market at premium prices, and as there has been no compromise between the HD-DVD camp and the companies that sponsor Blu ray technology, a format battle seems inevitable. There will be some casualties, companies and consumers alike."
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| DVD Writing Speeds: DVD+R: 16X, 12X, 8X, 6X, 4X, 2.4X DVD+RW: 8X, 6X, 4X, 2.4X DVD+R DL: 8X, 6X, 4X, 2.4X DVD-R: 16X, 12X, 8X, 6X, 4X, 2X, 1X DVD-RW: 6X, 4X, 2X, 1X DVD-R DL: 8X, 6X, 4X, 2X DVD-RAM: 5X CD-R: 40X, 32X, 16X, 10X, 4X CD-RW: 32X, 24X, 20X, 16X, 10X, 4X | Read Speeds: Access Times: DVD-ROM: 130ms |
Like ASUS's other drives, the DRW-1608P3S also features their FlextraLink, FlextraSpeed and DDSS II technologies. The drive is shipping now and can be picked up for about $50 at places like ZipZoomFly. More information can be found on ASUS's website. Add a comment
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Until April 27, HD-AX1 will come bundled with two complimentary HD DVD titles: "Resident Evil" and a Japanese film, "Moonlight Jellyfish". More information can be found here. Add a comment
Toshiba Corporation today took the home video experience to the next, high definition level, as it started the Japanese roll out of the world's first commercially available HD DVD player. The new player, HD-XA1, delivers high definition images and crystal clear sound, bringing home entertainment to a new level.
Toshiba's HD-XA1 is the first player to support the HD DVD format approved by the DVD Forum, the international association that defines and promotes DVD standards. HD-XA1 supports playback of pre-recorded HD DVD, offering consumers stunning digital high-definition picture quality far surpassing that of standard DVD. Sound is also enhanced. Along with L-PCM 5.1ch audio, HD-XA1 supports the clarity and realism of three next generation surround-sound formats, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, and sound sources can be output to audio systems via the player's HDMI output or multi-channel audio output. Support for up-conversion of standard DVD to a resolution of 1080i or 720p through HDCP capable HDMI output allows consumers to enjoy current DVD libraries with output resolution scaled to their HDTV or HD displays.
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In this review we'll take a look at the features found on the MRX-500N and then see how it compares to some of the 16x DVD±RW drives from the competition. Does Memorex's new drive have what it takes? You'll have to read the review to find out.
As usual, if you have any comments or questions about this review or the Memorex MRX-500N, please post them in the forum using the link provided below. Add a comment
Memorex MRX-500N 16x DVD±RW
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On a related note, we've also bumped the default attachment quota up to 10MB. If you need more space than this, we offer a subscription service. Along with ad free viewing, you get a much larger attachment quota. Add a comment
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Mitsubishi has not announced pricing yet but as you can imagine, these discs won't be cheap. If you'd like to read more, their entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Mitsubishi chemical media corporation (head office: The Tokyo Minato-ku, president: Otsuka heavily virtue), this time, in the world for the first time 8 time fast entry corresponding single sided 2 layer DVD - the R for DL disk, we start sale from the April last third.
As for the disk which this time is sold, 8 time speed which until recently is speed of approximately 2 times that of the item * data entry of 1 becomes possible. In addition, continuing also the data of large capacity in 1 disk by using the record type DVD drive which corresponds to this product, it can write, the disk after the writing in conforms to the standard which overtakes playback compatibility at the time of the existing playback private DVD player and DVD driving of the personal computer.
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Media software maker Ulead has dropped Blu-ray Disc support from the latest release of its DVD MovieFactory video capture and disk-mastering application - even though the software has only been shipping for just over a week.The article also points out that Ulead has tried to cover their tracks by removing all mention of Blu-ray. Unfortunately, they've done a poor job of doing so. If you'd like to read more, head on over to The Register. Add a comment
DVD MovieFactory 5 went on sale on 20 March complete with BD-R support. Today, Ulead said it would be yanking the direct BD recording module from the application and would remove the software's BD authoring support. HD DVD authoring and recording will remain available to users, Ulead said.
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Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company today announced the upcoming availability of the company's first Blu-ray Disc player, the DMP-BD10, available this September.Pricing has not been finalized yet. However, Panasonic expects the DMP-BD10 to go for less than $1500. If you'd like to read more, the entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Blu-ray Disc is the next generation optical disc format that features capacity as large as 50 gigabytes on a dual-layer disc and will be capable of holding high-definition movies, tens of thousands of songs, and extensive capacity for extraordinary video games and PC storage. Blu-ray Disc has the support of more than 170 leading companies including the top studios and consumer electronics manufacturers.
"With the DMP-BD10, Panasonic proves its commitment to providing the best high definition entertainment experience for the home," said Reid Sullivan, vice president, merchandising, Panasonic's entertainment group. "Our goal is to focus on the total solution for an uncompromised high definition experience. In addition we want to ensure that the consumer experience is as easy as possible, so we've added EZ-Sync HDAVI control function to make it simple to connect and control multiple products, such as a Panasonic Plasma TV, Blu-ray Disc player and receiver. Plus, with the BD10 we respect the legacy content that consumers have in their entertainment libraries, including virtually all DVD and CD formats, as well as video and image formats."
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The new content-protection scheme would be the first time any consumer electronics purchaser -- not just those who try to break copyright laws -- could be penalized. In this case, even if you have a perfectly equipped TV, content providers retain the right to automatically downgrade the picture quality because of piracy concerns. Current DVD releases like Batman Begins and Walk The Line include software to prevent unauthorized duplication, but still play normally.Thankfully, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount and Universal are not planning to use the new copy protection, at least on their initial releases. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
New software included on both Blu-ray and HD-DVD releases, however, will automatically slash the image, making it only marginally better than current DVDs, unless consumers have a relatively new connector and cable called HDMI to hook up players to their televisions. Only one in 20 HD sets sold to early adopters over the past few years has the right version of the connector. Only 15% of new sets sold this year will include it, and deliver the full 1080 resolution capable of showing such detail.
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Continual price drops for 16x DVD Dual burners have sped up the replacement of Combo drives with the global demand for all types of DVD burners this year is likely to exceed 100 million units, according to Taiwanese makers of optical disc drives (ODDs).If you want to read the entire article, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
OEM prices of 16x DVD Dual burners currently are at US$30-32, only US$5 higher than those for Combo drives, according to the makers. As a result, the proportion of DVD burner shipments to global ODD shipments surpassed that of Combo drives beginning this quarter, the makers indicated, adding that the global shipment volume of DVD burners in 2005 is estimated to be 78-83 million units.
