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19 February 2007

Over the weekend, Slysoft announced the first official release of AnyDVD HD. Here's part of their press release:

At first look, the mention of "Added HD DVD and AACS Support" appears rather "so-so" but behind this annoucement exists a real revolution. For the first time, it is possible for the average user to get around the previously uncrackable AACS copy protection of the new HD-DVD generation with a few simple clicks of the mouse.

Officially, the film industry and the AACS consortium is, of course, not very happy about this development. However, behind closed doors, they are likely pleased to have learned from past experiences with the CD and DVD that the users are now finally able to make unlimited use of this new medium HD DVD, i.e to enjoy his "fair-use rights". It is expected that a real "boom" will occur with HD-DVDs.

If you'd like to check out the latest version of AnyDVD HD, you can download it directly here. Otherwise, more information can be found on Slysoft's website. Add a comment

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14 February 2007

Good news for people running Windows Vista. CyberLink has announced that their software products are "Vista Ready." The company is also providing a verification feature on its website where users can test to see if their software needs a patch or an upgrade for it to work with Vista.

CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a world leader in digital home solutions, today announced that its complete range of home entertainment and personal creativity products are ready for the release of Microsoft Windows Vista.

CyberLink also launched a verification feature on its website that allows consumers to test if their existing software is "Vista Ready". The CyberLink Software Vista Upgrade Test quickly scans software and determines whether the versions of the software currently in use are ready for Vista. After testing, users can choose to update through available patches or purchase an upgrade to become "Vista Ready".

CyberLink's Vista Upgrade Center can be accessed directly here. Unfortunately, when I click on it, the page literally comes up in Chinese. Hopefully they'll fix it soon. In the mean time, a full list of "Vista Ready" products is available on CyberLink's website. Add a comment

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13 February 2007

The folks at Slysoft have released a public beta of AnyDVD HD. As many of you already know, AnyDVD HD will decrypt HD DVD movies on the fly, letting you copy them to your hard drive or play them on non-HDCP compliant hardware.

6.1.2.0 2007 02 12
- New: Added support for new versions of the SONY Arccos protection to the option to remove "Protection based on unreadable Sectors"
- New: Added HD DVD and AACS support. (Registered users need an upgrade key, currently only available to registered beta testers)
- Fix: Problem with multi-angle titles and Sony Arccos protection
- Some minor fixes and improvements

If you'd like to try it out, the beta version of AnyDVD HD can be downloaded directly here. If you find a bug or have a suggestion, leave your comments in Slysoft's forum. Please feel free to join the discussion in our forum as well. Add a comment

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30 January 2007

As most of you know, the consumer versions of Windows Vista go on sale to day. For people planning to upgrade, Nero has released new version of the Nero 7 suite which includes a number of Vista-compatible applications and features.

Nero, leaders in digital media technology, announces major updates to its premier Nero 7 digital media software suite, which is Windows Vista Ready. These include the addition of the Nero DiscCopy application, for the one-step copying of discs of any format, and the Nero MultiMounter application, for simultaneous viewing of the status of every session of multisession discs, as well as several significant performance and user interface improvements to its Nero Home application.

Nero 7, the industry's leading all-in-one solution for the management of data, audio, video, photo, phone and TV content, reflects the company's "Liquid Media" vision of enabling consumers to quickly access their content anytime, anywhere in the home or on-the-go.

Among the many Windows Vista-compatible applications and features now included in Nero 7 are attractive Windows Vista-styled icons. Backup Explorer search folders and favorite links allow for easy Internet navigation, search and content saving. The suite's optimized StartSmart application, a user-friendly command center, now features ‘Glass' support.

This new version of Nero 7 is available now and can be downloaded from Nero's website. If you'd like to read more, Nero's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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29 January 2007

CyberLink sent out a press release this morning, announcing that CyberLink Media Server is being bundled with JVC's DD-3 and DD-8 Networked Media Systems.

CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a world leader in digital home solutions, announced today that CyberLink Media Server lets users of JVC's DD-3, and DD-8 series Networked Media Systems access media files over a home network.

Once installed on a PC that is connected to one of JVC's Networked Media Systems, CyberLink Media Server gives users access to video, photo, and music folders on the PC, then allows them to play the media files stored in those folders through their JVC media system. With the growing convergence between consumer electronics (CE) devices and PCs, Media Server complements JVC's home entertainment system with an easy-to-use interface designed for remote control operation.

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

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26 January 2007

DivX sent out a press release this morning, announcing that Pinnacle Studio Plus 10.7 has achieved DivX Software Certification. With this certification, Pinnacle Studio users can output their video in the DivX format, knowing that it can be played back on any DivX Certified DVD player or portable device.

DivX, Inc. (NASDAQ:DIVX) today announced that Pinnacle Studio Plus 10.7 has achieved DivX Software Certification. Users of Pinnacle Studio Plus will be able to output their video into the DivX format, and thereby ensure interoperability with the over 50 million DivX Certified consumer electronics devices from major manufacturers on the global market today.

Pinnacle Studio Plus is a powerful yet easy-to-use software video editor that enables users to create polished, high quality movies in a variety of formats, including DivX. DivX is among the world's most popular video technologies with over 200 million DivX software downloads. Video in the DivX format can be easily uploaded without transcoding to popular internet sites such as DivX Stage6 and Photobucket.

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

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24 January 2007

Roxio has announced the release of its Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe Suite. This new version includes advanced audio and video applications, new DVD menu styles, easy disc cataloging, and Pinnacle's Dazzle video capture device.

Roxio, a division of Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today launched Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe Suite, a comprehensive suite of music, photo, and video applications for consumer digital media enthusiasts. The upgrade includes industry-leading audio applications, new DVD menu styles, Roxio Disc Gallery, and Pinnacle's Dazzle video-capture device. Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe Suite is available directly from Roxio at www.roxio.com as well as from leading retailers for a suggested price of $149.99.

"Roxio continues to address the evolving needs of the market by providing users with a richer set of tools for efficiently producing highly personalized and professional-looking multimedia projects in an intuitive and easy-to-use environment," said Stan Wong, general manager, Roxio division, Sonic Solutions. "Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe Suite takes the industry-leading suite of photo, video, and music applications to new heights with its extended feature set, while also delivering tremendous value in this complete all-in-one digital media solution."

Roxio's Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe Suite should hit stores some time in February for a suggested retail price of $149.99. More information can be found on Roxio's website. Add a comment

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24 January 2007

Apparently, some of the new display methods in Nero 7.7.5.1 caused a brief virus scare. Nero has posted a message on their website, stating that there is no threat and that the warnings should not appear once you update your virus definitions.

With development of Nero 7, we used innovative methods to display pictures and videos. Some of these methods were used for the first time in version 7.7.5.1 and adapted to Windows Vista. As these methods were previously unknown to antivirus software manufacturers, this resulted in a virus warning being displayed during the installation of Nero 7.7.5.1.

Please be advised, these methods have been examined by antivirus software manufacturers and have been classified as harmless. The relevant updates of the virus definitions have been carried out. Once the antivirus software has been updated, virus warnings should no longer appear during the installation of Nero 7.7.5.1.

Now if Nero would just make it easier to disable Scout. More information can be found on Nero's website. Add a comment

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23 January 2007

muslix64 is back again. This time he's released a new utility to back up your Blu-ray movies. Using a disc's CPS Unit Key, BackupBluRay will decrypt and copy a Blu-ray movie to your hard drive. As muslix64 is quick to point out, BackupBluRay is an alpha release and does have some limitations:

Known limitations:

Don't support BD+
Don't support Volume unique key
Only support one CPS unit key per disc
I don't clear the HDMV_copy_control_descriptor in the stream
Don't have any FAQ or document so far...

You have to provide your own CPS unit key.

The playback seems to work with VideoLan

CPS Unit Keys for a number of titles have already been posted and BackupBluRay reportedly works. If you'd like to check it out, BackupBluRay can be downloaded here. Otherwise more information can be found in the doom9 forums. Thanks to WesleyTech for pointing out this news. Add a comment