HiDef DVD News VII - News Only : AND WE MEAN IT: NEWS ONLY

[mobius]

I don't know if this on-topic in the thread but here goes. (If it's not, tell me and I'll delete it.) :)

It seems somewhat related because a price drop for either could affect the format war IMO.


PS3 and the 360: The race to 65nm (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070205-8767.html)

[Snickering Hound]

This does explain what some of us have been observing here on the AVS forum.

Sony picks club promoters, artists and fashion industry to push PS3

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=156440

Each of Sony's chosen 12 will then distributed content digitally across a wide range of outlets including social networks such as MySpace, websites, blogs, e-mail and their own contacts.

According to SCE UK marketing man Alan Duncan, 'traditional' avenues of avertising and PR aren't enough to communicate the PS3's appeal: "The idea is to use physical space, blogs and other forms of digital networking to inform, entertain and encourage interaction and debate about all the different things the PS3 can do."

[Sean_O]

Moved.

[Grubert]

hdguru: Toshiba HD-XA2 review (http://hdguru.com/?p=55)

[WayneL]

Perfect Vision declares PS3 Worlds Best Blu-ray Player

http://www.theperfectvision.com

or, Sony cannibalizes BD standalone market

[los seres]

Blu-Ray to Take off After 2009: Report (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19682)

Blu-ray will be the development trend in spite of HD DVD being presently supported by most manufacturers, a recent research indicates.

Research and Markets released the results of its "Global Optical Storage Industry Report, 2006-2007," which includes the details about the global shipments of optical disc drives (ODDs), the companies related to the optical storage industry, along with some estimations regarding the next-generation high definition disc formats.

"With regard to Blu-ray and HD DVD, It is widely acknowledged that Blue-ray will be the development trend in spite of HD DVD being presently supported by most manufacturers. On account of low price, HD DVD also sells very well in America. Yet, some manufacturers hold HD DVD as the transitional product, and they invest a lot into the R&D of Blu-ray driver. Since the instability occurred to Sonys Blu-ray driver PS3, the shipment has been delayed for several times, which led to the wait-and-see attitudes from most manufacturers. Besides, the high cost of Blu-ray also hampers the development of Blu-ray," reads the report. "The majority of manufacturers believe that there wont generate a strong market growth for Blu-ray until 2009. And HD DVD will still be the mainstream in the market during 2007-2009," the report concludes.

[Lee Heytow]

Hmmmm, do I misunderstand or isn't this thread for HDDVD and not blu ray?

[Kosty]

Hmmmm, do I misunderstand or isn't this thread for HDDVD and not blu ray? This thread is for news on both HD DVD and Blu-ray. News, a link and a short descriptive summary.

Discussion on subjects here are taken to other threads.

[Talkstr8t]

http://feeds.engadgethd.com/2007/02/04/toshiba-produces-two-new-hd-dvrs/

Interesting that they went red laser rather than HD DVD for these two models.

[rstewar]

Switched On: Universal soldier (http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/07/switched-on-universal-soldier/)

Ross Rubin over at Engadget has an interesting perspective on why Universal is only producing HD DVDs.

"Let me spell it out for you, Burnstein. Universal gets to enjoy some sweet market share without Sony and Disney playing in their high-definition home video pool... at least for a while. But over time its going to become increasingly difficult to ignore all those PlayStation 3s stacking the deck for Blu-ray. Sure, the attach rates on the game consoles for movies may be lower than those for the dedicated players, but it's still going to move a lot of discs. Universal is the weakest link among the HD DVD backers. Unlike Toshiba, it has no hardware R&D investment to lose. And unlike Microsoft, it has no axe to grind with Sony or Java."

[rstewar]

Opinion: Is Sony's Blu-ray Porn Stance Repeating Betamax Blunder? (http://www.informationweek.com/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197004081) - Information Week

"The rumors started because, it seemed, history was repeating itself. And it was, sort of. For you youngins, way back in the 1980s, Sony invented a high-quality videotape called Betamax. It came to market just before JVC's VHS tape. The story goes that Sony refused to license its proprietary technology to the porn industry, but JVC (Matsushita) would. There was such a demand for porn that Betamax - despite being a better quality product that VHS -- was killed off because it arrogantly took the high moral ground."


Blu-ray, HD-DVD Neck-and-Neck (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4698&Itemid=2) - Next Generation

Sony Computer Entertainment America tells Next-Gen that Blu-ray disc sales lead HD-DVD sales by only 1,000 units, but expects that gap to widen thanks to PlayStation 3 sales;

[Timothy Ramzyk]

I wrote Warner Brothers a letter asking them about the HD-DVDs being "Held BacK" controversy and got this response.

First of all, thank you for your support of Warner Bros. and for our films in the new HD DVD format, as well as the existing SD DVD format. As you have pointed out in your note, there have recently been on-line discussions claiming that Warner Home Video is holding titles back from the marketplace in the HD DVD format due to plans in BD, and that this is now a company policy. Regardless of the source of this information, it is not true.

Warner Home Video is releasing titles in both high definition formats, and where possible we try to release a title simultaneously in both formats. But this is not always the case, and in fact since we released our first titles in April, 2006 there have been some titles that have been released in HD DVD before BD, and some that have been released in BD before HD DVD.

There are many factors that determine the timing for the release of a motion picture in DVD, HD DVD, and BD. We currently have released more titles in HD DVD than any other studio, and we are anticipating a very exciting schedule for the rest of 2007. In the month of January 2007, we released 4 new titles in HD DVD.

We hope you will enjoy our upcoming HD DVD releases, including two of our best movies from last year (and both recognized with multiple Academy Award nominations), THE DEPARTED and HAPPY FEET, which will be released in February and March 2007, respectively.

We also expect to announce shortly some title plans for April and May. The titles will be quite a thrill for all HD DVD owners and supporters.

Best regards.

[Kosty]

Switched On: Universal soldier (http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/07/switched-on-universal-soldier/)

Ross Rubin over at Engadget has an interesting perspective on why Universal is only producing HD DVDs.

"Let me spell it out for you, Burnstein. Universal gets to enjoy some sweet market share without Sony and Disney playing in their high-definition home video pool... at least for a while. But over time its going to become increasingly difficult to ignore all those PlayStation 3s stacking the deck for Blu-ray. Sure, the attach rates on the game consoles for movies may be lower than those for the dedicated players, but it's still going to move a lot of discs. Universal is the weakest link among the HD DVD backers. Unlike Toshiba, it has no hardware R&D investment to lose. And unlike Microsoft, it has no axe to grind with Sony or Java."--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did you notice he's director of industry analysis at the NPD group?

Ross Rubin is director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group and a contributing editor for LAPTOP

[rstewar]

Is this a bad thing or a good thing? Is NPD Group on one of the format war's side?



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did you notice he's director of industry analysis at the NPD group?

Ross Rubin is director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group and a contributing editor for LAPTOP

[dialog_gvf]

This thread is for news on both HD DVD and Blu-ray. News, a link and a short descriptive summary.

Discussion on subjects here are taken to other threads.

What he said.

[Grubert]

anandtech: Coming soon to HD DVD: Silicon Optix HD HQV (http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2923)

Both AMD and NVIDIA fail utterly at every test HD HQV throws at them.

[Grubert]

digitimes: Lite-On IT to set up new subsidiary in China (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070206PR201.html)

Lite-On IT will invest US$2 million to establish a new subsidiary in China through its overseas subsidiary High Yield Group (BVI) for the production and marketing of electronic devices and components, according to a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) on February 5. The corporate name will be determined at a later date.

[chavel]

Article in this mornings SF Chron on SF firm's cryptography for Blu_Ray

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/08/BUG8UO0IN01.DTL&hw=blu+ray&sn=001&sc=1000

Probably nothing new.

[Grubert]

Hidef formats have trouble catching on in France (http://www.hdnumerique.com/actualite/articles/1192-les-lecteurs-haute-definition-ont-du-mal-a-s-imposer.html)

To date, a total of 7,000 players (BD and HD DVD combined) have been sold.

[Kosty]

last week HD DVD closed back on Blu-ray in weekly sales

Blu-ray still leads, but it closed to a few points

15% swing between last week and this week :eek:


Percentage of total Hi-Def sales:
HD-DVD Blu-ray

Week of Feb. 06th 48.17% 51.83%

Week of Jan. 30th 33.33% 66.67%
Week of Jan. 23rd 41.99% 58.01%
Week of Jan. 16th 45.83% 54.17%
Week of Jan. 09th 43.87% 56.13%
Week of Jan. 02nd 49.32% 50.68%
Week of Dec. 26th 43.11% 56.89%
Week of Dec. 19th 35.38% 64.62%

http://www.dvdempire.com/index.asp?userid=99365291527966&tab_id=61&site_id=68&site_media_id=0

Discussion here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9721048&&#post9721048

[BenDover]

X360 w/hdmi coming soon?

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/08/black-xbox-360-with-120gb-hdd-and-hdmi-due-for-april/

[BenDover]

Another new hi-def format... ;)

http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/stories/77

[Ilka]

Speculation: "Universal poised to hop onto the Blu-ray bandwagon?"

http://feeds.engadgethd.com/2007/02/07/universal-poised-to-poised-to-hop-on-to-the-blu-ray-bandwagon/

[skogan]

High definition DVD war or blog fest?

Said O’Donovan: “I expect to see a wide range of multi-format players on the market at current HD DVD player price levels by the end of this year.”

Steve Wilson, an analyst at ABI Research concurred. “We believe that universal players will come to dominate the high-definition DVD player market,” he said.

As does iSuppli’s Chris Crotty, who is so convinced he doesn’t bother to segment the market by format in his forecast: “The emergence of dual format devices over the next year will render the war moot,” the analyst said.

http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2007/02/08/40701/High+definition+DVD+war+or+blog+fest.htm

[Kosty]

http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2007/02/08/40701/High+definition+DVD+war+or+blog+fest.htmSamsung has announced plans for one, and more consumer electronics companies are expected to follow suit.

Said O’Donovan: “I expect to see a wide range of multi-format players on the market at current HD DVD player price levels by the end of this year.”

that's the first actual quote I've seen of a Samsung dual format announcement for this year. Did I miss it earlier?

[Kosty]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9728479#post9728479

Wal-Mart version of the Toshiba HD A2, the "HD A2W" on Toshiba's website and found in the wild being sold at Wal-mart.

[Grubert]

X360 w/hdmi coming soon?

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/08/black-xbox-360-with-120gb-hdd-and-hdmi-due-for-april/

http://www.gamersreports.com/news/4966/120gig-black-xbox360-with-hdmi-official

it's now 100% official that the Black 360, (with black controller), 120gb hard drive and HDMI is due out in Australia for $749 AU in April. They will try to push this forward to late March to deter buyers from the March 23 PS3 launch.

[Grubert]

Fox optimistic about the future of Blu-ray (http://www.heise.de/ct/hintergrund/meldung/85035)

[efralope]

http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2007/02/08/40701/High+definition+DVD+war+or+blog+fest.htm

that's the first actual quote I've seen of a Samsung dual format announcement for this year. Did I miss it earlier?
that's the analyst talking not Samsung

[mikemorel]

One more time; this time, with rhythm:

Sony plans to declare Blu-ray winner in high-def format war (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6415444.html)
Just how many times are they going to do this?

I think finally everything that we knew going into this format has started to happen,” said Sony Pictures Home Entertainment worldwide president David Bishop. “We have a critical mass of content, we have the biggest mass of consumer electronics companies in the world supporting this format. That has moved Blu-ray into the forefront.”

Sony is so confident that Bishop said the studio plans to begin marketing the format to consumers as the winner of the format war.

“The message that we’re going to put out to the consumer now is, now it is safe to make a choice,” he said. “No more fence-sitting is needed.”

In fact, HD DVD sales are continuing at a steady pace, they just haven’t grown as fast as Blu-ray.
But retailers are less confident.

A spokesman for Best Buy said the retailer believes there needs to be industry unification behind one format before victory is declared.

“The view around here is that something has got to be done definitively to get people off the bench,” spokesman Brian Lucas said.Ah, OK now it sounds like Sony is just going to say "we've won the format war!" on every box and disc sold, and are going to include in their advertising. Unbelievable.

[bluescreen]

PC Magazine
Making Sense of the High-Def DVD Numbers (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2093290,00.asp)

In my mind, neither format has reached a critical mass, and until then, the horse race is wide open. What's critical mass? In my mind, probably one of the following conditions: either one format holds an 80 percent market share for three months; or, one format holds a two-thirds market share for six months.

[mikemorel]

Dilemma and PS3 of innovation (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.nikkei.co.jp%2Fdigital%2Fnews%2F index.aspx%3Fn%3DMMITew000009022007&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools)

Make of it what you will, but it does not sound good from a Japanese standpoint....

[hdkhang]

BD cheaper than HD-DVD?

http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-replication-costs-revealed/

Cheers...
Duy-Khang Hoang

[hdkhang]

Follow on to my above post

http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-replication-costs-analyzed-again/

Cheers...
Duy-Khang Hoang

[Kosty]

http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/history.aspx

sales history graphs now go back to 30 and 45 days instead of just 14 and 7 days.

Gives a new perspective on the magnitude of the Blu-ray and HD DVD surges.

[WayneL]

Porn, Blu-ray and HD-DVD in LA Times: Porn Studios Quietly Courted

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-porn12feb12,1,185063.story?coll=la-headlines-technology&ctrack=1&cset=true

[Grubert]

Sony Offers Casino Royale Blu-ray Film To European PS3 Buyers (http://www.cdrlabs.com/news/byte/4705)

[Kosty]

Major new review up on the flagship HD DVD player.

http://www.guidetohometheater.com/hddiscplayers/207toshhdxa2/

Discussion Here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=804246

[rdjam]

Dilemma and PS3 of innovation (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.nikkei.co.jp%2Fdigital%2Fnews%2F index.aspx%3Fn%3DMMITew000009022007&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools)

Make of it what you will, but it does not sound good from a Japanese standpoint....
For some reason, that translation broke up in the middle, but this link works for me...

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&langpair=ja%7Cen&u=http://it.nikkei.co.jp/digital/column/gamescramble.aspx%3Fn%3DMMITew000009022007&prev=/language_tools

[Snickering Hound]

Now this is ONE way to get "sales" of the new Bond movie up

Free Bond Blue-ray movie with PS3

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=157759

Sony has revealed that the first 500,000 "purchasers" of PS3 who registered on the PlayStation Network will receive a Blu-ray version of Casino Royale.

The deal's a bit similar to the one Microsoft offered with offering an HD version of King Kong when you picked up the 360 HD-DHD player. Casino Royale's obviously a better film though...

Darren Carter, VP Brand and Consumer Marketing said, "The PlayStation Network unlocks the broad range of interactive entertainment features of PlayStation 3. It's easy to set up, offers free online gaming, has great tools for staying in touch with friends and family, and includes a wide variety of content for download through the PlayStation Store."

P.S. That's their spelling of "blu-ray" not mine!

[AV Doogie]

Fox Blu-ray release changes: Looks like March-April titles are going to be pushed back for an unknown period of time??

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Fox/Fox_Reshuffles_March/April_Blu-ray_Line-Up_/472

[Rio]

Fox Blu-ray release changes: Looks like March-April titles are going to be pushed back for an unknown period of time??

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Fox/Fox_Reshuffles_March/April_Blu-ray_Line-Up_/472Possibly due to current lame situation of AACS? Perhaps Fox wants to wait its new title release until the revocation of WinDVD will take place.

[Grubert]

Disgruntled CyberLink PowerDVD Customers Complain to BBB (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6047)

A select group of customers who have paid nearly $100 for CyberLink’s PowerDVD for its HD playback capabilities have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, claiming that the software does not perform as advertised.

[Grubert]

Philips SPD7000BD Blu-ray TripleWriter Review (http://www.cdfreaks.com/reviews/Philips-SPD7000BD-Blu-ray-TripleWriter-Review)

[Grubert]

Q&A with Hewlett Packard about HD DVD and why they are no longer BD exclusive (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=804610)

[mikemorel]

Sony to Slash Chip Spending (http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/02/13/sony_says_to_cut_back_sharply_on_chip_spending/)

Sony Executive Deputy President Yutaka Nakagawa told reporters that investment in chips would come down significantly from the 460 billion yen ($3.8 billion) allocated over the three business years since April 2004.

[Kosty]

important enough to highlight in this thread :mad:

has found the "processing key" used to decrypt the DRM on all HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc films. Let's break this down for what it is: instead of needing individual keys for each and every high-definition film -- of which there are many -- the processing key can be used to unlock, decrypt, and backup every HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc film released so far. This may explain the delay of Fox and Universal releases

discussion here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=804849

or here
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=777549

[TomsHT]

important enough to highlight in this thread :mad:
This may explain the delay of Fox and Universal releases

discussion here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=804849

or here
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=777549

I dont know about that otherwise they would be delaying all releases

[kjack]

Guess this qualifies as news...

More than twenty Australian companies, including retail giant JB Hi-Fi, have thrown their support behind Blu-ray at the high definition format's official launch in Sydney

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/9548/52/

[Grubert]

SlySoft releases beta version of AnyDVD HD (http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/SlySoft-releases-beta-version-of-AnyDVD-HD.html)

[Rio]

Sharp announced industry's first "recordable" BD Player for Japanese market

Sharp news release (http://www.sharp.co.jp/corporate/news/070214-a.html)
Detail specification (http://www.sharp.co.jp/corporate/news/070214-a-2.html)
AV Watch news (http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20070214/sharp1.htm)
http://www.sharp.co.jp/corporate/news/images/070214-a.gif
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20070214/sharp106.jpg

- BD-HP1 is the industry's first BD player which can "record" HD programs from FireWire connected AQUOS digital LCD TV, or can "move" from FireWire connected AQUOS HD HDD/DVD recorder (no digital tuner/HDD built-in)
- Suppored recordable BD disc is SL BD-RE (Ver2.1) (DL BD-RE, SL/DL BD-R are not supported)
- BD-Video playback capability with 1080p output by "1080p Image Engine"
- 7.1ch analog audio output
- Decodes Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD (output may limited to 2 channel in certain condition), DTS-HD (core only).
- Plays SL BD-RE (Ver2.1), SL BD-R (Ver1.1), SL/DL BD-Video, DVD-Video, DVD disc with CPRM, DVD+-R/RW, DVD-RAM, Music CD/CD-R/RW
- MSRP is about 150,000 JPY, will be shipped on March 20
- Java related technology used in this player is co-developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc.

[jsl_80]

Panasonic Europe has announced an improved version of its BD player called DMP-BD10A. It will have HDMI 1.3 and support Dolby TrueHD. It will be released in April about the same time as the firmware update for the DMP-BD10 will be released. The update will essentially give the BD10 the same features as the BD10A (minus HDMI 1.3 I guess).
Source (http://prylportalen.mkf.se/ArticlePages/200702/14/20070214100616_MKF662/20070214100616_MKF662.dbp.asp)

[2Channel]

Hackers discover HD DVD and Blu-ray "processing key" -- all HD titles now exposed

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/02/13/hackers-discover-hd-dvd-and-blu-ray-processing-key-all-hd-t/

*****Sorry, I missed that Kosty posted this news from a different source yesterday.

[BenDover]

Wow, a 5 out of 5 for video quality using AVC:

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/prestige.html#Section3

'The Prestige' hits Blu-ray in a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer -- and it looks fantastic. I've been very impressed with Buena Vista's recent Blu-ray releases, and they seem to just keep getting better and better. Not only is a five-star release from the studio, but in my opinion it's the best-looking Blu-ray disc they've yet released.


***

This is what high-def is all about. 'The Prestige' is an absolute home run from Disney and, yes, I would rank it up there with the best transfers I've seen on high-def yet. This is in the same league as 'Batman Begins' -- maybe Christian Bale is high-def's lucky charm?

[Snickering Hound]

Ouch...

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=158003

PS3 Sales boss quits weeks before launch

SCE UK commercial director Kevin Jowett has left Sony HQ just five weeks before the launch od PS3 to pursue "new opportunities outside of the games industry" reports trade mag MCV.

Jowett took on the role in 1998 and has spent his time working with retailers over stock allocations on PS2, PSP and, more recently, PS3.

One leading games buyer said told MCV, "The timing is absolutely incredible. Kevin is going just as Sony is talking to everyone about terms and arranging pre-orders and in-store marketing campaigns. Obviously, Sony is a big organisation and there will be people there who can fill Kevin's position. But this can't be helpful to them."

[bobgpsr]

Sony to contract out Cell production?
http://www.gizmocafe.com/blogs/gizmo_cafe_blog/archive/2007/02/14/106852.aspx
After marketing the PlayStation 3 with a sheer muscle ad campaign, the company is now clearly regretting its production of the Cell processor, considered by many to be the heart of the console. In fact, executive management is discussing possible plans to pull out of Cell processor production altogether.Unfortunately, partially because of the processor’s cost and the inclusion of a pricey Blu-ray high definition DVD player, the PS3 has sold very poorly.

[rstewar]

The Truth about Total Hi Def Disc
http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12393

"It's important to see THD as a dangerous gimmick that could lure many unwary consumers into the market by creating the false impression that the purchasing choice between HD DVD and BD hardware doesn't matter. If Warner and other major studio officials are indeed concerned about the conflict hampering consumer adoption, perhaps they should stop playing both sides against the middle, make a choice, and exclusively publish movies in only one format."

[DrDon]

Reminder: NEWS ONLY. Newcomers, please read the first post of this thread.

[Grubert]

HP preparing release of HD DVD-equipped Pavilion DV9269EA (http://www.hdnumerique.com/actualite/articles/1205-hp-prepare-le-lancement-du-pavillon-dv9269ea-equipe-d-un-lecteur-hd-dvd.html)

Price still not announced, but expected around €2,200.

[Grubert]

Sharp to ship the BD-HP10S Blu-ray player in May in Germany. No price mentioned.

Press release in German (http://www.sharp.de/presse/pressedetails.php?pid=1140&groupid=0&presseart=1)
Translated by Google (http://google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sharp.de%2Fpresse%2Fpressedetai ls.php%3Fpid%3D1140%26groupid%3D0%26presseart%3D1&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8)

According to Sharp Italy (
http://www.sharp.it/news/newsread.cgi?notizia_id=3000104&area=NEWS&output=list_recent&PHPSESSID=612b5bdb1bdce477f2665ffa011246f4), it will be actually end of March. 1080p, HDMI 1.3, 7.1 analog audio output. Price €1,199.

[Grubert]

dvdtown: Review of the TOSHIBA HD-XA2 HD-DVD Player (http://www.dvdtown.com/news/reviewofthetoshibahdxa2hddvdplayer/4310)

[Ilka]

"Hooray for Blu-ray, it's looking like a winner"

http://www.theage.com.au/news/home-theatre/hooray-for-bluray-its-looking-like-a-winner/2007/02/15/1171405337968.html

A review of the current state of the format war (or lack thereof) in Australia.

[Grubert]

Studio Canal announces its first Blu-ray movie (http://www.worldinhd.com/movabletype/archives/2007/02/studio_canal_la.html).

Discussion here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=805940).

[los seres]

Horvak to see WHV's worldwide operations (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6416751.html)

Exec also to explore new business opportunities, such as high-def push

Mark Horak has been named executive VP and general manager of worldwide operations and new packaged media at Warner Home Video.

In the newly created post, Horak will oversee worldwide marketing, sales, supply chain and operations. He also will help supervise pre-production activities, category management and business and legal affairs. Additionally, Horak will explore new business opportunities for the studio, including leading Warner’s push for the adoption of high-definition formats.

[mikemorel]

Sharp unveils low-end Blu-ray player (http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197006388)

TOKYO — Sharp Corp. will introduce a Blu-ray Disc player in Japan on March 20. The BD-HP1 player will, however, have limited recording functionality and, for practical purposes, will only work with Sharp LCD TVs and video recorders.

As a late entrant to the BD market, Sharp's strategy is to provide a new feature for its LCD TVs while showcasing its blue laser technology. For Japanese consumers who bought Sharp's high-definition hard disk recorders, the new player is the first to allow the archiving of full HD (1,080 p) content from a hard-disk recorders to a disk.

"We do not deny that it is a strategic product for our LCD TV users, but our first aim is to offer a BD product with a reasonable price," said Mikio Katayama, Sharp's corporate senior executive director.

Sharp is also considering whether to introduce the BD player overseas. It has sold about 10 million LCD TVs worldwide and 1 million hard disk-based, high-definition video recorders.

The new player does not have a hard drive or digital TV tuners, now considered essential features for BD recorders. By omitting the costly devices, Sharp said it will offer the player at about ¥150,000 (about $1,240). That's roughly between the prices for BD players and recorders. $1240? Low end??? Someone was given some bad info for Valentine's day. Blu-ray isn't getting any cheaper. Actually it's getting more expensive!

[bluescreen]

Forbes
Next-Gen Disc Battle Finally Heats Up (http://www.forbes.com/digitalentertainment/2007/02/12/cx_df_0212varietydvd.html)

[Talkstr8t]

The BD-HP1 is a Blu-ray recorder, for which prices have traditionally been well in excess of $2K. This represents a significant price drop from currently available models (albeit with a dependence on having a Sharp LCD TV).

[Grubert]

areadvd: Toshiba HD-XE1 player review (http://www.areadvd.de/hardware/2007/Toshiba_HD-XE1_01.shtml)

In related news:

24p support for the XE1 in the summer (http://digital-movie.de/dvd-news/newsinfo.asp?ArtNr=11664)

[Grubert]

Attack of the Show: Blu-ray vs HD DVD (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/bluray-vs-hd-dvd-frucci-edition-237164.php)

[mikemorel]

"Hooray for Blu-ray, it's looking like a winner"

http://www.theage.com.au/news/home-theatre/hooray-for-bluray-its-looking-like-a-winner/2007/02/15/1171405337968.html

A review of the current state of the format war (or lack thereof) in Australia.Making Sense of the High-Def DVD Numbers (http://www.channelinsider.com/article/Making+Sense+of+the+HighDef+DVD+Numbers/200828_2.aspx)

We do know the number of PS3s that have been sold to date within the U.S.: 687,300, at least through January 11, according to NPD. But we don't know what the potential effects of the gift certificates are, as we don't know the size of the respective player markets. (Although it doesn't affect this issue, NPD also noted that 4.5 million Xbox 360s have been sold to date, 6.7 million Sony PSPs have been sold, as well as 9.2 million Nintendo DSes.)

If this is true and the gift certificates indicate an aberration, rather than a trend, then I would think we would see the Blu-ray numbers continue to flatten, followed by a decline, complemented by a resurgence in the HD DVD unit share.


Also, since Wal-Mart does not break out sales of any particular category, Wal-Mart sales of either Blu-Ray or HD DVD discs aren't included in either the Neilsen or NPD numbers. Would a typical Wal-Mart shopper buy a next-generation DVD disc? If we're speaking stereotypically, probably not. On the other hand, it seems ridiculous to assume that the world's largest retailer wouldn't have an effect on sales. (A Wal-Mart spokeswoman refused to comment, even to indicate which format was outselling the other.)


I think it's safe to say that the gift certificate is the reason for the sudden spike in Blu-ray disc sales, even if Crawford will not. As this USA Today article notes:


"Most people spend their gift cards in January and February. And because retailers can't count gift card sales until the cards are redeemed, those sales dollars are pushed out of December into the next year. Gift card sales now represent 5% of total holiday sales, so those dollars are having a significant impact on retailers' business in the months after Christmas. About 40% of card redemptions are made in the first week after Christmas. But the rest comes in January or early February."

[skogan]

ABI Research Foresees a Speedy End to High-Definition DVD Player Format Wars (15/2/2007) (http://hiddenwires.co.uk/resourcesnews2007/news20070215-02.html)

A new study from ABI Research forecasts that such universal players will become the norm, not the exception, benefiting confused consumers unwilling to commit to one DVD camp or the other.

"We believe that universal players will come to dominate the high-definition DVD player market," says Steve Wilson, the firm's principal analyst of consumer electronics. Samsung is expected to release its own universal player soon, and others, including large CE vendors, may follow suit before long

[Grubert]

New player in Blu-ray disc market (http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070216/tc_pcworld/129106;_ylt=ApvNTT42jIC5GD7UvB8SguMjtBAF)

Japan's Funai Electric Co. Ltd. is set to enter the next-generation DVD market this year, it said Friday. The product won't be sold under the Funai name but offered to other consumer electronics companies on an OEM basis for resale under their respective brand names.

Price not announced, but reported to be about $500.

Funai hasn't taken sides in the format battle and is also considering an HD DVD player.

[Tim Glover]

oops... :o

[los seres]

The Ugly truth of HD DVD-Ripped Discs (Paul Sweeting) (http://contentagenda.com/blog/1500000150/post/1930006993.html)

Just as virus and spyware writers tend to ignore the Mac operating system in favor of Windows, hackers are putting most of their efforts into cracking HD DVD because that’s what they expect most people to be using.

A similar dynamic is evident in the adult film industry.

Unconcerned with propriety—again, generally speaking—those who survive in the porn business tend to be keen students of supply and demand in their rawest forms. Where the market leads they quickly follow, few questions asked.

And as with the hacker community, the adult market seems to be tipping toward HD DVD.

That may not be something to boast about for HD DVD supporters, or even an indication of the ultimate outcome of the format war.

But it is a sign that for now, at least, the most gimlet-eyed early adopters find HD DVD to be the more flexible, more consumer-friendly, more useful format.

For better or worse.

[los seres]

NBC Theatrical department takes over Video (www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=10299)

Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, will continue to oversee the division, working closely with Adam Fogelson and Eddie Egan, president and copresident, respectively, of domestic theatrical marketing.


Ken Graffeo, the home video unit’s executive VP of marketing, has been promoted into a new role in which he will now spearhead the studio’s worldwide strategy for high definition. Graffeo will focus on Universal’s exploits in the much-ballyhooed high-definition arena, in which the studio plays a prominent role for its exclusive advocacy of the HD DVD platform. HD DVD is supported by just three of the major studios, and the other two, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, also support rival next-gen format Blu-ray Disc.

[trbarry]

Deleted (moved here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9807884&&#post9807884)) - I hadn't seen the new rule about posting sales figures at time of posting.

- Tom

[Timothy Ramzyk]

don't be looking for pooh anytime too soon.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070216/nyf082.html?.v=71

Federal District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper, of the United States District Court, Central District, issued a major decision in the federal copyright case, granting Stephen Slesinger, Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment, effectively ending the Walt Disney Company's efforts to take back the Winnie the Pooh copyright.

[Marwin]

Blu-ray sales figure mentioned in press release for Blu-ray launch in Australia (February 14, 2007):

Globally, Blu-ray continues to grow as the natural choice, next generation format. In the United States, Hollywood Studios are selling upwards of 45,000 Blu-ray titles weekly, with predictions showing steady growth driven by increasing hardware sales.
Source: http://www.blurayaustralia.com.au/news/pdf/Bluray_aust_launch_consumertech_FINAL.pdf

[Ilka]

"Sony's Phil Harrison Reveals PS3 Movie Downloads, Denies Price Cuts"

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6139

"
PlayStation 3 soon to get video download service

In a recent interview with 1UP, Sony’s Phil Harrison revealed plans to expand the PlayStation 3’s functionality to include “not just games but movies, music, HD, standard definition TV,” as part of a 10-year plan for Sony’s latest console.

..."

[bobgpsr]

Appears to be a free upgrade to red laser HD9 format. Greasing the skids?
http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12405
"As interest for the 3X DVD format grows, we want to give our customers a low cost way to experiment and learn the process," stated Bob Edmonds, Eclipse's VP of Sales and Marketing. "We've learned a lot about the HD process over the past year and are ready to share this knowledge with our customers." The 3X DVD format offers a means of providing HD Video content on a red-laser media for broader drive compatibility. It uses the same UDF 2.5 file system and optional AACS copy-protection as HD DVD and the same physical format as DVD. Bringing the higher data rate of HD DVD to the conventional format allows 135 minutes of HD content to be placed on a DVD ROM, using AVC or VC-1 codecs. Eclipse's free upgrade announcement coincides with the release of a new EclipseSuite HD software version. The new version offers faster encryption and dozens of new HD analysis rules; bringing the number of HD-specific analysis rules to more than 200.

[bobgpsr]

Finally! Looks like optical storage to 1.6 TB might really happen. But only 300GB now.
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19752
InPhase Technologies announced on Monday it will start shipments of the Tapestry HDS-300R, the industry's first 300GB-capacity holographic disc drive this July.

The initial Tapestry HDS-300R holographic disc drives shipped in December to beta users. The device will be able to record on write-once holographic media and is aimed strictly at the archival market. The company plans to come to market with a re-writable format disc by the end of 2008.

InPhase's first-generation product has a data transfer rate of 20MB/sec, 100,000-hour meantime between failure rate and a 50-year expected lifespan. By the end of 2008, InPhase plans a second-generation 800GB optical disc with data transfer rates of about 80MB/sec, with plans to expand its capacity to 1.6TB by 2010.

[Richard Paul]

Just to add to this story but near the bottom of that article (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19752) it mentions:

At $18,000 for a holographic disk drive, InPhase has priced its product roughly mid-point between a $30,000 enterprise-class tape drive and midrange tape drives such as LTO tape drives, which go for around $4,000. The holographic platters will retail for $180 each.

[Maxpower1987]

Link (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/19/traxdata_jumps_on_blu-ray_bandwagon/)

The PS3 is cited as a major factor in their decision.

Traxdata sales and marketing director Guido Liber said: "With the steady introduction of next generation media players such as the PlayStation 3 from Sony, we are beginning to experience the consumer demand for the accompanying media."

[Ilka]

"Is "3X DVD" HD DVD's secret weapon against Blu-ray?"

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/02/19/is-3x-dvd-hd-dvds-secret-weapon-against-blu-ray/

[shore]

DCA masters First 3X DVD-ROM Title (http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070219005332&newsLang=en)

"All existing MIS V8 customers are eligible for an upgrade to MIS 8.5 DVD software, giving them immediate access to the new world of HD video"

[Grubert]

HD DVD and Blu-ray studio tool debuts (http://www.digitmag.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=7297)
NetBlender has released DoStudio, aimed at next-generation DVD developers. DoStudio (DVD One Studio) is the latest component added to DVD One, NetBlender’s first-of-kind solution for creating advanced content for HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and DVDs. DVD One allows DVD developers to produce highly interactive applications for all three DVD formats from a single authoring environment.

DoStudio’s interface includes a visual layout editor that allows developers to arrange graphic elements with drag and drop ease, a keyfame animation editor, automatic remote control button assignment, an image list manager and code assist, so developers don’t need to memorize an entire API, according to NetBlender.

[Grubert]

Sharp's BD-MPC70 Blu-ray theater in a box (http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/02/20/sharps-bd-mpc70-blu-ray-theater-in-a-box/)

[mobius]

Microsoft says January Xbox 360 sales hit 294,000 (http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2007-02-21T014555Z_01_N20230751_RTRIDST_0_TECH-MICROSOFT-XBOX-DC.XML)


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile , Research) sold 294,000 Xbox 360 video game consoles in January, a company executive said on Tuesday, citing preliminary research data.

That is nearly 18 percent higher than the 250,000 units sold in the same month a year earlier, according to Molly O'Donnell, group manager for Microsoft's entertainment and devices division that oversees the Xbox 360.

O'Donnell was citing preliminary figures from market research firm NPD, which could not immediately be reached for comment.

[mobius]

Nintendo Wii Tops PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 in January (Update1) (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aeP6KYaQ4o_k&refer=technology):)

By Michael White

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Nintendo Co.'s Wii outsold Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 during January as consumers bought 436,000 of the video-game consoles.

Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 was the second-most purchased machine with sales of 294,000, followed by PlayStation 3 with 244,000, Credit Suisse analyst Heath Terry said today in a report, citing NPD Group Inc. data.

[Ilka]

"Significant Progress Made Toward Creation of Joint Blu-ray Disc(TM) Patent License"

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2007/21/c2834.html

"...

Participating companies include CyberLink Corporation; Dell Inc.;
Hewlett-Packard Company; Hitachi Ltd.; Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.;
LG Electronics Inc.; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic);
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Pioneer Corporation; Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd.; Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.; Sharp Corporation; Sonic Solutions; Sony
Corporation; TDK Corporation; Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.; and Warner Home
Video Inc.

..."

[nataraj]

Old news. But useful.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-0701250048jan25,0,5949981.story?coll=chi-business-hed


In 2006, about 13.5 million HDTVs were shipped to retailers, according to the CEA, with that number expected to jump to 16 million in 2007. That would represent about 57 percent of all TVs sold for the year. Already, about 30 percent of U.S. households have a high-definition TV, said Sean Wargo, senior industry analyst for the CEA.

[Grubert]

Samsung to launch Vista-certified Blu-ray notebook pc 'Sens M55' (http://aving.net/usa/news/default.asp?mode=read&c_num=36521&C_Code=02&mn_name=news)

[erdega79]

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/New-blue-lasers-for-next-generation-recorders.html

New blue lasers for next generation recorders

Nichia Corporation announced on a press release the development of a high power blue-violet semiconductor laser diode corresponding to a double-layer disc at more than 10 X record speed/ a quad-layer disc at more than 2 X record speed applied for the next generation DVD recorders.

The estimated life time exceeds 10,000 hours and stable operation was achieved for 1000 hours with the condition of 320 mW pulsed operation at 80°C case temperature.

There is not yet information about prices or availability.

[los seres]

Sony DADC announces production technology Initiative for Blu-Ray Disc Dual Layer (http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=191061)

Sony DADC today announced that it will start an initiative for a production technology alliance for Blu-ray Disc dual layer. Detailed information will be presented at the European MEDIA-TECH Showcase & Conference 2007 in Barcelona, Spain, at the Congress Center of Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I.

The presentation will start at March 6, 2007, at 5.30 pm in Room "Sala F" and will introduce the partners of the coming production technology alliance. Sony DADC will also present its latest Blu-ray roadshow.

Due to the huge capacity of up to 50GB, the Blu-ray Disc dual layer format allows for more than just a movie to be stored in the absolute best high-definition quality. Taking content owners beyond anything ever experienced, the format also offers room for additional extras. There is no need to pack additional discs to store these bonus materials, thereby eliminating costs and simplifying the end user's entertainment experience. Depending on the encoding method, there is room for more than five hours of the highest high-definition quality video.

[Grubert]

SF Video Joins Elite Group of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Mastering & HD-DVD Replication Providers (http://prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb506706.htm)
SF Video to Become First Non-Entertainment Based Company to Offer These Services

SF Video, INC., a full service multimedia duplication and replication solutions company, will be adding HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Mastering along with HD-DVD replication to its full suite of his services, sometime in the first quarter this year. As a result SF Video will become only the 4th company in the U.S. to offer HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Mastering, as well as the first non-entertainment based company to offer these services. SF Video predicts they will have the capability to produce 50,000 HD-DVDs per day.

[Grubert]

Gizmodo: Frankenfight: Blu-ray vs. HD DVD, Formats Not Equal (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/feature/frankenfight-bluray-vs-hd-dvd-formats-not-equal-238336.php)

For this week's topic, we dug through the entire archive from the DVD critics at High-Def Digest (about 300 total reviews), averaging every rating they've given yet to HD DVD and Blu-Ray titles.

http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/02/BH1.jpg

[coolscan]

MEDIA-TECH Hosts HD VMD, Blu-ray and HD DVD at MEDIA-TECH Conference 2007 (http://www.nmeinc.com/index.aspx)

Selected quotes from prss release:
NME Selected to Speak About VMD as One of Three Leading HD Optical Disc Solutions
Dr. Eugene Levich, CTO for NME, has been invited to speak about the company's High Definition Versatile Multilayer Disc (HD VMD) solution at the MEDIA-TECH Showcase & Conference 2007, March 6-7, in Barcelona, Spain. The red laser-based HD VMD optical disc and format gives consumers a cost-effective alternative to Blu-ray and HD DVD formats through a total HD solution at prices comparable with the existing DVD market.

Dr. Levich will illustrate his lecture with a live demonstration of the true HD VMD 20 (GB) disc played back in a regular "off the shelf" DVD drive. He will also display a new HD VMD Media Player based on this "off the shelf" DVD loader.

"Replication manufacturers have long desired a more effective and efficient method to create HD discs -- and only HD VMD gives them a seamless method to move towards HD with their existing infrastructure. Our red laser format is a front line technological adaptation of DVD technology to the demands of HD quality. As the blue laser production costs become more realistic for consumer market and available for mass production, the VMD know-how and technologies will play major role in developing cost effective multilayer and multi-format HD solutions."

VMD 2p technology can provide up to eight information layers on each side of a disc and can be utilized for both red laser and blue laser formats, thereby offering numerous content options and business opportunities for the high-definition and content ecosystem. VMD 2p technology is applicable for single- and double-sided discs and a multiplicity of formats, including Blu-ray and HD-DVD.

[Grubert]

Interview with Joe Kane on The Perfect Vision: The Blu-ray Debate (http://www.avguide.com/the-perfect-vision/76/bluray.php)

[space2001]

Blue-Violet Laser Speeds Up Blu-ray Read, Write Times in 2008

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/blueviolet-laser-speeds-up-bluray-read-write-times-in-2008-238525.php

[Timothy Ramzyk]

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/03/05/8401297/index.htm?postversion=2007022214
From CNN Money


Sony, no stranger to embarrassment (remember the exploding batteries?), has not one but two big, expensive potential flameouts: the PlayStation 3 game console, and the Blu-ray DVD format.

The problem with moon shots is that you have to get the trajectory and the timing exactly right, or you wind up lost in space. Sony, despite spending billions on Blu-ray, missed. Not by much, but by enough to call into question whether its massive investments will ever pay off as it had hoped.

[Ilka]

"Blu-ray heads for Russia"

http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007/02/22/237329

"Sumsung has announced sales of the first world serial Blu-ray player in Russia. However, first discs in Russian will appear not earlier than spring. Experts say it is too early to introduce the new player on the world market.

..."

[Grubert]

"Blu-ray friendly studios join forces to promote Blu-ray in the UK (http://www.hdtvuk.tv/2007/02/bluray_friendly.html)

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Lions Gate Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, have pledged to work together in recognition that by uniting, they have a better chance of getting the message across that Blu-ray should be the HD disc format of choice.

[los seres]

HD DVD Plugs into Circuit City (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6418854.html)
Support from retailer, Microsoft could help format against Blu-ray

Blu-ray Disc backers may be declaring the high-definition DVD format war over, but there are new signs that HD DVD shouldn’t yet be counted out.

Among them: stepped up support for the format from Circuit City, a new Microsoft business-to-business Web site (www.thisishddvd.com) aimed at bringing independent program suppliers into the HD DVD fold and retailers’ belief that Toshiba player prices will soon drop, increasing their penetration.

“Circuit City has become a very strong partner,” said Jodi Sally, VP of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products Digital A/V group. “We’ve already done over 200 demos at Circuit City, which we started at the end of January. It was always our intention to expand our retail distribution.”


“Let’s say the software sales are about even, and you’ve got five times as much hardware on the Blu-ray side as you have on the HD DVD side,” said one executive. “That means your attach rates for HD DVD are higher than your attach rates for Blu-ray,” he said, pointing to 1 million PlayStation 3 and stand-alone BD devices combined in homes, versus about 200,000 HD DVD players that have sold, including stand-alones and Xbox 360 add-on drives.

“You’ll see the lower pricing in 30 to 60 days,” said one retail source. “For Toshiba to hit the sell-through numbers that it wants, I expect to see a base level of $299 this fall.”

[mikemorel]

From Video Business:

No high-def winner yet (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6419351.html)

WITH ALL DUE respect to the folks at Sony and other Blu-ray Disc backers, it seems a bit early to be declaring victory in the high-def format war.

The latest evidence for their claim is the ratio of software sales in January, when BD movies outsold HD DVD movies by 2-to-1. But the number of titles released on Blu-ray last month outstripped titles released on HD DVD by better than 2-to-1, so the greater total software sales—by itself—doesn’t tell us much about BD’s relative popularity.

Moreover, BD software sales in January also likely benefited from the 600,000-700,000 PlayStation 3 consoles sold in the U.S. in December, each of which came packaged with a $15 coupon for a BD movie.

We won’t know whether that PS3-propelled spike in sales will be sustained until we have a few months-worth of data.

If you look at lifetime data of the two formats, total software sales are about even, while BD has nearly a 5-to-1 lead in the installed hardware base if you include PS3 consoles. That suggests the overall attach rate of discs per player is far lower for Blu-ray than for HD DVD.

Insofar as PS3 is considered critical to the success of BD, in fact, it’s hard to see why anyone in the BD camp is feeling optimistic.

I don’t see how the rollout of PS3 to date can fairly be called anything but a disaster for Sony, and the signs are getting worse....

[Head Shot]

"...direct-view CRT sales paced all other display technologies in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, according a report just issued by market researcher The NPD Group."

"U.S. retail sales of direct-view televisions increased 61 percent in units and 46 percent in dollars the week of the Super Bowl (week ending Feb 3) compared with the prior week (week ending Jan. 27).LCD TV unit sales grew 40 percent and revenue increased 37 percent.Plasma TVs grew 23 percent in units and 25 percent in dollars. Projection TVs saw a jump of 25 percent and 27 percent, respectively, NPD said"

"Direct-view TVs smaller than 32 inches experienced an 72 percent increase in units and a 59 percent revenue increase for the same time period."

Read the rest here:

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6417862.html?nid=2402

The predicted Hi-Def format acceptance is going to take a little longer to take hold

[Grubert]

Online Retailer to Sell Third-Format Player (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=10327)

Seeking a cheaper alternative to Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, New Medium Enterprises, which markets a low cost high-def optical disc format and player, Feb. 26, announced it had secured a three-year U.S. distribution deal with online retailer PC Rush.

Under terms of the deal, PC Rush will distribute the Chinese-made $199 HD VMD Media Player Duo and $249 HD VMD Media Player Quattro starting in the second quarter.

HD VMD is a 40 Mbps red laser-based format that claims 1080i/p resolution, up to eight information layers per side and can be played on a standard DVD player or on an NME player.

[bobgpsr]

It has been used over the net to update players. From the Toshiba website:
http://www.tacp.com/tacpassets-images/notices/hddvd2firmware.asp

Firmware Update Version: 1.3

Applicable Models: HD-XA2, HD-A2, HD-A2W, and HD-D2.

Overview:
As part of our commitment to provide world-class service to our customers, Toshiba is supplying this firmware update for use by purchasers of Toshiba HD DVD Player models HD-XA2, HD-A2, HD-A2W, and HD-D2. This firmware update addresses certain disc playback and HDMI/DVI related problems identified by Toshiba.

[xboxboi]

from AP, .. i must say that i am surprised ;) .. and good job

The BDP-S300 will cost $599, yet will have the same capabilities as the $999 BDP-S1 Sony is currently selling, said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the home products division of Sony Electronics.

Most people buying high-definition discs are apparently doing so to play them on PlayStation 3 game consoles. There are two versions of the console, for $499 and $599, and Sony sold 1.8 million units last year.

The BDP-S300 is a smaller unit than the BDP-S1, and is about the same size as a DVD player. Like the current model, it will be able to output a signal in the highest high-definition format, known as 1080p. It will also be able to play CDs, which the BDP-S1 does not.

[QUOTE]Stan Glasgow, president of Sony Electronics, told reporters at a meeting here that by Christmas, prices for Blu-ray players should be down below $500.QUOTE]

Source: http://www.abcmoney.co.uk/news/26200729557.htm
Discussion: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9881816#post9881816

[mikemorel]

Phil Harrison: We Are Under No Pressure to Drop PS3's Price (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15342)

At the appropriate time and when we can afford to, the business model of the industry is to pass those savings onto the consumer, but we're a long way away from doing that yet.

[mikemorel]

Sony drops Blu-ray player prices (http://www.p2pnet.net/story/11448)

Meanwhile, "Most people buying high-definition discs are apparently doing so to play them on PlayStation 3 game consoles," it says, quoting another Sony executive, Randy Waynick, as stating:

"There are two versions of the console, for $499 and $599, and Sony sold 1.8 million units last year" and, 80% of people who buy a PS3, "also buy Blu-ray movies to go with it".

[los seres]

Toshiba Ships HD DVD-R Notebook in Japan (http://news.digitaltrends.com/article12358.html)

Electronics and computer maker Toshiba has begun shipping its Qosmio G30/97A notebook computer in Japan, marking the first time a notebook system has shipped with an HD DVD-R drive. Toshiba announced the system in January at CES, but at the time didn't reveal any pricing or available information; now, Toshiba is offering the systems to consumers for about ¥373,365 (just under $3,100 USD) and says the system will definitely be offered overseas, although the company still doesn't have timetables or pricing.

The G30/97A is an entertainment-focused notebook with 1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a standard 1 GB of RAM, and a 17-inch, 1,920 by 1,280 pixe LCD display powered by an Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 controller with 256 MB of dedicated video RAM. The notebook offers a bevy of A/V features including analog and digital TV tuner plus VGA, S-Video, and HDMI output. Add in gigabit Ethernet USB 2.0, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi wireless networking, a PCMCIA slot, an ExpressCard slot, a multi-format media card reader, and the aforementioned HD DVD-R drive.

[sknight1]

Nothing new here, but now it is official:

Toshiba announces 51Gb capacity HD DVD (http://hdtvorg.co.uk/news/articles/2007022601.htm)

[mikemorel]

'SF Video Joins Elite Group of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Mastering & HD-DVD
Replication Providers (http://pdfserver.emediawire.com/pdfdownload/506706/pr.pdf)

SF Video to Become First Non-Entertainment Based Company to Offer These ServicesInteresting claim.

San Francisco, CA (PRWeb) February 22, 2007-- SF Video, INC., a full service multimedia duplication and replication solutions company, will be adding HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Mastering along with HD-DVD replication to its full suite of his services, sometime in the first quarter this year. As a result SF Video will become only the 4th company in the U.S. to offer HD-DVD and Blue-Ray Mastering, as well as the first non-entertainment based company to offer these services. SF Video predicts they will have the capability to produce 50,000 HD-DVDs per day.Also interesting is that they did not quote how many BDs they can produce each day. Don't they know?

[philnerd]

'SF Video Joins Elite Group of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Mastering & HD-DVD
Replication Providers (http://pdfserver.emediawire.com/pdfdownload/506706/pr.pdf)

Interesting claim.

Also interesting is that they did not quote how many BDs they can produce each day. Don't they know?

They mentioned mastering BD, but mastering AND replication for HD DVD. They've probably updated their standard DVD machinery for HD DVD replication.

[Kosty]

Nothing new here, but now it is official:

Toshiba announces 51Gb capacity HD DVD (http://hdtvorg.co.uk/news/articles/2007022601.htm) The news is they never got to this step with 45GB discs.

This is probably sooner than expected based on the speculation when Toshiba first announced this specification..

[sknight1]

The news is they never got to this step with 45GB discs.

This is probably sooner than expected based on the speculation when Toshiba first announced this specification..


Yes; I meant the spec had been officially submitted :o

[Grubert]

Resolutions of the 37th Steering Committee Meeting (Feb. 28, 2007) (http://www.dvdforum.org/37scmtg-resolution.htm)

[Grubert]

'Flushed Away' Plunges DreamWorks Q4 Profits (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=10343)



[...]

DreamWorks Animation is one of few suppliers with major theatrical properties to hold off announcing a high-definition release strategy.

It’s probable that will not change in 2007, said company CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

“[High-def is] still very very small and we keep watching it carefully to find out when there’s an opportune moment to put our product into it,” he said. “Whether we’ll be there in the fourth quarter it’s too early to tell right now.”

[mikemorel]

Not sure how stale this is...

Fox/MGM Blu-ray Blues (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=64222)

Citing technical difficulties Fox and MGM Home Entertainment have revised their Blu-ray Disc release schedules for March and April, with all but two titles now postponed to as yet unknown future dates. The titles which remain on schedule and will appear on 13th March 2007 are Hoosiers and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

The titles no longer set to appear in March are: Dances with Wolves, The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Ice Age, Dodgeball and Commando. The fate of From Hell (which was rescheduled for March) is also unknown at this time.

The full April slate has been removed from the schedule, which includes: Dude, Where’s My Car?, The Fly (1986), Me, Myself and Irene, Tristan & Isolde, Hannibal and Silence of the Lambs. New release Turistas is also off the schedule. Original specs for these titles can be found here, with details on Turistas here.

[mikemorel]

Sony: There Are PS3 Shortages. We Will Resolve Them (http://news.spong.com/article/11927?cb=152)

"April or May is when we feel like we're going to catch up to demand and have product fully in stock across North America and stay there”, he continued, "Our goal is to fill shelves across the United States. Our goal is not to have empty shelves, it's to have full shelves. If we have empty shelves, that's one less consumer who could have bought a PlayStation 3.”

[bobgpsr]

From DVD Forum letter voting results:

http://www.dvdforum.org/sc-letter-voting-36-37.htm
http://www.dvdforum.org/images/DVD-R_for_CSS_Managed_Recording_Logo.pdf

[Grubert]

Blu-ray film producers gear up for UK PS3 release (http://hdtvorg.co.uk/news/articles/2007022701.htm)

[amirm]

Not sure if it is reported before or not or Toshiba just started selling their HD DVD-R equipped notebook in Japan: http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20070226/tc_infoworld/86324;_ylt=A9G_Rx9VF.NFK.sAOxkjtBAF

[los seres]

Sony Ships a million PS3 per month on increasing supply of pick-up heads, says paper (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070301PB202.html)

Sony is currently shipping its PS3 game consoles at a rate of about one million units per month due to an increasing supply of pick-up heads (PUHs) from Sharp for its Blu-ray drive, the Chinese-language Commercial Times quoted market sources as saying in a March 1 report.

With a planned March launch in Europe and later on in Australia, total PS3 shipments are expected to top 3-4 million units in the first quarter of this year, as compared to the two million units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2006, the paper said, citing estimates by analysts at Taiwan-based securities houses. For 2007, total shipments of PS3 consoles are expected to top 12-14 million units, the paper indicated.

[Grubert]

Get 5 free HD DVDs when you buy any Toshiba HD DVD player (http://www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com/_pdf/perfectoffer_advert.pdf)

[los seres]

DVD Forum celebrates 10th Anniversary (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19864)

The DVD Forum, the international organization that defines formats for DVD products and technologies, today celebrated its official 10th anniversary at the annual general meeting of its members held in Tokyo.

The Forum, which has been hailed as a model for collaboration between the consumer electronics, IT and entertainment industries, was founded in August 1997, to assume and extend the work of the DVD Consortium, the ten-company organization that initially developed the DVD format. When it started its work in developing the DVD format and promoting its widespread dissemination, the DVD Forum could count 86 members. Today, it has about 220 member companies, drawn from all over the world.

The launch of DVD was one of the most successful consumer product launches in history. An immediate hit with consumers around the world, DVD brought new and exciting capabilities to home entertainment, computing and gaming, and created an immense global market: 2006 demand for DVD players and recorders stood at over 110 million units, and reached about 290 million units for DVD drives. In the same year, 1.7 billion DVD movie discs were shipped in the North America, while shipments of recordable discs climbed to 5.1 billion discs globally.

This success rests on the concerted efforts and long-term support of the DVD Forum. The Forum assured the versatility and wide-ranging applicability of DVD by defining key specifications that met diverse needs, including those for DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-Audio, DVD-RW, and DVD-Video Recording. The Forum continues to define the future for DVD, and is now promoting development of HD DVD, the next generation DVD format -- based on blue laser -- and working on the development of an integrated networking environment -- extending DVD formats to adapt to the expanding online world.

[los seres]

Posted by Efralope in the HD DVD software forum!
Universal Slate for HD DVD in 2007: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html#030107

Now for that Universal news. Let's start with HD-DVD. Specific dates are still TBA, but here's what the studio is prepping for high-definition over the summer (most of the April and May titles are already confirmed):

April - The Good Shepherd, Smokin' Aces, The Game, The Jerk, The Hitcher, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Nutty Professor

May - Alpha Dog, The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Unrated, Smokey and the Bandit, Hurricane, Skeleton Key, The River, Midnight Run, The Frighteners, The Big Lebowski, Dragonheart, Lost in Translation

June - Breach, Bruce Almighty, Liar Liar, Sneakers, Born on the 4th of July, Scent of a Women, Daylight, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Meet Joe Black, Mallrats, Being John Malkovich, Mystery Men, American Me, The Watcher, Bulletproof

July - Billy Madison, The War, The Wedding Date, Dante's Peak, Cat in the Hat, Dead Silence, The Bourne Identity, The Nutty Professor 2, In Good Company, Streets of Fire, Hot Fuzz, Sea of Love, Darkman, Shaun of the Dead, Deliver Us from Eva

August - Heroes: Season One

September - The Last Starfighter, Legend, Battlestar Galactica: Season One, For the Love of the Game, Knocked Up, Evening, The Getaway: Unrated, Patch Adams, Cat People

[kjack]

From Warren Communications News

- About 112,000 HD DVD players sold for Xbox 360 in the U.S. through Jan., NPD says

- HD DVD for China nearer licensing stage with conditional DVD Forum approval

- Specs set for DVD downloads to discs

[Eternal_Sunshine]

51GB HD-DVD not really ready:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/03/01/toshiba-says-51gb-hd-dvd-still-in-the-oven/

Contrary to reports this week that Toshiba had completed work on its 51GB, 7 hour HD DVD disc and submitted it for approval to the DVD Forum, Toshiba says the disc is still in the works, and that it hasn't made any official announcements since early January when it first revealed the disc. "We're puzzled ourself by where these reports came from," said Junko Furuta of Toshiba, who denied such developments. That's all we know for now, no word on when the disc will actually be completed, but according to the original announcement, Toshiba will be looking for approval of such a disc this year.

[skogan]

Samsung M55 laptop adds HD DVD burner
http://www.hdtvuk.tv/2007/03/samsung_m55_lap.html

[Grubert]

Slysoft Adds Blu-ray Support To AnyDVD HD (http://www.cdrlabs.com/news/byte/4746)

[Grubert]

You heard it here first:

Dreamgirls release May 1 on Blu-ray and HD DVD.

[Maxpower1987]

You heard it here first:

Dreamgirls release May 1 on Blu-ray and HD DVD.

Link?

[Grubert]

Link?

Newest issue of Home Media Magazine has a two-page spread for this title.

Also davisdvd.

[Ilka]

Disc Makers Launches ReflexBlu Line of Blu-Ray Tower Duplicators

http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12465

"Disc Makers, a leading manufacturer of CD and DVD duplicators, today launches its first Blu-Ray compatible tower duplicators, the ReflexBlu2 and ReflexBlu4. The competitively priced ReflexBlu line gives users the ability to create, edit, and duplicate customized Blu-Ray discs (BD-Rs), DVD-Rs, and CD-Rs all in one piece of equipment.

..."

[Timothy Ramzyk]

The industry’s push toward new formats is also potentially problematic for the smaller players. The quality of mass-market digital downloads is debatable, and the new Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs, which require substantial investment in new equipment, are already taking up shelf space that might have gone to specialty titles.

“I think high-definition is turning out to be the laser disc of the video business today,” said Bill Lustig, the director of “Maniac” and owner of Blue Underground, an eclectic company with titles including “My Brilliant Career” and “Tombs of the Blind Dead.” “It’s taking up a very, very small percentage of the market, and I don’t know if we will see it grow. Most people are happy with their standard-def DVDs and don’t want to replace their movies.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/movies/homevideo/04rees.html

[Grubert]

Couple in-depth player reviews:

- Xbox 360 add-on on dvdactive (http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/technology/microsoft-xbox-360-hd-dvd-player.html)

- Toshiba XA2 on highdefdigest (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/hreview_hdxa2030207.html)

[Grubert]

Standalone player sales in Europe (http://www.cinemotion.biz/informacion.php?iinfo=75)

[mikemorel]

Long article in the Wall Street Journal on Howard Stinger and Sony, including his struggles with Kutaragi and the PS3. Interesting reading, but may not be online long...

Howard Stringer, Japanese CEO (http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page94?oid=76962&sn=Detail)

The dangers of that approach quickly became clear. Two big missteps -- a delayed launch of the PlayStation 3 videogame console and an embarrassing battery recall -- tarnished Mr. Stringer's first years in charge. In both cases, managers tried handling problems in the traditional Sony way: quietly and without informing top executives.

Last fall, Mr. Stringer put together an executive team more to his liking. The reshuffle included moving an uncommunicative star executive, Ken Kutaragi, from his position running Sony's videogame unit. Mr. Stringer now receives every report about manufacturing problems -- "more emails than I care to read," he says
At a board meeting a few weeks later, Mr. Kutaragi sprang another surprise on Mr. Stringer, suggesting he drop the price of the entry-level PlayStation 3 console by 20% to just under 50,000 yen (about $420) to make it more competitive.

"It wasn't financially one of my best moments," Mr. Stringer says. "The budget implications were self-evident. [But] I agreed because I wanted the launch to be successful."

The price cut will help double videogame-related losses for Sony's year ending March 31 to about $2 billion, erasing many of the efforts made by other units to boost profitability. "I think it's fair to say that any time you're aiming for the stars, you're running the risk of falling a bit short on your timetable," Mr. Stringer says.

[mikemorel]

Cinram Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2006 Results (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,69869.shtml)

Cinram recorded fourth quarter and full-year high-definition disc revenue of $2.8 million and $5.6 million, respectively, following the June retail launch of both formats. We have replicated 180 HD-DVD and Blu-ray titles for our customers in North America since the launch.

[mikemorel]

http://www.thisisliving.tv/

New Playstation 3 commercial - supposedly for Europe. Check it out if you dare.


"Sometimes you have to let art... flow... over you." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085244/quotes)

Nick from "The Big Chill"

[Timothy Ramzyk]

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9693527-1.html?tag=cnetfd.mt

Last Friday we reported on a quote from TV Week that Sony President and COO Stan Glasgow said Sony had plans to cut prices on its Blu-ray players to $299 by the end of the year. Well, don't update your Christmas list just yet. According to a Sony representative, Glasgow was misquoted. What Glasgow said, apparently, was that he felt the $299 price would be the tipping point where the average consumer would start to consider buying a Blu-ray player. Indeed, the Sony spokesman went on to specify that the company has no plans to roll out a Blu-ray player at that price point in 2007. That makes a lot more sense considering that Sony just announced a $600 Blu-ray player for this summer, and Glasgow basically said the same thing in an interview with CNET in January.

[Snickering Hound]

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19887



HD DVD group approves China-specific specification

The DVD Forum, at its 37th Steering Committee meeting on February 28, 2007, approved the China High Density Read-only Disc (C-HD DVD-ROM) physical specification, termed Version 10.0 (for China only).


This has been done in an attempt to promote the HD DVD standard in the large China market, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

The forum will design a licensing system for C-HD DVD-ROM in China, the sources indicated.

The battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray disc (BD) is still hot, with Sony last week unveiling an entry-level BD player, the BDP-S300, for launch in mid-2007 at a recommended retail price of US$599, the sources pointed out. BDP-S300, Sony's second BD player model following the BDP-S1 which launched in December of 2006 at US$999, is intended to compete with Toshiba's HD DVD players which are for sale at US$499, the sources indicated.

[Head Shot]

"Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Phil Harrison...confirmed that the PS3 will at some point receive DVD upscaling."

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15403

[Grubert]

Broadcom Demonstrates New 65 Nanometer Dual Advanced Video Decoder Chip at CableLabs Winter Conference (http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=970100)


65nm Technology Provides a Faster, Smaller, Lower Power, Highly Integrated Dual Video Decoder SoC for Advanced Codec Set-Top Box Applications

Broadcom Corporation today announced a new dual-channel AVC/MPEG-4/VC- 1/MPEG-2 video decoder system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed in a 65 nanometer process. The new high-performance video decoder SoC is being demonstrated at this week's CableLabs Winter Conference, and provides leading-edge functionality and performance when compared to existing set-top box (STB) solutions currently available.

[Grubert]

Taiwan market: LG slashes Blu-ray Disc drive price by 33% (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070305PD220.html)

[lymzy]

Cinram Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2006 Results (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,69869.shtml)


http://www.stor-age.com/resources/0C606E30-617D-49B2-8075-F88A977CAF3D/Cinram-r2006.png

[Dahlsim]

interview Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America (http://www.gametrailers.com/viewnews.php?id=4203)

By including Blu-ray in the PS3 we're taking some lumps in the short term so we can say 'I told you so' in the long term.

[los seres]

Music DVD Conference (www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=10369)

Music DVD releases make up a little more thane 14% of the more than 72,000 DVD titles in existence, according to The DVD Release Report. Releases in the genre dropped around 1% in 2006 as suppliers deal with a shifting retail landscape. Last year didn’t even see the traditional spike in music DVDs hitting shelves for holiday shopping, Ralph Tribbey, editor of The DVD Release Report.

There is little or no market right now for high-def music discs thanks in part to consumer confusion, high hardware prices and retail reticence to stock the titles, panelists said.

High-def music releases are in a holding pattern, Carden said.

Authoring is costly — $30,000 per title per format — making the modest sales of a handful of titles thus far little more than an experiment, he said.

Still, everyone is preparing to leap in when the time is right, Amos said.

[los seres]

2006 download, high-def spending 200 mil (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6422096.html)

BEAR STEARNS: Speakers say new delivery formats are fraction of DVD

Consumers spent roughly $200 million in 2006 on movie downloads and both high-definition formats, barely a fraction of what they spent on DVD, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said Monday at the 2007 Bear Stearns 20th Annual Media Conference, offering up some of the first hard revenue numbers on new video formats.

Sarandos said consumers who rent high-def DVDs through Netflix report 80% to 90% satisfaction levels, but he predicted the high-def disc business would stay small until one side prevails.


Iger said high-def TV sales are key to driving the new high-def disc formats.

He predicted high-def disc would take over DVD once a winner emerges, but he backed away from predicting when the format war would end. He also didn’t specifically name Blu-ray Disc as the eventual winner, though Disney is in the Blu-ray camp.

[skogan]

Toshiba plans Hindi films in HD DVD format
http://www.ciol.com/content/news/2007/107030705.asp

[los seres]

Imation Unveils World's First Water-Resistant Blu-Ray Discs (http://www.dvd-recordable.org/Article3220.phtml)

Imation have announced the world's first inkjet printable and water-resistant Blu-ray media. Optimized for professional disc duplication, users can record high-definition video, gaming, data and other content on Imation Inkjet Printable BD-R Media with AquaGuard(TM) technology, then print water- and smear-resistant graphics and text right on the disc's surface.

The discs are compatible with Blu-ray disc players and recorders, including the Primera(R) Bravo XR-Blu Disc Publisher and the Bravo SE Blu, the world's first automated burn and print devices to support high-capacity Blu-ray media. Imation Inkjet Printable Media with AquaGuard technology also is ideal for reliable business backup of high-capacity digital files.

"Imation's Blu-ray media with AquaGuard technology is the perfect disc," said James Milligan, General Manager, Commercial/OEM Division, Imation Corp. "We've designed each side of the disc for professional use. The data side features high capacity and scratch resistance. The inkjet printable side allows for creation of custom, water-resistant printed images and text. When used with Primera's industry-leading disc publishers, users can quickly and easily create high-quality, cutting-edge Blu-ray disc projects with ease."

[mikemorel]

HD Format War Like Iraq Says Arcam Chief (http://www.smarthousenews.com.au/Home_Cinema/Home_Cinema_In_A_Box?Article=/Home%20Cinema/Home%20Cinema%20In%20A%20Box/J8B8R5N7)

Visiting Arcam CEO Charlie Brennan has likened the high-definition format war to the conflict in Iraq because there is “no exit strategy”.

Brennan says the debate between the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats is "already a mighty mess with no real winner".

....

The manufacturer is not yet ready to invest in either HD format and won't be for several years, says Brennan.

"In the next one to two years, neither format will attain critical mass to achieve the public's confidence enough to spend their hard-earned cash," he says.

Brennan also advises consumers and retailers to steer clear of the rivalry in the immediate future.

"Until it makes sense to invest, consumers should be advised to stick with what they've got," he says. "A good chunk of these products will end up on the scrapheap."

Brennan is confident that the majority of consumers will not be able to easily discern the difference between HD and SD broadcasts.

"It's only on six- and seven-foot screens that the difference is dramatic," he says. "After all, it's the software that matters, not the technology."

[Ilka]

"Blu-ray vs. HD DVD
An in-depth, unbiased battle royale"

http://gear.ign.com/articles/771/771265p1.html

4-page Australian review.

[dialog_gvf]

BLU-RAY ASCENDING
PS3 PUSH GIVES EDGE IN VIDEO FORMAT WAR (http://www.nypost.com/seven/03082007/entertainment/blu_ray_ascending_entertainment_lou_lumenick.htm?page=1)

Lots of quotes.


Alison Casey, who analyzes consumer trends for London-based Understanding & Solutions, predicts that retailers will pull the plug on HD DVD sometime next year.


Being discussed here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=816675)

[los seres]

HD DVD Leads Blu-Ray in Europe (http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20070308PD200.html)

Toshiba, mainly through its US$499 HD-E1 HD DVD player, accounted for an 85% market share of next-generation blue-laser optical disc drives/players/recorders sold in Europe in January of this year, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Sony and Samsung Electronics, proponents of the competing Blu-ray Disc (BD) format, together accounted for the remaining 15% of the European market, the sources said, citing statistics by GfK Marketing Services. Prior to the launch of the HD-E1, Toshiba's European market share for blue-laser products in 2006 was only 58%, the sources pointed out. Though HD DVD currently has a lead in Europe, the upcoming launch there of Sony's Blu-ray equipped PS3 game console is expected to heat up competition between the two formats.

Although fast growing demand for HDTV (high-definition TV) is expected to be increase the demand for HD DVD or BD drives/players/recorders, prices as low as US$500 are key to the saleability of such blue-laser products, the sources noted.

[mikemorel]

From Video business:

Panelists: No end yet to high-def war (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6422896.html)

The good news-bad news message that high-definition DVD is a real market but neither HD DVD nor Blu-ray Disc is likely to win the format war this year was woven throughout the DisplaySearch Flat Panel Display Conference 2007, held here March 5-8.

On the positive side, sales of stand-alone high-def DVD players in both formats on a dollar basis combined to represent 8% of the conventional DVD player market during January—twice high-def’s share during the fourth quarter of 2006—said Ross Young, DisplaySearch founder and president. Also during January, monthly PlayStation 3 sales on a dollar basis surpassed those of standard-definition DVD players.
For the last two months, twice as many Blu-ray discs have sold as HD DVD discs, noted conference speaker Vito Mandato, an executive consultant to Paramount Home Entertainment. But he does not see that as a sign that the end of the format war is imminent.

“Some studio chiefs have claimed to have won, but quite honestly the war continues,” said Mandato, who led his speech with the disclaimer that his views may not represent the views of Paramount.

Mandato predicts the number of hardware units in homes by the end of 2007 will be at 1.7 million for each format. On the HD DVD side, that includes 1.2 million stand-alone players and 500,000 Xbox 360 add-on drives. For BD, Mandato is counting only 22%, or 1.2 million, of the 5.5 million PS3 units projected to be sold during the year, plus 500,000 stand-alone players, because his analysis suggests that just 22% of PS3 households purchase movies regularly.This appears to be totally opposite of other reporting on this story. What gives?

[DrDon]

Just a little steering note. We're getting a lot of news items that are simply about the format war. Let's get this back to news involving the technology, itself, please. Thanks.

[los seres]

Sony DADC Showcases 50GB Blu-Ray Tech Through New Alliance (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19921)

Sony announced a technology alliance that is expected to accelerate the production technology of Blu-ray dual layer Discs with a storage capacity of 50 GB at Media-tech Showcase and Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

Sony DADC will work with Oerlikon and Singulus in order to offer independent disc manufacturers the technology and equipment for 50-GB Blu-ray Discs.

Sony DADC will provide its wet embossing technique for replication, which has been already applied in the company's plants in Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Sony will particularly disclose process technology and testing inspection technology for the BD-50 format, in an effort to accelerate the availability of BD-50 amongst commercial replicators.

Oerlikon Balzers Coating will implement Sony's process in its Indigo line and will deliver it to Blu-ray manufacturers later this year. Oerlikon representatives said that Sony's technology would enable cost-efficient production of Blu-ray 50 GB. Oerlikon has the widest installed base for Blu-ray, with machines already in production in 10 different locations.

Singulus will be able to offer independent disc manufacturers inline production machines for dual layer Blu-ray Discs in the near term. Accordingly, disc producers will be able to build up sufficient capacity for the production of the new disc generation. Sony DADC will provide SINGULUS the necessary production expertise. The start of the machines for Blu-ray dual layer Discs is scheduled for the second half of 2007.

The agreement comes into effect this month. The first machines that make use of Sony DADC?s wet embossing technology are expected this summer.

[los seres]

Vivid to Release 'Debbie Does Dallas...Again In Blu-Ray And HD DVD (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070309/20070309005495.html?.v=1)

Vivid is the world's leading film studio and produces over 60 movies a year, but this particular production has already received widespread press attention because it is the first in the adult film industry to be available in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats and is also the first high definition feature with multiple camera angle options. The film will be sold in a three-disc set including the original "Debbie Does Dallas."

[huntaar]

Hardware Price Wars and the influence of Chinese HD DVD players:

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6423230.html

Sony Electronics recently announced that it will lower the price of its set-top Blu-ray player in June, from $999 to $599.

Companies don’t typically announce price cuts so far in advance, because it signals consumers to stop buying until the price cut takes effect.

The logical inference is that Sony wasn’t selling many $999 players anyway and is feeling pressure to narrow the price gap with HD DVD.

The PS3 price points, moreover, are under pressure themselves for reasons that have nothing to do with the high-def format war. But as Sony looks to drive down the cost of its game system, it will inevitably put pressure on other Blu-ray manufacturers to lower the price of their set-tops.

THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT difference between the China-only HD DVD and the version used in the rest of the world is the codec used to encode content.

In the rest of the world, HD DVD supports VC-1, H.264 and MPEG2. The China-only version supports only the Chinese-developed Advanced Video System (AVS).

In nearly every other respect, including the physical specifications of the disc, the interactive layer and the optics, the two versions are identical.

The purpose of the China-only version is to spare Chinese manufacturers the licensing fees associated with the global codecs on decks sold in China and to help propel China into the ranks of technology developers, rather than simply manufacturers.

But manufacturing HD DVD players they will be. And once those production lines are up and running, swapping out the codecs for their outside OEM clients is no big deal.

In other words, HD DVD just secured the inside track on a potentially vast new market. The economies of scale that could result from China’s embrace of HD DVD is likely to have significant impact on retail prices in every market that sources its electronics from China—that is, the rest of the world.

[coolscan]

CDRinf:HD VMD At Media-Tech (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19926)
The company demonstrated its HD VMD 20GB disc playback (4-layers) with an "off the shelf" DVD drive equipped with HD VMD PC playback software, along with its new HD VMD media player. The proprietary PC drives will go on sale in Q3 07.
The demonstration at the MEDIA-TECH Show in Barcelona included playback of a 1080p high-def video. The hardware set-up included a DVD-ROm drive, a decoding board for HD decoding and a power supply circuit. These are also expected to be the parts of the stand-alone player of the company, that will go on sale later this year for less than U.S. $200. The player will be manufactured by Chinese Shinco and SVA and will be equipped with an MPEG 2 decoder by LSI Logic. The second generation of the player is expected to additionaly offer play back of H.264 content, through a new decoder by Sigma Designs.

VMD technology can theoricaly provide up to eight information layers on each side of a disc and can be utilized for both blue laser and red laser format. Surprisingly enough, the company said that it has resolved the crosstalk noise problem that typically appears when reading multi-layer discs, allowing the read-out of up to 4-layers per disc side. Note that the disc is semi-transparent, and it is made of different off-the-shelf materials commonly used in DVD production.

Axxicon, Dr. Schenk and Netstal join the integrator and replication line manufacturer VDL ODMS as the official VMD ODMS universal replication line partners. VDL ODMS has already finalised the industrial production of the VMD HD disc. The Dutch company has implemented NME's 2P seperation and bonding process for the production of the new multi-layer discs, which is claimed to be more advanced compared with the typical 2P process.

VMD is currently being adopted by content providers and distributors in 12 regions worldwide, including Brazil, Central Europe, China, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Japan, the Middle East Russia, Scandinavia, and the United States.

Dr Eugene Levich, Director and CTO of NME, told CDRinfo that NME was ready to accept the marketing challenge and aggressively promote the HD VMD format. "With respect to the consumer and an affordable and reliable technology, we have nothing to be afraid of," said Levich.
HD-VMD claim on their website that they will have standalone players available from april in China and India, and the rest of the world in the months after.

[Grubert]

This should be as go-to for breaking Hi-Def DVD news as fredfa's thread is for TV news.

So, for example, this one would be appropriate:


Taiwan maker U-Tech turns out pre-recorded HD DVD discs (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070312PD215.html)

U-Tech Media, the largest maker of pre-recorded discs in Taiwan, has successfully developed and produced pre-recorded HD DVD discs, with sample products currently under certification by potential clients, according to the company.

[...]

U-Tech plans to initially secure orders from vendors of consumer electronics, such as DVD players, who will bundle HD DVD movie discs with their products, the company noted. When the global demand for blue-laser products takes off, U-Tech will then compete for OEM orders from Hollywood studios, the company pointed out.

In addition to HD DVD discs, U-Tech and its parent company Ritek have been cooperating to develop pre-recorded Blu-ray Disc (BD) discs, with production possibly to begin in the first half of this year, U-Tech indicated.

[Grubert]

But what about this:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid452319854/bctid611224406

[Grubert]

IBM starts producing Cell chip at 65nm (http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/03/12/HNcell65nm_1.html?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/03/12/HNcell65nm_1.html)

[xboxboi]

LG lets loose pics, release date for internal Blu-ray / HD DVD drive




http://www.engadget.com/media/2007/03/lg--ggw-h10n.jpg

http://chinese.engadgethd.com/2007/03/13/lg-lets-loose-pics-release-date-for-internal-blu-ray-hd-dvd-d/

[xboxboi]

2nd Gen Sammy BD player to hit stores in October

No 2nd Gen Sammy player during launch for UK

Samsung has confirmed to Pocket-Lint.co.uk that its second generation Blu-ray player, that is set for release in the United States in October, will not be available in the UK at the same time, and perhaps not at all. "We don't know whether the 2nd generation player will be launching in the UK or not or whether we will wait until the 3rd generation player before Christmas," Stephen Mitchell, marketing manager, Samsung Electronics Ltd revealed.

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8967.cfm

[mikemorel]

New Laser Diode Offers 6x Recording For Dual-layer Blu-Ray and HD DVD (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19963)

Sharp will begin production of a High-Power Blue-Violet Laser Diode that achieves a power output of 210 mW. The device will enable high-speed 6X recording on dual-layer Blu-ray Discs (BD) and HD-DVDs.

The diode (GH04P21A2G) makes full use of crystal growth technology developed for infrared, red, and blue-violet low-power laser diodes.

The supported power output of 210 mW makes possible high-speed 6X recording on dual-layer Blu-ray Discs (BD) and HD-DVDs. In addition to a newly developed laser chip with a proprietary facet structure, the device also features a long service life of 10,000 hours.

Sharp will ship the first samples of the new diode on April 2nd, priced at 50,000 yen. Mass production is slated to start in June. 50,000 JPY = $429.88 USD. Sharp's samples of 20-milliwatt diodes were available for about $85 apiece back in November. (http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=194500229) On the other hand, it looks like Sharp will sell to HD DVD and BD sides.

[mikemorel]

War of the format worlds played at MEDIA-TECH theatre (http://www.dvd-intelligence.com/main_sections/news_archive/2003_free/3_mediatech_report.htm)

To date, 21 authoring facilities and replicators across Europe are already providing HD DVD services. Laurent Villaume, the straight-talking founder and CEO of French replicator QOL, explained why he and others have embraced HD DVD – while leaving the door open to BD.

"At this early stage in the game, it is critical for us to be able to amortise the heavy in