DVD Forum approves 'DVD Download
DL' specs
At its recent Steering Committee meeting in Los Angeles,
the DVD Forum approved the DVD Download/DL logo and
specification for downloadable video content, in response
to the growth of internet-based electronic sell-though
(EST) and manufacturing-on-demand (MOD) delivery transactions.
Read more . . .
10th
Anniversary An independent breaks into Blu-ray
Infodisc is Europe's first independent replicator to
take the plunge into Blu-ray. MICHAEL GUTOWSKI, the
company’s CEO, tells JEAN-LUC RENAUD, DVD Intelligence
publisher, the challenges he faces forging ahead in
a marketplace yet to guarantee a level-playing field.
This is the third in a series of exclusive contributions
to the 10th anniversary of www.dvd-intelligence.com's
companion magazine DVD AND BEYOND 2008, published
next week.
Read more . . .
HD
content elusive as HD display takeup rockets
HD technology has reached a tipping point in
Europe, with take-up across the region accelerating
rapidly. But a large HD content gap will remain in 2012
with a majority of Europeans still watching standard
definition TV on their HDTV displays, says Screen Digest
in its latest report.
Read more . . .
Global consumer electronic
sales to hit $700 billion in 2009
Worldwide revenue for consumer electronics is
expected to hit the $700 billion mark by 2009, according
to the Consumer Electronics Association. Consumers will
spend $42 billion more on consumer electronics products
next year, the group said.
Read more . . .
Column
DVD unaffected by VOD day-and-date
We welcome a new regular columnist BARRY FLYNN,
an independent-minded analyst with vast experience in
all aspects of digital television. He will offer a perspective
from outside the packaged media industry, but eminetly
relevant to professionals within. In this first contribution,
he looks at the DVD-VOD relationship.
Read more . . .
One-third
of US, UK consumers copy pre-recorded DVDs
A Macrovision-sponsored online survey of US and
British consumers carried out in May 2008 by Futuresource
reveals that around one third of all respondents in
both countries admit to making copies of pre-recorded
DVDs in the last six months, up from just over a quarter
of respondents in 2007.
Read more . . .
A
small DVD author finds the AACS party unaffordable
A small independent DVD author has come to the
conclusion that AACS may be only Hollywood’s party.
"To get invited to the party you have to pay to
party. I’d like to be at the party, but with the
current AACS fees as high as they are, my clients just
aren’t going to go blu." Read
more . . .
Pioneer pushes hi-tech envelope
with 16-layer, 400GB disc
Pioneer claims to have developed read-only disc
media with 16 layers offering a total capacity of 400
GB. While the 25 GB per-layer capacity is equivalent
to what Blu-ray provides, Pioneer did not say which
technology its new discs are based upon and did not
even mention whether blue laser or red laser technologies
were employed.
Read more . . .
£900,000
DVD/CD scam discovered
A master forger faced jail this week over a near-£900,000
DVD and CD scam uncovered by Wolverhampton Trading Standards
officers in the UK. He illegally copied almost 30,000
game, film, music and business software discs and sold
them through a website and at computer fairs in the
Midlands and North West of England. (See full story
in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
UK
DVD sales beat economic doldrums
Half year figures from the British Video Association
(BVA) show total DVD sales have risen 3.3 per cent compared
with the same period a year ago. The best-selling DVD
was the animated children's adventure Ratatouille,
which sold 2.1 million copies.
Read more . . .
Japanese
to speed up OLED developments
Sony, Toshiba, Sharp and other Japanese electronic
companies are to join forces to speed up the development
of Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) panels. The Japanese
goverment is expected to throw in about $32 million
to help with kickstarting the project. The project should
run from this year through 2012.
Read more . . .
Home
video still tops consumer spending
Even in light of a small decrease in overall
consumer spending on DVD, the approximately $24 billion
US home video market continued to be the largest segment
of consumer movie spending by far, accounting for 49%
of all spending in 2007, according to a recent report.
Read more . . .
10th
Anniversary 'My love affair with DVD'
Responsible for the production of the first iconic titles
in France, VICTORIA WILLIS has been involved in the
life of DVD Video from day one. She looks back over
10 years of trials and tribulations that gave birth
to an object of desire. This is the second in a series
of exclusive contributions to the 10th anniversary of
www.dvd-intelligence.com's companion magazine DVD
AND BEYOND 2008, published next week.
Read more . . .
Hit by hard times, DaTARIUS
business restructures
Test equipment manufacturer DaTARIUS Technologies
has announced it is restructuring the business brought
about through "the difficult trading seen in the
optical media industries in the past three years."
Read more . . .
Shaun
the Sheep – Europe's six billionth DVD disc
The six billionth DVD disc in Europe came off
the production line at arvato digital services in Gütersloh.
The disc in question Shaun the Sheep –
Saturday Night Shaun – was manufactured
for Concorde Home Entertainment.
Read more . . .
Analysis
Gearing up for a Blu future
As the industry hopes for a Blu Christmas in 2008, Screen
Digest’s HELEN DAVIS-JAYALATH
and RICHARD COOPER assess the issues facing Blu-ray
Disc as it seeks to achieve mass market acceptance.
This is the first in a series of exclusive contributions
to the 10th anniversary of www.dvd-intelligence.com's
companion magazine DVD AND BEYOND 2008, published at
the end of the month.
Read more . . .
CSI:Miami –
Germany's first BD-Live title
On June 30, German independent Universum Film
will release the country's first Blu-ray disc offering
BD-Live features – the popular television series
CSI: Miami Season 5.1.
Read more . . .
Royalties imposed on Blu-ray
recorders, discs in Japan
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,
which represents manufacturers, and the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,
which oversees copyright entities, agreed to impose
charges on Blu-ray products thus responding to copyright
holders demand that extra charges be aplied on sales
of Blu-ray recorders and BD discs.
Read more . . .
Pirated DVDs of Indian movies
seized in Brussels
Belgium custom officials have seized 50,000 DVDs
of Indian films worth Rs16.5 million (€246,000)
at Brussels airport. Acting on a tip-off by the Shemaroo
Entertainment with the local distributor and Stitching
Indian Films and Music (SIFAM), officials seized the
consignment of DVDs at the airport Friday. (See full
story in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
Oil price hike hits disc
manufacturing
While the third quarter of each year is traditionally
an off-peak period for blank disc makers, the third
quarter of 2008 will potentially see makers facing an
additional negative impact as polycarbonate suppliers
plan to raise prices from the current level of US$2.3-2.4/kg
by 5-7% due to large hikes in oil pricing.
Read more . . .
Global entertainment growth
heads for $2.2 trillion by 2012
Entertainment and media companies hoping to drive
growth over the next five years will need to accommodate
dramatic changes in devices, market and consumer behaviour
through striking business alliances, according to a
report by PricewaterhouseCooper. The report pegs global
compound annual growth rate at 6.6 percent for the sector,
anticipating it to reach $2.2 trillion in 2012.
Read more . . .
FS Film releases first Finnish
Blu-ray movie
FS Film Oy, one of Finland's leading film and
video distributors, is to release next month its first
Blu-ray Disc, with BonusView features. Ganes,
directed by JP Siili and produced by Helsinki-Filmi
Oy, is based on the life of Remu Aaltonen, legendary
drummer, singer and songwriter of the infamous Finnish
rock band Hurriganes.
Read more . . .
Delkin launches longest-lasting
archival Blu-ray disc
Delkin Devices is now shipping Archival Gold
Blu-ray recordable media, the first archival Blu-ray
(BD-R) disc guaranteed to preserve data safely for over
200 years. (See full story
in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
DVD-sniffing
dog dies in mysterious circumstances
Manny, a one-year-old Labrador trained to sniff
out pirated DVDs in Malaysia, has died of unknown causes,
according to officials. The death of Manny deals a setback
to Malaysia's plan to use dogs to sniff out counterfeit
DVDs.
Read more . . .
Opendisc becomes first CDSA-certified
anti-piracy site
Opendisc has become the first certified anti-piracy
site for content protection and security of digitally
downloaded music and other copyrighted material to its
customer base, according to the Content Delivery and
Storage Association (CDSA).
Read more . . .
Two-year jail term for illegal
DVD warehouse 'shopkeeper'
A man working in an illegal DVD ‘warehouse’
in London, is behind bars after the court heard that
36,000 pirate and 7,000 hardcore pornographic DVDs were
found there with a total street value of about £90,000.
(See full story in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
Samsung demos super high
resolution 82" HDTV
Recently-held Society for Information Display
(SID) International Symposium saw a demo of Samsung's
prototype 82" Quad HDTV screen that offers four
times the resolution of today's 1080p.
Read more . . .
Mediaplant launches recyclable
DVD packaging
A 100% recyclable paper DVD case has been launched
by MediaPlant, a Swedish manufacturer of pre-recorded
media. The EcoCase is made out of B-flute and the cover
of acid free, eco-labeled cardboard. (See full story
in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Cinram
signs Euro deal with Universal Pictures Int'l
Cinram has just signed a long-term agreement
with Universal Pictures International for manufacturing
and distribution of DVDs throughout the majority of
Western Europe. Universal was left in the cold when
German replicator ODS, which had snatched the contract
from Technicolor in November 2006, collapsed earlier
this year.
Read more . . .
China
unveils own HD disc format for the Olympics
Reports have been circulating citing Chinese
research firm CCID Consulting that suggests the country
is developing red-laser based high-definition disc technology.
However, it may be referring to the multi-layered EVD
format the Chinese worked on for a while, but have since
abandoned. In reality, China is set to launch officially
its own HD DVD-based high definition disc format on
8 August for the Olympics. A demonstration took place
last week.
Read more . . .
Bonver acquires ODS Business
Services Scandinavia
Bonver Logistics, the Nordic region's largest
distributor of home entertainment products, has acquired
ODS Business Services Scandinavia AB, the subsidiary
from the now-bankrupt ODS Group.
Read more . . .
Toshiba opens new DVD upscaling
battle front
National newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun has
reported that Toshiba is about to bring to market standard
DVD players equipped with more powerful, second-generation
upscaling processing.
Read more . . .
Sony launches BASE project
to encourage BD production
To support European market, where the HD household
penetration is significantly lower than in the US and
in Japan, Sony has decided to launch the BASE project
– Blu-ray Authoring and Solution Europe.
Read more . . .
World’s first
music Blu-ray is Norwegian
Trondheim Solistene’s Divertimenti,
released by Norwegian music label 2L, is the first record
to combine a hybrid SACD with a Blu-ray "music
only" disc in the same package.
Read more . . .
Pozzoli, Multi Packaging Solutions in strategic partnership
Italian packaging manufacturer Pozzoli and US-based
Multi Packaging Solutions have entered into a strategic
partnership to cross license, co-develop, and market
their respective products and technologies for the music,
home video, and games markets.
Read more . . .
German homevid conference
reaches out
The 9th annual Home Entertainment Summit, to
date known as DVD Entertainment, the two-day must-attend
conference serving the German market held every year
in Munich, is reaching out to the international community
this year by providing simultaneous English translation.
Read more . . .
EU Commission proposes Forum
on future of copying levies
The European Commission has recommended
that a forum be established to determine the future
of private copying levies. Some 21 of the European Union’s
27 countries impose surcharges on equipment that may
be used for recording or copying video or sound.
Read more . . .
Blue
laser patent case settled with academic inventor
Following an investigation by the U.S. International
Trade Commission, Sony, Sanyo Electric, Exceed Perseverance
Electronic and Lucky Light Electronics, have agreed
to license patents owned by a Columbia University Professor
that cover basic semiconductor technology used in Blu-ray
video players.
Read more . . .
Energy
saving 'green' universal remote unveiled
UK-based home electronics expert One For All
has introduced a new 'Energy Saver' universal remote
control that switches off all a/v equipment at the press
of a button for a greener environment.
(See full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Key Solutions widens range
of high-end packaging
Disc packaging supplier Key Solutions has futher
developed its portfolio of metal, wood, cardboard and
tin packaging, with the Deluxe range – high-end
packaging with leather-like covers. The material used
is polyurethane and it passes ROHS test.
(See full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Dicentia
acquires ODS Dassow plant – end of the story?
In what may be the final chapter in the search
for a buyer, Dicentia has acquired ODS’s Dassow
plant in Germany. The administrators have chosen the
Danish optical disc group – associated for the
occasion with former ODS boss Wilhelm Mittrich’s
UK-based Spin Group – over Spanish bidder Iberdisc
Optical Storage Solutions.
Read more . . .
2008 Excellence Award winners
announced
The DVD Association has announced the winners
of the 2008 DVDA Excellence Awards, presented at the
Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. This is
the industry’s oldest DVD awards programme and
the only programme that is merit-based and judged by
peers. This year for the second time awards were presented
to HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs as well as DVDs.
Read more . . .
PEVE
2008 Physical media not dead ... yet
Though the PEVE 2008 conference convened at the
ancien régime Château de Fontainebleau
replica, the sumptuous Cité universitaire internationale
in Paris, the preoccupations of the 320+ delegates were
very much turned to the future – the future of
packaged media in a changing marketplace. JEAN-LUC RENAUD
reports.
Read more . . .
4,000-line Super Hi-Vision
demos planned in September
The BBC, NHK of Japan and RAI of Italy are to
collaborate on a unique demonstration at the IBC2008
fair in Amsterdam in September with international links
of Super Hi-Vision, the system which combines 7680 x
4320 pixel images with 22.2 channel immersive audio.
Read more . . .
Blu-ray wins format battle,
but consumers slow to buy it
While many people expected sales of Blu-ray disc
players to spike when Toshiba decided to drop out of
the high-definition HD DVD market in February 2008,
according to a new Harris Poll, it seems that the recently
resolved high definition format war is not motivating
consumers to purchase the advanced DVD players any time
soon.
Read more . . .
Sony DADC UK hires Bottrill
as head of studio
Sony DADC UK has added more expertise to their
ever expanding work force by hiring Neil Bottrill, formally
of Technicolor, who is joining their London-based team
to become head of Studio.
Read more . . .
Hong
Kong's InfoSmart gears up for BD production
Hong Kong-based InfoSmart Group has closed a
$5 million commercial loan with two institutional investors
to finance the development of Blu-ray sales and marketing
efforts in their local and international markets.
Read more . . .
Funai
brings first sub-$300 Blu-ray player to US
First announced in a press release in January,
Funai Electric has introduced the first sub-$300 Blu-ray
player (NB500MG9) to the North American market –
spotted at Wal-Mart for $298.
(See full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Cinram's
1Q 2008 DVD replication revenue down 25%
Global optical disc manufacturer Cinram reported
first quarter 2008 overall revenue of $406.6 million,
down from $443.9 million in 2007 out of which DVD replication
revenue recorded a fall from $242 million in 2007 to
$180.2 million this year.
Read more . . .
Sony introduced new encoder
for Blu-ray authoring
Sony has introduced a professional solution for
Blu-ray Disc encoding. The new BAE-VX1000 multi-codec
video encoder is designed for real-time encoding of
MPEG-2 or H.264/AVC primary and secondary video streams,
which are suitable for the Blu-ray Disc format. (See
full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Panasonic unveils $700 BD-Live
enabled player
Panasonic has unveiled a third-generation Blu-ray player,
the DMP-BD50, priced at a steep $700. (See full story
in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Blu-ray
players slow to capitalise on HD DVD death
The end of HD DVD players didn't signal the beginning
of consumers making a commitment to Blu-ray standalone
players, according to the latest data from market research
company The NPD Group.
Read more . . .
China's Haier to launch Blu-ray
'entertainment device'
During the Intel Information Technology Summit
of 2008 in China last month, Chinese consumer electronics
manufacturer Haier announced the introduction of its
"Blue Box (Lan _Bao) V9", a Blu-ray device
which they describe as the "Haier HD digital entertainment
Center."
Read more . . .
DATA
Blu-ray Disc system & media shipments
Read more . . .
Police shut down computer
server in Prague
Czech police have shut down a computer server
being used to illegally store and upload large amounts
of copyright infringing music and film onto the internet.
(See full story in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
CDSA, EMA join force to set
digital delivery standards
The Content Delivery & Storage Association
(CDSA) and the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA)
have established industry metadata standards for the
digital delivery of home entertainment content via the
internet.
Read more . . .
'Up-converting
DVD players a challenge to Blu-ray'
One of the main challenges facing Blu-ray, according
to the latest ABI Research, is that many consumers are
not actually dissatisfied with the quality delivered
by their conventional DVD players, when up-converted
to play on high-definition TV sets.
Read more . . .
DVD Forum looks at 3D technology,
network applications
The DVD Forum, the 220-member industry body responsible
for the advent of DVD as well as the ill-fated HD DVD
standard, is now focusing on network applications and
on the incorporation of 3D movie technology into the
DVD specifications.
Read more . . .
Germany's
anti-piracy body calls for action on net
Germany's Federation Against Copyright Theft
(GVU) is calling for initiative against the distribution
of pirated movies on the Internet, advocating technical
solutions to curb illegal downloading.
Read more . . .
Sonopress
turns 50, now called arvato digital services
Founded on 18 April 1958, sonopress has developed
over five decades into one of the world’s leading
media service providers. From today on, the company
is called arvato digital services. Just in time for
its 50th anniversary, sonopress has installed the first
production line for Blu-ray discs at its Gütersloh
headquarters.
Read more . . .
France's QOL receives BD50
certification
QOL, the French independent replicator, obtained
the certification for Blu-ray double-layer discs (50GB)
issued by the Blu-ray Disc Association on 16 April.
With its new BD 50 capability, QOL says it offers an
alternative to independent publishers and studios in
the European market.
Read more . . .
'Consumers
ready to pay $7-$9 for HD VoD/downloads'
A study of 2,000 US consumers conducted by management
consultancy Oliver Wyman found that a price point between
$7 and $9 is optimal for the next generation of video-on-demand
and Internet movie rentals – high-definition movies
released on the same day as DVDs. This premium over
today’s $4 price for standard DVD or VOD movie
rental would create substantial market growth by 2010.
Read more . . .
AGI Media launches 'green'
Digipak i-Save line
AGI Media, the leading supplier of packaging
and creative services, has launched a new line of packaging,
Digipak i-Save, with a host of sustainable features,
available in 100 percent recycled paperboard (See full
story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
'Consumers
ready to pay $7-$9 for HD VoD/downloads'
A study of 2,000 US consumers conducted by management
consultancy Oliver Wyman found that a price point between
$7 and $9 is optimal for the next generation of video-on-demand
and Internet movie rentals – high-definition movies
released on the same day as DVDs. This premium over
today’s $4 price for standard DVD or VOD movie
rental would create substantial market growth by 2010.
Read more . . .
Self-destruct DVD discs venture
into Europe
Retailers in France, Italy and Scandinavia have
introduced disposable DVD movies that can be viewed
up for 48 hours, then self-destruct. German retailer
DVD-D Germany Ltd is the latest to enter the fray with
its 'Einmal' (German for 'once') line of titles.
Read more . . .
Conditional
access DVDPay launched in US market
Suffolk, UK-based Liquid11, developer of Europe's
premier DVD film content locking and billing mechanism,
DVDPay, has launched in the US. The patent-pending product
is designed to create a new window of exhibition for
content owners worldwide.
Read more . . .
ANALYSIS
Will digital delivery ever pay off for studios?
With the packaged media market maturing, Hollywood
studios are hoping digital delivery will provide long-term
revenue growth. But that won’t happen without
a few risks, says SARAH JOHNSON, Screen Digest analyst.
Read more . . .
Slysoft keeps ahead of BD
copy protection with update
Antiqua-based software company Slysoft has released
a new version of its AnyDVD software which, it claims,
can bypass the 7th generation of HD DVD and Blu-ray
copy protection – media key block – (MKB
v7), found in the latest Blu-ray movie releases.
Read more . . .
Sony DADC's BD roadshow comes
to Media-Tech
This year’s equipment trade show Media-Tech
Expo will be host to the Sony DADC Blu-ray Disc Roadshow.
The replicator wants to help broaden the base of Blu-ray
Disc in order to facilitate the swift establishment
of the format as a natural successor to DVD. As part
of this strategy, it has co-operated with line manufacturers
and replicators to increase their technical know-how.
Read more . . .
REVIEW
Blu-ray products at NAB 2008
A review of the Blu-ray products and services
on showcases at NAB 2008 is available from emedialive.com.
Read
more . . .
£750,000
worth of equipment seized at pirate DVD factory
A massive counterfeit DVD factory in a home in
Edinburgh, Scotland, has been smashed by police who
seized £750,000 worth of counterfeit goods. Computers
were being used to produce thousands of fake titles
to be sold around pubs, offices and homes in the city.
(See full story in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
Cheap Blu-ray players in
the market for September
No-name brands could release their own Blu-ray
players to take on the major brands by September, increasing
competition and potentially driving prices down further.
A number of Chinese factories were pushing sample Blu-ray
players at the Hong Kong fair last week.
Read more . . .
Singulus to supply BD lines
to Russian replicator
Singulus has received an order for three Blu-ray
machines from Laser-Video Multimedia in Russia. Laser-Video
already operates one Blu-ray machine as well as a Crystalline
mastering system. Its clients include major studios
such as Universal and Warner, leading Russian companies
and distributors as well as large publishing houses.
Read more . . .
eBay moves to tackle counterfeit
DVD sales
In response to NOP research published in 2007
that suggested that 9% of UK adults had mistakenly bought
fake DVDs believing them to be the real thing, the online
auction site eBay has linked with UK anti-piracy body
the Industry Trust for IP Awareness to educate its users
about fake DVDs. (See full story in Fight Against Piracy
section). Read
more . . .
Sonic upgrades Blu-ray Disc
authoring suite
Sonic Solutions is releasing Scenarist BD 4.5,
a major upgrade to the world's leading professional
Blu-ray Disc creation solution. The new version features
expanded capabilities for the creation of BD-J titles,
which fuse Java-programmed applications to enable the
integration of high-definition audio and video with
advanced interactivity.
Read more . . .
... and Sony follows with
own BD authoring upgrade
Sony Creative Software announced upgrades to
its DVD Architect and Blu-print applications for authoring
Blu-ray discs. DVD Architect 5 software enables independent
producers and videographers to author both a standard
definition DVD or a high definition Blu-ray Disc. Blu-print
4.3 targets enterprise.
Read more . . .
Wewow unveils eco-friendly
cardboard packaging
Wewow has launched the carton board Wowpak aimed
at the marketing, promotional, music and retail sectors.
The Wowpak is manufactured from one piece of board,
die-cut and glued, and can be made from FSC-accredited
100% recycled stock.
(See full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
UAE
media supplier enters US market
Based in the United Arab Emirates, Falcon Technologies
International, a manufacturer of optical data storage
discs for professional and archival applications, has
entered the US market with a complete line of optical
recording media solutions including CD, DVD and Blu-ray
discs.
Read more . . .
ODS
UK goes into administration; Iberdisc eyes Dassow
ODS Business Services Ltd, the UK-based operation
set up and financed by the ODS Group, has not escaped
the turmoil initiated by the insolvency of the group's
flagship plant at Dassow, Germany, earlier this year.
Tuesday, ODS Business Services went into administration.
Read more . . .
Region-free
Blu-ray player available
A German website – www.DVDPlayer.de –
sells modified “region-free” versions of
the Sony Blu-ray players BDP-S300 and BDP-S500, making
it possible to play both Region A (North America, Central
America, South America, Korea, Japan, South East Asia)
and Region B (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia,
New Zealand).
Read more . . .
Live BD50 manufacturing showcase
at Media-Tech
The industry’s first equipment event with
live BD50 manufacturing At this year’s Media-Tech
Expo, Singulus Technologies and Anwell Precision Technologies
said they will demonstrate working BD replication lines
showcasing realtime dual-layer BD50 manufacturing with
media produced on the show floor.
Read more . . .
Indies,
studios winners at BVA Awards night
Universal Pictures UK topped the list of winners
at the annual British Video Association Awards, picking
up three awards for Marketing Initiatives in Film, Children’s
and Special Interest as well winning the Best British
Film of the Year. The Best British Authored DVD was
awarded to Heima – Sigur Ros,
from Abbey Road Interactive and EMI Music.
Read more . . .
Sony eyes 50% market share
for Blu-ray in 2008
Sony predicted that their Blu-ray format will
take over 50 percent of the market by the end of the
year. At a recent press conference in Taipei, company
president and CEO Ryoji Chubachi revealed the company's
plans to boost their Blu-ray global shares from its
current 20 percent.
Read more . . .
Testronic Labs launches digital
TV testing service
Testronic Laboratories, the quality assurance
specialist for packaged media and electronic distribution,
has announced a new digital testing service to broadcasters,
IRD and set top box manufacturers and related digital
television software and service providers.
Read more . . .
GEAR Software releases DVD
authoring tool
GEAR Software, a leading developer of multimedia
software tools, released GEAR Video 9.0, a consumer
video editing and DVD authoring package. The kit features
DVD and DivX format choices, along with media editing
and authoring features to make presentations on DVD.
(See full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
DVD
is 10 years old, still going strong
6 April 2008 marks the tenth anniversary of DVD’s
launch in the UK. On this date in 1998, reminds the
British Video Association, Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment
(now known as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) was
the first studio to release their films onto the new
DVD format, with Jerry Maguire,
Jumanji, A Few
Good Men and Fly Away Home.
Read more . . .
Research on disc holding
20,000 times BD capacity
Professor Min Gu and his team at Swinburne University
of Technology’s Centre for Micro-Photonics are
three years into a $1-million five-year project that
is looking at how nanotechnology can be used to exponentially
increase the amount of information contained on a single
disc, report ScienceAlert. Read
more . . .
Philips introduces patent
licenses for Blu-ray Disc
Starting 2 April 2008, Philips introduced patent
licenses for Blu-ray Disc media and hardward. The Dutch
giant says it wants “to create clarity for companies
that manufacture Blu-ray Disc products” and has
therefore decided to introduce licenses for the use
of Philips’ patents relevant for Blu-ray Disc.
Read
more . . .
DEG announces Green Entertainment
Award winners
The Digital Entertainment Group has announced
the winners of the inaugural Green Entertainment Awards,
part of the first-ever Green Media Summit, held last
week in Los Angeles. The event was designed to inform
the studio and entertainment communities about the latest
developments and opportunities for the environmental
delivery of digital entertainment media. Read
more . . .
Fox uses watermarking to
protect streaming service
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has
gone "live" with its new copy protection software,
MediaEscort, to protect the studio's filmed entertainment
content that is streamed via the Internet to its various
trade business partners in advance of DVD availability.
Read
more . . .
InfoSmart brings BD production
to China
InfoSmart, a leading DVD-R manufacturer in Hong
Kong and Brazil, has announced its purchase of a $1.4
million Smart BD replication system from Anwell Technologies.
The BD system will be installed in InfoSmart's Hong
Kong plant, making it the first such BD ine in commercial
use in China and Hong Kong. Read
more . . .
Packager Key Solutions opens
LA office
French packaging designer and supplier Key Solutions
has hired John Bailey to head its new office in Los
Angeles (Lakewood) as US sales manager to have better
access to the majors.
Read more . . .
Partner with Goldcrest, The
Pavement launches BD services
London-based high-end DVD production house, The
Pavement, is relocating to new facilities in Soho in
order to launch its range of HD services. The move will
take place in early June 2008 and sees The Pavement
forming an alliance with Goldcrest. Read
more . . .
Sonopress UK hires special
packaging expert
Leading replicator Sonopress, a subsidiary of
arvato AG, has strengthened its UK sales presence by
hiring former AGI packaging expert John Hyslop as Business
Development Manager for Special Packaging and Fulfilment.
Read
more . . .
Blu-ray
manufacturers test new materials
Sabic Innovative Plastics is currently testing
six different optical-quality grades of Noryl for a
possible replacement of the polycarbonate used during
the production of Blu-ray discs. Read
more . . .
Frankfurt
police dismantles international disc traffic
Launched as a criminal case against the operators
of a file-sharing portal site, intensive investigations
by Germany's Frankfurt am Main criminal investigation
department have inflicted a successful blow against
an international network of pirates. (See full story
in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
HD DVD Promotion Group dissolved
Nearly six weeks after Toshiba decided to cease
support for the DVD Forum-anointed HD DVD format of
which it was the lead developer, the HD DVD Promotion
Group officially dissolved last Friday. A short message
was posted on the group members' website. Then, its
international websites were closed and its PR team disbanded.
Read more . . .
Forecast
met, Singulus expects better this year
Optical disc manufacturing tool maker Singulus
Technologies Group met its own forecast for the business
year 2007. Sales amounted to €229.5 million (previous
year: €283.1 million). The operating result (EBIT)
came to €1.1 million in the year under review (previous
year: €4.0 million).
Read more . . .
Technicolor opens DVD facility
in India
Thomson’s Technicolor division has added
a new DVD compression and authoring operation in Bangalore,
India, inside its new animation and game design facility.
Opening in May, the new compression and authoring facility
will act as a central hub for Technicolor’s worldwide
DVD operations.
Read more . . .
SlySoft software tests ‘unbreakable’
BD+ copy protection
SlySoft, a software developer based in the Caribbean,
had released version 6.4.0.0 of its AnyDVD HD product
that makes it possible to produce backup copies of Blu-ray
discs protected with BD+.
Read more . . .
BD disc sales hit 9m, 3m
this year; BD share of total up
Blu-ray Disc sales continue to pick up steam,
with total US sales since inception reaching 9 million
units through 16 March, according to HMR research. In
just 11 weeks this year, BD unit sales have hit 3 million
units. Read
more . . .
Profile 2.0 brings web connectivity
to PS3
Sony has released the next software update for
its gaming console, PlayStation 3, which adds Blu-ray
Disc Profile 2.0 capabilities, turning the game console
into the first Blu-ray player to support full Internet
connectivity.
Read more . . .
CDA a MPEG-LA licensee in
good standing
Leading German independent replicator CDA Datenträger
Albrechts reacted swiftly to the misleading impression
given in a statement issued by the MPEG-LA office earlier
this month that lists CDA as one of the seven DVD Video
disc replicators to become Licensees to MPEG LA’s
MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License in conclusion of patent
enforcement actions brought by MPEG-2 patent owners
in the District Court Düsseldorf, Germany.
Read more . . .
Study: 29m Blu-ray homes
worldwide by 2008
Blu-ray players will be in 29.4 million homes
worldwide by the end of 2008, according to a new research
by UK-based Strategy Analytics. Sony’s PS3 games
console will continue to drive the Blu-ray market until
2009, after which stand-alone Blu-ray players will become
the dominant segment.
Read more . . .
Professor sues tech giants
over laser patent infringement
Columbia University Professor Emeritus Gertrude
Neumark Rothschild says 30 companies are infringing
on her patent for laser and light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
used in Blu-ray players, for example. In response, she
wants the U.S. government to ban those companies' imports
to the U.S. that are in violation.
Read more . . .
$250m investment, 80 BD lines
to cope with demand
“An investment of $250 million and 80 new
Blu-ray production lines will be needed in the next
two years to meet demand. That is what it will take
to meet the demand of not only Blu-ray movies, but also
games for the PlayStation 3,” says research firm
Understanding & Solutions.
Read more . . .
Sofatronic teams up with
Javelin to push BD-J authoring
Hollywood technical service provider Javelin
Ventures will be handling the training and support of
German company sofatronic’s Kaleidoscope system
to motion picture post-production facilities in the
US. This strategic global partnership seeks to establish
the Kaleidoscope platform as the standard for BD-J development.
Read more . . .
Fastest 22x DVD burners won't
replace 18x devices
While Samsung launched its Super-WriteMaster
SH-S223 22x DVD burner in early March 2008 and LG Electronics
will follow suit with its latest Super Multi series
GH22, in the second quarter of 2008, 18x and 20x are
still the mainstream burning speed levels, according
to industry sources in Taiwan.
Read more . . .
ABI Research: Only half HDTV
owners take up HD services
41% of TV owners have a high-definition TV, but surprisingly,
only 56% of this group subscribe to a HD service package,
according to ABI Research. A substantial 45% of viewers
say they use pay-per-view, but not often: most do so
just once a month or less. Read
more . . .
Mitsubishi debuts two Blu-ray
recorders
Mitsubishi has announced two models from its
new "REAL Blu-ray" Blu-ray Disc recorder series.
The two models are the "DVR-BZ200" with a
500-Gbyte HDD and the "DVR-BZ100" with a 250-Gbyte
HDD. These are Mitsubishi's first Blu-ray recorders.
(See full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Buffalo Technology unveils
Blu-ray/HD DVD combo drive
Japanese technology specialists Buffalo Technology
have unveiled their Blu-ray and HD DVD combo drive,
still believing there is a market for it – an
external optical disk drive targeted as “tech-savvy
consumers." (See full
story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
ZOOtech launches Media Adaptation
tool
ZOO Digital Group has launched a new media tool
that will allow customers to produce DVD covers in different
languages at a much faster rate and for a lower cost.
The new Media Adaptation Tool will let customers vary
the print and packaging through a fully automated process.
Read more . . .
Leading
Polish replicator seeks court protection
One of Poland’s leading replicators, GM
Records Marek Grela, has filed a motion for bankruptcy
with the District Court in Warsaw on 29 February with
a view to protect future business activities while restructuring.
Read more . . .
Toshiba's HD DVD losses lower
than predicted
Toshiba's operating loss at the HD DVD division
will rise to ¥65 billion ($654m) this fiscal year,
compared with the ¥50bn ($502m) deficit forecast,
though it is substantially lower than initial all-inclusive
forecasts of $1bn. Sales at the business will probably
climb 86% to ¥26 billion, missing the previous goal
of ¥65 billion.
Read more . . .
Blu-ray player prices up
with end of format competition
In a true Economics 101 textbook illustration,
Blu-ray Disc players from Samsung, Sony and Sharp are
now the most expensive they have been all year, reports
TG Daily, as HD DVD's exit from the high-def disc arena
has removed pricing pressure.
Read more . . .
On-Demand Media to revolutionise
video retail
On-demand media (ODM) services, sometimes referred
to as manufacturing-on-demand, will generate $33m in
incremental spending this year in the US and the major
European markets, and be worth $1.1bn in consumer spending
by 2012, according to Screen Digest’s latest report.
Read more . . .
GDMX expands Blu-ray business
with Scenarist
Global Digital Media Xchange, a Warner Bros Entertainment
Company, has selected Sonic Solution's Scenarist HDMV
and BD-J authoring and CineVision AVC video encoding
systems to increases its Blu-ray Disc production capacities.
Read more . . .
OPPO unveils top-of-the-range
up-converting player
OPPO Digital has announced the launch of the
DV-983H, a new up-converting DVD player featuring video
processing technologies from Anchor Bay and delivering
7.1-channel audio, and 1080p HDMI up-conversion. (See
full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
New CyberLink product support
Blu-ray
Disc authoring software that supports the creation
of Blu-ray Discs and DVDs has been introduced by CyberLink
Corp. With support for the AVCHD video format, users
can also create DVDs featuring highly compressed high-definition
content. (See full story in
Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Toshiba
counts cost of ill-fated HD DVD – $1bn
Though unconfirmed by the company, Toshiba is
to write off in the region of ¥100 billion ($986
million) for its ill-fated HD DVD business, according
to Japan's Nikkei business daily.
Read more . . .
Replicators
sign MPEG-2 licenses to end patent infringement
MPEG LA, the global alternative one-stop patent
licenses administrator, announced that seven DVD Video
disc replicators have become Licensees to MPEG LA’s
MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License in conclusion of patent
enforcement actions brought by MPEG-2 patent owners
in the District Court Düsseldorf, Germany.
Read more . . .
Stranded
HD DVD owners offered swap schemes
Future Shop, Canada's largest retailer and e-tailer
of consumer electronics has introduced a practical solution
to allow the transition to Blu-ray while still enjoying
existing HD DVDs for the 35,000 Canadians who have bought
a HD DVD player. Other swap deals offered in US, Switzerland,
Germany.
Read more . . .
Cinram banks on Blu-ray growth
after poor Q4 results
Last week, Cinram International Income Fund reported
a fourth quarter 2007 net loss of $317 million, primarily
due to the booking of a $386-million impairment charge.
Revenue for the quarter climbed to $696.2m from $616.7m.
For the full year, while revenue rose to $2 billion,
up from $1.9 billion the previous year, Cinram lost
$301.1m.
Read more . . .
£5m Czech-made, UK-bound
illegal CD business stopped
Four pirate CD traders were today convicted for
running a £5 million illegal operation that imported
copyright-infringing CDs from the Czech Republic and
sold them in shops and stalls across South East England.
The court found all four defendants guilty of conspiring
to defraud the music industry.
(See full story in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
'No
significant price cut before Christmas'
for BD players
The German Blu-ray Association has releases new
figures from the GfK market research group showing Blu-ray
discs took 85% of the German high-definition video disc
market in the sixth week of the year, and Blu-ray players
had 68% of the market. In a short spike, sales of HD
DVD players rose to almost 60% of the market in the
fourth week, due to stock being sold off cheaply.
Read more . . .
Carrefour executive to complete
PEVE keynote roster
Christophe Geoffroy, International Non Food Director,
Carrefour is to speak at PEVE Digital Entertainment
2008, completing a quartet of keynote speakers including
Ron Sanders, President of Warner Home Entertainment;
Matt Brown, Executive VP International at Sony Picture
Home Entertainment and Eddie Cunningham, President of
Universal Pictures International Entertainment.
Read more . . .
TV
shipment to exceed 280m units by 2012
Last year, global TV shipments rose 4% to almost
200 million units, worth over $100bn, and growth will
accelerate to reach 280 million units, worth $160bn,
by 2012, according to a new consumer electronics industry
report from Understanding & Solutions.
Read more . . .
CDSA president: 'Blu-ray
won battle, but war not over yet'
Although Blu-ray may have won the battle against
rival format HD DVD, the war for ultimate consumer acceptance
of the format has really only just begun, Charles Van
Horn, President of the Content Delivery and Storage
Association, told attendees at the 38th Annual Content
Delivery and Storage Forum in La Quinta, California
on Friday.
Read speech transcript. . .
Wales CD/DVD counterfeiter
gets 4-year jail sentence
Wales counterfeiter is latest to receive heavy jail
sentencing as a result of 'Operation Buzzard', a joint
enforcement operation involving Trading Standards Departments,
North Wales Police and representatives of MCPS, FACT
and ELSPA. Other operations in Manchester and London
netted quantities of illegal discs. (See full story
in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
Industry
group DEG steps up Blu-ray activities
Multi-industry home entertainment media organization
the Digital Entertainment Group said it is developing
a multifaceted campaign featuring consumer education,
retail training and public relations programs in support
of the Blu-ray Disc format.
Read more . . .
Up-scaling DVD player to
get even better, says Toshiba boss
In a wide-ranging interview with the Wall Street
Journal on life after HD DVD, Toshiba Chief Executive
Atsutoshi Nishida said the company will keep improving
up-converting DVD players to the point where “consumers
won't be able to tell the difference from HD DVD images.
Next-generation DVD players are in a much weaker position
than when standard DVD players were first introduced.”
Read full interview . . .
More dogs join DVD sniffing
task force in Malaysia
DVD pirates in Malaysia should be shaking in
their boots as it is being reported that two more sniffer
dogs have been added to an already steller DVD dog detecting
team. The country has become the first to have an actual
division dedicated to canines and their ability to sniff
out pirated DVDs, which are a multi-million dollar industry.
(See full story in Fight Against Piracy section). Read
more . . .
Hopes fading for rapid HDTV
transition in Europe
The closure of two of Germany's HDTV channels
in recent weeks has cast a shadow over European hopes
for a rapid transition to High Definition Television,
according to Strategy Analytics.
Read more . . .
BDMO
wins patent case in German court
Belgian-French packaging manufacturer BDMO has
won the right before a German court to market its Double
Push Tray internationally without infringing Pozzoli’s
European patent.
Read more . . .
Expensive games stifle consoles'
growth, survey reveals
Only 12% of UK respondents to a survey play console
games. When asked their reasons for not purchasing a
specific current generation console, the number one
response across all platforms was that the systems were
too expensive – although the percentage is higher
for the PS3 (46% ) than for the Wii (38%). The second
reason is that the games are too expensive.
Read more . . .
Taiwanese makers to hold
back BD disc production
CMC Magnetics will not start commercial production
of blank Blu-ray discs until the global BD market emerges
to a greater extent, according to the company who reckons
the global BD market will take two to three years more
to take off. For now, the company will invest in BD
R&D to cultivate its technological capabilities
in the interim.
Read more . . .
Software industry seeks government
help to combat piracy
"Dramatic increases in online piracy in
Europe and elsewhere threaten our industry’s growth,"
the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reported
in a filing submitted last week to the U.S. Trade Representative
(USTR). The report highlights persistent problems in
countries like Canada, China, Malaysia, Russia, and
parts of Europe that thwart healthy game industry growth
and development.
Read more . . .
DivX-certified Panasonic
Blu-ray player for Europe
DivX Inc. has announced the DivX certification
of an upcoming Panasonic-brand Blu-ray Disc player scheduled
to begin shipping in March in Europe and Russia. It
is the first such BD player.
Read more . . .
NetBlender to add BD authoring
NetBlender has announced that it will release
its first Blu-Ray authoring package shortly after April's
NAB show. The DoStudio Authoring Edition will provide
DVD authors a GUI-based solution for creating professional
Blu-ray Discs.
Read more . . .
Blu-ray based archiving for
small business
Disc, a German optical data storage supplier,
has unveiled a Blu-ray-based mini-archive for small
businesses and home offices – the Blu-safe. (See
full story in Product Launches section).
Read more . . .
Chinese
HD is new focus for DVD Forum
At the latest DVD Forum Steering Committee all
HD DVD topics were removed from the agenda, according
to documents released from the meeting, but the committee
is still spending time discussing the Chinese version
– CH-DVD.
Read more . . .
HD VMD contender sees opportunity
with HD DVD out
The red laser-based high-definition disc format
developer New Medium Enterprises reacted to the demise
of HD DVD, seeing increased opportunity for its HD VMD,
now that it faces only the more expensive Blu-ray competitor.
Read more . . .
Macrovision unloads Trymedia,
Software Business Unit
At the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco,
copyright protection solutions provider Macrovision
announced it has sold its loss-making games digital
rights management unit, Trymedia, to RealNetworks for
$4 million.
Read more . . .
CDSA sets greener packaging
standards
The Content Delivery and Storage Association
(CDSA) has set a new packaging standard for polypropylene
DVD cases, the group announced last week. Potentially
harmful elements were found in some products.
Read more . . .
85-fold
increase in next-generation DVD sales in Europe
According to DEG Europe – a non-profit,
pan-industry body to promote awareness of high definition
across the continent – and based on GfK tracking,
the volume of next generation DVDs being sold in Europe
increased 85 fold between 2006 and 2007 and is expected
to rise exponentially into 2008.
Read more . . .
ODS
insolvency saga latest: deals with Dicentia, Iberdisc
The 6 February official announcement by UK-based
Spin Music Productions that it was to acquire the ODS
Group turned out to be premature as news is coming that
Danish replicator Dicentia A/S and ODS Business Services
A/S have struck an agreement “to consolidate manufacturing
and order administration for Nordic DVD and CD customers”
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