Topic: News

Sony's Playstation Portable is the top UK gadget for 2005, according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by Stuff Magazine. It beats the iPod into second place in the Top Ten Essentials list which predicts what gadget-lovers are likely to covet this year.

Thanks to DVD guru Flash we have a review of the new Xtreme discs from RiDisc. Ridisc claim that these discs are 'AAA+ Grade Guaranteed'. Find out if they are right by reading Flash's review RiDisc Xtreme 8x DVD-R.

Things are looking bleak for Sony's PlayStation2 / DVD Recorder hybrid, the PSX, with news that the electronics giant is to end production.

Leading manufacturers in Taiwan, including BenQ, Mustek Systems, Eastern Asia Technology and Ya Hsin Industrial, are preparing for production of DVD recorders equipped with hard disk drives (HDD DVD recorders), in response to cutthroat price competition for ordinary (without HDD) DVD recorders, according to the makers.

As we reported on Tuesday, the 6C alliance, a DVD patent pool group composed of Hitachi, Matsushita (Panasonic), JVC, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, Time Warner and IBM, on March 2 have announced a reduction in its DVD royalty charge rates by 10%-25%, effective on June 30 this year and retroactive to January 1, 2005. In response, major manufacturers of optical discs and optical disc drives have expressed the belief that they would not benefit substantially from the royalty cut.

Press Release: Primera, a leading developer and manufacturer of CD / DVD duplication and printing equipment, have announced its new Accent II Disc Laminator.

How would you react if the voice of a record-company boss boomed through your speakers and berated you for pirating music? You may find out, if the music industry decides to adopt an invention by Mark Bocko and Zeljko Ignjatovic of New York city.

A man awaiting sentencing for illegally copying and distributing movies being screened for Oscar picks was found dead in his jail cell, authorities said.

CyberLink have announced DVD authoring software CyberLink PowerProducer 3 now carries the RAM Compatibility logo for PC authoring.

Microsoft's plan to halt some Net activation for Windows kicked in Monday, with the software maker assuring customers that the antipiracy measure will not prove a problem for legitimate users.

The DVD6C Licensing Group (DVD6C), the industry body representing seven leading developers of DVD technology and formats -- Hitachi, IBM, Matsushita (Panasonic), Mitsubishi, Toshiba, JVC and Warner Home Video -- today announced that it will revise its worldwide patent licensing program to offer licensees more licensing options and reduced royalty rates on certain products. Under the revised licensing program, DVD6C licensees have the option of selecting portfolio licenses for particular categories of products, including DVD-Video Players, DVD Recorders, DVD Drives, DVD-Video Discs and DVD Recordable Discs.

China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) announced on its Chinese-language website on February 23 the adoption of the domestically developed EVD (enhanced versatile disc) as a national DVD-player standard.

Seagate announced that it has begun shipping a 1-inch hard disk drive with a 6G-byte capacity, the same day that rival drive maker Hitachi announced a similar product.

Among respondents to US market research firm Parks Associates' survey "Profiles of PC Usage," when given a choice between a normal music CD and a "copy-once" CD priced $5 (£2.60) less, 33% of those who do not rip CDs and 27% who rip CDs preferred the copy-once CDs."

Taking its battle against rampant piracy of films and music to the front lines, Warner Home Video said Thursday it will sell cut-rate DVDs in China in a bid to compete on the counterfeiters' home turf.

A major distributor of pirated DVDs of Bollywood films has been sent to prison for three years. Jayanti Amarishi Buhecha from Cambridge was found guilty of two trademark offences last month, and sentenced at Harrow Crown Court, London, on Tuesday.

We have just managed to get some images of the new Guranteed AAA+ Grade Ritek Taiwan G05 dye RiDisc Xtreme, this is the much anticipated disc announced by Ridisc earlier in the week.

Panasonic introduced five new models of its DIGA line, demonstrating continuing advances in ease of use and picture quality of its DVD recorders.

Mexico has seen one of its biggest crackdowns against music piracy, with a series of raids resulting in the seizure of approximately one million pirate music discs and the arrest of 25 individuals.

Following on from Ridsc’s announcement yesterday, Datawrite have also announced that they have renewed their partnership with Ritek Taiwan with the imminent release of their new Datawrite "Blue" range of Ritek G05 Dye manufactured DVD media.