Topic: News

Pioneer have released a new firmware for their popular DVDR-106 also known as the A06. At present there is some mystery surrounding what the upgrade actually achieves. Some users have reported no noticable change in their drive's functionality although Pioneer's Australian website is making brief (and somewhat vague) mention of DVD-RW Writability Improvement, 2X DVD-R Writability Improvement and DVD Playability Improvement. There is also the usual warning: "Caution! Once the drive has been updated to this version, the drive will NOT be able to be restored to an earlier firmware version." Click to download Pioneer firmware upgrade.

There's a war that's being fought in home video, and the battleground is those black bars at the top and bottom of your television screen. Depending on your perspective, those black bars are either a major annoyance or a minor inconvenience necessary to view movies in all the wide-screen glory that their directors meant for them. But one thing is clear: When it comes to America's retailers, those who prefer that their entire television screen be filled may be winning the wide-screen vs. full-screen DVD debate.

Taiwan-based Ritek, CMC Magnetics (CMC) and Prodisc Technology could begin volume production of 8x-speed DVD+R/-R discs as early as next month, according to sources.

Sony has displayed its next DVD writer model at the ongoing WPC Expo in Japan. Compared with the DRU-510A the DVD+R write speed has now increased to 8x and CD-R/RW write speed has increased to 40x/24x which makes the specifications comparable with Plextor's PX-708A.

According to new research, the vast majority of films circulating online are preproduction copies that could have been made only by studio insiders. The idea of the computer users copying or "ripping" DVDs for upload to peer-to-peer (P2P) networks seems to be a myth, according to new research.

Hollywood studios Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox sued a handful of small software companies, alleging that their distribution of DVD-copying software violates copyright law. The studios filed suit against Tritton Technologies, QOJ, World Reach and Proto Ventures in New York federal court, asking for unspecified damages and a court-ordered halt to the distribution of the various software packages.

Sonic Solutions have announced the launch of MyDVD Studio Deluxe 5, a major upgrade to their DVD creation software. MyDVD Studio Deluxe 5 includes powerful new features such as fully-integrated video editing, Dolby Digital audio encoding, unlimited MP3 ripping, automated backup and archiving, exact CD and DVD disc copy, and other product enhancements.

Hitachi's Ubiquitous Platform Group will release September 25 the MSP1000, a hard disk drive-equipped DVD video recorder. The hybrid system comes with a 120GB hard disk that can record up to 120 hours of high-quality video.

Infodisc have opened the first phase of a new £500 million blank DVD disc factory in Taiwan. Occupying a 3.3-hectare site, the factory will be developed in three phases. Building construction will be completed by the end of next May, with space for 70 production lines. Equipment installation and trial production will begin next June, and blank DVD disc capacity could reach 30 million units per month before the end of 2004.

Datawrite have started to ship version 2 of their red 4x DVD-R. Version 1 of the Datawrite Red 4x was Europe's biggest selling DVD-R disc. As we predicted, the version 2 disc is manufactured by Infodisc. As of yet we have no idea of street price but it looks likely to be set at the same sort of price level as the Bulkpaq 4x.

We have exclusive pictures of the new Datawrite disc.

How does the Datawrite Red v2 compare to other budget 4x discs on the market. Click here to find out. Vote in the poll for the best budget 4x disc.

Related stories:
Datawrite to Relaunch Red 4x DVD-R

Tesco yesterday began piloting the use of controversial electronic radio tags in DVD packaging, at a supermarket in Sandhurst. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, which are used to track the movement of every individual product on the shelves, have been criticized by human rights campaigners as the first step towards a 'Big Brother' style surveillance system.

Electronics manufacturers are working together to let consumers play movie and music content from any device in their homes. Intel, Sony and a host of Japanese electronics manufacturers plan to propose a standard for allowing consumers to freely swap movies and music downloaded from the Internet between all the devices in their homes.

DivXNetworks the company that created the revolutionary DivX video compression technology, and Ulead, a leading developer of DVD authoring software, have announced a comprehensive software licensing and product integration partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, Ulead has licensed DivX video compression technology to distribute to its OEM partners along with VideoStudio and MediaStudio Pro video editing software.

Sonic Solutions have announced the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) that it is shipping Sonic Scenarist 3, the latest version of its industry-standard professional DVD authoring system for feature film and commercial DVD title production. Scenarist 3 is available through Sonic's distribution and reseller partners, with systems ranging in price from $4,999 to $35,000. So now you know what to ask for for Christmas.

Disposable DVDs may have a short shelf life in more ways than one. With major US retailers such as Wal-Mart already selling more cut-price DVDs, industry experts say it is far from certain whether consumers would be eager to shell out the $7 (£4.38) that Disposable DVDs are currently marketed at for a DVD movie they can't keep or watch beyond a 48-hour deadline.

Thanks to increased shipments of recordable DVD drives, Taiwanese optical storage drive makers in general enjoyed growth in August revenues. In addition to shipment volumes, the relatively high average selling prices (ASPs) of the DVD drivers also contributed to the growth.

Microsoft's surprise decision to submit Windows Media Series 9 as a standards candidate to Hollywood underscores the software giant's ambitions to take its multimedia technology beyond the Net, as well as the considerable barriers it faces.

A Datawrite spokesman confirmed today that the company planned to re-launch the Datawrite Red DVD-R. The company cited the fact that their market research shows there is a demand for a budget no frills disc and they reel the reincarnated 4x disc will fill this void. As of yet there is no confirmation as to the manufacturer of the discs but our sources in the industry claim the disc will either be manufactured by Infodisc or Leadata.

It is envisaged the disc will be priced at a similar level to the Bulkpaq 4x which is currently Europe’s biggest selling 4x DVD-R disc.

Editors Note:
Even though the disc isn't released for a few days we have decided to include the new Datawrite Red v2 in our Best Budget 4x DVD-R poll: Vote now for the best Budget 4x disc.

Sony lifted its skirt an inch this week to reveal the beginnings of a game plan on music, which is could potentially copy on film too, with its US head of Sony's entertainment operations telling journalists that Sony would launch its own online music services.

Tired of listening to the same old sound coming from your overplayed Britany and Celine Dion CDs? Well a new discovery is bringing a new lease of life to these soon-to-be coasters. Here's what to do: Smear yoghurt on CD. Let it dry. Slide the disc into the player. Crank up the volume. And hear that music in a completely fresh, possibly spine-chilling way.