Topic: News

Software maker Pinnacle Systems announced today the release of two new CD/DVD burning applications. InstantCopy is a set of tools for easily making copies of CD and DVD discs. InstantCD/DVD adds additional tools for encoding MP3 music files, creating audio discs, transferring movies to DVD and for basic video editing using Pinnacle's Expression software. InstantCopy sells for $50 (£32), while InstantCD/DVD is priced at $100 (£64). Both are available now at retail outlets and directly from Pinnacle.

Just as streaming video and audio are hitting the mainstream, researchers have sounded the alarm about serious security holes in two popular digital media players. The vulnerabilities have cropped up in RealNetworks' RealPlayer and Apple Computer's QuickTime. While unrelated, the weak spots could allow an intruder to execute damaging arbitrary code on a victim's computer. In both cases, updates are available to remedy the problem.

Our sources in the industry inform us that Datawrite are first to market with their new budget 4x DVD-R. The disc is is manufactured by Princo for Datawrite. The new disc is reputed to have a sub £1.50 street price. Our regular contributer Flash has managed to get a hold of some of the new discs, so watch this space for an in-depth review.

Datawrite website: new Datawrite 4x DVD-R.

Related stories: Datasafe Fight Back

NEC and Toshiba have unveiled the first prototypes of desktop computer drives that are based on Advanced Optical Disc, a next-generation blue-laser based format that supports storage of 20GB of data on a 4.7-inch disc.

Hitachi LG Data Storage has developed a new optical disc drive that can record on all types of recordable DVD and CD, the company has announced. The drive is different from some of the multiformat DVD drives that have been announced recently by companies such as Sony because it also handles DVD-RAM discs.

Following a recovery in CD-R disc prices since the fourth quarter of last year, Taiwan-based disc makers Ritek and CMC Magnetics (CMC) expect to enjoy an increase in profit margins for the first quarter.

Shared broadband access has driven demand for home networking so far - but this year, sharing entertainment will be the big lure, according to a new report. In the report released Tuesday, research firm In-Stat/MDR says developments in home networking will not only make it easier for people to play and share their own digital music, video and other content, but will also encourage emerging applications such as online gaming.

Thanks to Flash we have a new review of two new Pioneer AO5 firmware downloads. Click here for review and downloads.

The price of digital set-top boxes is set to fall by as much as 20 per cent due a new chip developed by Samsung, according to a report.

Analysts at market research firm iSuppli got together for a brainstorming meeting on what could be hot new technologies and have come up with an absolute corkers: optical 3D protein memory. This is a volumetric type memory which is three dimensional and could give as much as 1000-fold increase in storage capacity compared to current technology, according to senior analyst Bill Bernard.

The digital video recorder pioneer has fallen victim to Hollywood's bullying. With its demise go some of the best things about digital recording.

A standards body is finishing work on a specification for building anti-piracy measures into the next-generation streaming media standard. Aiming to close a long-standing gap in digital rights management for MPEG-4, a streaming media consortium is seeking comments on an encryption specification scheduled for release in June.

Visible Light, a leading supplier of digital video products and services, proudly releases OnStage DVD for PowerPoint. The addition of DVD Video within PowerPoint enhances the effectiveness of sales forces and marketing teams and can transform the quality of training, education, information presentations and briefings.

Bogus blockbusters worth thousands of pounds on the black market have been seized on Tyneside. Trading standards officers found 1,500 pirate DVDs of the latest movies when they swooped on three houses in Newcastle, UK.

An attempt to create the Holy Grail of home entertainment - a disc that plays on any DVD or CD player - has been branded a failure by an international working group. Music and movie buffs currently have to choose between CD for stereo music, DVD-Video for full-length movies with digitally compressed surround sound, and DVD-Audio with uncompromised surround sound, plus short video clips.

Philips have won a top design award for their innovative 'DVD 580M' DVD player. Moving away from the conventional stackable box formats, the Philips DVD 580M introduces alternative ways of positioning the players. This DVD player has an 'easy-to-use' interface which makes operation of the player straightforward.

Broadly available addition to ALL-IN-WONDER(R) family enables viewing, pausing and recording of favorite TV programs. ATI Technologies Inc. today announced the North American availability of ALL-IN-WONDER(R) 9000 PRO, a cost-effective multimedia video card that combines great game graphics with intelligent TV-on-the-PC PVR (personal video recording) functionality.

Publishing and graphics software giant Adobe Systems plans to enter the market for high-end DVD authoring software. The company plans to announce Monday the upcoming release of Encore DVD, a collection of tools for organizing video and other content on a DVD, creating interactive menus and burning the final product to a disc.

Thanks to our regular contributor Flash we have a review of the latest Firmware Hack for Pioneer A05.

Cirrus Logic Inc. has licensed the DivX video codec from DivX Networks (San Diego, California) for both its high end and single-board DVD processor families. The deal would usher in the first sub-$149 DVD players that support DivX-enabled content by late 2003.