Europe's premier online source of news, data & analysis for professionals involved in DVD, Blu-ray and new delivery technologies
Independent publishers and replicators, especially in Europe, will be breathing easier at the announcement by the AACS organisation that it has significantly reduced its license fees. It will cutting ... Read more...
Its large booth at the recent MEDIATECH fair in Frankfurt belied the fact that optical media test equipment maker AudioDev was in serious trouble. Last week, the Swedish company filed for bankruptcy, ... Read more...
'Digital Britain', the much-anticipated report commissioned to Communications minister Lord Carter of Barnes by the UK government, has given the communications regulator Ofcom new powers to monitor and... Read more...
Device manufacturers are solving technology challenges and forging new partnerships with content and service providers to make web TV a reality. The success of early ventures such as Microsoft’s Xbox ... Read more...
In the first blow to the new bill fighting illegal downloads, passed last month by the French National Assembly, the French Constitutional Council rejected a key provision that would have given a newly... Read more...
Researchers at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, have demonstrated how nanotechnology can enable the creation of 'five dimensional' discs with huge storage capacities... Read more...
Advanced Access Content System License Authority’s final agreements include a mandatory management-copy provision, under which most Blu-ray discs must permit copies to be made, albeit under carefully ... Read more...
On 11 June, the DVD6C, the licensing group made up of nine leading developers of DVD technology and formats, celebrated its 10th anniversary... Read more...
The MEDIA-TECH Association announce the formation of a new executive committee, which will be comprised of the main independent replicators with a European presence. The new committee is chaired by Michael... Read more...
Sony DADC is introducing into the European market its Digital Copy solution which enables one-click digital file transfer to other devices such as laptop computers, games consoles and portable media devices... Read more...
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has formed a 3-D task force made up of members from the motion picture, consumer electronics and IT sectors, to ease “the integration of 3-D technology into the Blu-... Read more...
Toshiba has announced it filed a lawsuit on May 14 with the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin to charge US-based optical disc vendor Imation as well as several manufacturers and ... Read more...
Industry practitioners speak
In a series of Q&As, professionals in all facets of the packaged media industry share their views of things past, present and yet to come. The first guest is WILL TIMBERS, founder of London-based production and authoring house Pink Pigeon.
Q: What is the main difference working for a corporate client as opposed to a home entertainment customer?
We started in 2002 using Apple software. We get inquiries across a whole range of needs, from PowerPoint presentation to DVD for exhibition. The number one consideration for all our clients has always been picture quality, more than interactivity, which is not to say we have not done two or three instructional titles.
At the beginning, everyone was always concerned with budget. Working with an artist in a museum is inherently a more collaborative relationship than working for an entertainment client.
With museum, you work in the context of displaying images in one particular environment. It’s producing the best quality for that setting, not for a standard across a range of playback devices, TV, etc. We are not restricted as to how the video should be displayed in terms of codecs and playback systems.
CINRAM has announced the appointment of Steven G Brown as president and chief executive officer of the company effective 15 June 2009. Brown is a veteran of the contract manufacturing sector, having worked for many years as CEO of a significant supplier to the major North American and European automobile manufacturers.
THE CHINESE press reports that Philips Blu-ray players will come to the market in July priced around Yuan2000 (€210) at the same price point as the Chinese-developed CBHD player. As the top DVD seller in Beijing, Philips is actually the first company to research Chinese Blu-ray consumption. “We are hoping to target more low-middle-end consumers, so we will introduce a BD player at a cheaper price than other foreign brands,” says Li Pufa, a Philips sales manager at Gome.
ACCORDING to a recent report, MOD Systems and former consultant and board member Warren Lieberfarb (the 'Godfather of DVD'), have announced the settlement of their pending litigation. The dispute was said to have been a legal debate over money, and how much MOD was supposed to owe Lieberfarb for consultancy services, following his appointment in 2006 as vice chairman. MOD Systems supply retailers with self-serve kiosks for downloading music and movies to portable devices and SD memory cards.
MACROVISION Solutions Corporation will formally change its name to Rovi. The Rovi brand is part of the company’s new brand identity that includes a new corporate visual design. Macrovision will continue to operate under the Macrovision name until the annual meeting of stockholders being held on 15July 2009, at which time the name change will be considered for approval.
THE CONSUMER Electronics Association's (CEA) Video Systems Committee today announced the launch of a new working group, R4 WG16. The new working group will address issues with 3D technology including investigating and drafting standards for 3D glasses. A recent CEA study, 3D TV: Where Are We Now and Where Are Consumers, showed that more than 26 million households are interested in having a 3D content experience in their home.
GIANCARLO Mancusi, a public prosecutor in Bergamo, is investigating The Pirate Bay's founders for alleged violations of Italy's copyright law, the first justice authority to take action against the Swedish website outside its home territory. Mancusi obtained a court order in August 2008 blocking access from Italian ISPs to all Pirate Bay addresses, but the ban was lifted on appeal two months later.
ACCORDING to a recent KPMG report on the Indian entertainment industry, the DVD market was estimated to be worth Rs 8.6 billion (€128.3m) in 2008 and may reach Rs 16 billion (€238.6m) by 2013.
TIME WARNER, for the first time, separated home video and electronic sell-through revenue from theatrical and TV fare in reporting first-quarter results (ended March 31). Movie revenue in packaged media and electronic distribution totaled $477 million, down 42% from $810 million last year. Packaged media and electronic revenue from TV content totaled $157 million, up nearly 10% from $160 million last year. Overall, the Time Warner group reported revenue of $6.9 billion, down 7% from $7.4 billion during the prior-year period.
THE US has added Canada to its "priority watch list" of countries where Internet piracy flourishes, reflecting a tough new line in the Obama administration over the Harper government's failure to deliver on promises of new copyright laws. Canada joins a dozen countries – including Algeria, China, Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia and Venezuela – criticised by the US Trade Representative's Office for being especially lax in protecting intellection property
