Verbatim plays is safe at least at this point of the next gen format war. And of course as a media manufacturer they have to, as long as the situation remains balanced and neither of the formats dominate the industry. A smooth change of the format generation is vital for companies like Verbatim that hold a major market share and have plenty of brand recognition.

Verbatim Corporation, world-leading optical media developers and marketers, have announced plans to support the development of both Blu-ray and High-Definition DVD (HD-DVD) recordable and rewritable media. Both formats are expected to begin shipping in early 2006, when high-definition drives and recorders are expected to be released.

Verbatim Blu-ray media will be available with 25GB (single-layer) and 50GB (double-layer) capacities. The HD-DVD media will be available with a single-layer capacity of 15GB. Double-layer HD-DVD media is also being developed for release following format finalisation. With premium-quality recordable media that meets the specifications of these new high-capacity, high definition formats; users will be able to record and enjoy the amazingly sharp images that high-definition video provides. The high-capacity discs will also find extensive application in computer data storage. Read more...

VSO's excellent video convertion tools have been updated once again. DivxToDVD is a fast and high quality software that converts your video files into DVDs, while PhotoDVD creates DVD slideshows with effects and background music.

DivxToDVD 1.99.12

Fixed a crash when reading some subtitles files that left divxtodvd non-responsive

Added definition of font/color/size/style on a per subtitle channel basis (select the subtitle channel in the tree and click once ...)

Fixed issue on subtitles color (Red and Blue component was exchanged)

Fixed issue with word wrapping on long subtitle lines.

VSO PhotoDVD changes history 2.0.9

fixed playability issue when selecting NTSC video format

fixed issue on subtitles color (Red and Blue component was exchanged)

Get them from: VSO Software

Nero approached us with an email telling about the updated NeroLINUX version, which comes with some interesting changes.

We are happy to announce the release of NeroLINUX 2.0.0.2. This upgraded version of Nero's Linux OS solution for CD/DVD Burning features Layer-Jump Recording (LJR), DVD-Video and miniDVD mastering, user interface improvements like selectable ISO track recording options and assignable sounds that alert the user to the burn process results.

The NeroLINUX is offered free for the retail customers of Nero 6 Reloaded.

Also we can spot from the Nero website that the Nero Reloaded installation packages have been updated to v6.6.0.15a. As usual, they have not released a list of changes.

Both of these updated versions can be founf at Nero website.

The Blue-ray vs. HD-DVD, once again. I don't know if everything is already said about this - twice. AMR Research has published an article which is if not fresh, but at least a good reminder back from the VHS vs. Beta age. As most of us know the better format lost the fight. The decisive blows were delivered in non-technological fields.

DreamWorks’ recent DVD sales woes reflect the harsh supply chain dynamics of the industry. As studios ready for battle over new hardware standards, supply chain competence may make the difference.
...
The Bottom Line: With super short lifecycles, the big-studio DVD title depends on the supply chain to succeed. Less obvious is that the standards battle hinges on the same thing: demand responsiveness.
Consumer demand patterns for products like video games and home movies sell up to 80% of their total volume in the first two weeks after launch. This past weekend’s Harry Potter release is a case in point (see Nigel Montgomery’s Insight Europe column titled “If Only Harry Potter Was Delivering the PSP”). This front-end loaded demand makes distribution very difficult because of the lack of historical data for demand forecasting, and the extremely short shelf life leaves little room for quantity adjustment after the fact. Add in retailers’ practice of returning unsold product to publishers, and you have the ingredients of a hyper-supply chain.

Source: AMR Research

VSO Software has released a candidate version for evaluation before the launch of v2.0 final of DivxToDVD. Also there is a 25% discount coupon code available. Dowload it from VSO Software

A release candidate version of DivxToDVD 2 is available for immediate download.
You can find the updated description below

Release candidate means it is very close to the final version, we are providing this test version for evaluation even if it has been extensively tested and can now even be registered. Thanks a lot to our beta team ( Tabby, John, JJ, ScubaPete, Robin, Bruno and others .... ). The trial version contains a watermark and it is slower to encode than any registered (purchase) version

You can have a discount on this Release Candidate with the coupon "d2d2rc11" , 25% as a launch offer available up to 1st of August

DivXToDVD is a 1 click solution to convert and burn your movie files to a compatible DVD playable on any home DVD player.

DivxToDVD supports most popular format such DivX, Xvid, MOV, VOB, Mpeg, Mpeg4, AVI, WMV, DV and stream formats. It converts your single files into a compliant DVD Video set of files and burns it on a DVD media.

The new firmware is V1.57 for DVR-109/109BK and DVR-A09XLA/B/C. The changelog shows typical quality and compatibility updates to write strategies, but also adds multi border recording for DVD-R DL.

As always we recommend to update your drives to the latest firmware. Read the installation instructions carefully though, as when flashing firmware things can go wrong.

• DVD-R/+R DL Writability has improved.
• DVD-R/+R Writability has improved
• Support New +R 8x Media
• (8x writing:UmeDisc/Wealth Fair)

source: Pioneer.co.jp

Fengtao Software quickly released a freeware version of their DVDFab Decrypter when DVD Decrypter development faced the legal problems and was forced to ciese the development. DVDFab is an excellent replacement as it supports the latest protection schemes and has been frequently updated.

DVDFab Decrypter v2.9.2.2

• New: Command Line Switches added.
• Change: Better Sony ARccOS protection removal.
• Fix: Output files cannot be accepted by Shrink and Nero Recode, when copying Sony ARccOS protected DVDs.

Get it from: Fengtao Software

SlySoft has always been quick to support new protections in their driver based solution. Once again the Sony ARccOS removal is tuned, along with some fixes.

AnyDVD v5.3.2.1

• New: Added support for a new version of the "Sony ARccOS protection" as found on "Seinfeld" R2 (German) and "Hitch" R2 (UK) to the option to remove "Protection based on unreadable Sectors"
• Fix: Program could hang on startup
• Some minor fixes and improvements
• Updated languages

Get it from: slySoft

Today we celebrate the invention of the so common audio format MP3 which already celebrates it's 10th birthday. As most of you probaply know, the file extension '.mp3' actually stands for files encoded to MPEG-1 Layer III standard format. The compression technology applied scientific advances of various fields: mathematics, psychology, acoustics, human anatomy, etc.

The researchers of Fraunhofer IIS did a bang-up job. Not only that they totally changed the business environment of the music industry, but the MP3 format has proven very well lasting and can still provide high quality compressed audio for years to come. Open sourced LAME MP3 Encoderis tweaked for maximum audio quality, and is very well able to challenge the newer audio formats such as the AAC.

The extension itself was decided by an internal poll at the Fraunhofer research center.

Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 12:29:49 +0200

Subject: Layer3 file extension: .mp3

Hi all,

this is the overwhelming result of our poll: everyone voted for .mp3 as extension for ISO MPEG Audio Layer 3! As a consequence, everyone please mind that for WWW pages, shareware, demos, and so on, the .bit extension is not to be used anymore. There is a reason for that, believe me :-) Read more...

Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced that it has founded the High Definition Authoring Alliance™ (HDAA), the first and only worldwide association of top DVD authoring houses dedicated to facilitating the rollout of titles for release in the new high definition HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) optical disc formats. Building on Sonic’s leading role in DVD authoring solutions and its close, long-standing ties to Hollywood and the consumer electronics industry, the HDAA will increase momentum for successful introduction of the formats, ensuring the timely availability of quality titles by providing members with exclusive access to key information, HD-enabled tools and comprehensive training.

“Sonic’s HDAA opens the door to the entire range of information and tools that will be vital to our professional title creation business as we prepare for the HD evolution of disc-based packaged media,” said Mark Johnson, Director of Research and Development at Thomson Technicolor Creative Services in Burbank, California. “HDAA membership also makes us part of a community that is pulling together toward the same goal, which is to be sure that we’re prepared to make the launch of these new formats a great success.” Read more...

First time in the history of DVD a movie is released available for rent before it is released to stores. Online rental service NetFlix gets the honor to be the first to have the Tim Robbins' movie in their selections. The movie tells a fictional story of journalist covering the Iraq war, and features Robbins who also has written and directed the project.

Tim Robbins is making DVD history - his new movie Embedded Live will be available through US library service NetFlix before it's released to stores.

It is the first time the groundbreaking home delivery rental service will debut a DVD before its official release.

Source: IOL

Campus networks' performance suffers heavily from the traffic load generated by students downloading pirated content. Networks are running out of bandwidth, while universities and colleges are trying various approaches to tackle the problem.

Dell and Napster are trying to bring the mountain closed to Mohammed in order to lure more students to legal downloads, and save campus bandwidth in the process. Somehow I just have the feeling that this would have worked a lot better with iTunes, but can't blame Napster for not trying.

Napster (nasdaq: NAPS - news - people ) will make its entire music library available to cache, or store, on Dell servers at colleges and universities that participate in the program. The songs will be available on systems locally, on systems managed by Dell, so there will be minimal impact on bandwidth.

Source: Forbes

Brazilian Rarewares.org has found some interesting additions to InterVideo WinDVD. We haven't tested these tools, but they promise to make WinDVD output the audio streams to files on the hard drive. I can certainly think of some use for these.

Several toos to work with DVD-Audio (read: ripping)

They require WinDVD 5, 6 or 7 installed, as they don't do the decryption themselves, and instead patch WinDVD to output the decrypted stream to disk instead of the sound card.

The tools are:

DVD-A ripper: Intended to decrypt CPPM protected AOB and VOB files on DVD-Audio discs.

PPCM ripper: Intended to capture Packet PCM stream (stereo or multichannel) to .WAV files.

DVD-A Explorer: Intended to peep&grab on DVD-Audio tracks (PCM and Packed PCM).

Go get them!

Sweden has been a fertile ground for P2P filesharing and online piracy. Goverment policy has supported affordable broadband connections, while the copyright laws are very relaxed. Recently the BitTorrent site, The Pirate Bay, has been receiving a lot of attention, but they have persistently continued to stay in operation.

It is possible however that things just turned more difficult for the Swedish file sharers, as their new strengthened copyright laws were put into effect at midnight. The new laws criminalize the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material on The Internet. However, the law by itself doesn't change anything. It is interesting to see how the Swedish goverment and authorities make use of the new laws, or will they - us neighbouring Finns know that the Swedes get nothing done before they have had their long and thorough discussion about the issue concerned...

"A law in itself changes nothing," said Henrik Ponten, a spokesman for Antipiratbyran, a Swedish lobbying group waging a fierce campaign against the file-sharers. "There is nothing that indicates that (file-sharers) would change their behavior."

Previously, it had only been illegal in Sweden to make pirated material available online for others to download via so-called peer-to-peer networks. Read more...