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According to research from The Diffusion Group, close to one-third of non-HDTV households are interested in purchasing a new HDTV in the next six months – a very encouraging sign for HDTV manufacturers and, by relation, high-def DVD manufacturers. More interesting, perhaps, is that the same research found that the characteristics of these “HDTV Intenders” vary widely from that of current HDTV owners. HDTV Intenders tend to be younger, single, more ethnically diverse, and have lower annual household incomes than current HDTV owners – in many respects more characteristic of mainstream consumers than the early adopters who today own an HDTV.

While this trend could in theory benefit either Blu-ray or HD DVD, the data suggests otherwise. Among HDTV Intenders who are likely to purchase a new high-def DVD player in the next six months, 43% prefer HD DVD, 27% prefer Blu-ray, and 30% are undecided.

“The strength of this preference and its correlation to mainstream attributes are notable,” states Michael Greeson, president and principal analyst with The Diffusion Group. “Today’s high-def DVD owner is likely an early adopter with a knack for power gaming; most certainly tech-sophisticates not at all mainstream in temperament. The next wave of buyers is comprised of early mass-market consumers, a much larger segment with a focus on practical considerations such as price. It is TDG’s opinion that the format which can best address the needs of mainstream consumers will emerge as the winner of this format war.”

TDG’s research confirms this conclusion. When asked to characterize their own “status” as technology consumers, High-Def DVD Owners are five times more likely than Non- Owning High-Def DVD Intenders to see themselves as early adopters. Conversely, Non- Owning High-Def DVD Intenders are almost twice as likely as High-Def DVD Owners to view themselves as early mass-market buyers.

As is the case with the diffusion of most new technologies, TDG believes there will be several “waves” of high-def DVD buyers, each of which will be motivated by different factors. The most immediate wave, which is expected to be exhausted by early 2008, is comprised of the remaining early adopters who have yet to buy a high-def DVD player and which (not surprisingly) show a preference for Blu-ray. The second (and more sizable) wave will consist of early mass-market consumers who, while less enthusiastic about technology per se and very price sensitive, are more likely to favor HD DVD (a conclusion grounded in TDG’s latest primary research).

TDG recently fielded two separate primary research studies focused on consumer interest in next-generation media platforms: the first, an October 2007 survey of 1,500 U.S. adult Internet users; the second, a November 2007 survey of 2,000 U.S. adult broadband users. This larger study is now being offered for purchase by contacting Andy Tarczon at 469-287-8060.

www.thediffusiongroup.com

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Microsoft Releases Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator to Help Speed Content Production and Lower Development Costs

Microsoft Corp. today announced the release of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator, enabling film studios and disc authoring companies to model the behavior of HD DVD disc content, including encoded video and HDi interactivity, in a virtual environment before committing to burning a single HD DVD disc. This comprehensive tool is among the first commercially available, software-based solutions of its kind, eliminating the need for expensive hardware or time-consuming and costly trial-and-error processes for testing HD DVD titles, helping to ensure that titles ship error-free.

The enhanced content and rich interactive capabilities of HD DVD increase the need for an efficient way to troubleshoot coding to maintain the highest-quality consumer experiences. The emulator uses a combination of available hardware (the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player) and specialized emulation software to ultimately enable playback of near-final assets from a network storage share, portable hard drive or optical disc. This allows focused testing of the layout, the menus, and the behavior of the interactivity functionality of a title. Detailed log reports from the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator deliver valuable tracing information to help quickly and easily pinpoint problems with advanced interactivity code that otherwise could take hours of manual debugging.

“We are committed to supporting and advancing the HD DVD ecosystem, and the new Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator reflects these efforts by providing developers with the software-based tools they need to efficiently deliver the highest-quality content,” said Jordi Ribas, general manager of HD DVD at Microsoft. “Microsoft developed the Emulator to help save studios and postproduction houses time, resources and costs involved with the creation of HD DVD content, and let them focus on what really matters — pushing the envelope with the format.”

Sessions using the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator are designed to complement existing workflows so that tests can be run at various stages. The tool offers several choices for how to run a session: directly from a network storage share, from a USB drive connected directly to the Xbox 360 console, or from an optical disc in the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player. While the tool enables the testing of content playback on the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player specifically, it effectively eliminates layers in the testing process for other HD DVD players as well.

As part of the development process, Microsoft implemented a beta program from July through November of this year, involving more than 40 participants, including Deluxe Digital Studios, Enteractive GmbH, Imagion AG, Memory-Tech Corporation and NetBlender Inc. Participants found that the tool significantly decreased the number of hours and reduced the costs associated with the production process, freeing up time to refine and improve content.

“The authoring process for HD DVD is more complex and expensive than the process for standard DVD, and as with any new technology, it can require a lot of time and resources,” said John Harrington, CEO of NetBlender. “In the process of working with the new Xbox 360 HD DVD Player Emulator, we were able to cut the number of test discs needed per month from roughly 200 down to 50, saving more than 100 work hours per month. This positively impacted our business essentially overnight. We estimate we will recoup the low cost of the tool in less than one month’s time.”

Setting up the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator simply requires establishing a connection to Xbox LIVE, navigating to the Download Games menu, and adding the Emulator software to the hard drive of the Xbox 360 console. The one-time licensing fee is $2,999.

As scenarios for next-generation interactivity continue to expand and evolve, streamlining the production process for HD DVD titles frees up resources that licensees can use to focus on refining and improving content — maximizing the potential of HDi to create compelling user scenarios. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator is available for sale immediately at http://www.thisishddvd.com/emulator.

More information on the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator and HDi License Program, as well as a downloadable case study of NetBlender’s use of the emulator, is available at http://www.thisishddvd.com/emulator.

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Addonics Announces Optical Solution that Bridges Blu-ray and HD DVD Formats

Addonics Technologies today announced its Zebra Blu-ray / HD DVD Player an optical storage solution that allows your PC to play Blu-ray and HD DVD movies from the same tray.

The Zebra Blu-ray / HD DVD Player also plays standard DVDs and CDs in various file formats and burns DVD±R/RW and CDRW media, which makes it one of the most flexible optical drives available. Users can turn their laptop or desktop computer into a high definition movie player and enjoy high definition video quality of 1080p format at 1920x1080 resolution and the dynamic 7.1-channel audio output that comes with the Blu-ray or HD DVD format.

Addonics has left the decision over which high-def video standard will emerge victorious to the end user. Consumers reluctant to purchase single-format hi-def players can now be assured they will not be left with an obsolete player with the Addonics Zebra solution.

Constructed in a sturdy compact aluminum body, the Zebra Blu-ray / HD DVD player & DVD±R/RW burner comes with a choice of high speed eSATA connection or a combination eSATA and USB 2.0 interface.

The Addonics Zebra records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video on compatible DVD+R DL (double layer) and DVD-R DL (dual layer) media. It is bundled with the Cyberlink High-Def Suite for use with Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista. The product also supports Linux (Kernel 2.6 and above) with free playback software downloadable from various Linux websites.

Maximum transfer rates in various modes of the Addonics Zebra are Blu-ray BD-ROM 215.79 Mbits/s (6x); HD DVD-ROM 109.65 Mbits/s (3x); DVD-ROM 22.16 Mbytes/s (16x) and CD-ROM 6,000 Kbytes/s (40x).

The Addonics Zebra is compact at 10.16 x 6.61 x 2.36 inches and weighs just 3.72 lbs. The MSRP of the Zebra Blu-ray / HD DVD Player is $409 with eSATA interface, or $429 with combination eSATA and USB 2.0 interface. It is available through the Addonics online store www.shopaddonics.com, major catalog companies, resellers, VARs and distributors, including Amazon.com, PC Connection, CDW, Buy.com, Provantage.com, Insight, and Ingram Micro.

www.addonics.com

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Disc Makers Introduces Revamped Reflex Duplicator Line Highlighted by all new 15-Drive Reflex15

Disc Makers, the nation’s leading manufacturer of CD and DVD duplication hardware, today introduces the latest refresh of its Reflex tower manual duplicator line highlighted by the new 15-drive Reflex15, the industry’s largest single tower duplicator.

The new Reflex towers feature the latest 20x DVD±R / 48x CD-R / 8x DVD±R DL drives, and new load and copy feature that greatly speeds up the duplication process, plus beefy 250GB hard drives with Dynamic Smart Partitioning (DSP) to optimize the space used on the hard drive. The new towers also have been redesigned with a sleek black and silver look, and include strategic air vents to maintain optimized temperatures while duplication is in progress.

The newly enhanced Reflex line includes towers with one, two, four, seven, ten, and now fifteen drives. The new Reflex15 tower, the largest on the market today, duplicates an astounding 225 CDs or 120 DVDs per hour. Prices for Disc Makers’ Reflex line start at just $249 and go up to $1,399 for the Reflex15.

"Our Reflex towers are the finest disc duplicators on the market, and the updates we have made to the line only raise the bar for all other duplicator manufacturers," said Tony van Veen, President of Disc Makers. "We build the Reflex towers in our Pennsauken, New Jersey factory and control every detail of manufacturing and quality control. With Disc Makers, our customers can be confident they are getting the widest range of choices and that they’re buying the best duplicator on the market, at the best price possible."

In addition to the industry-leading features and award-winning design, Disc Makers’ Reflex duplicators are backed up by a one-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty, a Perfect Fit Guarantee, and the new Best Price Guarantee. The Perfect Fit Guarantee ensures that the system you buy is the one that fits your needs best. If it’s not, then the tower can be sent back for full credit towards another duplicator that better fits your needs.

Disc Makers’ Best Price Guarantee, launched last month, guarantees consumers that if they find a comparable tower duplicator from another reputable seller that is advertised at a lower price, Disc Makers will match it. Complete details on the Best Price Guarantee can be found here.

For more information on Disc Makers’ new Reflex line of tower duplicators, visit www.discmakers.com/duplicators.

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Venturer Announces New Title Bundle with SHD7001 HD DVD Player

The eagerly awaited, low cost SHD7001 High Definition DVD player from Venturer which already promises a fantastic price tag and bundle deal for those looking to invest in the latest HD technology, now offers even more. Not only will the new SHD7001 be supplied with a fantastic add on package worth around £50.00 (two fantastic HD DVDs; Hulk and Troy, and a free HDMI cable) it will also now include a voucher that enables customers to redeem 5 more free HD DVDs courtesy of the European HD DVD Promotional Group.

Until 31st January 2008 customers can use their redemption voucher to select 5 of their favourite titles for free from a list of HD DVDs, giving them complete freedom of choice. No additional charges will be made as postage and packaging will also be completely free.

"We're committed to ensuring that the HD DVD is the best value format for consumers and as such, we're delighted to be able to offer an amazing five disc free campaign to the Venturer HD DVD player promotion on QVC. With this new initiative, we're giving people who love movies another incredibly affordable way to experience the amazing sound, picture and exciting interactive features of HD DVD while helping them get their HD DVD movie collections off to a flying start with a fantastic line-up of titles," said a spokesperson of the European HD DVD Promotional Group.

The SHD7001 will initially be available to buy in the UK exclusively from QVC TV Home Shopping Channel from the 29th December, when it will be the featured product of the day (Today’s Special Value). QVC is available on Sky Digital channel 630, Freeview channel 16 and Virgin TV channel 740. To order visit www.qvcuk.com.

The price of the SHD7001 remains undisclosed until its official launch on QVC on the 29th December.

More information regarding the SHD7001 can be found at www.venturer.eu.com.

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NewerTech Lowers Pricing on Award-Winning Guardian Maximus RAID 1 Mirror Storage Solution

Newer Technology (NewerTech), the leading developer of PC, Macintosh® and iPod® performance upgrades and accessories, today announced new lower pricing on its award-winning Guardian MAXimus™, the first low-cost FireWire® and USB2 External RAID 1 storage solution for consumers and professional users alike.

Guardian MAXimus received a Five Star Rating in the December 2007 issue of Photoshop User magazine. “Easy to use, incredibly fast, and offers a lot of space for the price…the perfect space-to-speed ratio that’s so important to graphics professionals, digital photographers, and designers,” said PhotoShop User magazine. Introduced May 2007, Guardian MAXimus has also earned accolades from The Mac Observer, MyMac.com, and American Photo.

NewerTech Guardian MAXimus is available in seven configurations:

250GB Mirror (250 + 250) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer was $329.99, now $319.99
320GB Mirror (320 + 320) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer was $339.99, now $329.99
400GB Mirror (400 + 400) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer was $369.99, now $349.99
500GB Mirror (500 + 500) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer was $419.99, now $399.99
750GB Mirror (750 + 750) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer was $649.99, now $599.00
1.0TB Mirror (1.0TB + 1.0TB) 7200RPM w/64MB total buffer was $1,099.99, now $879.99
150GB “Power User” Mirror (150 + 150) 10,000RPM w/32MB total buffer was $689.99, now $599.99

Guardian MAXimus RAID-1 mirror storage solution is a Plug ‘N Play “Live Activity” backup solution for creative professionals. Always guarding against data loss and costly system downtime, Guardian MAXimus writes the same information in real-time to two separate drives for a “mirrored” copy. With up to 1.0TB dual SATA drives, data transfer rates up to 100MB/s, OS X “Leopard” Time Machine readiness, and FireWire 800/400 and USB 2.0 ports, Guardian MAXimus offers performance, flexibility, and reliability for critical data backup.

Guardian MAXimus Features:

Up to 1.0TB Dual-Drive Solution
Up to 64MB of drive cache (32MB per drive)
Custom Oxford 924 Based Bridge Solution
2 FireWire 800 9 pin ports
1 FireWire 400 6 pin port
1 USB 2.0 "B" port - backwards compatible with USB 1.1
Front panel drive status LEDs
Quiet operation
9.3" x 2.8" x 5.6" size, shock-resistant for maximum portability
US/International 90~240V 4.2A UL- Listed power supply
36" FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0/1.1 double shielded connecting cables included
Compatible with Apple OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, OS X 10.1.x and later (10.2 or later required for FW800 and USB 2.0), and Windows ME and later operating systems.
Includes ProSoft Engineering® Data Backup 3, NovaStor NovaBACKUP®, and Intech® SpeedTools Utilities™ software (a $200 retail value)

Guardian MAXimus is available immediately from NewerTech’s exclusive distributor, Other World Computing. For more information, see http://www.newertech.com/products/gmax.php.

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Apricorn Announces DriveWire Adapter For the Upgrade Suite

Apricorn, the leader in personal storage, today released the DriveWire Universal Hard Drive Adapter, providing a USB connection to any 2.5” or 3.5” IDE or SATA hard drive. The DriveWire comes bundled with Apricorn’s Upgrade Suite, which features Apricorn’s EZ Gig II cloning and imaging software for Windows® and Shirt Pocket's SuperDuper! for Mac®. When used together, DriveWire and EZ Gig II make it easy to transfer OS, data, applications, documents, address books, e-mail, settings and preferences - from an old drive to a new drive, in a few easy steps.

In addition to the Upgrade Suite, each DriveWire Universal Hard Drive Adapter comes with a USB 2.0 cable (USB 1.1 compatible) and high quality UL Listed power adapter. The compact DriveWire incorporates three hard drive connections into its design, a SATA connector for new style hard drives, a 44 pin connector for 2.5” notebook IDE/PATA hard drives and a 40 pin connector for standard 3.5” desktop IDE/PATA hard drives, allowing you to connect a hard drive to any desktop or notebook computer with a USB 2.0 port.

In three simple steps, users can quickly and simply transfer data from an old drive to a new drive. It’s as easy as connecting the hardware, and booting up the computer using the “Upgrade Suite” bootable CD to make an exact clone of the old drive onto the new drive. Once the data transfer is complete, simply install the new drive into the notebook or desktop and the computer will boot up as usual.

There is no need to buy a different enclosure for every hard drive or worry about whether or not there will be enough power through the USB port to run the device. DriveWire is guaranteed to safely provide all the power you need. It’s also compatible with all of today’s 2.5”, 3.5” IDE/PATA or SATA hard drives.

“As the leader in hard drive upgrade kits, our goal was to provide our customers with a truly universal upgrade kit that was both cost effective and easy-to-use,” said Mike McCandless, Apricorn's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “When you combine the flexibility of DriveWire with the capabilities of Apricorn’s Upgrade Suite you have the perfect data transfer solution for all of today’s desktop and notebook computers, eliminating the need to purchase unique enclosures for every hard drive.”

Apricorn’s DriveWire is currently available online at www.apricorn.com for $39.99.

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