Guiding a rented minivan through the truck-heavy streets of the industrial side of Eindhoven, in central Holland, Sanjay Khar (right) gives a passenger pause when he states, unequivocally, “They’re either going to think we’re geniuses or that we’re crazy.”

Khar is director of New Medium Enterprises (NME) and head of its optical division, which for NME is the franchise. The pink sheet-traded, Nevada-based company that also has offices in London and R&D facilities in this city is behind the Versatile Multilayer Disc (VMD), a dark horse entry into the still-nascent high-definition disc derby. It’s January, and still fewer than half of Americans polled even know about the two frontrunner formats, Sony’s Blu-ray (BD) and Toshiba’s HD DVD. It is a couple of weeks after Warner Home Video announced at the CES Show in Las Vegas that it would back BD over HD DVD, and days after Netflix announced the same, putatively tilting Hollywood and its treasure trove of content towards that format at the expense of HD DVD. (A few weeks later, HD DVD would drop out of the race entirely, but at the time of this minivan ride, HD DVD’s demise is still en route from rumored to real.)

Khar is having none of it. “Not everyone is behind Blu-ray and precisely because there is no one single format, there is still opportunity in the [high-definition format] space,” he states. “If BD were a success, there would be no space for us to enter. There is no winner yet.”

Compared to Sony and Toshiba, which are rumored to have spent as much as $150 million per studio lobbying for the backing of a partisan Hollywood, NME is the mouse that roared. The company’s market cap is a scant $24 million and its share price on the volatile OTCBB bourse (symbol: NMEN) has plunged along with many others in the recent market vortex. Sony has its own huge vault of movies to tout BD with, along with those from Fox and Warner Home Video. VMD, on the other hand, has a chunk of Bollywood, disparate clumps of foreign films (if you’re into Finnish cinema, boy, are you in luck) and a couple of U.S. film distributors, such as SME Entertainment, offering a relative handful of movies that ring a mass-market bell, like Alexander, Apocalypto, Blade Trinity, Passion of the Christ, Pulp Fiction, and Saw. Another is Anthem Pictures, which adds Mother Ghost, 8th Plague, Enigma With A Stigma, Cutting Room, and Naked Ape to the pot.

Just as well, since there is only one VMD manufacturing line in the world, at NME’s R&D facility in Eindhoven, in the former Toolex factory, now owned by Dutch technology company VDL, NME’s research and manufacturing partner. Of the 3,300 or so titles that Khar says are committed to VMD, only a few hundred have actually been sent, authored and mastered, to replication. And VMD’s planned holiday season, official rollout was rescheduled for Q1 of this year by manufacturing delays in Eindhoven.

But Wait, There’s More…
If this sounds like a scenario that would have Jim Kramer creating new sound effects for on Mad Money on MSNBC, NME does have some serious stuff going for it. Chairman of the board Michael Jay Solomon brings significant street cred: He is the co-founder of syndication giant Telepictures Corporation, which later acquired TV superpower Lorimar, which gave the world winners like Dallas. Warner Brothers bought out Lorimar-Telepictures and installed Solomon as Warner’s president of international television. He came onboard at NME in August 2007.

But most of all, NME has an interesting technology, and it’s found in the “M” in VMD. The format can keep adding layer after layer of digital real estate to each disc; the standard production model has three layers offering 15GB of storage, but four (20GB) are almost as easy. Theoretically, they have taken the process to 10 layers. (BD uses one and two layers, though, theoretically, it can also go beyond that.) This means that VMD can use red lasers to read the discs, the same as are used for DVD and CD. BD, by contrast, uses the narrower-aperture blue laser to scan smaller pits on its discs (same with the late HD DVD). BD is more expensive than DVD to manufacture, has lower yields (still, reportedly, in the 80%-plus range), and requires a completely new manufacturing infrastructure.

VMD’s manufacturing is more similar to the upgrade some replication facilities used for HD DVD, which involved using existing DVD lines with additional stations inserted. The core of the one extant line is VDL’s Dex DVD line. But the combination of red laser and a huge existing manufacturing infrastructure, says Khar, gives VMD a powerful edge, as well as a 90%-plus manufacturing yield, since the VMD is basically a DVD on steroids. Thus, the manufacturing expertise is already in place. Just add NME’s new bonding station.

Khar says VMD will also maintain control of the format vertically. In addition to owning the patents (he will not comment on VMD patent royalties or any arrangement with the DVD patent holders, such as 6C and 3C, regarding underlying DVD patents that VMD uses) and selling manufacturing lines. For $10,000, they are also selling the authoring tools they developed (no buyers yet).

In addition, NME is manufacturing consumer VMD players, which Khar says will retail for $149, or $199 bundled with five titles. BD manufacturers have been lowering their player prices, and HD DVD players dropped as low as $149 before Toshiba pulled the plug, but Khar twists the knife when he notes that “VMD players are not subsidized to stimulate the market,” referring to a famous CNET study that analyzed an HD DVD player and found its components to cost more than its retail price. According to Solomon, 20,000 VMD players have been shipped as of late January to two retailers in the U.S. and Europe and he projects 500,000 by year’s end. (PC Rush is the American distributor). The packaging for the VMD, dubbed the NL box (for Netherlands), is designed and manufactured by Scanovo.

“It is all about the value chain,” says Khar. “We author and manufacture the discs and the players in the beginning, so content owners can see the process.”

Eugene Levich, NME’s CTO, says that manufacturing lines have been sold to two replicators: POD, in Dubai, and Orava, in Slovakia. He expects the Slovakia facility to come online first.

Sidebar: How VMD Works HD VMD technology is an extension of DVD-9 technology and largely utilizes the existing DVD-9 manufacturing infrastructure. DVD-9 discs have two information layers: L0 and L1; 3L VMD discs have info layers L0, L1, and L2; 4L VMD discs have info layers L0, L1, L2, and L3. DVD has 3L and 4L discs: the rarely seen, low-yield/high-cost DVD-15 and DVD-18. But they have only two layers on one side, and to access all layers it is necessary to stop the player and flip the disc. 3L and 4L VMD discs have all info layers one side, and like DVD-9 their production cycle time is below three-seconds and their production yield is over 90%. To go beyond a 4L VMD disc, the process becomes somewhat more complex, but NME CTO Eugene Levich says the process can be contained in the matrix module bolted on to a standards DVD-9 line, and the costs remain low.

Reaction to Toshiba
NME took a sanguine outlook on Toshiba’s capitulation of its HD DVD format in February. “In our view, this is the best thing that could happen to us,” says Levich, “because Toshiba was actually trying to take the market that we are after, not Sony. And they failed because the production costs and technical difficulties were in contradiction with their attempts to sell cheap.”

Levich elaborates, estimating that Toshiba’s subsidization of its consumer players cost the company cost it nearly $200 million. “Sony resisted the temptation to follow suit,” he says. “Their CEO clearly explained that this pricing policy is not acceptable and undermines the market.”

Levich compares the cost of blue-laser discs and players versus their red-laser counterparts, emphasizing the additional expense of the former, as well as the time and cost needed to build out a BD infrastructure. “Sony will have to build hundreds, if not thousands, of new and expensive production lines that still have [issues such as] low yield, long cycle times, and extremely difficult and expensive mastering,” he says. “VMD is now the only viable format for fast adoption by the HD market. It can go to mass production overnight since everything is based on the existing DVD industrial infrastructure.”

Content Is Still King
But it’s really about the content. Can VMD come up with enough compelling content to give the format traction in the most critical home video market in the world? The major Hollywood studios have already coalesced around Blu-ray Disc, and even as Khar and I spoke in Eindhoven, Singulus, the largest manufacturer of optical disc lines in the work, was preparing to announce that the German company would acquire the Blu-ray equipment activities of its nearest competitor in the HD manufacturing space, Oerlikon. (In fact, Oerlikon announced that it was getting out of the CD and DVD manufacturing line business altogether, to focus on other thin-film activities such as solar panels.)

Michael Jay Solomon points out that VMD has major-studio content, via distributors, but that they are limited to territories outside of the U.S. He also acknowledges a lack of compelling content for the American market. However, he expects that to be rectified after he holds talks with Hollywood studios in March and April. “I’ve been in the [movie] business for 52 years and I have personal relationships with many of the studio heads,” he says. “That doesn’t guarantee that we’ll get all the titles we want, but I expect to have major studio titles available on VMD by the end of the year.”

“’Compelling’ is a relative term,” Khar states. “We have enough compelling content to launch the format worldwide and we’re acquiring more every week. The advantages are clear: VMD uses proven red-laser technology, the manufacturing infrastructure is already there, it’s backwards-compatible with DVD and CD and the player can upscale standard-definition DVD. True, we don’t have a [major] studio, but we are teaming up with many independent [studios]. VMD gives them an affordable and reliable platform into HD and when it becomes successful with them, the major studios will look at it, as well.”

That, in a nutshell, seems to be NME’s market strategy: Use VMD as a high-def pathway for indie movies and niches, build up the installed player base, then hope that the majors will provide content and not give it solely to a single format. This is how much of entertainment media is playing out anyway; incompatibility hasn’t stopped either iTunes or MP3 from thriving.

Charles Adelman, president of Anthem Pictures, believes VMD has a fighting chance. “From my perspective, it’s an opportunity,” he states. “The cost for authoring and mastering in HD is enormous for an independent studio like mine. Then the manufacturing costs for BD are around $3.50 per disc. The VMD disc costs about a dollar to make. The difference is that it uses red laser technology. Also, the VMD player and disc load instantly, unlike the HD formats, which take quite a while to boot.”

Adelman envisions other applications for VMD on the professional side. “We’re also producers, so I would enjoy having a cost-effective way to get dailies in true 1080p,” he explains, adding that he is in talks with NME about partnering on content production in the future.

But ultimately, he acknowledges, “We don’t have much to lose. We can’t afford the licensing and mastering fees associated with BD. But for a microstudio like us, it’s positively subversive, and I like that. It’s an underdog type of thing, not a clash of the titans. We’re looking for a portal to consumers, and so is VMD. With them, I can feel like we’re in this thing together.”

Dan Daley (danwriter at aol.com) is an experienced journalist and author, covering the business and technology of the entertainment industry for over 20 years. His work has appeared in numerous publications, both trade and general interest, including Billboard, The New York Daily News, Mix Magazine, GRAMMY Magazine, American Way, Spin, History Channel, TravelHost, International Business, USA Today, ArchiTech, and many others.

EMedialive announces updates to The Authoritative Blu-ray Disc (BD) FAQ in the following categories: IX. Industry Support, Prices, and Availability. See details below.
0. FAQ Updates

Date	Description
Nov. 11, 2009	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
Nov. 8, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Nov. 1, 2009	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. m. What companies provide BD testing and verification services?
	Update: X: d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
Oct. 23, 2009	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: II. k. How do BD, HD DVD and DVD video formats and player requirements compare?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
Oct. 18, 2009	Update: VI. l. Are HD DVD and BD compatible with each other?
	Update: VIII. c. What is HDMI?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
Oct. 9, 2009	New question: IX. 1. How much do BD professional video recorders cost?
	Update: I. d. What are some notable milestones in the life of BD?
	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: II. i. What is a BD9 disc?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
Oct. 2, 2009	Update: II. d. What file systems are used on BD discs?
	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: XII. a. What do common BD and related acronyms and abbreviations stand for?
Sept. 28, 2009	Update: III. a. How fast are BD discs written and read?
	Update: III. c. How much time does it take to write a BD-R and BD-RE disc?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. r. How much do computers equipped with BD drives cost?
	Update: IX. v. How much do TV/BD player combos cost?
Sept. 18, 2009	Update: III. a. How fast are BD discs written and read?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: VII. a. How many times can a BD-RE disc be rewritten?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. t. How much do BD disc changers and home entertainment servers cost?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
Sept. 11, 2009	Update: I. d. What are some notable milestones in the life of BD?
	Update: VII. a. How many times can a BD-RE disc be rewritten?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: IX. q. How much does BD computer video player software cost?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
Sept. 4, 2009	Update: VI. g. What type of computer software is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. m. What companies provide BD testing and verification services?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
Aug. 27, 2009	Update: VIII. c. What is HDMI?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. h. How much do BD game consoles cost?
	Update: IX. i. How much do BD duplication and publishing systems cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. q. How much does BD computer video player software cost?
Aug. 20, 2009	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Aug. 13, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: VIII. c. What is HDMI?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
Aug. 6, 2009	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
July 30, 2009	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. t. How much do BD disc changers and home entertainment servers cost?
July 22, 2009	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
July 15, 2009	New question: e. Can writable BD discs recorded at different speeds be read back at any speed?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. t. How much do BD disc changers and home entertainment servers cost?
	Update: IX. u. How much do BD data storage and archiving jukeboxes cost?
July 9, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
July 2, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
June 25, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: IX. q. How much does BD computer video player software cost?
	Update: IX. x. How much do BD Network-Attached Storage devices cost?
	Update: IX. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
June 18, 2009	New question: IX. z. What companies offer BD quality assurance and quality control services?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
June 11, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: IX. v. How much do TV/BD player combos cost?
	Update: IX. w. How much do portable BD players cost?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
May 20, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
May 13, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: IX. v. How much do TV/BD player combos cost?
	Update: IX. w. How much do portable BD players cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
May 4, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. y. How much do BD audio encoders cost?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
Apr. 16, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
Apr. 9, 2009	New question: II. n. Can all BD players display BD-J content?
	New question: II. o. How long does it take a BD player to load and execute BD-J content?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Apr. 3, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Mar. 26, 2009	Update: I. c. What is the Blu-ray Disc Association?
	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: IX. q. How much does BD computer video player software cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
Mar. 19, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. j. How much do printable BD-R discs cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: XI. h. BD-J/BD-Live Developer Communities and Organizations
Feb. 19, 2009	New section: XII. Glossary, Acronyms, Abbreviations and Units of Measure
	New question: XII. a. What do common BD and related acronyms and abbreviations stand for?
Feb. 14, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
Feb. 6, 2009	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
Jan. 30, 2009	Update: III. c. How much time does it take to write a BD-R and BD-RE disc?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Jan. 22, 2009	Update: I. c. What is the Blu-ray Disc Association?
	Update: III. b. What rotational schemes do BD discs employ?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM and BD Combo drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
	Update: XI. h. BD-J/BD-Live Developer Communities and Organizations
Jan. 15, 2009	New question: IX. x. How much do BD Network-Attached Storage devices cost?
	New question: IX. y. How much do BD audio encoders cost?
	Update:: VIII. b. What issues are raised when playing commercial BD movies over analog and digital video connections?
	Update: VIII. c. What is HDMI?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. j. How much do printable BD-R discs cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. t. How much do BD disc changers and home entertainment servers cost?
Jan. 9, 2009	New question: IX. v. How much do TV/BD player combos cost?
	New question: IX. w. How much do portable BD players cost?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. m. What companies provide BD testing and verification services?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box and Sound Bars cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Dec. 30, 2008	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
Dec. 18, 2008	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX: e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. r. How much do computers equipped with BD drives cost?
Dec. 10, 2008	Update: IV. c. How far might BD disc capacity increase in the future?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. s. How much do BD video encoders and transcoders cost?
Dec. 2, 2008	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. t. How much do BD disc changers and home entertainment servers cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
Nov. 20, 2008	Update: II. a. What specifications govern BD discs?
	Update: II. e. What is the BD-R/RE AV format?
	Update: V. d. What is the purpose of the hard coat on a BD disc?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. n. How much do BD camcorders cost?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Nov. 13, 2008	New question: V. e. What are the weights and physical dimensions of BD discs?
	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: VII. c. What is the best way to handle and store a BD disc?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Nov. 5, 2008	New question: I. d. What are some notable milestones in the life of BD?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Updaet: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
Oct. 24, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Oct. 17, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Oct. 9, 2008	New question: 0. How do I know when the BD FAQ has been updated?
	New question: f. What licensing obligations exist when replicating and distributing content on prerecorded BD discs?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. r. How much do computers equipped with BD drives cost?
	Update: IX. t. How much do BD disc changers and home entertainment servers cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
Oct. 2, 2008	New question: II. m. What is the directory structure of a BD-R/RE AV disc?
	New question: X. e. What licensing obligations exist when duplicating and distributing content on writable BD discs?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: II. l. What is the directory structure of a BD-ROM AV disc?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Sept 25, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: III. c. How much time does it take to write a BD-R and BD-RE disc?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. s. How much do BD video encoders and transcoders cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
Sept. 18, 2008	Update: II. d. What file systems are used on BD discs?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Sept. 11, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Sept. 4, 2008	New question: II. l. What is the directory structure of a BD-ROM AV disc?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Updaet: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. m. What companies provide BD testing and verification services?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
Aug. 27, 2008	New question: I. c. What is the Blu-ray Disc Association?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: IV. c. How far might BD disc capacity increase in the future?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: IX. a. What companies create and support BD formats?
	Update: IX. . b. What movie and music studios support BD?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: X. c. Who owns the name Blu-ray Disc and its logo?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Aug. 21, 2008	New question: XI. i. Anti-Piracy Education, Investigation and Compliance Organizations
	Update: II. a. What specifications govern BD discs?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. r. How much do computers equipped with BD drives cost?
	Update: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: XI. h. BD-J/BD-Live Developer Communities and Organizations
Aug. 15, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. n. How much do BD camcorders cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. s. How much do BD video encoders and transcoders cost?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
July 18, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: III. c. How much time does it take to write a BD-R and BD-RE disc?
	Updaet: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
July 10, 2008	New question: IX. t. How much do BD disc changers and home entertainment servers cost?
	New question IX. u. How much do BD data storage and archiving jukeboxes cost?
	Update: III. c. How much time does it take to write a BD-R and BD-RE disc?
	Update: VII. b. How long will data on a BD disc remain readable?
	Update: VII. c. What is the best way to handle and store a BD disc?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. i. How much do BD duplication and publishing systems cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. r. How much do computers equipped with BD drives cost?
	Update: IX. s. How much do BD video encoders and transcoders cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
July 3, 2008	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. r. How much do computers equipped with BD drives cost?
	Update: IX. s. How much do BD video encoders and transcoders cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
June 26, 2008	New question: VII. c. What is the best way to handle and store a BD disc?
	New question: IX. s. How much do BD video encoders and transcoders cost?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
June 19, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. g. How much do blank BD discs cost?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
June 12, 2008	New question: IX. r. How much do computers equipped with BD drives cost?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: IX. a. What companies create and support BD formats?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
June 5, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Updaet: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
May 29, 2008	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. m. What companies provide BD testing and verification services?
	Update: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
May 22, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
May 15, 2008	New question: X. d. Who claims and who administers BD patent rights?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
May 9, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
May 1, 2008	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: IX. j. How much do printable BD-R discs cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles, Columns, and Reviews
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
Apr. 24, 2008	Update: I. a. What is Blu-ray Disc?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: X. a. What is Regional Playback Control?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Apr. 17, 2008	New question: X. b. Does Regional Playback Control apply to DVD-Video discs viewed on BD players?
	New question: X. c. Who owns the name Blu-ray Disc and its logo?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: V. c. How is a BD-RE disc constructed?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Apr. 8, 2008	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. q. How much does BD computer video player software cost?
Mar. 20, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. q. How much does BD computer video player software cost?
Mar. 7, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Feb. 29, 2008	New question: II. k. How do BD, HD DVD and DVD video formats and player requirements compare?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
Feb. 22, 2008	New question: IX. q. How much does BD computer video player software cost?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. i. How much do BD duplication and publishing systems cost?
	Update: XI. g. High-Definition and Digital Television Information
Jan. 30, 2008	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
Jan. 18, 2008	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
Jan. 8, 2008	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
Dec. 27, 2007	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
	Update: IX. h. How much do BD game consoles cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Nov. 30, 2007	New question: VI. l. Are HD DVD and BD compatible with each other?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. n. How much do BD camcorders cost?
Nov. 10, 2007	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
Nov. 2, 2007	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Oct. 12, 2007	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: II. g. What is a Total Hi Def disc?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Sept. 21, 2007	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Sept. 14, 2007	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: IX. a. What companies create and support BD formats?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
Sept. 7, 2007	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: IX. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. b. What movie and music studios support BD?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
Aug. 27, 2007	New question: IX. p. How much does BD video authoring software cost?
	Update: IX. b. What movie and music studios support BD?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
Aug. 9, 2007	New question: IX. n. How much do BD camcorders cost?
	New question: IX. o. How much do BD Home Theaters in a Box cost?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
July 25, 2007	Update II. a. What specifications govern BD discs?
	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. a. What companies create and support BD formats?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: X: a. What is Regional Playback Control?
	Update: XI: c. Presentations
July 12, 2007	New question: IX. m. What companies provide BD testing and verification services?
	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: X. a. What is Regional Playback Control?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
July 9, 2007	New question: XI. h. Developer Organizations
	Update: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
June 20, 2007	New question: VI. k. What firmware updates are available for BD players, drives and recorders?
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
June 6, 2007	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. j. How much do printable BD-R discs cost?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
May 24, 2007	Update: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VIII. c. What is HDMI?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. g. How much do blank BD discs cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Apr. 17, 2007	New question: VI. f. What computer operating system is required to play BD movies?
	New question: VI. g. What type of computer software is required to play BD movies?
	New question: VI. h. How much computer system memory is required to play BD movies?
	New question: VI. i. What type of computer CPU is required to play BD movies?
	New question: VI. j. What type of graphics card is required to play BD movies?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
Apr. 5, 2007	Update: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	Update: VIII. d. What is HDCP?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. i. How much do BD duplication and publishing systems cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles and Columns
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
	Update: XI. f. Licensing, Specifications, and Standards Organizations
Feb. 24, 2007	New question: II. i. What is a BD9 disc?
	New question: II. j. What are BD-Video and BD-Live profiles?
	Update: I. b. Why the name Blu-ray Disc?
	Update: IX. e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
	Update: IX. j. How much do printable BD-R discs cost?
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Feb. 16, 2007	New question: II. h. Are double-sided BD and BD/DVD Combo discs available?
	New question: IX. l. What companies manufacture BD-ROM discs?
	Update: I. a. What is Blu-ray Disc?
	Update: I. b. Why the name Blu-ray Disc?
	Update: II. b. What BD formats are available?
	Update: XI. a. Articles and Columns
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI: e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
	Update: IX: c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX: d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX: f.  How much do commercial BD movie titles cost?
	Update: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
Jan. 20, 2007	New question: II. g. What is a Total Hi Def disc?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. j. How much do printable BD-R discs cost?
	Update: XI. a. Articles and Columns
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
Jan. 9, 2007	New question: VI. e. Does a writable BD disc contain information about its manufacture?
	New question: VI. d. Can all BD-R recorders write BD-R discs in all recording modes?
	New question: VI. c. Can all BD recorders write single and dual-layer BD discs?
	New question: IX. k. How much do BD-ROM drives cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. h. How much do BD game consoles cost?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: II. f. What is the BD-ROM AV format?
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
Oct. 14, 2006	New question: IX. i. How much do BD duplication and publishing systems cost?
	New question: IX. j. How much do printable BD-R discs cost?
	New question: IV. c. How far might BD disc capacity increase in the future?
	Update: X: a. What is Regional Playback Control?
	Update: IX: e. How much do BD consumer electronics recorders cost?
	Update: IX: a. What companies create and support BD formats?
	Update: III: a. How fast are BD discs written and read?
	Update: VIII: c. What is HDMI?
	Update: XI. a. Articles and Columns
	Update: XI. b. Technical and White Papers
	Update: XI. c. Presentations
	Update: XI. e. Specifications, Standards, and Government Regulations
Aug. 28, 2006	New section: 0. FAQ Updates
	New section: X. Copying Deterrents and Content Protection
	New question: X. a. What is Regional Playback Control?
	New question: IX. h. How much do BD game consoles cost?
	Update: IX. c. How much do consumer electronics BD players cost?
	Update: IX. d. How much do BD computer recorders cost?
	Update: IX. f.  How much do commercial BD movie titles cost?
	Update: IX. g. How much do blank BD discs cost?
June 6, 2006	Initial release

NetBlender today announced a comprehensive Blu-ray strategy for its products that will include a point-and-click authoring solution for Blu-ray discs with seamless menus, picture-in-picture and templated BD-Live features. NetBlender's DoStudio MX, which includes the Corel PureHD® Multiplexer, has been used by production houses worldwide to create HD DVDs with Advanced Content (HDi™) since its release last fall. The upcoming release of DoStudio MX will include two editions in one professional authoring package designed to serve the diverse needs of the emerging Blu-ray community.

DoStudio Authoring Edition (DSA) will provide DVD authorers an easy-to-learn, GUI based solution for creating professional Blu-ray discs. The first release, due shortly after NAB this year, will create seamless menus with Adobe Photoshop import. Picture-in-picture support will be added in Q3 2008 and BD-Live templates will arrive in early 2009.

"Our customers have said repeatedly that they need an efficient way to create professional discs with basic functionality such as seamless menus and picture-in-picture," said John Harrington, NetBlender CEO. "DoStudio Authoring edition will satisfy this need. No scripting knowledge will be required to author discs with DSA."

DoStudio Developer Edition (DSD) adds Blu-ray support to the current DoStudio MX authoring application. DSD gives Blu-ray developers full access to NetBlender's scripting layer for creation of advanced interactivity and games. DSD with BD-J support will be released in Q4 2008.

Both editions include the Corel Pure HD multiplexer and support CMF formatting and AACS encapsulation. "With the end of the format war, we see a large segment of the professional DVD authoring community moving into Blu-ray with a variety of skills and expectations," said Denny Breitenfeld, NetBlender CTO. "We are providing a tiered product suite that allows DVD authorers to get into Blu-ray quickly, while still providing the more advanced tools required to take advantage of BD-J's capabilities."

NetBlender also announced new sales and distribution options for its Dostudio MX product suite. In addition to the current monthly subscription fee of $249 US/month, NetBlender will offer a complete Blu-ray Authoring workstation with encoding software, BD burning and playback.

DoStudio MX is available for download and purchase at http://dostudio.netblender.com.

Primera Technology, Inc., the world's leading developer and manufacturer of automated CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc duplication and printing equipment, today announced its full and complete support of Blu-ray Disc technology across its entire product line.

During the past several weeks, the "format war" between HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc has come to a swift and decisive end. HD-DVD has been withdrawn from the market and Blu-ray Disc has become the new worldwide standard for high-definition video. Video production professionals and others who may need high-definition disc burning and printing in the future can now confidently make the decision to upgrade their CD/DVD disc publishers to include Blu-ray Disc capabilities without the worry of obsolescence.

"A large percentage of our customers have anxiously awaited the end of the format wars," said Mark D. Strobel, Primera's vice president of sales and marketing. "Consumers will now be buying large numbers of Blu-ray Disc players and movies. This will create demand for recordable Blu-ray Discs in many other applications such as wedding and event videography, corporate videos, independent films and much more."

Primera's automated disc publishers burn and print up to 100 CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs per batch. The devices are used by a wide range of companies and organizations, including schools and universities, video and music production studios, government and military and businesses of all types including more than eighty-five percent of the Fortune 500.

The Bravo SE Blu sells for US$2995 (MSRP), the Bravo XR-Blu sells for US$5295 (MSRP), and the Bravo XRP-Blu and Bravo XRn-Blu sells for US$8,995 (MSRP). All are available immediately through Primera's Authorized Resellers and Distributors in more than 85 countries.

www.primera.com

The UK is at the forefront of the high definition (HD) revolution and is leading the way in Europe in next generation disk sales. Based on a rapid uptake of sales in 2007, DEG Europe, a non-profit, pan-industry body to promote awareness of DVD and HD formats across Europe has high expectations for the adoption of next generation technologies throughout 2008.

According to DEG Europe and based on GfK tracking, the volume of next generation DVD's being sold in Europe[ ] increased 85 fold between 2006 and 2007 and is expected to rise exponentially into 2008. Although consumers are continuing to purchase standard definition DVD's, the growth curve is falling off with a marginal increase in volume sales of just 4.2%. In terms of who's buying the most DVD's, tech savvy Brits are leading the HD revolution with 34% of total next generation DVD sales coming out of the UK.

Yves Caillaud, senior vice president international, Warner Home Video, speaking for and on behalf of DEG Europe, said: "In 2007, we saw over 2.5 million units of high definition DVD's sold within Europe. To put this in context, when compared to the transfer from VHS to DVD in 1998, only 1,480,000 DVDs were sold in the first year. This clearly demonstrates the rapid consumer adoption of HD technologies."

Hardware sales of next generation DVD players also look encouraging. According to GfK tracking, 11,100 units were sold in January 2007 which soared to 124,000 by December 2007, showing a sharp increase towards the end of the year. But standard definition (SD) players are not going away and are still the most popular choice in the market with over 33 million more units being sold in the UK compared to UK sales of next generation players.

Yves continued: "The increase in sales of HD players shows a strong move in the right direction. Factors that might be holding consumers back from full adoption include confusion over the formats available, a lack of education and understanding of the benefits of next generation technologies and the fact that SD players are the cheapest they have ever been, averaging at just £37 a player."

"December 2007 was by far the strongest trading month of the year for next generation DVD's with 30% of total sales taking place in this month. With 2007 figures in mind and based on a survey looking into predictions for 2008, DEG Europe forecasts strong growth in this sector throughout 2008 and will continue to be the driving force towards consumer adoption of next generation technologies."

The Digital Entertainment Group Europe is a pan-industry body that was formed in 2002 and has a remit to promote the DVD and HD formats (HD DVD, Blu-ray and HDTV) and the benefits to consumers and trade across Europe. The DEG Europe is an industry-funded, non-profit organisation that offers a forum for member companies to engage in ongoing discussions concerning various issues and opportunities, which relate to other new digital technologies that may emerge in the future. As an independent body the DEG Europe provides information to the media, and works to keep retailers informed of industry developments.

Members of the DEG Europe include, Cinram, Fox Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment, Sony DADC, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Technicolor, Toshiba, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Europe, Warner Home Video Europe.

http://www.dvdinformation.com

Goldmund, makers of the world’s most extravagant and technologically advanced systems for audio-video purists, introduced today the company’s first Blu-ray player, the Eidos 20 BD. With the announcement of the Eidos 20 BD, Goldmund becomes the first high-end audio/video manufacturer to issue a Blu-ray player.

The Eidos 20 BD embodies the Goldmund high-tech refinement that has made the Swiss-based company a leader in the audiophile community for the last 30 years. Goldmund signature features found on the Eidos 20 BD include the “AC-Curator” power supply circuit which dramatically improves picture and sound stability and dynamics, and the "Mechanical Grounding" construction which removes from the player mechanism spurious vibrations blurring the video signal and increasing jitter. In addition, the new Eidos 20 BD uses the Goldmund "Magnetic Damper," a device lowering the reading errors, a feature that previously was exclusive to Goldmund’s highest end devices.

The unit weighs a very significant 45 pounds, featuring Swiss precision mechanical construction that has been rebuilt from the ground up to include a new power distribution system and a magnetic field damper. Goldmund does not systematically accept new versions because as new features get added in subsequent versions of technology, they do not always maintain quality standards established in earlier versions. The sound degradation experienced in V 2.0 is not acceptable and Goldmund will continue to work with 1.1.

“As a result of last week’s news in regards to the format wars, Goldmund decided to launch the Eidos 20 BD earlier than we had originally planned to capture the attention of the industry that believes in the superior technological merits of the Blu-ray format,” said Michel Reverchon, president of Goldmund. “The Blu-ray player is the perfect addition to our Goldmund Media Room, which requires high-definition playback and is the pinnacle of technological excellence.”

Goldmund is taking orders for the Eidos 20 BD, which is priced at $16,900. There is a waiting list. Orders are serviced as the players are completed.

Additional information can be accessed by visiting the Goldmund website at www.goldmund.com.

Thomson today announced the availability of the NexCode™ HD AVC Encoder, a next-generation encoding solution that provides compression tools to create content in Blu-ray Disc™ and other high-definition formats. The cutting-edge solution for post production is the most powerful and flexible HD AVC encoding tool available for purchase by facilities with compression and authoring services.

Thomson developed the NexCode HD AVC Encoder by incorporating numerous capabilities into one, including automatic artifact correction, novel bit rate control and re-encoding parameter pre-set configurations. The result is a fast and flexible solution that produces best-in-class video quality and is fully compliant with AVC and Blu-ray formats.

The NexCode HD AVC Encoder features a built-in video player with configurable split screen modes, which enables users to visually compare a scene before and after an encoding step. The solution’s fully adjustable re-encoding parameters allow customized scene-by-scene and frame-by-frame processing. The NexCode HD AVC Encoder is also equipped with Film Grain Technology™, which allows flexible film grain adjustments. For dual-format projects, NexCode allows a single encode to be used for the creation of both Blu-ray and HD DVD compliant bit streams.

The NexCode HD AVC Encoder benefits from Thomson-developed proprietary algorithms, which not only automatically detect and correct encoding artifacts but also preserve and improve the visual quality during ingestion. NexCode’s hardware configuration includes an encoding workstation and an optimized PC cluster architecture. The PC cluster and the storage space can be scaled to meet customer's business requirements.

www.thomson.net

The MPO group, one of the European leaders in media duplication and publisher services, is continuing with its High Definition program, opting to invest in the development of the highly promising product Blu-ray. The MPO group has announced that it has selected Singulus as its supplier in its Blu-ray investment programme. This makes MPO the one and only independent manufacturer in Europe to have a complete Blu-ray manufacturing chain from mastering to replication.

“Blu-ray represents a genuine challenge for the future of MPO and video publishing. The MPO group wishes to be involved in establishing the new High Definition format and contributing to the growth of the HD video market. Our teams’ involvement in the manufacture of High Definition products started over two years ago and the investments made in Blu-ray make the MPO group an essential High Definition player in Europe,” says Loïc de Poix, Chairman of the MPO group Board.

“We would like to thank Mr. Baustert, the CEO of SINGULUS, for supporting us in this new adventure with quality services and production lines already set up in MPO’s plants in Europe, Asia and North America, with over a hundred CD and DVD production lines.”

“The combination of the unique CrystalLine mastering system with the BLU-LINE II brings MPO in an excellent position in order to become one of the leading BD manufacturers of Europe. We value the continued relationship we have with MPO, which started in the early days of Compact Disc.” adds Guido Dalessi, CEO of Singulus Mastering.

www.mpointernational.com

On February 26, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd. will release the 5-pack 2X BD-R LTH Type 25GB Recordable Blu-ray Disc (BD), which utilizes organic dye in the recording layer. Mitsubishi Kagaku Media has continued its efforts at creating a standard for the organic dye BD-R, and last spring the Low to High (LTH) recording system compatible with the organic dye BD-R was adopted into the Blu-ray Disc Recordable Format Ver.1.2. This has been designated as being LTH TYPE, since the use of organic dyes in the recording film of the BD-R causes the reflectance of the disc after recording to change from a low to high reflectance.

The AZO dye, which was developed internally for the recording of blue-violet lasers and is used as the organic dye for our recording layer, has shown a great deal of reliability in its use for CD-R and DVD-/+R, and has been further optimized for use with the BD. CD-R and DVD-/+R discs, which make up the majority of the recordable optical disc market, use organic dyes in their recording layers. The reliability and stability of organic dye recording films can be seen in the massive market share that has been obtained for CD-R and DVD-/+R, and in the way in which CD-R sales have performed over the last 10 years since their release.

Since last autumn, domestic sales of BD Recorders have increased dramatically. A spin coating method is used for the production of the organic dye recording layer, and this utilizes the same production equipment as that used to produce CD-R and DVD-/+R. There is already plenty of equipment available that is capable of producing CD-R and DVD-/+R, which means that BD has the advantage of being able to respond to rapid increases in demand. Mitsubishi Kagaku Media will promote bigger growth of the recordable BDs in the marketplace.

The Mitsubishi Kagaku Media/Verbatim Group aims to become a recording media company that continues to create new values demanded by the time.

http://www.m-kagaku.co.jp

MPEG LA, LLC, world leader in alternative one-stop patent licenses, today announced that several leading companies and a university have filed separate patent enforcement actions in District Court Dusseldorf, Germany against Amino Communications Limited (“Amino”) for infringing patents essential to the MPEG-2 digital video compression standard used worldwide in digital television broadcasting and DVD.

Plaintiffs in the various lawsuits include: CIF Licensing, LLC; The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York; GE Technology Development, Inc.; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Denki K.K.; Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V.; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sony Corporation; Thomson Licensing S.A.; and Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. According to the complaints, Amino offers in Germany products, such as set-top boxes and other digital television delivery systems, which use patent protected MPEG-2 methods without having entered into licenses with the individual patent holders or a portfolio license that includes these patents offered by MPEG LA.

The suit seeks, among other things, monetary damages and an injunction prohibiting Amino from using MPEG-2 patents in its products and from offering, marketing, or importing them.

www.mpegla.com

Redbox, the fully automated DVD rental system featuring new release rentals for $1 per night, announces an agreement with Walgreens to expand the presence of redbox automated DVD rental kiosks to approximately 2,000 Walgreens stores nationwide. Currently available at nearly 250 Walgreens locations, redbox will install kiosks at approximately 1,800 additional Walgreens stores during 2008 and 2009.

The expansion of redbox to Walgreens locations nationwide follows the successful test of the fully-automated $1 per night DVD rental service in Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio-area Walgreens.

“Redbox’s agreement with Walgreens is an example of the companies’ shared commitment to providing convenience and value to our customers,” said Gregg Kaplan, chief executive officer, redbox. “Featuring the latest DVD rentals for $1 per night, redbox provides Walgreens’ consumers with another great reason to visit their neighborhood Walgreens locations.”

Redbox recently announced plans to feature redbox kiosks at the majority of Wal-Mart locations nationwide. Redbox kiosks currently are available at more than 6,800 locations nationwide, including leading grocery stores, select McDonald’s® restaurants, and Walgreens and Wal-Mart locations in select markets.

Each fully automated redbox kiosk holds more than 500 DVDs, representing 100-150 of the newest movie releases, with new titles available every Tuesday. Consumers simply use a touch screen to select their favorite movies, swipe a valid credit or debit card and go. The complete transaction takes less than 60 seconds. Customers can keep the DVD for as long as they’d like for $1 per night plus tax, and after 25 nights, rental charges cease and the DVD is the customer’s to keep.

In addition, redbox’s patented rent-and-return anywhere technology allows consumers the convenience of renting DVDs at one location and returning them to any redbox nationwide. Consumers also can guarantee their favorite movie is in stock and waiting for them, by reserving a DVD online at www.redbox.com and picking it up at the redbox location of their choice.

MultiMedia Intelligence reports today that Blu-Ray DVD players and recorders will represent the largest segment of Internet Protocol (IP) enabled consumer electronics. The connected DVD equipment segment will reach nearly 50 million units by 2012. This fact is particularly impressive as these Blu-Ray device volumes are in addition to video game consoles, where Blu-Ray DVD is integrated into Sony’s PS3.

Adoption of IP interfaces is progressing across a variety of consumer electronics devices, including video game consoles, TVs, DVD equipment, audio equipment, as well as cable, telco, and satellite set-top boxes. Total annual shipments of IP-Enabled Consumer Electronics devices reached 64 Million units in 2007. Currently video game consoles represent the largest segment. However, next generation Blu-Ray DVD equipment is already integrating Internet connectivity to enhance interactivity and online applications.

“The end of the format war between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD promises to accelerate shipment volume of Blu-Ray DVD equipment,” according to Mark Kirstein, President of MultiMedia Intelligence. “As a result, Blu-Ray DVD equipment could become the largest volume segment of IP-Enabled Consumer devices even sooner than 2012."

MultiMedia Intelligence’s new research also found the following:

• Adoption of IP interfaces is growing steadily, but not explosively. The entire market is still challenged to address ease-of-use, interoperability and numerous business model issues.
• Beyond the nearly standard Cat 5 Ethernet interface, Wi-Fi (802.11x) will represent the interface of choice for nearly 40% of IP-Enabled DVD players. Coax and Powerline interfaces will see lower adoption.
• The semiconductor revenue for the IP interfaces across all Consumer Electronics devices covered will exceed $2 Billion by 2012.

"Internet Protocol (IP)-Enabled Consumer Electronics: Are we there yet?" analyzes the service providers, equipment vendors, content service offerings and technology in the multimedia-networked home. The report also looks at in-home connectivity including analysis and forecasts of Ethernet, Powerline, coax, and Wi-Fi integrated into consumer electronics. Other forecasts include worldwide subscribers for broadband, VoIP, cable TV, satellite TV, and IPTV. The associated set top boxes, adoption of network-interfaces by device type, as well as the middleware and interface semiconductors are also included. Device segments include TVs, DVD players and recorders, DMAs, video game consoles, media servers, DVRs and set top boxes.

About MultiMedia Intelligence
MultiMedia Intelligence provides actionable intelligence on the markets and technologies for delivering IP video to the Nth screen. With a broad "ecosystem-based" perspective that moves beyond the classic 'three screens' of TVs, mobile handsets, and computers, we identify the opportunities in enabling and monetizing digital media on a multi-platform, multi-network basis.

www.multimediaintelligence.com