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It’s not like they planned it that way, but Media-Tech’s North American conference, turned out to be the optical disc industry’s de facto first post-war summit. Held March 4-5 at the Mayfair Hotel in Miami’s Coconut Grove, Media-Tech 2008 was the industry's first conclave after the decisive victory of Sony’s Blu-ray over Toshiba’s HD DVD in a two-year format war that had ended only two weeks earlier.

Ostensibly, the conference was focused on business strategies that would help disc replicators and duplicators cope with diminishing demand and margins on physical media, such as duplicating Flash media and optimizing direct-mail marketing. But there was a palpable and collective sigh of relief throughout the relatively small show floor that the shoe had finally dropped in what had been a multi-billion-dollar competition for the next-generation disc format, one that effectively put capex and strategic planning on hold for both disc makers and equipment manufacturers.

Singulus, which has the largest market share in the global optical disc line manufacturing sector, seemed particularly happy. The company had held an open house a week earlier at its factory in Kahl am Main, Germany, to introduce the BD 50, its newest Blu-ray line that can manufacture the 50-GB iteration of the format. Sylvia Hitzel, v.p. of sales & marketing for Singulus, told EMedialive that the company is convinced that 50GB will be the version of choice in the U.S., where quick market traction for the format is critical to success. “The format is already moving in the U.S. and we expect Europe will begin to expand it capacity within the next few weeks,” she said, estimating that current sales of 15 lines in place or on order will increase by over 50% in Q2.

In the wake of a presentation on Blu-ray by Mike Mitchell, EVP and CTO at replicator Sony DADC, in which he outlined the format’s technical and manufacturing vision going forward, the talk turned to how quickly a Blu-ray infrastructure could be achieved and what would drive it. Cedric Collard, marketing manager for Austrian-based measurement/testing/optimization equipment maker Datarius, said quickly ramping up capacity could prove challenging. “It was a long war with a sudden end,” he said. “In the meantime, many of the line manufacturers in this business are gone, including Krauss-Maffei, 4M and Steag.”

In fact, only three companies globally have lines ready for sale – Singulus, Sony’s own lines and China-based Anwell; Sweden’s M2 has a BD 25 line that will be ready to ship by Q4. “But there have been a lot of BD-related product announcements recently, so I believe the technology is ready.”

Bob Freedman, CTO at replicator and post house Crest Digital in Los Angeles, said that getting the manufacturing infrastructure together was the first priority for the format, and that Sony was doing a good job getting information and support to potential users. However, like most replicators outside of the small top tier in the U.S. that already have BD lines in place--Sony’s DADC, BMG’s Sonopress, Cinram, and Technicolor--Freedman says his company will wait until its customer base develops sufficient demand for BD.

Pierre Van Dongen, sales agent for Anwell, which recently sold its first BD 25 line in the U.S. to CD Video in California, said he has been receiving “numerous” RFQs (requests for quotes) from replicators, including mid-tier disc manufacturers. “The expectation is that in the short term, at least, there will be more demand than capacity, so the mid-tier replicators are evaluating the possibilities of overflow from the majors and from independent studios,” he said. “What will be the challenge is not building the lines but rather installing them, training on them and support, because the BD [manufacturing] process is still evolving.”

More Than Blu
BD may have been the big buzz, but Media-Tech had other components. It was the first time that the Frankfurt, Germany-based organization partnered its show with AIMMA (American Independent Media Manufacturers Association), IDDA (International Disc Duplicating Association), and the DVDA (DVD Association).  Media-Tech managing director Bryan Ekus said, “Blu-ray’s emergence as the next-gen format is a signal for the industry to come back together.”

Gary Reeves, president of Rochester-based duplicator Spinergy and an AIMMA member, agreed but added that physical media is diverse enough to warrant subgroups that can focus on specialized facets of the business, such as AIMMA’s Colonial Purchasing co-op, which lets members pool consumables purchases to obtain larger volume discounts. Till this year, only replicators in AIMMA could participate; at their meeting during Media-Tech this year, the organization extended it to duplicators, as well. Media-Tech’s European expo is scheduled for May 6-8 in Frankfurt.

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.

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The Authoritative Blu-ray Disc (BD) FAQ: Updates

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Global Digital Media Xchange Increases Blu-ray Disc Production Capacity with Sonic

Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced that Global Digital Media Xchange (GDMX), a key Hollywood authoring facility, has selected Sonic's Scenarist® HDMV and BD-J authoring and CineVision™ AVC video encoding systems to increase its Blu-ray Disc (BD) production capabilities. The expansion makes GDMX one of the largest high-definition production facilities in the world and enables the company to address the increase in BD title releases from its major motion picture clients.

Sonic's world-renowned Scenarist authoring systems offer a unique workflow that combines automated tasks and precision manual controls. This workflow approach enables professional content creators to automate standard authoring tasks, such as graphics output for menus, buttons, and navigation, which provides more time for implementing advanced-interactivity components in BD-Java. Sonic's CineVision AVC encoding system has built a reputation for cinematic image quality and reliability. With detailed encoding parameters controllable on a segment level, CineVision produces a precise, high-quality AVC stream that will satisfy even the most discriminating encoding professionals in Hollywood.

"We are delighted that another world-class authoring facility has selected Scenarist and CineVision to increase its BD title output capabilities," said Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic's professional products group. "Many more movies will be released on Blu-ray Disc over the coming year and, as we have been through previous packaged media adoption cycles, Sonic will be at the forefront delivering the most advanced authoring and encoding technology available."

For more information on Sonic's Scenarist and CineVision systems, please visit Sonic online at www.sonic.com.

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Nero Linux 3.5 Allows Digital Media Content to Run Across Leading Platforms

Nero, leaders in digital media technology, have announced that they will be releasing Nero Linux 3.5, the latest update of the definitive burning solution for the Linux operating system, allowing users to access content on a variety of platforms. Nero Linux 3.5 further extends Nero’s technology expertise with a new command line client that lets users engage the powerful engine through scripts and third-party applications.

Nero Linux 3.5, available in mid-March, now also includes support and screen resolution enhancement for popular subnotebooks that are pre-loaded with the Linux operating system and have a very small screen resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Based on the burning technology found in Nero 8, the award-winning digital media suite, Nero Linux 3.5 is also the only solution on the market to provide Linux end users with full Blu-ray/HD DVD data burning support.

“Nero has built on its industry reputation for technology expertise and platform neutrality with the release of Nero Linux 3.5,” said Charly Lippoth, chief technology officer, Nero AG. “We are committed to creating technologies that allow our users to enjoy their content anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Nero believes that content cannot be contained by one operating system, computer or device, so we continue to develop ways for digital media content to run smoothly between all hubs.”

Currently, more than 50 million people worldwide actively use Nero solutions to create and manage their digital content including audio, video, and photo files.

For more information about Nero Linux 3.5, visit www.nero.com.

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Panasonic to Release DivX Certified Blu-ray DVD Player

DivX, Inc., a digital media company, (NASDAQ:DIVX) today announced the DivX® Certification of Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc (BD) Player (PN: DMP-BD30EG/EE). The Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, which joins a number of existing DivX Certified products from Panasonic, is scheduled to be released beginning in March and is expected to be the first DivX Certified® Blu-ray Disc Player available in Europe and Russia. Like Panasonic’s existing DivX Certified DVD players, the latest DivX Certified Panasonic Blu-ray disc player enables users to enjoy high-quality DivX video playback.

“In order to give our users access to the extremely popular, high-quality DivX format, we have introduced the first DivX-Certified Blu-ray Disc Player for Europe and Russia,” said Yuki Kusumi, Group Manager of Product Technology, Video Business Unit, Network Business Group, Panasonic AVC Networks Company, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. “The timely launch of this strategic product is a direct response to the strong demand for DivX playback among consumers. We are very confident this product will be very popular in the European and Russian markets.”

“The DivX Certified Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Player is a great device from a leader in next generation DVD technology, and marks an important strategic milestone in our growth into new product categories,” said Kevin Hell, CEO of DivX, Inc. “DivX has already become a de-facto standard on existing DVD players and we are well-positioned to repeat that success in the Blu-ray category. We’re pleased Panasonic continues to recognize DivX technology as an important feature on next-generation devices.”

Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure a high quality DivX media experience that includes reliable video playback, excellent visual quality, and interoperability with other DivX Certified digital devices. The DivX logo has become a powerful symbol for a high-quality digital video experience across any device.

www.panasonic.co.jp

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Joe Kane Productions Announces Upgrade Pricing For Upcoming DVE: HD Basics On Blu-Ray And HD DVD

The DVD Acquisition and Development Group, Inc., the parent company of DVD International (DVDI), is introducing the new Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics DVD on Blu-ray and HD DVD disc with an upgrade offer that lets anyone who owns the original DVE HD DVD can upgrade to the new DVE: HD Basics on Blu-ray or HD DVD for only $14.95 simply by ordering online and sending in the entire case wrap from the original DVE. Designed to benefit HDTV novices and aficionados alike, HD Basics has been created by Joe Kane, one of this country’s leading HD experts, designers and consultants.

The comprehensive disc provides the average consumer easy-to-use, basic calibration tools and setup instructions for getting the most out of your HDTV set and offers valuable background information on today’s high definition systems. The Blu-ray and HD DVD versions of Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics will be available starting March 25, 2008 and will retail for $29.95.

HD Basics is the successor to the popular Digital Video Essentials HD DVD. In an effort to ensure that consumers have the most up-to-date HD calibration tools and information, anyone who owns DVE HD DVD can upgrade to the new DVE: HD Basics for $14.95 simply by ordering online and sending in the case wrap from the original DVE HD. Consumers can choose either the Blu-ray or HD DVD format. No disc, receipt, filter or DVD case is needed. The upgrade disc will ship with everything (case, cover and instructions) except the filter. For more information on how to take advantage of this offer, click here. David Goodman, President of The DVD Acquisition And Development Group, said, “The $14.95 upgrade pricing is our way of thanking our loyal Digital Video Essentials HD users and ensuring that they have the most up to date HD tools and information at their disposal. When we first released DVE HD, we knew that there would be an evolution of HD media and improved menu interactivity as well as developments in formatadoption. Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics is the best Digital Video Essentials program yet, and the Blu-ray version of DVE: HD Basics is the first Blu-ray calibration DVD to be released in the U.S. HD Basics takes full advantage of theinteractivity that next-generation high definition formats are capable of delivering.”

The HD Basics “Setting Up My HDTV” section includes six essential calibration test patterns that can dramatically improve a high definition image in less than 25 minutes. Simple audio instructions allow the user to follow along until the optimal settings are achieved. The “Advanced Video Test Patterns” section includes many of the test patterns found in the Professional version of DVE while other parts of the program contain a trove of background materials on how HDTV works. Also new to the DVE line of programs, you’ll find an audio commentary track recorded by Joe Kane, describing what to look for in the demonstration materials, and Allen Daviau, (cinematographer for E.T., Empire of the Sun, and more), on color grading film for high definition presentation.

DVE: HD Basics includes a tri-color filter for use with the included test patterns, and will retail for $29.95. Due, in part, to the advanced menu features, HD Basics does not contain a standard definition side. For more information on Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics, consumers may visit www.dvdinternational.com/dve.

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Leading Companies and University Sue Alba for MPEG-2 Patent Infringement

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 Alba plc (“Alba”) for infringing patents essential to the MPEG-2 digital video compression standard used worldwide in digital television broadcasting and DVD.

“We have offered Alba a license for many years, but regrettably they have refused,” said MPEG LA CEO Larry Horn. “We join those patent owners whose technologies Alba is using without benefit of license and those companies who are licensed and paying their fair share of royalties in the hope that these actions finally will get their attention.”

Included among the plaintiffs are: 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, Alba offers in Germany products such as digital televisions, DVD players and set-top boxes that 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.

www.mpegla.com

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Broadcom Acquires Sunext Design, Inc. for Optical Drive Technologies to Enable Single-Chip High Definition Blu-ray Disc Players and Recorders

Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it has acquired Sunext Design, Inc. ("Sunext Design"), a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Sunext Technology Company Limited ("Sunext Technology"), and has licensed certain optical disk reader and writer technology from Sunext Technology. Sunext Technology is a privately-held fabless semiconductor company that specializes in optical storage technologies.

High definition optical disc players are emerging as a popular platform for in-home entertainment worldwide by combining the benefits of a high definition viewing experience with the convenience and familiarity of DVD media. Sunext single-chip front-end technology is a strong complement to the industry-leading Broadcom(R) system-on-a-chip (SoC) back-end Blu-ray Disc(R) platform, and key to an integration roadmap that will drive the cost of these devices down to levels that enable widespread consumer adoption of high definition optical disc players and recorders.

With the increasing adoption of full high definition 1080p digital televisions, and with the consumer electronics and media industries now united behind the Blu-ray Disc high definition DVD standard, demand for these high definition players and recorders is expected to increase significantly. As the market grows, manufacturers will strive to reduce prices by adopting optimized SoC solutions that integrate front-end and back-end functions. Broadcom, a leader in integrating advanced functionality, is responding to this trend by acquiring rights to the most highly integrated optical disc front-end technology available. The addition of Sunext's leading technology, along with the experienced engineering team from Sunext Design that can continue to enhance those technologies, will enable Broadcom to derive significant time to market advantages in the development of these highly integrated solutions.

"To further the widespread adoption of high definition Blu-ray Disc media players, it is imperative to have cost-effective, complete silicon solutions, and the acquisition by Broadcom of Sunext Design and license of its associated technology puts Broadcom firmly ahead in the race to offer a complete Blu-ray solution," said Michelle Abraham, Principal Analyst at In-Stat. "The merging of these technologies will help drive down the costs of next-generation Blu-ray Disc players and enable OEMs to deliver products that meet the price points required for mass adoption by consumers."

"The technology that will win the market share battle for Blu-ray Disc players and recorders will be the one that provides the highest quality audio and video processing while integrating the most advanced front-end and back- end functions into a single low cost device," said Dan Marotta, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Broadband Communications Group. "Sunext's technology and strong engineering team will enable Broadcom to integrate optical reader/writer capability into our industry leading Blu-ray Disc silicon solutions."

"Broadcom's strong position in the Blu-ray Disc player and other home digital multimedia market segments makes it an ideal partner for Sunext Technology, making our optical technologies available to an existing customer base that is demanding integrated, high performance yet low cost solutions," said Dr. Phil Mak, President of Sunext Technology. "Armed with our robust solution, Broadcom will help drive the next evolution of these devices to the digital home while Sunext continues to deliver products to our customers and core markets."

Sunext Design, Inc. is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a highly experienced design team. In connection with the transaction, which closed on Friday, February 29th, 2008, Broadcom will pay up to $48 million in cash in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of Sunext Design's capital stock and for the license rights granted by Sunext Technology. A portion of the consideration payable to the stockholders of Sunext Design will be placed into escrow pursuant to the terms of the acquisition agreement, and a substantial portion of the consideration payable to Sunext Technology for the license rights is subject to the achievement of certain deliverables post-closing. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction. Broadcom may record a one-time charge for purchased in-process research and development expenses related to the acquisition in its first quarter. The amount of that charge, if any, has not yet been determined.

www.sunext.com
www.broadcom.com

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Future Shop Offers Solution for HD DVD Owners During Transition to Blu-ray Trade in offer for HD DVD players

Future Shop, Canada's largest retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics has introduced a transition option for Canadians affected by the end of the technology battle that left Blu-ray as the prevailing technology for home theatres. Approximately 35,000 Canadians have invested in HD DVD players and discs at various retailers since 2006 but Future Shop has created a practical solution to allow the transition to Blu-ray while still enjoying their existing HD DVDs.

"Future Shop recently announced the change to showcasing Blu-ray and liquidating HD DVD players," said Eric Stockner, Director of Merchandising, Home Theatre. "We recognize that some customers will jump into Blu-ray but others who invested in HD DVD, and started to build a library of movies, are interested in a transition and combo solution to the new Blu-ray home theatre and entertainment experience."

From March 7th to April 3rd, customers who own HD DVD players - whether purchased at Future Shop, or another retailer - are invited to return their HD DVD player to a Future Shop location and receive $100 off either an LG or Samsung Blu-ray / HD DVD Combo player.

"The Blu-ray/ HD-DVD Combo player is a win for customers as it allows them the opportunity to continue to view their HD DVDs while entering into the Blu-ray market," adds Stockner.

Returned HD DVD Players will be donated to Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada for use in their after-school and evening programs. There are over 700 service locations of the Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada.

For more information visit: www.futureshop.ca/bluray.

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Addonics Announces Universal Rack Mount Chassis for Building Multi-Terabyte Hard Disc or Optical Storage Solutions

Addonics Technologies today announced its Storage Rack, a 4U rack mount storage chassis that is designed to fit into a standard computer rack for creating custom storage solutions with multi-terabyte capacity for video storage, video editing, data archiving, storage farms, or uninterruptible and redundant storage.

Designed to grow an organization’s enterprise storage capacity without making any individual component obsolete, the Addonics Storage Rack offers more configuration options than expensive proprietary storage solutions at a much lower cost per gigabyte. The Storage Rack can also be easily reconfigured, modified or upgraded at any time to meet an organization’s new application needs without investing in new storage devices or new storage enclosures.

Room for Multi-Terabyte Storage
The Addonics Storage Rack comes with nine standard 5 ¼-inch drive bays. It can be initially configured with just a single drive and expanded to as many as nine standard height optical devices or nine 3.5-inch hard drives. When combined with the Addonics optional 3.5-inch Disk Array or 2.5-inch Disk Array, up to 15 3.5-inch hard drives or 36 2.5-inch hard drives can be installed inside the Storage Rack. One Addonics Storage Rack supports up to 15 terabytes of storage using the largest 1 TB 3.5-inch hard drive or almost 11 terabytes of storage using the 300 GB 2.5-inch hard drive. Users can mix and match optical drives with hard drives (with or without hardware encryption) inside the same Storage Rack.

Multiple Connectivity Options
Storage devices inside the Storage Rack can be connected to the system via individual eSATA cables for maximum throughput or via multiple Port Multipliers or Multilane connectors or with Addonics universal USIB connector through the back panel of the Storage Rack. The USIB connector enables individual storage devices to connect to the system via the USB 2.0 or Firewire port with one optional Addonics USIB interface cable. When combined with the wide range of Addonics removable storage systems, IO converters and cables, IDE or SATA storage devices from 1.8-inch to 3.5-inch form factors can all be mixed into the same chassis. These devices can also be hot swapped in and out of the Storage Rack like a tape cassette.

The Storage Rack is constructed with heavy gauge sheet metal with dual 4-inch high CFM cooling fans to ensure efficient cooling. Also included is a built-in thermal management card that provides continuous temperature monitoring and over-temperature alarm as well as controlling the speed of cooling fan. An optional redundant power supply is also available for mission critical applications.

When combined with various Addonics Mobile Racks, the Disk Array 5SA, Disk Array 4SA, and Disk Array 3SA , 2.5" to 3.5" IDE converter and the optional drive mounting brackets, the configuration possibilities for the Storage Rack become almost endless.

Storage Rack Build to Order Program
For one low flat fee, Addonics will custom build a Storage Rack using various Addonics Disk Arrays, Mobile Racks, hard drives, ATAPI optical drives, back panels, and interface cables. Addonics also offers a “Storage Rack Configurator” at www.addonics.com/support/configurator/ where users can get started on building an external solution using Storage Rack and its numerous component and interface options.

All models of Storage Rack comes standard with nine power connections for storage device with 4P or 15-pin SATA power connector, dual 90X90 mm cooling fan, intelligent thermal management card and installation guide. The base unit Storage Rack (SR380S) with ATX power supply has a MSRP of $329. A Storage Rack (SR300RHPM) that comes with redundant power supply, and a Hardware Port Multiplier installed (SR300RHPM) would have a MSRP of $769.

The Addonics Storage Rack is available through the Addonics online store www.shopaddonics.com, major catalog companies, resellers, VARs and distributors, including PC Connection, CDW, Buy.com, Provantage.com, Insight, and Ingram Micro.

www.addonics.com

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