Disclaimer: The following is provided for general information purposes only. Those engaging in any of the mentioned or similar pursuits should seek the advice of competent legal counsel. Information contained in this document has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. The author does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of such information. Responsibility for the use of the contents shall remain with the user and not with the author.

Whether we acknowledge, like, or even understand them, we all have obligations. Traditionally, legal responsibilities for videographers, photographers, filmmakers, and service bureaus fall along the lines of managing copyright interests as well as privacy and publicity rights. Distributing digital audio, video, text, and still images, either electronically or on physical media, often involves equally important patent, trademark, and other intellectual property considerations.

Since most digital delivery methods incorporate a host of technologies from any number of unrelated sources, identifying and making sense of these requirements can be daunting for the small-shop practitioner. Certainly this is the case with Blu-ray Disc (BD), which is made possible through the efforts of dozens of companies and is promoted, protected, and administered by multiple bureaucracies.

When working with Blu-ray, the need to enter into and comply with various license agreements differs depending upon the circumstance. For example, while the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) must be used to encrypt all replicated/pressed BD-ROM AV (BDMV) authored titles there is no such requirement, and all it entails, for duplicated/recorded discs. Since most videographers and duplicators deal in single or (at most) a few hundred discs at a time, I have confined this discussion to situations where BD content is distributed on writable rather than pressed discs (a topic for a future column).

Pro Logo
The simplest way to let the world know about your BD video services is to mention Blu-ray by name or—better still—by displaying its official logo on your website and promotional material. But, before you do, appreciate that both are trademarks and, as such, cannot be exploited indiscriminately.

Specifically, while the Blu-ray Disc name may be employed freely, those who wish to use its logo must first receive written permission from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) License Office, an entity responsible for managing and policing fundamental Blu-ray technical and legal agreements. This consent is available, at no charge for an indefinite term, to advertise and promote BD products and technology by executing a Logo License Agreement (LLA).

Further, the Blu-ray Disc name and its logo must be used in compliance with a set of rules also published by the BDA License Office. For example, in its text form, "Blu-ray Disc" should be printed as such (not "Blu-Ray Disc," "blu-ray disc," "BLU-RAY disc," etc.), and its logo should appear within its specified shape, legibility, color, size, clear zone, and prominence guidelines. Additionally, proper trademark notification must be given by affixing the characters "TM" to the logo or by written means such as the statement "‘Blu-ray Disc’ and its logo are trademarks." (A PDF of the "Blu-ray Disc Logo Guide" can be viewed here.)

Also keep in mind that other trademarks, service marks, and logos, such as those from Dolby Laboratories and DTS, carry their own imperatives.

Paying the Video Patent Piper
Beyond trademarks, a multitude of companies, groups, and institutions claim and exercise patent rights in all corners of the Blu-ray universe. While Blu-ray is sometimes regarded as a "Sony format," the Blu-ray patent picture is far larger than any one company, and is even more complicated than the situation for DVD.

In particular, it is the position of MPEG LA, an independent licensing administrator representing the collected interests of dozens of patent holders, that those distributing digital video encoded in MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, or VC-1 formats, on any type of physical media (BD, DVD, flash memory, magnetic tape, etc.), obtain from MPEG LA a corresponding patent portfolio license. This includes all legal entities (no exceptions) selling or giving away (arms-length) any quantity (no minimum) of discs. These agreements are non-exclusive so it is possible, although impractical, to individually negotiate with each licensor for the right to use its patents. Typically, the party writing/duplicating the discs acquires the license(s).

Under each MPEG LA agreement, licensees must accrue and remit specified royalties (see Table 1, below) on a semiannual basis, keep records, consent to audits, and the like. (To view details of each format, visit the MPEG LA website.)

Further, executing a given license triggers the obligation to pay back royalties plus 10% interest per year within 30 days of signing for past uses of the codec. For example, obtaining an MPEG-2 license requires payment for not only all infringing BDs previously sold or given away but payment also for every DVD-Video disc, D-VHS tape, and other relevant physical media and other use (dating back to June 1, 1994). Individuals and enterprises that choose not to obtain a license "risk the possibility of a patent lawsuit," according to Bill Geary, vice president of business development for MPEG LA.

Be aware, however, that while MPEG LA’s portfolio licenses may be comprehensive, they are not exhaustive and include only essential patents. Thus, it is possible that other parties may be due royalties. For example, many of the participants of a rival, and now abandoned, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 joint patent licensing program administered by Via Licensing Corp. are not included in MPEG LA’s offering.

Blu-ray Disc Royalties
Complicating matters further is the reality that many patent holders have yet to declare their Blu-ray-specific licensing intentions. Seeking to avoid DVD’s complex multi-agent system (DVD6C, 4C, 3C, 1C, etc.), at least 18 stakeholders are currently working to establish MPEG LA as a one-stop BD licensing authority. However, it is unclear how successful this effort will be regarding the scope, terms, and rates of any possibly ensuing programs. For example, will royalties be sought when distributing BD-ROM AV (BDMV) or BD-R/RE AV (BDAV) content on recordable or rewritable discs (BD-R/RE and DVD±R/RW/RAM)? From whom? Any exemptions? Thresholds? Amounts?

"It is not yet decided how this will be handled," says Geary, who is responsible for MPEG LA’s Blu-ray and other new patent pools. "But it’s likely to be addressed either in connection with the blank disc or as a charge to the duplicator." Until more information is forthcoming, it is difficult to know how to proceed. However, rather than gambling on what might eventually unfold, it may be prudent to estimate and begin accruing funds immediately to cover any back royalties, interest, penalties, and taxes that might be assessed in the future.

Look Before You Leap
A brave new world of creative and business opportunities may await content producers and service bureaus willing to embrace Blu-ray Disc. But in addition to making equipment and marketing decisions, individuals and enterprises should also seek competent legal advice to survey the landscape and determine where they should proceed with caution.

Hugh Bennett (hugh_bennett at compuserve.com) is president of Forget Me Not Information Systems, Inc. and the author of EMedialive's Authoritative Blu-ray Disc (BD) FAQ.

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

CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), innovative solutions provider for the connected digital lifestyle, today announced that CyberLink PowerDVD has received certification for two advanced features of the Blu-ray Disc format—BD-Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) and AVCREC—confirming PowerDVD’s support for the playback of interactive BD-Live movie content and high-definition MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) content stored on DVDs.

PowerDVD supporting BD Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) format allows Internet-connected activities such as multiplayer gaming, e-commerce, the downloading of movie trailers and subtitles, as well as social networking. These features provide PowerDVD users with more ways to enjoy movies. Supporting AVCREC format enables PowerDVD to playback the recording of high-definition video onto DVD recordable discs using the MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) format. With the growing popularity of high-definition video camcorders and video editing software, users are able to produce their home movies in high-def formats, or record HDTV programs, and playback their recorded high-definition video with PowerDVD.

“PowerDVD is constantly progressing PowerDVD with the latest Blu-ray technologies,” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. “We are happy to be certified with the latest Blu-ray disc development offering our users the best in high-definition entertainment on their PCs.”

CyberLink offers a complete line of software for the Blu-ray Disc format, ranging from high-definition video playback, to video editing and authoring, and burning data onto Blu-ray Discs.

Product Availability
CyberLink PowerDVD with support for BD-Live and AVCREC formats is available for purchase online. Existing PowerDVD 8 users can update their software for free.

www.cyberlink.com

Disc Makers, the leader in optical disc manufacturing for independent artists, filmmakers, and businesses, is pleased to announce its 2008 Summer Special -- 50 Free Discs Promotion. Every customer who orders at least 300 replicated CDs, DVDs or CD-ROMs will receive an additional 50 discs for no extra charge. The special applies to all replication orders of 300 or more discs placed between 7/1/08 and 8/29/08.

"Everyone loves a good deal, especially when the economy is so unstable "said Tony van Veen, President of Disc Makers. "That’s why we want to help our customers by offering 50 extra discs to sell, giveaway, or use for promotional purposes. If an artist sells these extra 50 discs for just ten bucks each, it’s an additional $500 in their pocket!"

Disc Makers’ ran a similar promotion a few years ago to celebrate its 60th anniversary. The response was overwhelmingly positive as independent musicians and filmmakers throughout the US took advantage of the free discs to sell or give away.

Disc Makers’ 50 Free Discs promotion can be combined with all other replication specials, including 300 posters for $99 or 24 T-Shirts for just $99, allowing all Disc Makers independent artists the tools to promote their work.

www.discmakers.com

Corel Corporation (NASDAQ:CREL; TSX:CRE), a leading developer of graphics, productivity and digital media software, today announced that Corel® WinDVD® and DVD MovieFactory® are bundled with Lenovo’s new consumer line of IdeaCentre Blu-ray Disc® desktop computers. With Corel’s award-winning WinDVD and DVD MovieFactory, the IdeaCentre can now author and play back Blu-ray Disc movies and video with the latest high-definition effects including Dolby® Digital and DTS® Surround Sound.

“We are pleased Lenovo has selected WinDVD and DVD MovieFactory for its new consumer desktop series,” said James Carrington, Senior Director, OEM and Strategic Product Marketing at Corel. “An increasing number of consumers are making the switch to HD, and with Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Blu-ray Disc desktop computers, users will find a superior HD authoring and playback experience for their home movies, as well as state-of-the-art viewing for the latest Hollywood releases.”

The Lenovo IdeaCentre Blu-ray Disc consumer desktop computers with Corel’s WinDVD and DVD MovieFactory are available now.

www.corel.com

On May 19, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. the six billionth optical data carrier in Europe came off the production line at arvato digital services in Gütersloh. The disc in question is entitled Shaun the Sheep – Saturday Night Shaun – for the customer Concorde Home Entertainment.

Digital data carriers have been produced at arvato digital services since 1984. The Gütersloh factory started with the CD, followed by the DVD in 1997 and recently the new Blu-ray Disc. In Europe over 3 million data carriers are produced for a renowned customer base from a range of industries. “We have had a close customer relationship with Concorde Home Entertainment over many years. Shaun the Sheep – Saturday Night Shaun is the third part of the cult series and we have already produced well over 300,000 units for this series,” says Sven Deutschmann, CEO arvato digital services Manufacturing EMEA.

Shaun the Sheep – Saturday Night Shaun – is the third DVD featuring Europe’s most popular sheep. In eight seven-minute episodes Shaun shows all the things he can do. With his virtually inexhaustible energy and a whole series of bizarre incidents he keeps all of the inhabitants of a quiet little farmhouse on their toes. His hilarious adventures will appeal to viewers of all ages thanks to the artistic genius of the world-famous Aardman Animations (including “Wallace & Gromit”) in co-production with the BBC and Westdeutscher Rundfunk.

While children will be fascinated by the easy-to-follow stories and the cute characters, adults will enjoy all the allusions to classic films – like “Rocky”, “Star Wars” or “Jaws”.

www.arvatodigitalservices.com

TapeOnline, an online leader for blank recording media, adds LaCie hard drives and Sony SxS solid-state memory cards and accessories to their online store. TapeOnline has added Sony flash memory cards and LaCie hard drives to their extensive inventory of recording media related products -- blank DVDs, MiniDV tape, Blu-ray Media, professional videotape, data backup tape, disc publishers, and others. The new products can be found on TapeOnline’s website (www.tapeonline.com.

SxS Pro Memory, Sony’s new tapeless media, is a flash memory card based on the ExpressCard standard, a new and improved version of the PC card. SxS cards are compatible with Sony’s new XDCAM EX series professional camcorders and provide HD recording, fast transfer rates, and increased workflow efficiency. Currently, TapeOnline sells 8 and 16 gigabyte capacity cards, and a 32 gigabyte version will be available soon. TapeOnline also sells the SxS ExpressCard reader that hooks up the solid-state cards to any computer via USB.

“We’re always on the lookout for new technology,” says Emily Feller, Purchasing Manager at TapeOnline. “The new LaCie drives and Sony cards are just the latest in a long line of high-tech products that we carry in addition to our traditional media offerings.”

New LaCie items at TapeOnline include the Rugged Hard Drives, d2 Quadra Hard Disks, and the Ethernet Big Disks. Rugged Hard Drives provide anywhere from 160 to 320 gigabytes of storage space. These portable hard drives combine both form and function. They’re extremely durable, compact, and stylish. They can easily fit in a purse or computer bag.

The d2 Quadra hard disks have a vast storage capacity, up to 1 terabyte with the model 301827U. Weighing less than four pounds, the d2 Quadra drives offer 4 interfaces, eSATA, FireWire 400/800, and USB 2.0, for maximum compatibility. Plus, the drive is extremely quiet because of its fanless cooling system.

The Ethernet Big Disks live up to their name with enormous capacity, up to 2 terabytes, that’s fully networkable at gigabit speeds. They’re easily managed from any compatible browser to allow authorized access to multiple users and shared data folders.

Reasonably priced, the 160GB Rugged Hard Drive is $125, while the 2 terabyte Ethernet Hard Disk is only $573. Sony SxS cards start at $476 for the 8 gig version and $855 for the 16 gig model.

About TapeOnline.com
TapeOnline.com is an authorized dealer for Sony, Fujifilm, Maxell, Imation, Microboards, Rimage, and others. TapeOnline provides an extensive inventory of blank media, audio, video, data products, duplicators, burners, labels, bulbs, batteries, and related accessories at competitive prices locally and worldwide. With warehouses in both Dallas and Nashville, TapeOnline is able to keep costs low and ship products fast.

Sony Creative Software, a leading worldwide provider of professional video and audio production applications, today announced new versions of its award-winning Vegas Movie Studio consumer video production software. Vegas Movie Studio 9, Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition and Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Pro Pack for the PC will be available in stores and online this August. Sony Creative Software is also introducing Vegas Movie Studio 9 and Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition at new lower prices.

"As video has become a popular medium for all age groups to enjoy and share on the Internet, the Vegas Movie Studio 9 line of products was designed to address customer demand for simple, end-to-end video production at home that works seamlessly from the camcorder, to the software and ultimately to a variety of destinations for sharing," said Dave Chaimson, vice president of global marketing for Sony Creative Software. Whether it's a camera full of still photos, or footage from your cell phone, our products provide the best solution for creating the perfect montage from all of your media in one, easy-to-use, reliable application."

"With the high-definition (HD) workflow application in Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition, our unique Sony synergy ensures that working with HD is simplified from start to finish whether it's working with native AVCHD footage direct from the camcorder, or burning movies to Blu-ray Discs directly from the project timeline," Chaimson continued.

Enhanced Project Wizards Speed Movie Creation and Sharing
Vegas Movie Studio 9 software contains new import and export project wizards to help consumers get started making their movies even faster and also helps with outputting projects to the proper formats for sharing across a range of delivery options. Sony Creative Software's exclusive Show Me How interactive tutorials are also included to help users learn the software more efficiently while completing the task at hand. The Show Me How tutorials make it easy to complete a project step-by-step and are not found in any other consumer video editing product.

Cinescore Studio Soundtrack Creation
Developed from the professional version of Cinescore software, the Cinescore Studio royalty-free soundtrack application is now available exclusively in the Vegas Movie Studio 9 product releases to help consumers create the perfect mood for every movie. A breakthrough in soundtrack creation, Cinescore Studio software provides customizable capabilities to automatically create your own music for videos. Cinescore Studio software is an easy way for moviemakers to match a musical theme to their project without needing to worry about any copyright issues. A number of themes and variations are included with the software for infinite ways in which to create the perfect score.

Click and Share Online and on DVD
Vegas Movie Studio 9 and Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition software offer users their own integrated home desktop production studio as they create and share video that can be output to numerous media formats, which includes direct publishing to YouTubeTM, direct output to an email attachment and formatting for portable music and media players to share creations easily on screens large and small. DVD Architect Studio 4.5 software is also included with the Vegas Movie Studio 9 applications to make creating professional-looking standard definition DVDs and widescreen productions fun and easy.

Full HD from Start to Finish
Optimized for complete high-definition home studio production, Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition can burn Blu-ray Discs directly from the project for easy Blu-ray Disc publishing. The application also features tools for importing high-definition footage, including native import functionality for Sony, Canon and Panasonic AVCHD camcorders and expanded import options for the newest high-resolution Sony AVCHD 1920 format. Additional format support in Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition includes MPEG-2 smart rendering for faster output, high quality audio compression for Sony Walkman and Apple iPod, as well as support for tapeless HDV footage transfers.

Pro Pack Offers Advanced Tools for the Home Studio
In addition to the Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition software, the new Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Pro Pack features software and content for enhanced professional production, including applications for audio mastering, video transitions and special effects. Additional Sony Creative Software applications featured in the Pro Pack are Sound Forge Audio Studio, additional Cinescore themes, and 1001 Sound Effects. Also included are NewBlue 3D Transitions and Effects and for a limited time, a 2 GB Sony Microvault USB flash drive.

Price and Availability
Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Pro Pack (MSRP U.S. $129.95), Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition (MSRP U.S. $99.95), Vegas Movie Studio 9 (MSRP U.S. $69.95) will be available this August in North America. Localized versions of all products for Japan, Germany, France, Spain, and the UK will be available later this fall.

For more information about these software applications or any of Sony Creative Software's leading audio or video editing solutions, please visit www.sonycreativesoftware.com.

Even in light of a small decrease in overall consumer spending on DVD, the approximately $24 billion home video market continued to be the largest segment of consumer movie spending by far, accounting for 49% of all consumer movie spending in 2007. In the video game market, game software sales increased 34% in 2007, to a total of $8.6 billion. These and other noteworthy findings gathered from a variety of authoritative sources are included in the 2008 Annual Report on the Home Entertainment Industry, released today by the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA).

"Consumers remain enamored with DVD and video games even as they incorporate new forms of entertainment media into their consumption patterns," noted Bo Andersen, President and CEO of EMA. "New generations of hardware and software, and alternative delivery channels, will ensure that home video and video games remain phenomenally popular entertainment options for the American public for years to come."

Other interesting facts contained in the report:

• Home video generated $15.9 billion in sales and $8.2 billion in rentals in 2007.
• Nearly 9 million high-definition discs were sold in 2007, for which consumers spent more than $260 million.
• There were 12,177 DVDs released in 2007, down from a peak of 13,950 in 2005.
• It is estimated that, in 2012, sales of Blu-ray Discs will exceed those of standard DVDs and will generate sales of $9.5 billion.
• Home video spending is projected to increase to $25.6 billion in 2012.
• Traditional rental stores, dominated by Blockbuster, accounted for 73% of the rental business in 2007. Online subscription rental (such as Netflix and Blockbuster's Total Access) were 25% of the market.
• Kiosk rental doubled its market share to 2%.

The 2008 Annual Report on the Home Entertainment Industry provides comprehensive data on and analysis of sales and rentals of DVDs, Blu-Ray Discs, video on demand, computer and console video games, and competing technologies. The report may be purchased from EMA:
http://www.EntertainmentMerchantsAssociation.org

EMA is the not-for-profit international trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of the $33 billion home entertainment industry.

Newer Technology, Inc. (NewerTech), the leading developer of PC, Macintosh®, iPod®, and iPhone® performance upgrades and accessories, today announced the new Guardian MAXimus 300GB 10,000RPM "Triple Interface" FireWire 800/400/USB 2.0 model, the fastest and most reliable Plug & Play RAID-1 mirror external storage solution available on the market for consumers and business professionals alike.

Delivers Fastest Data Backup/Protection
The new Guardian MAXimus 300GB 10,000RPM offers users of all levels and operating systems the fastest, most reliable method to back-up and store critical data with Plug & Play ease. Always guarding against data loss and costly system downtime, Guardian MAXimus writes the same information in real-time "live activity" to two 300GB 10,000RPM drives for a "mirrored" copy. The Guardian MAXimus 300GB 10,000RPM utilizes the Western Digital VelociRaptor™, the fastest SATA drive on the market, with data transfer rates up to 100MB/s, OS X "Leopard™" Time Machine readiness, and a "Triple Interface" of two FireWire 800, one FireWire 400, and one USB 2.0 ports to provide the performance, flexibility, and reliability required for demanding audio/video, photo-editing, and 3D rendering applications.

Exceeds Enterprise-Class Quality with Highest Reliability Rating
With its two mirrored 300GB drives, each offering up to 1.4 million hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure), the Guardian MAXimus exceeds enterprise-class standards with the highest reliability rating found in high capacity SATA drives. Additionally, the 300GB 10,000RPM model is covered by a two year warranty on the complete solution and an additional 3 year warranty on each drive.

Plug & Play Simplicity
Guardian MAXimus provides the security of a highly reliable RAID 1 hardware-based storage solution at a low price. And unlike high-priced, hard to configure RAID 1 corporate storage common in high-end servers, Guardian MAXimus is FireWire/USB Plug & Play easy, so no controller cards, software configuration, or driver downloading is required. Guardian MAXimus can access data via any of its supported interfaces or move between different computers utilizing those interfaces with complete interoperability.

Guardian MAXimus 300GB 10,000RPM Features:

• 300GB, 10,000RPM Dual-Drive Solution.
• 32MB of drive cache (16MB per drive).
• Custom Oxford 924 Based Bridge Solution.
• 2 FireWire 800 9 pin ports.
• 1 FireWire 400 6 pin port.
• 1 USB 2.0 "B" port - backwards compatible with USB 1.1.
• Front panel drive status LEDs.
• Quiet operation.
• RoHS certified.
• 9.3" x 2.8" x 5.6" size, shock-resistant for maximum portability.
• US/International 90~240V 4.2A UL-listed power supply.
• FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0/1.1 double shielded connecting cables included.
• Compatible with Apple OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, OS X 10.1.x and later (10.2 or later required for FW800 and USB 2.0), and Windows ME and later operating systems.
• Includes ProSoft Engineering® Data Backup 3, NovaStor NovaBACKUP®, and Intech® SpeedTools Utilities™ software (a $200 retail value).

• 250GB Mirror (250 + 250) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer $259.99
• 320GB Mirror (320 + 320) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer $289.99
• 400GB Mirror (400 + 400) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer $329.99
• 500GB Mirror (500 + 500) 7200RPM w/32MB total buffer $379.99
• 750GB Mirror (750 + 750) 7200RPM w/64MB total buffer $439.99
• 1.0TB "eMax" Mirror (1.0TB + 1.0TB) 5400RPM w/64MB total buffer $549.99
• 1.0TB Mirror (1.0TB + 1.0TB) 7200RPM w/64MB total buffer $639.99
• 300GB Mirror (300 + 300) 10,000RPM w/32MB total buffer $899.99

Guardian MAXimus 300GB 10,000RPM is available immediately, priced at $899.99 MSRP from NewerTech’s exclusive distributor, Other World Computing, as well as through the retail channel. For more information, see http://www.newertech.com/products/gmax.php.