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TDVision Systems To Show World’s First and Only 3D/2D Compatible Full HD Stereoscopic Broadcast and Blu-ray Format at 2009 Consumer Electronics Show

LG Electronics Announces New Streaming Content Partners for Its Network Blu-ray Disc Players

ASUS Reveals Xonar HDAV1.3 Series Sound Cards with World's First Dolby TrueHD Bit-Stream Feature for the New Blu-ray Era

Via Licensing Announces Updated AAC Joint Patent License at 2009 International CES

Second-Generation PlayStation 3 Features Cost Reduction, Supplier Shifts

EFD Introduces New Dispense Valve For Reliable Bonding and Coating of DVDs and CDs

CD Packaging Real Estate--The Other Credit Crunch

Pat Dillett is having an identity crisis. The producer/engineer/mixer for artists including They Might Be Giants and Soul Coughing had mixed all and recorded most of Queen Latifah's Black Reign album. Instead of being individually credited on each song, he was lumped in with everyone who had anything to do with the record, even if they had simply assisted on one song. And it only gets worse in a single-song download environment, where credits--accurate of not--are virtually nonexistent. "On top of that, my name gets spelled three different ways," he adds ruefully.

There once was a time when music recordings on LP albums came with little more than the artists’ names, song titles and the running times for each track, and those were pretty much arcane to all but disc jockeys who had to time the cuts they played. In fact, it wasn’t unusual to see album covers and dust jackets used as advertising real estate for other artists on the label. Even the name of George Martin, arguably the best-known record producer in the world (that has not been indicted on homicide charges), does not appear on Meet The Beatles.

But by the late 1960s, the staff record producers and staff audio engineers were leaving their label gigs and going freelance, working at the wave of independent recording studios that mushroomed in the 1970s and ‘80s. Suddenly, the back of album covers became fountains of information, sometimes even densely encyclopedic in their comprehensiveness. Everyone, from the producer and engineers to guitar techs and roadies, to parents and deities, received profuse thanks in print.

The arrival of the Compact Disc in 1982 compelled everyone to think small, as the outer dimensions of the package went from 12 X 12 inches of cardboard to the 5 X 5.5-inch jewel case. It precipitated a minor crisis at record label graphics departments. "There was this sudden and dramatic loss of packaging real estate," recalls Lou Vaccarelli, who worked as VP of production and manufacturing at BMG labels for 30 years starting in 1972. "Then the label legal departments also got involved, because there had to be certain minimum point sizes for the acknowledgements of sampled music information."

The solution was to reduce fonts and enlarge printed insert material. But even that was not enough as Urban music formats made the use of multiple producers, engineers, programmers and recording studios common on records, and even all that additional information was further crowded by sampling credits.

By the turn of the century, at a time when music itself was shedding its physical coil in favor of virtuality in the form of the digital download, the stage was set for a major conflict: more information than ever, and much of it critical for producers, engineers and studio owners to advertise their talents, but increasingly nowhere to put it.

Now What?
To some extent, the same digital environment that created the problem offers some solutions to it. There are uncountable numbers of websites that purport to be repositories for the information that used to be on the packaging. Foremost among them is AllMusicGuide, owned by Macrovision (which also owns TV Guide) and which acts as the back-room metadata content channel for a number of online music distributors, including iTunes, Amazon, AOL, and others. While enthusiasts founded the site in 1991, corporate owners later made licensing that data the site’s core business. Data input is now done by staffers and a handful of expert music writers. But technical credits often remain elusive, either because the labels do not provide them or because there are no appropriate database fields in online resources for rubrics such as digital editing or programming.

IMDB.com, the Amazon-owned film and television site, has drawn high marks for its granularity--if you have the unquenchable need to know who the stunt coordinator was in Thunderball, IMDB.com can tell you, and a premium subscription service it offers could also put you in touch with their agent. Earlier this year Amazon quietly launched Soundunwound.com. Currently in public beta, the site is a sort of social-networking version of IMDB.com and focused on the artists, but an Amazon spokesperson it has the potential to include all of the technical talent information.

There are websites that focus on specific genres, such as www.dubcnn.com, where one can often find citations of samples in each song, as well as producer and musician information. Others are artist-specific, sometimes even down to a specific record; for instance, the Eagles’ Wal-Mart-only Long Road Out of Eden has spawned a fansite that maintains a credits list.
But the vast majority of websites below the few in the AMG or IMDB level are essentially wikis, with little in the way of organized fact-checking and often no direct contact resources.

DIY Crediting
Issues such as these have prompted artists, producers and engineers to take matters into their own hands. Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor put the credits and liner notes of his LP Teeth into the form of an "electronic poster," downloadable as a .pdf file from a URL printed on the package. Icelandic pop diva Björk, annoyed at miscrediting in the press, put a scan of the actual document used by the record label for packaging editorial on her own website. Some musicians and producers find that their best recourse is to establish their own websites for their discographies, such as this one for multi-instrumentalist session player Charlie McCoy and this one for producer/engineer Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, Jewel).

Business managers for successful producers and engineers have realized that they need to go where the eyeballs are to keep their clients in the limelight. "I try to make sure that my clients’ Myspace sites get top billing on the MySpace sites of the artists that they are working with, and I regularly update their credits at All Music Guide," says Matthew Freeman, president of L.A.-based All Artists Productions, who manages producers such as ex-NIN member Danny Lohner (Second Hand Serenade). "Other than that there's not much you can do except monitor the trade ads for technical credits." Bennett Kaufman, principal at BK Entertainment Group in Los Angeles, which manages producers and mixers such as Steven Miller (Pink, Dave Matthews Band) and Don Gilmore (Linkin Park), does the same but also makes it part of the client contract. However, he concedes, "It's impossible to police all the third party sites, or to really enforce it."

The music business version of the old Hollywood aphorism "You’re only as good as your last movie" reads: "You’re only as good as your next record." In the flux that is the music business now, getting that next record for many producers and engineers may rest on how well they can keep their credits available for the world to find.

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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LG Electronics First to Unveil 'Broadband HDTVs' That Instantly Stream Movies From Netflix

LG Electronics today extended its groundbreaking partnership with Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), as the two companies announced the first broadband-enabled HDTVs with Netflix streaming software embedded directly in the TV, requiring no external device. LG's new LCD and plasma "Broadband HDTVs" will display the growing library of movies, TV episodes and high-definition (HD) content that Netflix members can watch instantly directly on the TV with Ethernet connectivity.

Available this spring, the new LCD and plasma HDTVs will join the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player, the first Blu-ray disc player to stream movies instantly from Netflix. These products - and five new models of Blu-ray Disc players and home theater systems planned for 2009 - will offer consumers a variety of ways to enjoy more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes instantly from Netflix. Netflix members owning one or more of the devices pay as little as $8.99 per month for unlimited instant streaming and unlimited DVDs from a catalog of more than 100,000 DVD titles in more than 200 genres.

LG Electronics and Netflix will demonstrate these broadband HDTVs this week at the 2009 CES(R), Booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

"Embedding the Netflix streaming software in the television is a natural progression of our partnership with Netflix and our innovative product line," said LG Electronics USA President Teddy Hwang. "This is an LG industry-first, which provides another flexible option for consumers seeking to access exciting content directly through their HDTV."

"LG Electronics was first to embrace Netflix as a streaming partner a year ago, and was first in 2008 to introduce a Blu-ray disc player that streams movies from Netflix," said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. "So it's fitting that LG is the first to introduce Netflix instant streaming directly to the TV with these next-generation HDTVs."

Netflix began offering its instant streaming functionality on the PC in January 2007 and made the leap to the TV last year via Netflix ready devices such as the LG BD300 Blu-ray disc player. With today's announcement, Netflix will be streaming, for the first time, directly to the TV with no external device required.

Instantly streaming content from Netflix to the LG HDTVs will rely on a broadband connection and Queue-based user interface. Netflix members will use the Netflix Web site to add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will automatically be displayed on members' TVs and available to watch instantly through the HDTV. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. With the accompanying remote control, Netflix members will be able to browse and make selections right on the TV screen and also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they will have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream.

"The partnership between Netflix and LG Electronics continues to give consumers more and better options for home entertainment," said Hastings.

About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances and business solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.LGusa.com.

About Netflix, Inc.
Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) is the world's largest online movie rental service, with more than eight million subscribers. For one low monthly price, Netflix members can get DVDs delivered to their homes and can instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and PCs, all in unlimited amounts. Members can choose from over 100,000 DVD titles and a growing library of more than 12,000 choices that can be watched instantly. There are never any due dates or late fees. DVDs are delivered free to members by first class mail, with a postage-paid return envelope, from over 100 U.S. shipping points. More than 95 percent of Netflix members live in areas that generally receive shipments in one business day. Netflix is also partnering with leading consumer electronics companies to offer a range of devices that can instantly stream movies and TV episodes to members' TVs from Netflix. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com/.

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TDVision Systems To Show World’s First and Only 3D/2D Compatible Full HD Stereoscopic Broadcast and Blu-ray Format at 2009 Consumer Electronics Show

TDVision Systems, Inc., the leader in design and development of 3D digital infrastructures and visualization systems will be showcasing the TDVCodec encoding and decoding system for High Definition 3D Digital Video streams that supports Blu-ray™ and broadcast at up to 1920x1080p resolution per-eye at CES 2009. The theme of the demonstration is "encode once and deploy anywhere."

"Stereoscopic HD3D is here. TDVision set the bar almost a year ago at CES and then in April 2008, presenting the working implementation of the TDVCodec running on a Blu-ray™ disc and a 3D Ready DLP at NAB. Now we have optimized our systems and we are proud to demonstrate that this can be in your home today, working over existing pipelines, running on every existing and future 3D display at the best native resolution, even in 2D HD for backwards compatibility." said Manuel Gutierrez, President and CEO of TDVision. "TDVision's patented technology has also been implemented as Intra-view coding in the MVC MPEG4 H.264 extension recommendation initiative by comparing the difference between left and right channels. This eliminates redundant information and optimizes the bandwidth required for a given infrastructure such as cable, satellite, ATSC 1.0/2.0 and Blu-ray™ disc. The TDVCodec is the best and only way to deploy HD 3D with no loss in color, quality, frame rate or resolution. All other existing technologies like spatial squeezing or display pre-formatted techniques defeat the purpose of realistic 3D imagery by cutting resolution in more than half and at times showing only 25 percent of the original pixels after formatting and presenting to a 3D Ready Display. TDVision has simply created the first class and preeminent codec that provides full 100% 1080p per eye as close as possible to the original content," he continued.

"People use our high quality XpanD glasses in the theater and in the home to watch exceptional content in the best quality possible, that's why the TDVision System is so appealing to consumers that won't except anything less than true high definition 3D," said Ami Dror of XpanD.

Attendees at CES 2009 will experience at the show high quality cinematic content encoded in the TDVision format playing back on a variety of devices including Texas Instruments™ enabled DLP, provided by Mitsubishi™, in conjunction with high quality shutter glasses from XpanD, 3D enabled LCD (passive glasses) from Hyundai™, a Planar™ display and all the way up to a Dual Projector System provided by Scalable Display Technologies running at full 1920x1080p per-eye. TDVision will also be showing the TDVirtualCam gaming technology which accurately emulates the way the eyes and brain perceive 3D information allowing for a very comfortable and engaging gaming experience on the XBOX® platform.

TDVision invites all CES visitors to the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, lower level at exhibit #21425 and see for themselves.

About TDVision
TDVision Systems, Inc. is the owner of several 3D-related patents for proprietary system architectures, which will propel a media breakthrough by providing true 3D through means of this new digital technology. This technology allows the acquiring, emulation and processing of a 3D image from a video stream or computer-generated image. The architecture also allows the use of current existing infrastructures, and with the addition of TDVision’s hardware, enables true 3D in High Definition.

www.tdvision.com

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LG Electronics Announces New Streaming Content Partners for Its Network Blu-ray Disc Players

LG Electronics today announced the expansion of network entertainment options for its Network Blu-ray Disc players through new alliances with CinemaNow and YouTube(TM).

Available on new LG Network Blu-ray Disc Players in the first half of 2009, these new services complement LG's instant streaming from Netflix and advanced Blu-ray capabilities to deliver consumers an exceptional entertainment experience. (In 2008, LG was the world's first manufacturer to stream movies instantly from Netflix on a Network Blu-ray Disc Player.)

CinemaNow - an innovator in digital entertainment technology, delivering high-quality movies, TV shows and videos to users through online connectivity - and YouTube - a leading online video community for people to discover, watch, and share originally created videos - will be available in LG's 2009 line of Network Blu-ray Disc players to be unveiled next week at the 2009 International CES(R).

"As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the Internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and more home entertainment options," said Tim Alessi, director of product development, LG Electronics USA.

"From Blu-ray to instant streaming from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions for consumers' demand for content," he said. "With these new alliances, LG continues its innovation leadership by allowing consumers easy access to multiple entertainment options in one device."

CinemaNow: Instant Streaming of Hollywood's Latest Hits
CinemaNow has pushed the envelope of digital video distribution, becoming the first Web site to offer Pay-Per-View movies from major studios and the first broadband distributor of high definition (HD) content. Collaborating with CinemaNow will enable LG Electronics to offer consumers access to more than 14,000 titles from the major movie studios, broadcast and cable television shows, more than 250 independent film titles and music videos from all major labels. Key benefits include the capability to:

* Browse the entire CinemaNow premium content catalog, including latest Hollywood hits,
* Instantly stream content to enjoy on compatible devices, and
* Access and watch movies purchased from other CinemaNow-powered stores.

"We are extremely pleased to be providing CinemaNow premium content services to these innovative new products from LG Electronics that are helping to drive convenient consumer access to digital entertainment at home," said Mark Ely, executive vice president of strategy, Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq: SNIC), parent company of CinemaNow.

YouTube: Original Streaming Video Content
Leading the way in providing unlimited access to online content, LG's alliance with a prolific online video community, YouTube, will allow consumers to instantly stream millions of Web videos directly from the Internet to an LG Network Blu-ray Player for viewing on their television (without a personal computer). Key benefits include:

* Unlimited access to millions of videos on topics such as current events, instructional videos for hobbies and interests, comedic and viral videos and
* Easy searching, thumbnail previews and multiple screen size viewing options.

Netflix: High Definition Instant Streaming
Now available to consumers as a free on-line upgrade, LG's first Network Blu-ray Disc Player (BD300) now delivers a growing number of Netflix titles in high-definition (HD). This new access to high-definition streaming content enhances the existing standard-definition streaming service that LG and Netflix first brought to consumers in 2008.

Future LG Network Blu-ray Disc Players will also offer consumers a variety of ways to enjoy more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes from Netflix. Netflix members owning these devices pay one low monthly subscription for unlimited DVD rental and unlimited streaming.

LG's full line of Network Blu-ray Disc Players, additional new content alliances and other new products will be revealed at the LG Electronics CES press conference on Jan. 7, 2009 at the Venetian/Sands and will be on display at the 2009 International CES - Booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a wide range of consumer electronics (digital display and digital media) products, digital appliances and mobile phones under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.LGusa.com.

About CinemaNow
CinemaNow, part of Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), delivers high-quality Hollywood movies, TV shows and music videos to users across multiple platforms. CinemaNow is partnered with some of the biggest brands in consumer electronics and digital entertainment including ARCHOS, Dell, EchoStar Communications, Hewlett-Packard, Macrovision, Microsoft, Pioneer, Samsung, Technicolor and TiVo to deliver thousands of video titles directly to consumers. CinemaNow works with more than 250 licensors including 20th Century Fox, Disney, EMI, HDNet, IFC, Lionsgate, MGM, Miramax, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Sundance Channel, Vivendi Entertainment and Warner Bros. For more information: www.CinemaNow.com.

Headquartered in Marin County, Calif, Sonic Solutions (www.sonic.com) enables the creation, management, and enjoyment of premium and personal digital media content through its Hollywood to Home(TM) products, services, and technologies.

About YouTube
YouTube is the world's most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

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ASUS Reveals Xonar HDAV1.3 Series Sound Cards with World's First Dolby TrueHD Bit-Stream Feature for the New Blu-ray Era

Following the success of becoming the world’s first sound cards to be equipped with the next generation DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital Plus bitstream on the PC platform, the ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Series once again moves to the forefront as the world’s first and only solution to offer Dolby TrueHD audio bitstream on the PC platform. A powerful combination comprising of C-Media’s custom-made AV200 audio processor and ArcSoft’s TotalMedia Theatre software player lets users be the first to enjoy Dolby TrueHD’s lossless compression rate of 24bit/192KHz over to their AV receivers. This breakthrough in the emerging Blu-ray era was unprecedented before the release of the Xonar HDAV1.3.

Working closely together with C-Media and ArcSoft to create the world’s first premium audio solution, ASUS hopes to not only address consumer audio needs, but also to showcase its outstanding R&D capabilities.

"Ever since Blu-ray technology was announced in the market, there has never been a solution capable of bringing lossless digital audio formats to users on the PC," said George Tang, ArcSoft Vice President and General Manager of Video and Home Entertainment Group.

"Even some BD players and PS3 could not output bitstreams of Dolby TrueHD and other High-Bit-Rate audio so far, and we are glad to be the first inventors to implement the Protected Audio Playback System (PAPS) on PC platforms and fulfill the Full-HD AV entertainment desires for vast PC users," said Jason Liang, C-Media senior manager of System Business Division. "We are pleased to work with ASUS and ArcSoft to make this product happen."

ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 – The Sound Card of the Blu-ray Era
The ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 is the world’s only solution capable of providing bit-to-bit exact lossless Blu-Ray audio output—without any downsampling to DVD quality—allowing users to enjoy next generation audio enhancements such as DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus on the PC. Furthermore, the Xonar HDAV 1.3 also supports most Video Graphics Cards on the market, allowing delivery of both video and audio outputs through a single HDMI cable.

ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era. With a global staff of more than eight thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company's turnover for 2007 was 6.9 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among the top 10 IT companies in BusinessWeek's "InfoTech 100", and has been on the listing for 11 consecutive years. ASUS was also selected by the Wall Street Journal Asia as No.1 in quality and service in Taiwan.

www.asus.com

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Via Licensing Announces Updated AAC Joint Patent License at 2009 International CES

Via Licensing Corporation today announced a comprehensive update to its Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) joint patent licensing program which enables licensees to secure rights to MPEG-2 AAC, MPEG-4 AAC, MPEG-4 High Efficiency AAC (HE AAC), and for the first time, HE AAC v.2, all under a single license.

With this development, the AAC joint patent licensing program (also known as a patent pool) better reflects the nature of the AAC family of audio technologies. AAC embodies a backwards-compatible superset architecture, through which more advanced implementations, such as HE AAC v.2, can offer dramatically higher compression rates while still retaining the ability to playback audio content designed for earlier generations of AAC. This set of AAC-based audio coding technologies addresses applications ranging from the extremely low bit-rate requirements of cellular phone network distribution to the performance-based requirements of high-definition broadcast applications.

"The original AAC licensing regime evolved in parallel with several stages of technical and standardization work within MPEG," said Andrew Fischer, Director, Licensing Programs, Via Licensing Corporation. "This resulted, over time, in multiple distinct licensing programs. The newly updated program for AAC simplifies access to a set of commercially relevant AAC technologies and allows licensees to more easily deploy AAC across multiple product lines and applications."

The updated AAC program offers numerous benefits to licensees including simplified reporting and the ability to aggregate volume across multiple AAC technologies and product categories. The updated AAC licensing program also offers the following:

Device-based pricing (instead of channel-based pricing)
Annual pricing resets (instead of quarterly resets)
Per-product price caps for multi-channel devices.

In addition to HE AAC v.2 (the combination of AAC LC, SBR, and PS), which is specified for 3G phones and new television and radio broadcast systems worldwide, applications covered by the updated AAC license include the Japanese 1seg broadcast system, which utilizes the combination of MPEG-2 AAC and SBR (Spectral Band Replication).

Additionally, manufacturers deploying state-of-the-art audio and/or video conferencing systems can now license the patent rights to AAC–ELD (Enhanced Low Delay) through the AAC joint licensing program.

The licensors who are offering their essential AAC patents through the AAC licensing program include: AT&T, Dolby Laboratories, Inc., France Telecom, Fraunhofer IIS, LG Electronics, NEC Corporation, NTT DOCOMO, Panasonic Corporation, Philips Electronics, and Sony Corporation.

The new AAC license is available immediately. Entities currently licensed in other Via audio programs can obtain the new license without paying Via Licensing’s customary initial fee. For more information, please visit the Via Licensing website at www.vialicensing.com.

For a demonstration of AAC technologies, visit the Fraunhofer IIS Booth, North Hall 3219, or the Dolby Laboratories, Inc. Booth, South Hall 20901 at 2009 International CES® in Las Vegas, NV from January 7 – 11, 2009.

About Via Licensing Corporation
Via Licensing Corporation develops and administers patent licensing programs on behalf of innovative technology companies and for the convenience of licensees. Via Licensing Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) and benefits from the expertise, infrastructure, and strategic business relationships that Dolby has developed in more than 35 years of licensing into the consumer electronics and personal computing markets. Via Licensing is involved in the development and operation of licensing programs for both mandated and de facto or emerging standards. For more information about Via Licensing Corporation, please visit www.vialicensing.com.

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Second-Generation PlayStation 3 Features Cost Reduction, Supplier Shifts

Sony Corp.’s new-generation PlayStation 3 (PS3) features a cost-reduced design due to integration and some key changes in components from the previous-generation model, according to a teardown conducted by iSuppli Corp.

Based on pricing from October 2008, the latest version of the PS3 carries a combined Bill of Materials (BOM), manufacturing and box-content cost of $448.73, a 35 percent reduction from $690.23 for the first-generation model, using pricing from mid 2007, according to iSuppli’s Teardown Analysis service. This total doesn’t include other costs, including software, box contents and royalty expenses.

A portion of the cost decrease is attributable to normal learning curve and supply/demand factors that bring component prices down over time. A more significant factor is the clever integration of discrete components into the core silicon of the PS3, dramatically reducing the component count. The new generation PS3 contains an estimated 2,820 individual parts, compared to 4,048 in the previous-generation model with a 60Gbyte hard drive. This also dramatically reduces the overall cost of the console.

While the previous generation PS3 was sold by Sony at a significant loss, which the company made up for via game title sales and royalties, the new version may help stanch the hardware red ink. "With its new-generation PS3, Sony has come closer to breaking even, although it probably hasn’t quite reached that mark yet," said Andrew Rassweiler, director and principal analyst, teardown services, for iSuppli. "With iSuppli’s estimated PS3 cost at $448.73, the product retailing in the United States at around $399 and taking into account other expenses, the PS3 may be able to break even in 2009 with further hardware revisions."

The PS3 accounted for 16.4 percent of global video game unit shipments in the second quarter of 2008, second only to the Nintendo Wii, which accounted for 54.2 percent of the market.

A whole new game
All of the key Integrated Circuits ICs) in the new PS3 have undergone changes and employ more advanced process geometry compared to the previous model. These key parts, which include Nvidia’s Reality Synthesizer, IBM’s Cell Broadband Engine and Toshiba’s I/O controller, now are made using 65 nanometer (nm) process technology, compared to 90nm before. This helps to cut power consumption and to reduce the number of discrete components in the console.

More importantly, it appears that each of these ICs has been redesigned to augment functionality and to integrate hordes of previously discrete components that now have disappeared from the PS3.

Less power and fewer dollars
Another key shift is the reduction of the entire power budget for the PS3. One of the key benefits to migrating the core integrated circuits to 65nm is the drastically reduced power consumption, which, in a nutshell, means a less expensive power supply. The new PS3 hardware features a Delta Electronics power supply (probably multi-sourced) priced at $21.50, down 30.1 percent from the $30.75 Sony part used in the previous version of the console.

MEMS machinations
Another key component supplier shift in the latest PS3 is the use of a Kionix Inc. three-axis Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) accelerometer in the controller unit that replaces the Hokuriku Electronic Industry Co. Ltd. part. The Kionix accelerometer is priced at 90 cents, down more than 60 percent from $2.35 for the previously employed component.

iSuppli’s preceding teardown of the PS3 in 2007 revealed it contains a three-axis accelerometer from Hokuriku—which, interestingly, featured a package that was smaller than the present offering from Kionix. Initially a minority supplier to the PS3, Kionix displaced Hokuriku as the No.-1 supplier beginning April 2007 onward.

"Kionix has been very aggressive on pricing during the last two years, helping it to earn this key design win," said Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst, MEMS, for iSuppli.

Another component and supplier development is the use of an Epson Toyocom MEMS gyroscope sensor priced at $1.20, down from $1.80 for the Murata part revealed in iSuppli’s previous teardown. However, iSuppli believes Epson Toyocom is acting as a second-source for Murata for the new version of the PS3, and has not completely displaced the previous supplier. Epson Toyocom has expended a great deal of effort on shrinking the size of the gyroscope chip in its quartz or "Q-MEMS" process, which is smaller than competing piezoceramic gyroscopes from Murata.

Cell regeneration
The latest PS3 includes a new version of IBM's Cell Broadband engine, which serves as the central processing unit for the game console. The new component is priced at $46.46, down 27.9 percent from $64.40 before.

A new version of Nvidia Corp.’s Reality Synthesizer serves as the graphic processing unit for the game console. The revised version of the part is priced at $58.01, down 30.3 percent from $83.17 previously.

www.isuppli.com

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EFD Introduces New Dispense Valve For Reliable Bonding and Coating of DVDs and CDs

EFD, Inc., a subsidiary of Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ: NDSN) introduces the new 752HF High Flow Valve which improves dispensing of UV-cure resins and similar fluids used in Blu-ray DVD, DVD and CD production processes.

The new valve was specifically designed to help media manufacturers increase production speeds through faster application of thick fluids, and prevent the formation of micro bubbles that could lead to imperfections and rejects.

Features of the new 752HF High Flow Valve include:

* High-flow capability for faster application of thicker UV-cure coatings
* Compact and lightweight design for easy mounting and reduced equipment wear
* Low-maintenance design that reduces downtime
* Positive shutoff prevents drips that could cause rejects

EFD’s products are available through their worldwide network operating in over 30 countries. For more information, visit www.efd-inc.com.

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