Talk about thinking outside the box: MAM-A, producer of blank CD-Rs is now doing replication as well. That may sound like a strange move during a time when companies are getting out of the replication business. However, at a second look, it seems to be a wise, out-of the- box idea.

About six months ago, a high-end audio record label, First Impression Music (FIM), told MAM-A that they wanted to work with a CD manufacturer that would keep the block error rates (BLER) on their titles way down. FIM was a blank disc customer of MAM-A, a company that manufactures silver and gold discs. The label inquired about whether MAM-A could replicate a disc as well, according to Lora Swenson, MAM-A’s sales manager. 

FIM wanted to replicate Arne Domnerus Quintet's Jazz At the Pawnshop which is said to be the most reissued jazz recording of all time. The number one objective was to replicate the authenticity of the original recording made in Sweden in 1976. The digital recording was so clear it took out all of the background noise from the live performance. Perfect? Nope. For audio buffs, one of the attributes of the recording for years had been the hubbub of the patrons at tables , which is quite a bit louder and more immersive than heard on most live jazz recordings. "The better the reissue source and equipment on which it is played, the better the musicians on the standard are separated from the crowd sounds, and the more realistic presence they have," Swenson told EMedialive.

How did replication create the authenticity that FIM was looking to achieve? The traditional replication process can create uncertainty in several areas of quality control. Quality of equipment is unknown and there have been so many transfers of the music signal by the time the technical staff at the manufacturing plant is ready to replicate. FIM’s process is different.

The music file in the master engineer’s hard drive is uploaded to the computer of the glass-stamper machine directly via FTP (File Transfer Protocol), bit by bit, at no loss, eliminating two generations of transfer and lowering the jitter rate. FIM specifies that the average block error rate (BLER) of each disc is below 20. In fact, in most cases, the BLER is below 10. The Red Book industrial standard is 220. Therefore, the quality of FIM discs can reportedly excel normal CDs by 22 times. "We proved that slowing down the replication process, can really make a difference in the block error rates," said MAM-A’s Swenson.

Then there's the issue of aluminum versus gold and silver. FIM’s president, Winston Ma explains. The laser head of a CD player employs reflection to read the musical signal from the metal foil of the polycarbonate disc. It is well known that silver, followed closely by gold, yields the highest reflectivity among the metals. Aluminum is commonly used material because it is less expensive, but it is also less durable over time compared to pure gold and silver. In addition, 24k gold is an inert non-corrosive metal which will not oxidize over time, extending the CD’s lifetime. "Furthermore, gold, followed by silver, provides the ultimate in malleability, meaning the foil has a smoother surface and fewer pinholes, and thus more linear reading and less drop-out can be achieved."

"After our decades’ search for an ideal CD replication plant for FIM recordings, we are happy to say that, we were able to spot one, finally only in last year," Ma told Emedia. "MAM-A produces the best-quality CD products I have found--on par, if not better than, JVC’s which were widely known to be the best for decades. We constantly compare sound and quality control qualities of different suppliers. We have found MAM-A’s discs always sounding the best. On quality control, MAM-A is really very good. No one is perfect. MAM-A is one of the very rare manufacturers that can take comments seriously and make good of any possible defects immediately. I have never seen such quality services in my over 30 years of experience."

This first FIM project manufactured by MAM-A was a success. "Some reviewers actually thought this recording surpassed the sound quality of an SACD," said Swenson. While this was the first replication project for MAM-A, Swenson says the company open to doing more "special" projects. "MAM-A is in a good position to offer something different. We already have the targets here. A standard replicator that has aluminum targets is not going to invest in gold and silver targets because it is a big cash outlay, but we already have them on site to make recordable discs. So, it is very easy for us to switchover."

Perhaps the best news for replicators is that there are some people who actually care about sound quality and are not satisfied with what they hear on their MP3 players. Audiophiles rejoice!

Debbie Galante Block (debgalante at aol.com) is a freelance writer based in Mahopac, New York.

The Super Multi Blue Internal Blu-ray Disc Rewriter BH08LS20 is far more than just a mouthful to say. Not only is it the latest and greatest optical disc recorder from LG Electronics, it’s chock-full of handy features, turns heads with its speedy operation and is an amiable PC storage companion.

Like its contemporaries, the Pioneer BDR-203 and Panasonic SW-5584, LG’s new BH08LS20 ($279) is a competitively featured 5.25" half-height (HH) Blu-ray recorder that writes, rewrites and reads all prerecorded (ROM), rewritable (RE/RW/RAM) and recordable (R) DVD, CD and BD disc formats. Commonalities aside, LG tries its darnedest to set its offerings apart and so incorporates LightScribe in many of its BD writers, including the BH08LS20 (a vanilla non-LightScribe BH08NS20 is available in some markets).

The BH08LS20 package I received covered all the bases with everything from mounting screws and Serial ATA (SATA) cables to a simple but ample software suite, consisting of CyberLink’s PowerDVD 7.3, Power2GO 6, LabelPrint 2, PowerProducer 5, MediaShow 4, PowerBackup 2, and BD Advisor. It offers a taste of everything from data, audio, still image, and video disc recording to labeling, backup and movie playback. For example, for those seeking to create straightforward home video titles, PowerProducer authors SD or HD material in all of the major BD (BD-R/RE AV, BD-ROM AV), DVD (-V, ±VR, AVCHD) and CD (VCD, SVCD, DivX) application formats.

To avoid any nasty surprises, newcomers should be mindful of the significant PC system requirements needed to author BD video discs and play commercial Blu-ray movies.

Looking at hard numbers, the BH08SL20 writes single-and dual-layer BD-Rs at 8x, single-layer DVD±Rs at 16x, dual-layer DVD±R DLs at 4x and CD-Rs at 48x speeds. During my evaluation, the unit turned out to be a tad speedier than its competitors for some duties but a smidgen slower for others. For example, using Nero DiscSpeed software for performance benchmarking, single layer BD-Rs wrote in an impressive 13 minutes or so, single layer BD-REs in roughly 40 minutes, DVD±R SL in six minutes and CD-Rs in three minutes (see chart, below). DVD±R DL burning, on the other hand, clocked in at a more disappointing 27 minutes and reading AACS-encrypted BD-ROM AV (HDMV/BD-J) discs maxed out at a leisurely 5x CAV speed.

The BH08LS20 also impressed me with its ability to write, at its full 8x speed, some 2x, 4x and 6x-rated BD-Rs. According to LG’s technical folks, these include many of the single-layer discs from Verbatim/MKM, MBI/Glyphics Media, TDK, Sony, Ritek/Advanced Media, Maxell, LG, Panasonic and CMC Magnetics and dual-layer discs from TDK and Panasonic (see chart, below). My assessment bore this out, as I was able to successfully burn at 8x a number of 4x-rated discs from MBI/Glyphics Media, TDK and Verbatim/MKM. And, to round things out, I had no trouble writing fifteen out of the fifteen manufacturers of 16x-rated DVD-Rs and eight out of the nine DVD+Rs.

Thanks to its LighScribe facility, the BH08LS20 can easily draw monochrome labels directly on the face of specially coated media (burn as usual, flip over the disc and put it back into the recorder, which then uses its laser to render the image). It’s worth noting that LightScribe compatible BD-Rs have yet to be introduced and, as far as I can tell, none are on the horizon.

Using the latest version of HP’s free LightScribe Template Labeler software it took the BH08LS20 roughly 30 and 24 minutes, in best and normal quality modes, to generate full face images (e.g., Film Reel) on Verbatim color-background DVD-R discs. And, as might be expected, partial surface designs (e.g., Race Day) took proportionally less time and completed in nine and seven minutes respectively.

Peppy, compatible and complete, LG’s new Super Multi Blue Rewriter BH08LS20 hits the spot. Although slower at times and priced at a premium over its competitors, the BH08LS20 remains the only high-speed solution for those seeking an all-in-one BD, DVD and CD recorder with LightScribe capability.

For more information:
LG Electronics: www.lgusa.com

Hugh Bennett (hugh_bennett at compuserve.com), an EMedialive and EventDV contributing editor, is president of Forget Me Not Information Systems (www.forgetmenot.ca), a reseller, systems integrator and industry consultant based in London, Ontario, Canada. Hugh is the author of The Authoritative Blu-ray Disc (BD) FAQ and The Authoritative HD DVD FAQ, available on EMedialive.com as well as Understanding Recordable & Rewritable DVD and Understanding CD-R & CD-RW, published by the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA).

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

Netflix, Demand Media(TM), and ON Networks(R) are the latest content providers to join Sony's BRAVIA(R) Internet Video platform.

In the fall of 2009, Netflix members will be able to instantly watch more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes on Sony BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs and on previous BRAVIA models compatible with Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Link module.

With BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs, users can enjoy access to one of the largest collections of premium and free on-demand entertainment directly on their HDTV. By connecting the TV to their existing broadband connection, users can access online video, music, and content from over 25 providers including Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube(TM), Sports Illustrated, Sony Pictures, Crackle, Slacker, Epicurious.com, Concierge.com, Style.com, and Dailymotion.

"Sony was first to bring Internet video to TV and we continue to deliver the one of the largest and most diverse catalogs of content to customers through BRAVIA Internet Video," said Jeff Goldstein, vice president of Sony Electronics' television business. "Adding Netflix gives many of our customers access to a vast library of streaming content through their existing Netflix accounts."

Movies and TV episodes from Netflix can be watched instantly on Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs through a Queue-based user interface. Netflix members can add movies and TV episodes to their instant Queues on the Netflix Web site. Those choices will then be automatically displayed when a user selects Netflix on the BRAVIA Internet Video platform.

Demand Media recently launched content on the BRAVIA Internet Video platform from its wholly-owned Web sites including Golflink.com, LIVESTRONG.COM, and eHow.com.

GolfLink provides hundreds of its valuable instructional golf videos from world class coaches like Hank Haney and Jim McLean, as well as hole-by-hole golf course flyovers, both of which help viewers to prepare and improve their game.

LIVESTRONG.COM was created in partnership with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), and is home to 1.5 million registered members who share a passion to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. The channel offers hundreds of videos from topics such as healthy food choices and treating injuries to instructional videos on sports and fitness.

eHow is a leading how-to resource with a thriving online community dedicated to providing people with the ability to research, share, and discuss solutions for life's everyday projects. eHow brings thousands of instructional, professional, and high-definition videos to the BRAVIA Internet Video platform.

ON Networks has recently delivered three original digital series to the BRAVIA service including Golf Tips, Play Value, and Beautiful Places. Golf Tips features PGA professional golf instructor Joe Beck guiding viewers to the ultimate golf learning experience. Play Value offers a unique glimpse into the strange and exciting saga behind the last 30 years of gaming. Beautiful Places takes viewers on a high-definition visual journey to watch the sunrise over spectacular vistas and experience panoramic views from high peaks.

Sony BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs can be purchased online at www.sonystyle.com, Sony Style retail stores, and at Sony authorized retailers across the country.

New figures on the home entertainment market released today by the British Video Association using data from the Official Charts Company reveal that Blu-ray Disc sales continue to rise despite the recession biting the sector as a whole in the first half of the year.

More than 3.1 million Blu-ray Discs have sold in 2009 to date, a rise of 231 per cent on the same period last year, signifying public interest in the high definition format’s unparalleled picture and sound quality.

Hannah Conduct, Marketing Manager at the British Video Association says:

"The continuing success of Blu-ray is testament to the growth of consumer confidence in the high definition format. There are now almost 1500 Blu-ray releases in the market covering a breadth of titles. Seeing is believing with Blu-ray and the figures show that once consumers have experienced the format, they continue to spend their money on the product."

Hannah Conduct adds, "Older releases such as Trainspotting (4DVD), Bladerunner (Warner Home Video) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), have all experienced sales success on this exciting format, years after their initial DVD release. Many more Blu-ray titles are anticipated in the latter part of this year so consumers will have plenty of opportunities to add to their home entertainment collections."

With consumers upgrading to Blu-ray this has led to a fall in the numbers of DVD purchased. Sales are down 9.5 per cent year-on-year bringing the total number of discs sold in 2009 to 100 million*.

The outlook for the second half of the year is more promising. The BVA’s 2009 Yearbook shows that 30% of all sales take place in the last two months of the year and some of this year’s big pre-Christmas releases including Bruno (Universal Pictures), Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Warner Home Video), Ice Age 3 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), Terminator: Salvation (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), Tinker Bell (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Paramount Home Entertainment) are expected to perform extremely well on DVD and Blu-ray.

Lavinia Carey, Director General of the British Video Association, says:

"The home entertainment industry has weathered the recession extremely well during the last year but, sadly, with the loss of around 900 high street stores at the start of the year, following the demise of Woolworths and Zavvi, the sales generated from impulse purchases have been hit. This changing retail landscape has had a huge impact on our half year result. We hope as the year progresses that new retailers will fill the gap by stocking home entertainment products to give consumers a wider choice."

The BVA also points to industry research conducted at the end of last year by TNS, indicating that 72% of consumers felt that they would have significantly less disposable income in 2009, with 31% strongly agreeing. Most respondents (98%) said they would be actively seeking out promotions and offers.

Lavinia Carey adds, "People must also be increasingly tempted to search out methods of downloading illicit content for free on the Internet. With an increasing number of new internet services coming on stream, the industry is aiming to encourage greater consumer up-take of legitimate downloads."

The latest forecasts from Screen Digest suggest that legitimate online video will grow in significance, comparative to growth in physical discs, as a distribution channel and revenue source between now and 2012.

BLU-RAY DISC TOP 10 YTD TO JUNE 09 (Source : Official Charts Company)
1 Quantum Of Solace 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
2 The Dark Knight
Warner Home Video
3 Planet Earth - The Complete Series 2Entertain
4 Taken 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
5 The Day The Earth Stood Still 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
6 Twilight E1 Entertainment
7 Hancock Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
8 Casino Royale Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
9 Tropic Thunder Paramount Home Entertainment
10 Wall-E Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

DVD TOP 10 YTD TO JUNE 09 (Source : Official Charts Company)
1 Quantum Of Solace 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
2 High School Musical 3 - Senior Year Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
3 Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa Paramount Home Entertainment
4 Twilight E1 Entertainment
5 Slumdog Millionaire 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
6 Mamma Mia - The Movie Universal Pictures
7 The Dark Knight Warner Home Video
8 Night At The Museum 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
9 Taken 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
10 I Am Legend Warner Home Video

The results of the 2008 title audit and the subsequent loss of nearly 1000 key stores, necessitated an adjustment in the multipliers which has impacted on the reported sales figures.

The British Video Association
Video encompasses the home entertainment industry as a whole – from packaged media such as DVD and Blu-ray through to digital downloading onto portable devices and for home consumption, with ever increasing consumer choice of access and price points. The industry releases about 10,000 titles a year and the BVA champions all content delivery channels.

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today announced it has signed a partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, to jointly promote the Smart Video Card as a new music distribution channel. Smart Video Card is a Gemalto innovation that embeds a DVD-compliant optical disc into the card body of a regular SIM card.

The Smart Video Card disc can be preloaded with 120MB of content which can be played in a standard DVD player. The disc pre-mastering can include audio and video encoding, and adding menus and navigation features providing the user with a full multimedia experience. This combined technology provides a unique medium for distribution of exclusive media content that can be enjoyed on the digital music player of choice, such as a PC, handset or MP3 player.

Through this partnership for the world outside North America, Gemalto will be able to exclusively offer UMG content along with its SIM card products, while Universal Music Group International will promote Smart Video Card towards operators that the music group is already working with to deliver online content.

"Universal Music Group constantly strives to find new avenues to bring our music to the consumer," commented Olivier Robert-Murphy, Vice President Strategic Marketing, Universal Music Group International. "Smart Video Card is one of the ways through which we can ensure more people can enjoy our roster of artists. With over one billion SIM cards shipped every year, Gemalto stood out as the partner of choice and we believe there is strong potential in the Smart Video Card business."

"Smart Video Card has already met success on the mobile market as operators use it to promote their latest services and applications," added Philippe Vallée, Executive Vice President of the Telecommunications Business Unit at Gemalto. "This is the first time a label has ever used the smart card as a distribution channel, and Gemalto is proud to join forces with the world’s leading music company."

About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2008 annual revenues of €1.68 billion, and 10,000 employees operating out of 75 offices, research and service centers in 40 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere—has become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure.

Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health and transportation services, e-government and national security. We do this by supplying to governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises a wide range of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM) in mobile phones, smart banking cards, smart card access badges, electronic passports, and USB tokens for online identity protection. To complete the solution we also provide software, systems and services to help our customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information please visit www.gemalto.com.  

The reconstruction of AudioDev has now been finalized. In this process all key resources stay on. With retained competence and strong financing, AudioDev is well prepared for the future. The strategy is to continue to build a comprehensive company that offers state of the art testing tools and services to the optical media industry, and others.

AudioDev’s intention is to remain the preferred supplier of test equipment and the company will continue to take on an active role in the optical media industry.

The strategy to diversify the product portfolio with TFM (Thin Film Metrology) products remains. AudioDev will continue the TFM development activities at our operations in Germany. To the optical media industry, AudioDev will continue to offer the same products and services. We will respond to your needs and support your current operations and continued developments.

"It is our intention that our customers and partners shall not be affected by the reconstruction" says Marianne Sernevi, CEO and President of AudioDev. "Being a group of skilled and dedicated professionals, we look forward to a continued cooperation for many years to come".

http://www.audiodev.com

The 3D Entertainment Summit, co-produced by Bob Dowling and Unicomm LLC, has established a joint venture agreement with Variety (a Reed Business Information publication). Variety will provide significant industry outreach, marketing and sales support, content development for the event, and will also produce a special editorial feature focusing on 3D entertainment.

Under this agreement, which includes both Variety and its sister-publication, Video Business, the Summit will be known as "The 3D Entertainment Summit in association with Variety."

Scheduled for September 16-17, 2009, in Los Angeles, The Summit will feature dynamic panel discussions, exhibits and multiple keynote addresses on both days.

"With an unprecedented group of 3D opinion leaders, the second annual Summit will build upon the tremendous success of the inaugural event, and will map out for attendees how to capitalize on 3D irrespective of what discipline in entertainment they currently hold," said Bob Dowling. "3D is the most exciting entertainment development since color, and industry stakeholders are clamoring to find out what’s in it for them."

"We are delighted with the prospects of this new partnership with The 3D Entertainment Summit," stated Brian Gott, publisher of Variety. "Technology has been an area of significant growth for Variety, and partnerships such as this are important for us in order to cement our position at the forefront of this important sector. Aligning the assets of both Variety and Video Business with Bob Dowling and Unicomm will help ensure that this event, now in its second year, continues to be the meeting place of the 3D industry."

The 3D Entertainment Summit in association with Variety also announced that the Entertainment Technology Center at USC (ETC@USC) will serve as its Presenting Partner. ETC@USC will work with Bob Dowling on the conference content and will provide outreach to its leading-edge industry constituents. The Entertainment Technology Center at USC is an organization within the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and was founded with the help of George Lucas in 1993 with the goal of bringing technology and entertainment visionaries together to collaborate on the future of entertainment technology.

"A key focus for ETC@USC is our work to enable 3D to expand from the theater into the home. As Presenting Partner of the 3D Entertainment Summit, we are able to bring what we hear from our Hollywood studio and large consumer electronics and technology sponsors, to help usher in the next generation of entertainment," said David Wertheimer, CEO & executive director of the ETC@USC. "The 3D Entertainment Summit in association with Variety, presented by ETC@USC, is a unique opportunity for people to dig deeper into the creative and business opportunities for 3D."

Lab program manager for ETC@USC’s 3D Content Lab Phil Levyveld added, "Participating in the effort to elevate the value of the conference is beautifully aligned with the goal of the Consumer 3D Experience Lab, which aims to accelerate the convergence of 3D-based ideas, so that consumers looking for 3D content, products, and services will have a consistent, enjoyable purchasing and viewing experience."

The Summit is expected to attract over 400 entertainment industry executives, who will attend keynotes, one–on-one interviews, panels, networking breaks, a sponsored luncheon, and an evening special event and reception. Guests will also have the opportunity to interact with sponsored table top displays and attend private screenings.

Additional Sponsors include RealD, The Los Angeles Times, DCinema Today and Screen Digest.

For more information, visit www.3d-summit.com or contact slally@unicomm.org.

About Unicomm, LLC

Unicomm LLC is an independent business-to-business communications company specializing in conceiving and managing trade shows and conferences in nascent markets.

Unicomm’s management team has been responsible for some of the industry’s most successful trade shows and conferences. Unicomm currently produces the largest series of travel events in the United States, the Adventures in Travel Expo. In addition, Unicomm has developed leading events in the biotechnology, research & development and mechanical engineering, human resources, transportation and other markets.

The company’s "value-added" resources are the intellectual capital of its people and proprietary business practices. These attributes, coupled with an intense customer centric philosophy, combine to deliver world-class events.

About Bob Dowling and The Bob Dowling Group

For the last 17 years through 2007, Bob Dowling was editor-in-chief and publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, and president of the VNU Business Media Film and Performing Arts Group.

During Dowling's tenure, The Reporter launched numerous new products, including the HollywoodReporter.com Web site, e-mail edition, weekly edition, THR East, Literary Hollywood, Festival de Cannes dailies and the Oscar Screening Guide, as well as many annual events, such as the Women in Entertainment Power 100 stand-alone issue and its related breakfast event, the Next Generation ranking of prominent young executives, the Film and TV Music Conference, and the reorganized Key Art Awards.

Dowling recently started his own information and consulting firm, the Bob Dowling Group, to serve clients looking to navigate the converging worlds of entertainment and technology, with the 3D Entertainment Summit as a lead project.

About The Variety Group

Variety is the leading publication for entertainment news, recognized and respected throughout the world of show business. The Variety Group – Daily Variety, Daily Variety Gotham, Weekly Variety, Variety.com, Video Business, Tradeshow Week, LA 411, Variety 411 – are all owned by Reed Business Information (RBI), the largest business publisher in the U.S. RBI is a member of the Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE: RUK and ENL)

About the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC

The Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) @ USC, founded in 1993 with the help of George Lucas, brings together senior executives from the entertainment, consumer electronics and technology industries to collaborate on issues related to the creation, distribution and consumption of entertainment content. The ETC studies how technology impacts the next-generation consumer, and works with member companies to improve the consumer experience and uncover new revenue streams for entertainment-related products. Current ETC members include Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Lucasfilm, TATA Consultancy Services, Thomson, Dolby, LG Electronics, Singapore IDA, and Volkswagen of America.

For more information, email: info@etcenter.org