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Toshiba Corporation announced today that the company has applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and plans to introduce products that support the Blu-ray format.

As a market leader in digital technologies, Toshiba provides a wide range of advanced digital products, such as DVD recorders and players, HDTVs and notebook PCs that support a wide range of storage devices, including hard disk drives (HDD), DVD, and SD Cards. In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA.

Toshiba aims to introduce digital products that support the Blu-ray format, including BD players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives, in the course of this year. Details of the products, including the timing of regional launches, are now under consideration. We will make announcements in due course.

www.toshiba.com/taec

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

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Verbatim Shipping New TUFF-CLIP USB Drives

Verbatim(TM) Americas, LLC an industry innovator in the data storage industry for 40 years, announced today its new TUFF-CLIP(TM) USB Drives. Available now with capacities of 4GB in turquoise and 8GB in black, the new flash drives combine clip-and-go convenience with industrial strength toughness. Verbatim's TUFF-CLIP USB drives feature an ultra-rugged plastic enclosure with a convenient retractable slider that protects the USB connector. Tough enough for active users to carry their data wherever they go, the innovative design also has an integrated carabineer clip that can be securely fastened onto a backpack, key chain, belt loop or notebook. The drives come pre-loaded with password security software for Windows systems that protects sensitive data in a user-defined private zone, while allowing a public zone for open access and sharing of non-sensitive content.

"The TUFF-CLIP drive's enclosure is made of ABS plastic and built to take everyday knocks in stride" explained Mark Rogers, Verbatim Product Manager. "With the clip-on design, the drives are also less likely to get lost or misplaced; and with the retractable cover, there is no cap to lose."

The features that make the TUFF-CLIP USB drives both tough and convenient, also make them ideal for young, active users who want to share data files, music, photos or videos; and students who want to transport research and project files between school and home. The drives will also appeal to on the go business users who must have current files with them wherever they go.

With support for Windows®, Mac® and Linux® systems, the TUFF-CLIP USB Drives also provide true cross-platform compatibility and a convenient way to transfer files between systems.

Certified for Windows Vista™, TUFF-CLIP USB Drives support Windows ReadyBoost™, a feature that allows Vista PC users to allocate a portion of the device's unused flash memory to speed system performance.

Verbatim's new TUFF-CLIP USB Drives measure 2.90" x .45" x 0.90" and weigh less than 2 ounces. When connected to a USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port of a desktop or notebook computer, the system automatically recognizes the drive as a new removable drive. With its solid-state design (no moving parts) and non-volatile flash memory, the drives will retain data for 10 years or more.

Availability and Pricing
Designed for Windows Vista, XP or 2000; Mac OS 9.x or higher and Linux kernel 2.6x or higher systems, Verbatim TUFF-CLIP USB Drives are available through Verbatim retail partners and distribution channels. The suggested list prices are US$29.99 for the 4GB drive and US$49.99 for the 8GB drive. The complete package includes the TUFF-CLIP USB Drive, pre-loaded password security software for Windows systems and a Quick Start Guide.

About Verbatim
Verbatim's businesses in the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific regions are wholly owned subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd. MKM's parent company, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC), is Japan's largest chemical company.

Verbatim develops and markets innovative, high-quality products for storing, moving and using digital content. Known for its leadership in the optical, magnetic and flash storage and related accessories markets, the company provides reliable, unique technologies and products that are highly sought after and broadly distributed worldwide. For more information, contact Verbatim Americas, LLC, 1200 W.T. Harris Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28262, (800) 421-4188. In Europe, Verbatim Ltd., Prestige House, 23-26 High Street, Egham, Surrey, TW20 9DU, UK, (+44) 1784 439 781. In Japan, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd., 31-19, Shiba 5-Chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014, (+81) 3-5454-3972. Or visit the web site at www.verbatim.com and select the country of your location.

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CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP Core Powers HD Audio in Sunplus' New Blu-ray SoCs

CEVA, Inc. [(Nasdaq: CEVA); (LSE: CVA)], a leading licensor of silicon intellectual property (SIP) platform solutions and DSP cores, today announced that Sunplus Technology Co. Ltd., one of the world's premier consumer electronics IC designers, has licensed the CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP core for its next generation Set-top-boxes, HDTV and Blu-ray Disc chipsets. Already a leading player in the DVD chipset market, Sunplus is integrating CEVA's high performance DSP to power the most demanding high definition audio requirements. This agreement expands CEVA's relationship with Sunplus, whose subsidiary Sunplus mMedia power their latest generation SPMP8000A Portable Media Player (PMP) chipset with CEVA's MM2000 portable multimedia solution.

TzuHsin Wang, Director, Product Design, Home Entertainment Business Unit, of Sunplus Technology, said, "Sunplus has maintained its position as one of the leading IC companies in the world through the continued development of advanced and differentiated solutions and our entry into the Blu-ray Disc chipset market will help drive the adoption of Blu-ray technology. By exploiting the performance, integration and cost advantages of the CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP in the design of our Blu-ray SoC, we have developed a powerful design that addresses the most demanding requirements of high definition audio today."

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with Sunplus to include the CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP for their latest Blu-ray SoC," said Eran Briman, vice president Corporate Marketing of CEVA. "This agreement marks CEVA's continued expansion into the home entertainment market and being designed into a Blu-ray SoC from an industry leader like Sunplus is a validation of the performance, die size and ease of development benefits offered by the CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP architecture for high definition audio applications."

CEVA-TeakLite-III(TM) is a third-generation DSP architecture based on the broadly adopted TeakLite family of DSP cores. As the engine powering CEVA's HD Audio solution, the CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP core features native 32-bit processing, including 32-bit multiplier with 72-bit accumulation for full data precision. In addition, its strong bit-manipulation capabilities for stream processing and 32-bit FFT support enable a highly efficient implementation of audio codecs. A well-balanced 10-stages pipeline allows the DSP to support high speed implementations, making it ideal as a single-core for most demanding HD audio use-cases. CEVA-TeakLite-III is available with a range of optimized HD audio codecs supporting from 2 channels up to 7.1 channels with various bit-rates. Audio codecs supported include: MP3, AAC-LC, HE-AAC, WMA, AC-3, RealAudio, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD MA, DTS-HD HR and others.

Recent independent benchmarks from BDTI recognize CEVA-TeakLite-III as the most area efficient and energy efficient of all processors in its class, achieving a BDTIsimMark2000 score of 2140, using 16-bit data. In addition, the core also recorded the highest BDTI certified scores of any processor in its class for DSP Area Efficiency (BDTIsimMark2000/mm2 score of 1880) and DSP Energy Efficiency (BDTIsimMark2000/mW score of 31). The benchmark results are available at www.bdti.com/bdtimark/BDTImark2000.htm.

About Sunplus Group
Sunplus Group, headed by Sunplus Technology Company Limited established in 1990, is devoted in IC design for electrical consumer applications. Sunplus offers not only IC design but also system solutions to maximize customer's benefits by differentiating each design. Sunplus' reusable IPs such as audio/video, microprocessor and digital signal processor technologies are applied to numerous IC solutions for multimedia home applications and ASICs that contributed to our quality life. Due to the expansion of business scope, Sunplus split its BUs into several fabless IC design companies in 2006. The LCD IC business was spun-off into Orise Technology Co., Ltd.; the Controller & Peripheral BU was transferred into Sunplus Innovation Technology Inc.; the Personal Entertainment BU and Advanced BU were spun-off into Sunplus mMobile Inc. The parent company, Sunplus Technology, keeps working on Home Entertainment IC solutions such as VCD/DVD, DVR, DVB, LCD TV and DTV. For more information, please visit the Sunplus website: www.sunplus.com.

About CEVA, Inc.
Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., CEVA is a leading licensor of silicon intellectual property (SIP) DSP Cores and platform solutions for the mobile handset, portable and consumer electronics markets. CEVA's IP portfolio includes comprehensive solutions for multimedia, audio, voice over packet (VoP), Bluetooth and Serial ATA (SATA), and a wide range of programmable DSP cores and subsystems with different price/performance metrics serving multiple markets. In 2008, CEVA's IP was shipped in over 300 million devices. For more information, visit www.ceva-dsp.com.

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Lexicon’s Comprehensive New BD-30 Blu-Ray Player Is Introduced To Home Theaters And Media Rooms, Delivering Pristine Playback

Of major concern to all custom home systems integrators and their customers is the fact that technologies and formats change rapidly. Choosing the right product for home theater or media room installation is of paramount importance, and the new Lexicon BD-30 Blu-ray Disc™ Player offers integrators and their clients a pristine system that would be suitable in any room. Living up to the amazing predecessor, the Lexicon RT-20 Universal Disc Player, the BD-30 supports every major AV format in the market today, including Blu-ray, DVD, upconverted DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD and Compact Disc, as well as popular niche formats such as AVCHD and Kodak® Picture CD™, and recordable formats including CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R and BD-R/RE. In addition, the Lexicon BD-30 is a next-generation Profile 2.0 Blu-ray disc player, which supports both BonusView™, Blu-ray’s picture-in-picture feature, and BD-Live™, the advanced Blu-ray feature that enables users to access content via an Internet-connected Blu-ray player and download a variety of up-to-date content such as refreshed previews and exclusive special features. It is also backwards-compatible with Blu-ray v.1.0 and v.1.1. Furthermore, the BD-30 goes one step beyond physical media formats by incorporating a USB port, which will allow users to access audio and video from any media source compatible with the USB transfer protocol. The Lexicon BD-30 is truly a future-proof piece of technology, allowing custom home systems integrators the ability to reassure their clients that they’ll be able to watch their movies in virtually any format years into the future.

With its exceptional picture and sound quality along with fast disc loading and command response times, the BD-30 delivers an incredible, immersive home theater and multichannel audio experience. The Lexicon BD-30 has even more features that make it the single-solution choice for integrators. For video, the VD-30 incorporates Anchor Bay’s award-winning Video Reference Series™ (VRS™) video processing chips, which convert standard-definition and high-definition analog and digital video sources up to full 1080p, as well as HDMI compatibility. For audiophiles, the Lexicon BD-30 is just as versatile, able to play back CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio discs, offers a Source Direct mode for audio and compatibility with Dolby® TrueHD™, HDCD, DTS-HD®, and can play back up to 7.1 surround audio. Audio output connections include a dedicated stereo output, digital optical outputs and coaxial outputs. Systems integrators will appreciate the fact that the BD-30 also includes an RS-232 port for external control systems.

"The Lexicon BD-30 is at the cutting edge of what a disc media player can be," said Phil McPhee, Marketing Manager, Harman Performance AV Group. "The inclusion of so many popular media formats as well as a USB connection that will enable access to future formats means that custom home systems integrators can recommend and integrate the BD-30 into their home theater and surround audio installations knowing that it will be working for years to come."

Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Harman International maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NYSE: HAR."

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NetBlender Releases End-to-End Blu-ray Production Suite

NetBlender announced today the general availability of their Blu-ray production suite with integrated AVC encoder, DoStudio Workflow Edition (DSW). Announced at NAB this year and extensively tested by NetBlender customers and partners to ensure reliability, performance and ease-of-use, DSW is the end-to-end Blu-ray solution the independent community has been waiting for.

"DoStudio Workflow's features, performance and price point were exactly what I needed to exceed my client's Blu-ray expectations, without blowing my budget" said Elvis Sahakian, CEO of Los Angeles-based DVD and Blu-ray production company C232, Inc. "The first season of 'Highlander: The Series' is more than 21 hours of video, and in order to get the BDs out on time, I needed a fast and 100% reliable Blu-ray encoder. DSW delivered - I'm getting a one to two ratio on my encode times and, because it's AVC, the encodes are beautiful and much smaller in size than MPEG-2, which is key since I am loading the discs with content for download to end-users' iPhones using NetBlender's BD Touch technology. Importantly, the NetBlender team and their local partner Duplitech have been right there the whole way to make sure my project went smoothly - I couldn't ask for better support."

"We're proud to be working with C232 to help bring the first season of Highlander: The Series on Blu-ray to fans around the world," said NetBlender CEO John Harrington. "This title is a real showcase for BD-J. It's a BD Touch enabled disk set with an array of facts, bios and bonus videos that fans can download to their iPhone or iPod Touch and take with them. It is also tri-lingual (English, German and French), and will have full BD-J pop-up menus in all 3 languages."

DSW provides professional Blu-ray producers with all the great features and functionality of NetBlender's widely-deployed DoStudio BD Authoring Edition, plus:

Fully integrated Blu-ray compliant AVC encoder that combines the highest video quality with 100% BD compliance and player compatibility
Ability to import QuickTime files, including chapter marker, from Final Cut Pro
Encoded streams automatically generate the authoring playlist
Easy to use Blu-ray encoding templates
Integrated subtitling, burning and formatting for replication

A free 30-day trial of DSW is available from NetBlender's web site: www.netblender.com.

About NetBlender
NetBlender was founded in 2005 by a team of veteran interactive media producers. The company designs and develops practical and professional Blu-ray technology solutions for the global BD production community. NetBlender's Blu-ray solutions include DoStudio Authoring Edition (DSA), a complete Blu-ray authoring tool designed for DVD authors moving to Blu-ray Disc, DoStudio Workflow Edition (DSW) which integrates with DSA Blu-ray encoding, subtitling, playback, burning and formatting, and BD Touch, an acclaimed solution that lets end-users interact with BD content through their iPhone and iPod Touch. For more information, please visit www.netblender.com.

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Rimage Announces Resignation of Manuel M. Almeida

Rimage Corporation (Nasdaq: RIMG) today announced that Manuel M. Almeida, executive vice president of sales and marketing, will be leaving Rimage, effective August 28, to assume a senior management position with another company.

Bernard P. Aldrich, chief executive officer, said: "Manny has been a valuable member of our management team since joining us in 2003. His marketing expertise focused the company in new areas and drove product concepts that fueled much of the company’s growth during his tenure. We deeply appreciate everything Manny has done for Rimage, and we wish him every success in his future pursuits."

Sherman L. Black, Rimage’s president and chief operating officer, added: "Since my appointment in April, Manny has greatly facilitated my learning curve about Rimage’s global operations and future opportunities. During the time we have worked together, he became not only a trusted colleague but also a friend. I always will be appreciative of Manny’s support, and I wish him the very best in his next undertaking."

Almeida said: "The decision to leave Rimage was difficult, because working here has been a highly gratifying experience. However, Rimage’s sales and marketing initiatives are under the direction of highly capable hands, and I am more convinced than ever that Rimage has an extremely promising future. My new endeavor is not only a great professional opportunity, but it also meets my personal objectives. I sincerely thank this company for the opportunity it has afforded me over the past six years."

About Rimage
Rimage Corporation is the world’s leading provider of on-demand digital publishing systems that businesses and organizations use to quickly and easily produce CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs with customized content and durable color or monochrome disc labeling. Our systems integrate software, robotics and surface label printers into a complete disc publishing solution that typically is designed into OEM equipment as its digital output solution. Major markets for Rimage’s disc publishing systems include retail, medical, business services and government.

www.rimage.com

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Aleratec Announces 1:3 Copy Cruiser BLU HLX Disc Duplicator

Aleratec Inc., leading developer and manufacturer of "Prosumers' Choice" solutions for the USB, Flash, HDD, Blu-ray, DVD CD, duplicating, and DVD/CD publishing markets, introduced today a new Blu-ray disc duplicator for the "Prosumer" market. This is the 3rd generation Blu-ray duplicator that Aleratec has brought to market. The Aleratec 1:3 Copy Cruiser BLU HLX features a high-speed transfer rate of 8X and embraces LightScribe technology, a sophisticated system for labeling discs.

"Aleratec was the first disc duplicator company to adopt the LightScribe labeling technology," stated Kent Henscheid, marketing manager for LightScribe. "We are pleased to see Aleratec carry on the tradition with this new 8X Blu-ray duplicator that features LightScribe DVD/CD functionality."

Aleratec’s new 8X, Blu-ray Disc Duplicator allows a customer to duplicate up to three (3) discs simultaneously while connected to the computer through an external eSATA connection. Each drive has an 8 MB internal memory to buffer write data while performing the duplication. Advanced algorithms prevent buffer underruns/overruns to create an exact duplicate disc up to an 8X speed. The Aleratec 1:3 Copy Cruiser BLU HLX simultaneously produces up to 3 Blu-ray, or DVD, or CD Copies or simultaneously produces 3 DVD or CD silk screen quality direct to disc LightScribe labels.

The Aleratec 1:3 Copy Cruiser BLU HLX includes an eSata adapter that allows the user to add a second device for a maximum of 6 drives. Aleratec also sells an optional eSata host adapter (P/N 240137) that allows the customer to connect a maximum of 12 drives for commercial applications.

The Aleratec 1:3 Copy Cruiser Blu HLX incorporates the latest, high speed Blu-ray/DVD/CD recording technology for high speed duplicating. The powerful Disc Duplicating software suite included FREE with purchase is the ideal all in one package for music, photos, video data and backup. Aleratec offers a broad range of LightScribe media designed to complement its products.

Features:

· Supports Blu-ray, DVD and CD duplicating and recording
· Up to 3 simultaneous direct to disc LightScribe DVD/CD Labels
· Up to 3 simultaneous BD copies at up to 8x speed
· Up to 50GB capacity per disc
· Dual Channel PCI Express eSATA host adapter included FREE with purchase
· Aleratec Disc Publishing Software Suite included FREE with purchase

"While maintaining our focus on the Prosumer market, the Aleratec 1:3 Copy Cruiser BLU HLX is the ultimate LightScribe duplicator," stated Perry Solomon, Aleratec President and CEO. "We are always focused on providing sophisticated solutions with advanced features to satisfy the needs of the professional consumer!"

Proudly assembled in the USA from components sourced globally, the Aleratec 1:3 Copy Cruiser BLU HLX, 8X Blu-ray Disc Duplicator (Aleratec P/N 260164) has an estimated retail price of $1,575 and is available now through Aleratec’s distribution partners. For a limited period of time, Aleratec is offering its customers a FREE Inkjet Printer and 25-pack of Blu-ray discs with the purchase of each 1:3 Copy Cruiser BLU HLX Disc Duplicator. Terms and conditions apply, see www.Aleratec.com/rebates.html for details.

The full line of Aleratec solutions and accessories is featured at AAFES, Amazon.com, B&H Photo Video, Best Buy, Buy.com, CDW, Circuit City.com, CompUSA.com, Dell, HP, Insight, J & R, Mac Connection, MacMall, Micro Center, Office Depot, PC Connection, PC Mall, QVC.com, Staples, Tech Depot, Tiger Direct, and Wal-Mart in addition to other leading U.S. retailers. Government and Education customers may purchase from Government and Education Specialists including AAFES, B&H Photo Video Gov, Best Buy Gov/Ed, CDW-G, CompuCom, EnPointe, GovConnection, GTSI, Insight Gov, PC Mall Gov, Pomeroy, Shi.com, Softchoice, telcobuy, TIG, and Unisys. All products are available to resellers in the U.S. through D&H Distributing, Ingram Micro, and Tech Data; in Canada through D&H Canada and Ingram Micro Canada; in Latin America and the Caribbean through Tech Data Miami. Complete information is available at http://www.aleratec.com.

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JVC Establishes New Marketing & Sales Company for Recording Media: JVC Advanced Media U.S.A. Inc.

JVC Advanced Media U.S.A. Inc. today announced its establishment here as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Victor Advanced Media Co., Ltd., based in Tokyo.

Victor Advanced Media Co.,Ltd., a joint venture between Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd and Victor Company of Japan Limited, was established in July, 2008 in a spin-off of Victor's recording media business. Victor Advanced Media is now the world's only fully integrated supplier of recording media products, offering a full range of capabilities, including R&D, mass-scale state-of-the-art manufacturing, marketing and sales. The company's unique position in the recording media industry allows it to provide customers with enhanced value, leading edge technology and advanced products, along with consistent product quality and reliability.

JVC Advanced Media U.S.A. Inc., incorporated on February 5, 2009, will be responsible for the U.S. marketing and sales of JVC brand recording media products to current JVC customers as well as new customers across the country.

The company details are as followed.
1. Date of establishment : February 5, 2009
2. Ownership : 100% by Victor Advanced Media Co., Ltd.
3. Headquarters : 1930 North Thoreau Drive, Suite 190, Schaumburg IL 60173 USA

http://jvc-media.com/

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Marvell Introduces Qdeo HD Video Evaluation Blu-ray Disc

Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL), a leader in storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions, today introduced a new high definition (HD) test disk that enables objective evaluation of the quality of video processing in HD audio-video products like Blu-ray players, AV receivers and HDTVs. The HD test disk has been designed to provide a mechanism for comprehensive testing of the main elements of video processing, namely noise reduction, format conversion, and image enhancement. The noise reduction test patterns check the ability of the system under test to reduce analog and digital noise. The format conversion test patterns provide a comprehensive test of the capabilities of the de-interlacing done by the system. The enhancement patterns check for the presence and performance of a variety of leading-edge types of enhancements including detail enhancement, adaptive contrast enhancement, intelligent color remapping, and bit-resolution-expansion. The disk also includes a set of test patterns for calibration of the video settings of the system, as well as a demonstration section and an HD video montage to show the visual impact of high quality video processing. For more information please visit www.ClearlyQdeo.com.

"Consumer demand for pristine image quality from HD video systems continues to grow and we’re constantly striving to make home theater visual experiences better and better," said Dr. Nikhil Balram, Vice President and General Manager of the Digital Entertainment Business Unit, Communications and Consumer Business Group at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. "In order to easily differentiate between inferior and superior video processing solutions, and to better appreciate the advances that are being made, manufacturers and reviewers need a comprehensive objective benchmark for HD video processing. We developed the Qdeo™ HD Video Evaluation Blu-ray Disk with this important need in mind, and hope it will help improve the home theater experience for end-users."

Marvell’s high-definition digital entertainment solutions are designed to enable world-class media processing and provide consumers with groundbreaking visual experiences. The availability of objective video quality testing is intended to help educate the market and consumer about the differences between high quality video processing like Qdeo versus commodity processing offered by many other solutions in the market.

About Qdeo Technology
Qdeo video processing, delivers rich, high-definition quality through a suite of advanced QuietVideo™ technologies, providing quiet, natural video free of noise and artifacts. Per-pixel noise and compression artifact reduction removes noise inherent in digital video, and per-pixel motion-adaptive 3D de-interlacing removes jaggies and eliminates feathering. Adaptive Contrast Enhancement and Intelligent Color Remapping render rich and vivid images. For more information on Qdeo, visit http://www.ClearlyQdeo.com.

About Marvell
Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a leader in the development of storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell’s diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless, and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure including enterprise, metro, home and storage networking. As used in this release, the term "Marvell" refers to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries. For more information, visit http://www.marvell.com.

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Singulus Mastering Appoints New Technical Director

In order to permanently strengthen the Research and Development department of Singulus Mastering, Mr. Roland Tacken (MSc) will join the staff as Technical Director per September 1, 2009. Starting November 2008, Mr. Tacken managed the Phase Transition Mastering process development for the CrystalLine project. In the position of the Technical Director, his responsibilities will now cover all R&D activities within Singulus Mastering BV.

Mr. Roland Tacken has a track record in the optical media industry and holds over 15 international patents plus several publications in the field of metalizing, material deposition and photo resist processing. After graduating in Chemical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology, he started his career in CD/DVD process engineering at ODME/Toolex. Next, he set up and led an R&D group working on thin film technology for electronic and solar applications at TNO Science & Industry. Now, under his technical leadership, Singulus Mastering will continue improving the CrystalLine mastering system, creating new benchmarks for BD mastering technology.

http://singulus.nl

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TVU Networks introduces Personal Video Recorder (TVU PVR)

TVU Networks, the leading provider of live Internet TV services, announced today the introduction of powerful new Personal Video Recorder (PVR) features for TVUPlayer.

TVUPlayer is a free application which to date has been downloaded by over 40 million viewers in 200 countries. TVU viewers watch some 300 live television programs from around the world, including top tier channels such as Cartoon Network, Deutsche Welle, Telemundo and FamilyNet, international channels not available on cable or satellite, as well as niche programming seen only on private networks or in certain countries.

With TVU PVR, viewers will now be able to:

· Record the program being watched
· Record a future program, by channel and time
· Re-name recordings
· Have unlimited use and unlimited recording
· Driven only by the HD/storage on the viewer’s computer
· Keep Recordings "permanently"
· Until the viewer deletes them, or
· Until the viewer cancels his PVR subscription

TVU PVR launches with an introductory offer through August 31st, with the first month free and $12 for a year’s subscription thereafter. Starting September 1st, the subscription price becomes $1.99 a month.

According to Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks, "Our viewers asked for this, and we are delivering. Now, in addition to the compelling live programming we offer on TVU, our viewers can take advantage of the powerful Personal Video Recorder capabilities, ensuring they will never miss their favorite show. TVU is very pleased to be delivering this new suite of features which will surely make for an enhanced viewing experience on TVU."

About TVU Networks:
TVU Networks, www.tvunetworks.com, offers a turnkey live Internet TV broadcast platform that empowers broadcasters to reach an unlimited global audience at a fixed low cost. At the core of the service is TVU’s patent-pending RPR television delivery technology, which coupled with geo-filtering, subscription services and personalized in-stream ad insertion tools, makes for a turnkey live Internet broadcast, monetization and syndication platform for TV broadcasters both professional and emerging. TVU enables live Internet broadcasts from broadcasters’ own websites, on partner portals, and on TVU, reaching an audience of 40 million users from 200 countries on the PC and Mac, mobile phones, the iPhone, and leading STBs. TVU also ships standard with HP MediaSmart on HP consumer laptops worldwide.

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Verbatim Announces TUFF-'N'-TINY Line of Penny-thin USB Drives

Verbatim(R) Americas, LLC an industry innovator in the data storage industry for 40 years, announced today its new ''TUFF-N-TINY™ family of ultra-portable USB drives with capacities of 4GB in emerald green and 8GB in royal purple. Among the most compact, durable USB flash drives on the market, the new TUFF-'N'-TINY drives measure about 1-inch long, one-half inch wide and are the thickness of a penny. Ideal for storing, backing up, sharing and transporting data and multimedia files, Verbatim TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drives are available with retail prices starting as low as US$30.00.

With support for Windows(R), Mac(R) and Linux(R) systems, the TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drives also provide true cross-platform compatibility and a convenient way to transfer files between systems. Verbatim's new travel-tough USB drives include a key ring lanyard that can be clipped on a key ring, PDA or cell phone to ensure that the user's data is always conveniently at hand.

The 8GB drive can be used to store nearly eight hours of MPEG-1 video, about 2,000 hours of MP3 music, about 4,000 300dpi color photos or 8GBs of personal and business files. The drive's ultra-portability makes it easy for students to carry research and project files from school to home and for business people to have current files with them wherever they go. The drive's small form factor, durability and high capacity will also appeal to videographers and photographers who want to collaborate with others on post-production projects and quickly move work from one system to another.

Verbatim TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drives are significantly more portable and more rugged than standard flash drives because they feature SIP technology which encapsulates all of the electronic components into a single miniaturized and sealed unit. As a result, the tiny drives are resistant to dust, water and static discharges.

For security conscious PC users, the TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drives also include password security features to protect sensitive data in a user-defined private zone, while allowing a public zone for open access and sharing of non-sensitive content. With support for Windows ReadyBoost™, the TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drive becomes a dual-purpose device for Windows Vista™ users who want to speed system performance by utilizing a portion of the device's unused flash memory.

A true Plug-and-Play device, the TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drive can be easily connected through a USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port of a desktop or notebook computer. The system automatically recognizes the drive as a new removable drive as soon as it is connected. Featuring a solid-state design (no moving parts) and non-volatile flash memory, the drives will retain data for 10 years or more.

Availability and Pricing
Designed for Windows Vista, XP or 2000; Mac OS 9.x or higher and Linux kernel 2.6x or higher, Verbatim TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drives are available through Verbatim retail and distribution channels. Street prices are about US$29.99 for the 4GB drive and US$49.99 for the 8GB drive. The complete package includes the TUFF-'N'-TINY USB Drive, pre-loaded password security software for Windows systems, a key ring lanyard and a Quick Start Guide.

www.verbatim.com

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New High-Performance Marantz Blu-ray Players Now Certified for DivX HD Playback

DivX, Inc. (Nasdaq: DIVX), a digital media company, today announced the DivX Certification of two new high-performance Marantz(R) Blu-ray players for DivX(R) HD 1080p playback. The BD7004 and BD5004 Blu-ray players are now available in the United States and Canada.

With these devices, consumers can easily playback their 1080p DivX HD videos. Typical HD video requires a considerable amount of storage space, but DivX HD video provides a superior media experience by maintaining the highest visual quality while significantly reducing the video file size. Using DivX technology, a full-length high-definition movie is able to fit on a DVD.

"Having Marantz include DivX HD technology in their leading-edge Blu-ray players is a real win for us," said Eric Rodli, Executive Vice President, Licensing, at DivX. "As the market for Blu-ray players accelerates, we are pleased to have demand from our OEM partners to include DivX HD technology as a value-added feature."

Products that bear the DivX Certified(R) logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure a high-quality DivX media experience, including reliable video creation and playback, interoperability with other DivX Certified devices and the visual quality users expect from DivX.

For more information about Marantz, visit www.marantz.com.

For more information about DivX, visit www.divx.com.

About DivX
DivX, Inc. is a digital media company that enables consumers to enjoy a high-quality video experience across any kind of device. DivX creates, distributes and licenses digital video technologies that span the "three screens" comprising today's consumer media environment - the PC, the television and mobile devices. Over 200 million DivX devices have shipped into the market from leading consumer electronics manufacturers. DivX also offers content providers and publishers a complete solution for the distribution of secure, high-quality digital video content. Driven by a globally recognized brand and a passionate community of hundreds of millions of consumers, DivX is simplifying the video experience to enable the digital home.

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