Archive for June, 2008

~ StorDigital’s LightScribe duplicators offer easy disc burning & labelling ~

New from StorDigital the LightScribe duplicator supports silkscreen-quality disc label printing direct from a DVD and CD duplication tower.

Burning and printing large volumes of discs has never been easier, thanks to a new range of DVD and CD duplication towers from StorDigital. The new standalone LightScribe duplicators are available in configuration from 1 to 15 targets and allow users to burn and label their discs in a traditional-style standalone tower copier. This is the perfect solution for any company or individual who wants to make the best impression with their disc.

StorDigital LightScribe duplicators feature patented HP LightScribe disc labeling technology. By utilising a special disc, LightScribe duplicator operators are able to burn their discs, then flip them and then burn a label or image on to the top of the disc. By offering duplicators featuring this enhanced functionality StorDigital Systems are revolutionising the traditional in-house production process.

Nic Ranshaw (MD of CD-writer.com and CEO of StorDigital Systems) had this to say: “The introduction of our LightScribe duplicators really does represent a turning point in the way people approach disc publishing. Traditionally if a tower duplicator customer wished to produce a disc that is both copied and labeled they would have to purchase a separate printer. We have transformed the process, making production simpler and reducing expenditure.“

He added, “We don’t consider that the LightScribe system is perfect for everybody. It won’t replace our automated inkjet printers, but having a tower duplicator that can also label your discs is a strong selling point”.

StorDigital LightScribe duplicators featuring HP LightScribe technology are available now from CD-writer.com Ltd and StorDigital Systems on 0208 293 0777. To register for a CD-writer.com trade account log on to http://reseller.cd-writer.com.

Retail customers can get more information and buy online at www.cd-writer.com.

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For further information contact: Nic Ranshaw
CD-writer.com Ltd, 15 Greenwich Center Business Park,
53 Norman Road, London, SE10 9QF
Telephone: +44 (0)208 293 0777
Fax: +44 (0)208 293 0666
e-mail: nicr@cd-writer.com
www: www.cd-writer.com

About CD-Writer.com Ltd: CD-writer.com was established in 1999 and has forged a reputation as one of the UK’s leading independent suppliers of CD and DVD production systems. CD-writer.com supplies a range of sectors including the media, financial institutions, government bodies and educational authorities. The company supplies equipment manufactured by Microboards, Primera, Rimage, MFDigital as well as StorDigital, its own brand of duplication systems. These include high capacity robotic auto copiers and manually operated high capacity tower copiers.

Ref: CDW0 26/06/08

Osaka, Japan (June 18, 2008) — Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, announced today that it has developed the world’s first Write-Once Blu-ray Discs(BD-R) with 6X writing speed*. The new discs will be available in Japan with both 25GB and 50GB capacities in July.

Panasonic, which introduced the world’s first dual-layer 1X BD-RE Blu-ray Disc in 2004**, 2X BD-R/RE Discs in 2006, and 4X BD-R Disc in 2007, is now launching the world’s first 6X BD-R to meet consumer demand to write and read large amounts of data at a higher speed. The new 6X discs have a maximum data transfer speed of 216Mbps, which is 20% faster than that of 16X DVD-R discs. This transfer speed, along with the discs’ high capacity, allows consumers to use these discs for a variety of applications such as storing High Definition video or backing up PC data.

The new discs have a wide power margin at any writing speeds from 1X to 6X. This enables high-quality recording, even if the drive’s laser power fluctuates, resulting in greater overall drive compatibility.

Panasonic’s adoption of newly-developed disc technology produces extremely level and well-balanced discs with highly precise signal grooves. This improves servo characteristics and enables the laser beam to focus to the right position even when the disc is rotating with 6X high speed, thus providing optimum reading and writing performance.

Blu-ray disc drives compatible with 6X write-once Blu-ray discs are planned to be commercialized in Japan by the end of September 2008.

*As of June 18, 2008, as 6x recordable Blu-ray disc
**The capacity of Blu-ray discs is expressed in units of 1GB=1 billion bytes, but the capacity is slightly below that after formatting, so that the actual amount area that can be used will be less.
***Introduced in Japanese market only

For more informations, visit http://panasonic.net.

Xbox boss questions why consumers would upscale from DVD

Xbox president Robbie Bach has criticised Blu-Ray’s lack of sales success since the HD-DVD format imploded – and questioned why consumers would bother upscaling from DVD.

Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bach also ruled out any possibility of a Blu-Ray enabled Xbox – either in this or the next generation.

Bach said: “If you look at the Blu-ray player market, you haven’t seen the acceleration everybody expected (since the demise of HD DVD). It’s not as much about whether all the content is in a Blu-ray format or a HD-DVD format. “You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition play

Bach said: “If you look at the Blu-ray player market, you haven’t seen the acceleration everybody expected (since the demise of HD DVD). It’s not as much about whether all the content is in a Blu-ray format or a HD-DVD format. “You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player.

“The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, ‘I am not going to pay extra for that.’”

When asked if Microsoft had Blu-Ray plans for the next-gen Xbox, Bach added:

“No. There is nothing to even talk about right now with regard to the next generation. That is so far out that there isn’t anything to talk about.”

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Analysts say landmark is a sign that the format is becoming mainstream

Blu-ray movie sales have passed the 11 million mark according to the latest figures, prompting industry analysts suggest that the format is finally beginning to gain traction amongst customers.

Research by US market analyst firm Redhill also showed that sales of the format had overtaken those of 2007 by May this year. Blu-ray movie sales only accounted for two per cent of total movie sales during 2007, however, Redhill’s figures suggest that the format may account for as much as eight and ten per cent of total sales by the end of 2008.

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