Back in May, the DVD Forum formed an ad hoc group and gave it the task of developing a region-coding scheme for the HD DVD format. While this new scheme won't be officially proposed until early 2007, the group unveiled their current plans at the DVD Forum Japan Conference 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. Here's part of AV Watch's report, translated from Japanese:
"AD-022" is a group that examines region (region) control in HD DVD. The region reproduction limitation etc. of classification by countries of HD DVD video disk on the market like DVD have not been installed now. However, the voice to request the region control comes out of the contents holder etc. , and it is said that the examination will be advanced aiming at the introduction.

The reproduction control not only is introduced into classification by countries as simply as past DVD but also an interactive function of HD DVD is used, and it is said, "The control of new as the region is controlled from the sale only for a certain period that is is examined". However, it has not become a conclusion at present.

The examination of the region control is advanced, and "WG-1" that examines a technological specification of HD DVD receives the activity etc. of TCG, and examines how to build it in. It is said the schedule to which the project book is updated in the first ten days, 2007.
The DVD Forum also announced that they would be finalizing the specifications for 12x DVD-R DL media and the three layer TWIN disc in late 2006 and early 2007 respectively. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
CDRLabs has taken an in depth look at Samsung's new "Super-Multi" drive, the SH-S182D. While affordably priced, the drive features some of the fastest reading and writing speeds available. The SH-S182D is capable of 18x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 8x DVD±R DL writing speeds and has a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. On top of that, its one of the first drives with the ability to read and write to DVD-RAM media at 12x.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the SH-S182D and see how it compares to some of the 16x and 18x DVD±RW drives from the competition. Does Samsung's new "Super-Multi" drive have what it takes? Is it the fastest DVD writer around? You'll have to read the review to find out.


Samsung SH-S182D 18x DVD±RW/RAM
As usual, if you have any comments or questions about this review or the Samsung SH-S182D, please post them in the forum by clicking the link below.
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It appears that Imation is getting into the duplicator business. Earlier today, the company announced the D20 Disc Publisher. Aimed at SMBs and workgroups, the D20 can make up to 20 copies at once and offers full-color, direct-to-disc printing.

Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN), a worldwide leader in removable data storage, today brings a complete solution for optical disc publishing to workgroups and the small- and medium-business (SMB) market. The Imation D20 Disc Publisher is an all-in-one CD and DVD publishing system that automates the copying of up to 20 discs at once, and is optimized for full-color, direct-to-disc printing using Imation Inkjet Printable Media with AquaGuard(TM) surface. An expert in delivering optical media technologies engineered for the demands of business, Imation delivers its D20 Disc Publisher to users seeking an affordable way to professionally finish CD and DVD media. The Imation D20 Disc Publisher is ideal for duplication of marketing and sales materials, music, video, catalogs and more.
Judging by the picture, the D20 is based on the Bravo SE from Primera. The D20 is available now for a suggested retail price of $1495. More information is available on Imation's website. Add a comment
Moser Baer sent out a press release yesterday afternoon, announcing that their patented Low-to-High (L2H) recording technology has been approved by the Blu-ray Disc Association.
In a major break through for Moser Baer, the second largest optical media manufacturer in the world, its in-house developed and patented technology has been considered as one of the four standard media to be included in the Blu-ray disc specifications by the Blu-ray Disc Association in the recently concluded meeting in Newport Beach, California, USA. Moser Baer played a very vital role in developing the next generation optical media (Blu-ray disc) as a contributing member to the world body. The company is now amongst a select few like Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co Ltd, Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd, and Taiyo Yuden of Japan to have its technology approved by the prestigious Blu-ray Disc Association.
If you'd like to read more, Moser Baer's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
DigiTimes has reported that CyberHome has decided to stop producing DVD players. This decision was mainly due to Philips' demands for royalty payments.
Taiwan-based CyberHome Entertainment (once known as Protop Innotech), a maker of DVD players an recorders, has decided to stop producing DVD players mainly due to that Philips demands royalty payment, according to industry sources.

In peak periods in the past, CyberHome shipped over one million DVD players a month, the sources indicated.
To get around these royalty issues, CyberHome is considering production of modules for DVD players and recorders. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Miguel over at Extreme Mhz has put together a new "Extreme Guide" for LightScribe technology. In it, he covers a number of topics including the new v1.2 media and high contrast utility.
As more LightScribe enabled drives hit the market, and drive's reaching an all time low in terms of cost, many more users are purchasing these drives and taking advantage of what this technology has to offer. However, it may be the first LightScribe drive for most, and after receiving a number of emails with help on getting the feature to work properly, I found it was time for another "Extreme Guide" here at ExtremeMHz. This Extreme Guide to LightScribe Labeling will cover basically everything, including media, software, performance and tips. It should give many novice users a jump start and get them burning quality labels with ease. Also, for those wondering if the new "Ver. 1.2" discs are indeed faster, I will definitely cover this in the article and compare the difference in burn times over first gen media."
There's a lot of great info in this guide. If you'd like to read more, the entire guide can be found here. Add a comment
Plextor Europe has announced an external version of the PX-755A, the PX-755UF. Along with support for both FireWire and USB 2.0, the PX-755UF features 16x DVD±R and 10x DVD+R DL writing speeds and Plextor's AUTOSTRATEGY technology.

Plextor today announces a new addition to their Premium range of DVD-ReWriter drives - the external PX-755UF, capable of 16x DVD+/-R and 10x DVD+R DL burning speeds. The PX-755UF comes with a comprehensive package of high-end features to give the professional user full recording control. Building on the success of the internal PX-755A-range of drives, the external PX-755UF is housed within a stylish matt black chassis - and offers the extra flexibility and convenience of dual connectivity: USB2.0 and IEEE 1394 FireWire.
No word on price yet. However, the PX-755UF is expected to be available in November 2006. More information can be found here. Add a comment
Toshiba has announced the world's first slim HD DVD writer for notebook PC's. According to their press release, the SD-L902A can read and write to HD DVD media at 1x.

SD-L902A integrates a blue-violet laser diode that can read and write to HD DVD-R discs and that offers support for high-density HD DVD-ROM discs, including high definition movie and video images. The drive also offers the functionality of a super multi-drive, with high performance, high-speed read and write to all flavors of standard DVD and CD discs.

At only 12.7 millimeters in height, SD-L902A meets the stringent space specifications for slim drives integrated into highly portable notebook PCs. This is due in part to HD DVD discs having the physical structure as standard DVD, allowing use of an optical pick-up head with only a single objective lens. The result is a space-saving solution, and a drive able to read and write to HD DVD-R discs, to read HD DVD-ROM discs, and to read and write to standard DVD and CD discs.
Toshiba will demonstrate the new drive at CEATEC JAPAN 2006 and plans to send sample shipments by the end of the year. More information, including a full list of specs, can be found here. Add a comment
Sony has announced that they will be launching a pair of Blu-ray Disc recorders in Japan this December. Along with support for 1080p output, the BDZ-V9 and BDZ-V7 both include features like hard disk drives and digital tuners.

The machines both feature hard-disk drives for day-to-day recording and a Blu-ray Disc drive for longer term storage. The BDZ-V9 has a 500GB drive and the BDZ-V7 has a 250GB drive. There are two digital tuners in each recorder so that two high-definition programs can be recorded simultaneously.

Both were unveiled during a news conference at the Ceatec show, which opened today and runs until Saturday at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo.

The recorders are designed to appeal to videophiles with demands for high specifications, including Linear PCM audio and 1080p (1,080 lines progressive scanning) output, which is the highest of several image levels judged to be high-definition. The recorders can also be connected to Sony's recently launched high-definition camcorders by a Firewire connection and can playback the AVCHD-format discs used in the cameras.
The BDZ-V9 will be launched on December 8th for ¥300,000 ($2,545). The BDZ-V7 will follow on December 16th and will cost ¥250,000 ($2,121). If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
While SATA has become the standard for hard drives, most optical drives still use the old ATAPI interface. This has slowly been changing though. According to an article at DigiTimes, SATA could replace ATAPI as early as the second half of 2007.
Although advanced technology attachment packet interface (ATAPI) is the mainstream interface standard for optical disc drives (ODDs) currently, serial ATA (SATA) stands a chance of replacing the former in the second half of 2007, according to sources in Taiwan's ODD manufacturing industry.

SATA has been adopted for several DVD-burner models, such as the Sony AW-Q160S, Asustek DRW-1814BLT and DVD-E616A3T, the sources indicated. Samsung, Pioneer and the Taiwan-based Lite-On IT and BenQ will launch SATA DVD burners this quarter, the sources noted.
We've had an early sample of the Sony AW-Q160S in the 'Labs for a couple weeks now and while it works fairly well with newer motherboards, there are still issues with older chipsets. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment