Blu-ray

July 25, 2006--Sonic Solutions broke new high-definition ground today with the release of Toast 7 with Blu-ray Disc (BD) support -- the first application of its kind for the Mac. The software ushers in a new era of advanced optical disc recording providing Mac users with the ability to store as much as 50 GB of data on a BD-R (recordable) or BD-RE (rewritable) disc. The Blu-ray Disc capabilities extend Toast's long history of Mac-platform firsts and exemplify Sonic's commitment to helping the industry make a successful transition to next-generation formats. Toast 7 with BD support is available exclusively for original equipment manufacturers developing next-generation external BD drives. The first drives to feature Toast 7 with BD support are expected to be available later this quarter. Read more

June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Memorex today announced the retail availability of its highly anticipated Blu-ray media. The recordable (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) discs support high-definition (HD) video recording, making them ideal for consumers who want to capture, save and share up to 25 GB of HD content in crystal-clear quality. Blu-ray also meets today's high-capacity data storage needs with five times greater capacity than recordable DVD media and faster transfer speeds. Read more

June 15, 2006--Samsung Electronics announced today that the industry's first Blu-ray disc player has been shipped to retailers in the U.S. market for availability on June 25th. The Samsung Blu-ray disc player (BD-P1000) has been eagerly awaited by consumers anticipating the opportunity to view High Definition discs on their existing HDTVs. Blu-ray is the next generation disc format which offers close to five times the resolution of conventional DVDs making it the highest picture quality available on the market. The format is supported by many of the leading movie studios, including Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) and LionsGate Pictures which will release Blu-ray content this month. The innovation marks the latest technology breakthrough brought to market by Samsung and further underscores the brand commitment to offering consumers the ultimate home theater experience. Read more

June 13, 2006--Philips Electronics is delivering the ultimate High-Definition (HD) experience with the sensational debut of its Blu-ray Disc (BD) player and all-in-one PC Writer. The anticipated consumer electronic Blu-ray Disc Payer (BDP9000) and all-in-one PC Writer (TripleWriter) will be available in the third quarter of 2006.

Philips' Blu-ray Disc player is loaded with features that provide the most stunning pictures available including an HDMI output that supports the latest 1080p resolution. It also supports a component video output that will provide brilliant imagery and DVD upscaling to 1080i. Rich surround sound is heightened with multi-channel HD audio decoding and digital audio optical outputs. Fully backward compatible, it allows consumers to play their existing DVDs and CDs as well as their Blu-ray Discs. Read more

May 23, 2006 – TDK just announced that Pioneer Electronics is bundling TDK Blu-ray Disc media with the Pioneer BDR-101A Blu-ray Disc drive, the world's first commercially available Blu-ray Disc writer. Each BDR-101A includes TDK's 25GB Blu-ray Disc media, the ideal media for recording high-definition video and archiving large amounts of data. Featuring TDK's DURABIS hard coating technology, TDK's Blu-ray Disc media is setting new standards in recording and playback by offering unprecedented capacities, fast transfer rates and revolutionary durability. Read more

May 17, 2006--Sonic Solutions broke new ground today shipping its Roxio BD software with the first commercially available Blu-ray Disc drive from Pioneer Electronics. The release ushers in a new era in optical disc recording, making possible for the first time the backup of up to 25GB of data on a single layer BD-R (recordable) or BD-RE (rewritable) disc, as well as image-to-disc recording and the archive and playback of hours of high-definition video content. The software and hardware combination will enable a range of applications including professional pre-mastering, high-definition authoring and high-capacity storage. Read more

May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony today took the wraps off the world's first Blu-ray Disc enabled notebook computer -- the VAIO AR which will be available this summer.

Part of a series, the VAIO AR comes in two different configurations:

Premium and Standard. The AR Premium version plays Blu-ray Disc high-definition content, so you can enjoy movies in full 1080p HD resolution. The notebook has a17-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) widescreen display and uses Sony's XBRITE Hi-Color LCD technology. Read more

May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony DADC today officially inaugurated Blu-ray Disc BD-ROM (video, games, data) production in the U.S.

Sony DADC in the U.S. currently has three Blu-ray replication lines functioning with a capacity of 25,000 single-layer 25GB Blu-ray Discs per day, for a total of 750,000 Blu-ray Discs per month. This capacity is expected to increase to nearly 5 million discs per month by October as additional lines are added to the facility. Of these additional lines, six will be capable of manufacturing 50GB dual layer Blu-ray Discs. Read more

The next generation of optical disc-based high-definition media is here. Sony Electronics has begun shipping its 25GB single layer Blu-ray Disc recording media with AccuCORE technology. Read more

Sony's AccuCORE technology, which was first integrated into recordable DVD media over a year ago, has been re-engineered for Blu-ray Discs to deliver enhanced reliability and durability.

May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Leading the charge toward the next generation of optical disc-based high-definition media, Sony Electronics has begun shipping its 25GB single layer Blu-ray Disc recording media with AccuCORE technology. In addition, a dual layer 50GB capacity disc is set to debut in June.

"Sony knows Blu-ray technology like no other company," said Mike Lucas, director of marketing for Sony Electronics' Media and Application Solutions Division. "Coupled with our unique AccuCORE technology, we expect our Blu-ray recording media to take the high-definition experience to a new level of performance." Read more