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Mitsubishi ramps up Blu-ray recordable disc manufacturing
Add Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Mitsubishi, Verbatim) to the list of manufacturers expanding Blu-ray support in the pending absence of HD DVD. The manufacturer, which has been releasing recordable media for both sides, is adding a Blu-ray production line to its Singapore plant that will expand companywide production from 200,000 to 700,000 units a month when it comes online in July or August, along with production outsourced to other manufacturers. Nothing is set in stone, but hopefully those of us recording movies and data 50GB at a time have more plentiful (and cheaper) discs to look forward to.
Verbatim introduces new lineup of Blu-ray media
We've already seen Verbatim crank out a few new pieces of HD DVD media, so it's only fair that red's rival gets a little updating, too. Among the newcomers are 4x BD-R, single-sided double-layer 2x BD-R / BD-RE, Mini BD-R / BD-RE and 1 - 2x BD-R LTH discs. Not a lot to say beyond that -- you know, considering the dearth of pricing information -- but you can expect 'em all to ship sometime during the first half of 2008.
Verbatim gears up to ship 2x HD DVD-R discs
Believe it or not, we were getting pretty jazzed up that 1x HD DVD-R media was getting set to ship in late 2006, and here we are in 2008 wondering why we're just now getting to 2x. Regardless, Verbatim is finally gearing up to ship 2x-speed HD DVD-R/RW discs sometime this quarter, but for whatever reason, we're left to wonder just how much the firm plans on charging for said media. But yeah, it's pretty safe to say these won't run ya cheap.
Verbatim gears up to ship 2x HD DVD-R/RW discs
Believe it or not, we were getting pretty jazzed up that 1x HD DVD-R media was getting set to ship in late 2006, and here we are in 2008 wondering why we're just now getting to 2x. Regardless, Verbatim is finally gearing up to ship 2x-speed HD DVD-R/RW discs sometime this quarter, but for whatever reason, we're left to wonder just how much the firm plans on charging for said media. But yeah, it's pretty safe to say these won't run ya cheap.
Verbatim's 2.5-inch SmartDisk portable USB and FireWire drives
Just because everything's getting all fancy pants this year at CES -- that is to say, wireless, wireless and wireless -- doesn't mean there isn't a place for the tried and true. Verbatim is sticking to the basics with its new line of SmartDisk portable hard drives. The drives are available now, and come in 120GB, 160GB, 250GB and 320GB capacities, all spinning at 5400 RPM. All drives are available with either a USB plug or a Combo USB / FireWire interface. Speeds reach 480MBps over USB and 400MBs over FireWire, without needing AC power for either connector type. Prices start at $99.
Verbatim offers up color-background LightScribe DVDRs
We're beginning to think that this is some type of holiday tradition for Verbatim, as nearly a year after the firm waved color-background CD-Rs in our faces, now we've got vivid DVD±Rs to tempt us, too. As expected, these new 4.7GB discs are fully compatible with all LightScribe-enabled drives, and they're currently shipping in packs of 25 for around $25. Yeah, it's costly, but it's hard to put a price on the joy you'll receive when finding yellow, blue, red, orange and green discs within your next spindle.
Mini Blu-ray discs show off wider adoption of HD format
Here's some food for thought: Verbatim has started manufacturing minature (UMD-sized) Blu-ray discs able to hold 7.5 gigabytes. The discs will appear in North America around October for use in handheld camcorders by Hitachi. Verbatim and Hitachi teaming up to bring Blu-ray home for the masses to record HD footage of their children opening Christmas presents? Hell yeah.This isn't really PS3-related or Sony-related, but it is Blu-ray related thus we feel it's important to keep you guys up to date on Blu-ray's adoption into the mainstream. Not to spark a flame, but there's been no news of handheld camcorders using mini HD DVD's, you know? What do you guys think: does this prove that the next format of choice is Blu-ray, or are Verbatim and Hitachi wasting their time making a mini BD for the future of HD recording?
Verbatim to launch Mini Blu-ray discs with Hitachi's camcorder
Now that Hitachi has announced a Blu-ray camcorder to put some of that high-def footage on, you've got to have something to record onto, right? Verbatim will ship 8cm Mini Blu-ray Recordable/Rewritable (BD-R/RE) blank media in August for Japan, with shipments to North America and points beyond in October. The media will hold 7.5GB on a single side, with recording times of one hour for 1920x1080i resolution, and up to two hours at 1440x1080i. The discs come with Verbatim's standard hard-coat finish for protection against scratching and dust, making them pretty reliable for the kinds of stresses you'll see filming your own season of Survivor: Fargo.
Verbatim ready to ship 30GB HD DVD-R media to North America
If you've already laid down your order for one of the HD DVD writers announced at CES, you're probably in need of just two things: HD DVD-R media and more cash. While we can't exactly help with the latter, Verbatim has just announced that it plans to start shipping 30GB HD DVD-R media to the North American market "when HD DVD writers become available." Considering those drives are now finding their way to shelves, we'd guess these writeable discs won't be too far behind. Parent company Mitsubishi Kagaku Media has been shipping these discs for months to Japan, and Memorex has likely been holding down the blank HD DVD market thus far in the US, but we're not complaining with a little head-to-head competition.
Qflix brings CSS to download-to-burn DVDs: a new day has dawned
It's been a long time coming, but the major Hollywood studios have finally agreed to amend the CSS (content scrambling system, found on store-bought DVDs) licensing restrictions to include support for both commercial and private download-to-burn options. First mentioned last summer, this new agreement uses technology from Sonic Solutions called Qflix (initially adopted by Movielink) to slap that good ol' digital lock on discs that consumers burn either on their PCs or at in-store kiosks like the ones Wal-Mart and other big box retailers have been planning for some time now. Of course you can already burn downloaded flicks to DVD through CinemaNow's aptly-titled "Burn to DVD" service, but compatibility issues have relegated this option to merely a stopgap solution. While Qflix burns should be readable by any old player that supports CSS, the downside is that new media and -- in some cases -- new drives will be required to perform this neat little trick (some current burners can apparently be made Qflix-compatible through firmware upgrades). Besides the studios, other companies that are down with Qflix include disc manufacturer Verbatim, video-on-demand provider Akimbo, your friendly neighborhood Walgreens, and of course, Movielink. It's not clear when consumers will start seeing this these new devices and kiosks in the wild, but rest assured that you'll soon have a way to spend those 10 to 15 minutes waiting for your prescription that doesn't involve sitting next to a bunch of sick people in a germ-ridden pleather chair.
Verbatim adds background color to LightScribe discs
Nothing adds a dash of holiday cheer like a little color to brighten things up, or at least that's the mantra Verbatim is banking on you believing as it "ramps up shipments" of its recently-unveiled LightScribe-compatible CD-Rs. While we figured color would come this way awhile back, we were honestly hoping for actual color etching technology to be a part of LightScribe by now, but we guess a spindle of "red, green, blue, yellow and orange discs" will have to suffice for the time being. Notably, these discs utilize the same ole LightScribe burner you've already got, but adding color silkscreens to your laser drawings certainly won't prove cheap, as these stocking stuffers will run you $19.99 for a 25-pack.[Via Chip Chick]
Verbatim to launch mini DVD-R dual-layer media
If you've already made plans to pick up the Canon iVIS DC22 we brought you earlier today, you may be wondering where (and when) you're going to find those miniaturized dual-layer DVD-Rs. Apparently Verbatim took matters into their own hands by making absolutely sure DC22 owners will be able to fully utilize the (only) standout feature on their new camcorder. Today the company announced its plan to drop dual-layer 8cm (3-inch) DVD-Rs to presumably coincide with the release of Canon's newest iVIS later this month. The 2.66GB discs provide 54 minutes of continuous recording capacity, which isn't quite double what a plain-jane mini-DVD-R will hold. The new discs are being touted as superior to the currently-available double-sided discs, which can create a seriously frantic situation when trying to flip sides and continue filming. Verbatim also notes that these little buggers will sport its "innovative VideoGard technology" that provides a protective coating to withstand "40 times" the damage that an unshielded disc will (sounds a lot like Durabis). Though we're not huge fans of DVD-camcorders, the ability to hold nearly an hour of family reunions and bar fights on one disc is respectable -- unfortunately that respect comes with a $24.99 pricetag for three measly discs.
