The DVD Forum has approved the DaTARIUS headquarters as the first European Class-A Verification Laboratory for HD DVD-Video disc and HD DVD-ROM disc. This distinction is granted only to those companies who have been closely involved with the DVD Forum and its activities in the development of DVD and HD DVD Formats.

“There are two HD DVD Class-A Labs in the US and eight in the Asia-Pacific region, but to date there has been no HD DVD Class-A Lab in Europe,” say Toshihiro Sugaya, Technology Adviser, HD DVD Division, Toshiba; and Robert Freedman, Chief Technology Officer, Crest Digital (Co-chairs of the DVD Forum Verification Policy Committee).

“To support the establishment of the HD DVD format in Europe, we invited DaTARIUS to apply as a Class-A Verification Laboratory for HD DVD discs. We believe that the DaTARIUS Class-A Lab will be a strong and reliable resource for the European DVD community’s Verification and Technical Support needs.”

Any HD DVD drive or media manufacturer can contact the DaTARIUS HD DVD Class-A Lab for technical support regarding the HD DVD format, or to perform the First Production Model Verification required to complete their DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation (DVD FLLC) licence. If the evaluation proves to be positive, the DaTARIUS HD DVD Class-A Lab will notify the DVD FLLC of the completion of this requirement. Further information regarding First Production Model Verification can be found at the DVD FLLC website.

For several year DaTARIUS has been offering a service both to its customers and industry: the DaTARCENTER, offering quality control expertise and testing-on-demand for optical media manufacturers. As a worldwide leader in optical media quality control, DaTARIUS has already installed its DaTABANK for HD DVD at key media manufacturers and the system has consistently demonstrated its expertise and reliability.

This year, DaTARIUS also released its HD DVD Signal Guide – a guide that demystifies the HD DVD quality control parameters.

Mission of Class-A Verification Laboratories
Class-A Verification Laboratories (Labs) are experts in DVD technology and provide comprehensive services. They are run by the Steering Committee members and/or leading companies in the development of DVD Formats., and must satisfy the following missions:
• Execute comprehensive DVD verification (First Production Model and Next Production Model)
• Execute services requested by the DVD Forum (e.g. market inspections)
• Contribute to further development of Test Specifications, testing criteria, specification interpretation, methods and procedures
• Provide technical support to other Class-A Labs, Class-B and Class-C Labs, DVD FLLC, and the DVD Community
• Contribute to the development of test tools.
• Provide services to the DVD FLLC (e.g. market inspection, market monitoring, etc.)

www.datarius.com

TMPG, Inc.), the company that makes digital video easy, is introducing an updated version of its popular TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX® Authoring software. The update provides optimization of the DVD authoring program for the Intel® CoreT 2 Extreme quad-core processor QX9650 and the Intel Xeon® 5400 Family of quad core Intel CPU's (code name Penryn). SSE4 optimization provides a speed increase for all MPEG-1/2 processes. The software upgrade is now available at www.tmpg-inc.com and is free for current TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 users. New users may purchase the updated software for $89.95 per license.

"We are pleased to announce another one of our software products is now optimized for Intel's new, fast, energy efficient CoreT 2 Extreme quad-core processor QX9650/Intel Xeon5400 Series processors and their new SSE4 instruction set. TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX Authoring now provides the power to easily author common DVD's and DivX projects in a very short amount of time," stated Kimi Matsuki, TMPG CEO. "We are celebrating this event with a free special edition menu template pack."

TMPGEnc will be giving away a "free gift" to all new and existing TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 users. The gift is a special edition menu template pack containing eight newly designed menu templates. Each template features a different theme/setting such as Science Fiction, Family, Independence Day, Snowboarding, Movie Theater, Autumn, and Presents.

The new template pack will not be available for download directly from www.tmpg-inc.com. During the promotional period, purchasers of TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 will be emailed a download link, and existing users will be able to download the themes from within the TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 application. This promotion ends December 27th. For more information on how to obtain the template pack, click here.

DVD Author3 Features
Due to the included DivX authoring capability, DivX projects can now feature DVD-like menus and navigation. DivX projects made with TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX Authoring enjoy the ultimate combination of DVD-like presentation with DivX technology. Finished products may be played with DivX Player software on a PC, or on any DivX Certified DVD player and a television or compatible home theater system.

Capturing video directly from a DV or HDV camcorder is easy with DVD Author 3 software. Plug a camcorder into a PC via an IEEE 1394 (i.LINK) interface. The software then views the contents, adding it as a source file. TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 improves format input, allowing inclusion of other types of source files. These include: DVD-VIDEO, DVD-VR, MPEG1/2, MPEG-4, AVI, Windows Media, DivX, and QuickTime (mov, mp4, 3gp, 3g2) file formats. Since the software can utilize up to two subtitle streams simultaneously, it's possible to create a DivX or DVD file with subtitles appearing in more than one language.

TMPGEnc DVD Author 3, allows users to utilize built-in menu templates or create quick and easy custom menus with the robust menu creation process. It is now easy to freely position and resize titles, thumbnail images, and text; creating dynamic motion menus that liven up any production; as well as change highlight colors and screen ratios. Special Smart Rendering technology makes encoding with TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX Authoring faster, allowing users to edit and output DivX and DVD projects much quicker than other authoring software.

www.tmpg-inc.com

Following landmark Black Friday promotions through major retail chains, the North American HD DVD Promotional Group today announced that sales of dedicated HD DVD players exceeded the 750,000 mark. The data is based on retailer reports and other point of sale data, and includes standalone set-top players as well as the Xbox 360 HD DVD player.

"HD DVD continues to gain momentum and market share with consumers," said Ken Graffeo, executive vice president of HD strategic marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group. "With more than four weeks left for holiday shopping, HD DVD is turning out to be a perfect consumer electronics gift."

HD DVD continues to step up marketing and education efforts, helping consumers to see the quality and value of the new format. In addition to an enhanced presence at major retailers, HD DVD has added educational sections to its website at http://www.TheLookAndSoundOfPerfect.com.

Anwell is proud to announce that CD Video of California signs contracts to purchase both HD and BD production systems. At the R&D facility in Dongguan China, Anwell unveiled their BD50 system in real life production to its customers. The system will be officially launched first quarter 2008. Mr. Minh Nguyen owner of CD Video is proud to become the first independent replication facility who can offer both HD and BD formats to its customers. CD Video will take delivery of the DVD-HD system in November and will install a BD line in Q1 2008, the BD line is modular and can be upgraded to BD-DL when the market requires. CD Video is one of the reputable Replicators in California.

Mr. Nguyen states that to keep up with the market demand and technology CD Video needs to be an early adaptor of both formats and sees Anwell and its North American Agent TS&S as the ideal partner for CD Video.

Roel Theunisse from TS&S is very excited with this Agreement and believes that Anwell will become a major player in the North American market for the next generation formats. TS&S has Sales and Service offices in both the East and West coast of the USA and recently hired additional engineers to support their customers.

Mr. Russell Yau, the President of Anwell Americas, states that Anwell has been developing their BD products for the past 2 years, and to be ready for the expected increase in demand in 2008.

With the experience in DVD-R (single and dual layer) spin coating technologies Anwell believes to have a competitive edge towards their competitors and with a partner like CD Video, who has in-house technical know-how, Anwell will be ready to for the market in 2008. The major expansion for Anwell in 2007 has been in Latin America in CD-R and DVD-R systems, Anwell has achieved a significant market share, and has become the #1 equipment supplier in the recordable industry. This is because Anwell not only delivers high quality equipment but also supplies the process know-how to manufacture the high quality recordable media. Anwell believes that next to delivering equipment, supplying their customers with HD and BD process knowledge is key for success in these formats.

While numerous DVD/HD-DVD systems have been sold in Europe, Asia and India, CD Video will also receive the first 1.8 second cycle time DVD and HD system(capable of running at 1.5s), the fastest in the USA. This will give CD Video an extra DVD capacity per day which makes the Anwell Smartline the most economical system available on the market today.

Anwell, an Expert in Optical Disc Production System
Since established in 2000, Anwell utilized its R&D effort in optical disc production process. Anwell installed over 300 DVD/DVDR production lines worldwide. Anwell’s success continued with innovative and cost efficient optical disc manufacturing systems. With our international sales network expanding to different regions, Anwell continues to provide advanced world class manufacturing solutions.

www.anwell.com

Facilis Technology, Inc., a leader in shared media storage technology for post-production and content creation, today announced the availability of TerraBlockÒ shared storage networks with one-terabyte drives. The 1TB drives mark the largest capacity available today within a post-production storage environment. The 1TB drives are available in each TerraBlock model – 8XS, the new 24EX, 12-drive expandable model and the 24D.

The new drive capacity comes on the heels of other TerraBlock system advancements, including iSCSI Ethernet connectivity and the new 24EX model that eases expansion of server capacity. TerraBlock is able to support simultaneous access to the same uncompressed HD video data, making it ideal for high-end post production and finishing environments.

"With support for 1TB drives, a new 24EX model line and iSCSI Module for Ethernet connectivity, we’re again demonstrating our commitment to providing advanced workflow features for our customers," explained James McKenna, vice president, Facilis Technology. "Storage plays a key role in the workflow of a modern facility, and only TerraBlock is powerful enough to provide scalability for the next generation of deliverables, yet maintain its easy-to-use management and system maintenance."

TerraBlock combines intelligent drive management software with lower-cost SATA drive technology and dedicated optical fibre channel client connectivity. TerraBlock supports all Avid, Apple, Adobe and other non-linear editorial, graphics and effects applications, content creation, DI and encoding systems on various Windows, Macintosh and Linux platforms. Facilis Technology’s capacity and scalability options provide post-production environments the greatest flexibility by supporting all creative tools, without limitations.

To learn more about TerraBlock shared storage or to locate an authorized reseller, visit www.facilis.com.

Apricorn the leader in personal storage, today released an addition to the Aegis product suite, the Aegis Vault. The Vault is an ideal secure portable storage system featuring AES-128 bit hardware encryption with password protection, keeping all data safe even if the hard drive is removed from its enclosure.

The bus-powered, 2.5 inch drive is an easy-to-use solution designed for the mobile user. The Aegis Vault’s encrypted partition is accessed by entering an authenticated password and can be configured to support multiple public partitions for data sharing. The portable drive also features an administrator password for corporate applications and does not require software installation on the host computer to access the encrypted partition. This unique feature enables users to access data on any Windows® based computer system, no matter where they are and is ideal for professionals in government, healthcare, insurance, finance, human resources and executives who need to protect their data.

"We’re pleased to extend the Aegis family with this extremely portable, secure, cost effective storage solution," explains Mike McCandless, Apricorn's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Compatible with Windows PCs, the Aegis Vault’s sleek, slim, self-powered design makes it the perfect traveling companion while providing the ultimate in flexibility and security. The Aegis Vault gives our users the option of storing sensitive files in the encrypted partition of the drive and creating public partitions for sharing personal flies like photos, music or video documents."

As an extension of the innovative Aegis product design, the Vault also includes a robust 16-point omni-directional shock mounting, and Apricorn’s signature integrated USB cable, eliminating bulky, messy problems with loose cables. Available in 80GB, 120GB, 160GB and 250GB capacities, this product is an ideal solution to add additional storage to any system.

Apricorn’s Aegis Vault is currently available online at www.apricorn.com.

M-Audio® a leading provider of creative tools for musicians, is proud to announce shipment of the Fast Track™ Ultra audio interface. This 8 x 8 audio interface with MIDI features high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity, MX Core™ DSP mixer and four preamps with award-winning Octane™ technology, making it one of M-Audio’s most powerful interfaces to date.

Designed for mobile and desktop production, the compact Fast Track Ultra interface utilizes high-speed USB 2.0 technology for advanced performance. Like the Apple FireWire serial bus, USB 2.0 delivers the bandwidth for 24-bit/96kHz audio resolution throughout the recording and monitoring process. The increased data speed lets users enjoy exceptional fidelity on all inputs and outputs simultaneously. USB 2.0 is also ubiquitous on all current PC and Mac computers.

The Fast Track Ultra introduces M-Audio’s brand-new MX Core DSP technology. The robust MX Core mixer employs an array of eight individual DSP cores to deliver near-zero latency, effects and a matrix for sophisticated channel routing options—accessible via an intuitive control panel that utilizes a separate mixer for each pair of outputs. MX Core technology enables users to apply reverb while tracking vocals to get more out of an artist’s performance, or take advantage of the two independent headphone outputs to create separate monitor mixes when recording multiple musicians—all without burdening the computer. The mixer provides for up to a 16 x 8 configuration, allowing users to connect microphones, synths and other outboard gear to any of the interface’s hardware inputs, then mix them with the eight audio streams coming from the computer without taxing the CPU.

The Fast Track Ultra features four preamps with multi-award winning M-Audio Octane technology, creating a premium front end that delivers exceptional audio clarity. Users get professional low-noise, high-gain preamplification with enough channels for a variety of miking applications. Features include +48V phantom power for condenser mics, signal/peak LED indicator lights and a pull-out gain knob that activates a 20dB pad for recording at high volumes. The first two inputs also accept instrument-level signals.

The Fast Track Ultra provides a complete recording solution, with six channels of analog inputs and outputs plus 2-channel digital S/PDIF I/O. Unlike most USB interfaces, the unit features two dedicated inserts on the first two channels, facilitating the insertion of outboard processing before A/D conversion. Easy connection via a single USB 2.0 cable delivers audio/MIDI communication with a computer, as well as bus power*. Compatibility with most audio software means seamless integration into any studio setup.

“With high-bandwidth USB 2.0, award-winning M-Audio preamp technology and the flexible MX Core DSP mixer, the Fast Track Ultra delivers a new level of functionality our customers have not yet seen in a USB audio interface,” says Adam Castillo, M-Audio’s marketing director. “The Fast Track Ultra is the only high-speed USB 2.0 interface that comes with M-Audio’s mature, stable drivers, rock-solid performance and renowned customer support.”

The Fast Track Ultra is currently expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 2007 and carries an MSRP of US$449.95.

www.m-audio.com