Blu-ray Production to Expand – A format that does provide the higher resolution it claims is Blu-ray DVD. Its production capacity in the U.S. is being expanded by $75.8 million in renovations to the Blu-ray production line of Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation in Terre Haute, Indiana. Sony is updating all of their disc production lines to Blu-ray.
HD DVD Sells the Most Hi-Def Players – This month is the first anniversary of the introduction of HD DVD hardware and discs in North America. The HD DVD Promotional Group has announced that sales of dedicated HD DVD consumer players has reached over 100,000 units sold in the U.S., ahead of the competing hi-def format, Blu-ray. The lower prices of HD DVD players is seen as the major factor in the increased sales. Made only by Toshiba, the latest entry retails for $399, and new interactive features as well as decoding support for Dolby True HD are included. An interesting exclusive vs. Blu-ray is that some HD DVD discs are now combo versions – including a standard DVD layer in addition to the hi-def layer. By the end of July over 300 HD DVD titles will be available worldwide.
DTV for Mobile Users – Falling into the “Do We Really Need This?” category, Digital TV technology allowing over-the-air broadcasters to reach viewers on the move was unveiled at the current convention of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in Las Vegas. The idea is to provide robust DTV signals to mobile, pedestrian and handheld video devices. Users will be able to view their favorite programs, watch movies and sports and access local news and weather – even in fast-moving vehicles away from home. Of course the broadcasters are excited about the technology, which promises to create new and potentially lucrative revenue streams.
