HD DVD Gains Momentum.

HD DVD Gains Momentum
Posted by Admin on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 03:10 pm:
HD DVD Gains Further Momentum as Commercialization Approaches; Disc
Replicators and Equipment Manufacturers Prepare for Mass Production to
Support Upcoming Launch of the HD DVD Next Generation Disc

TOKYO, June 29, 2005 -- The HD DVD Promotion Group today announced
that momentum is building for the launch of HD DVD. Several key
manufacturers in the disc replication and equipment industry
simultaneously confirmed the manufacturability of HD DVD discs at high
volumes and provided tangible data to prove feasible and realistic
production. They are poised to mass produce HD DVD discs, which will
deliver a wide variety of options for high definition content later
this year.

M2 Engineering AB, Singulus and Unaxis, major international disc
replication equipment manufacturers, have already started to sell
their replication machines. The new HD DVD/DVD compatible lines are an
advantage for disc manufacturers, as they ensure a smooth transition
to the production of HD DVDs from the present DVD standard.

M2 Engineering AB in Sweden began selling its HD DVD production system
SQ200 in May 2005. "Our SQ200 has been producing single and dual layer
HD DVD-ROM discs for more than a year at our test facility in
Stockholm, Sweden," said Andreas Andersson, Product Manager of M2
Engineering AB. "We designed the SQ200 HD DVD production system for
economical mass production of HD DVDs, and the production cost is on
par with standard DVD production."

"Singulus has introduced SPACELINE II HD, a new disc replication
system that supports commercial production of both DVD and HD DVD
formats," said Dieter Wagner, Product Manager Prerecorded Media of
Singulus Technologies AG, a leading manufacturer of disc manufacturing
system in Germany. "The system supports single- and dual-layer discs,
and its manufacturability and cost effectiveness has already been
proven by Memory-Tech of Japan. We are confident that the system will
accelerate the upcoming market introduction of HD DVD."

"Unaxis has successfully demonstrated live HD DVD disc production with
the newest version of its 'MATRIX HD', a manufacturing system of
pre-recorded discs," said Peter Hillenbrand, Pre-Recorded Solutions
Manager at Unaxis. "Thanks to the company's field-proven bonding
process, Unaxis customers benefit from a state-of- the-art, cost
effective production solution for DVD-9 (dual-layer DVD discs) and
single and dual-layer HD DVD discs."

Disc manufacturers are also fully committed to meeting the demands of
high definition content providers and consumers. Memory-Tech
Corporation, Japan's largest independent disc replicator, confirmed
manufacturability of HD DVD-ROM discs with its HD DVD/DVD compatible
lines. Since May 2004 Memory-Tech has installed seven volume
production lines that can produce both HD DVD and DVD discs, and more
than one million HD DVD-ROM discs have been produced for evaluation
using these HD DVD/DVD compatible lines. While production cycle times
for standard DVD discs are 2.4 to 2.6 seconds, the compatible lines
achieved a 2.8-second cycle time for a dual-layer 30GB HD DVD-ROM
disc, which will become more efficient with continued production.
Production yields, a major variable in disc cost, have already reached
90 to 95% -- almost the same as that of standard DVDs.

"HD DVD is the practical disc technology for the future. The existing
0.6mm disc structure has already proven a huge success with
consumers," said Shiroharu Kawasaki, President and CEO of Memory-Tech.
"Investment costs for new HD DVD/DVD compatible lines are comparable
with those of standard DVD production lines. We can use the new lines
to produce either HD DVD or DVD discs depending on consumer demand."

Sonopress, a German disc replicator and Bertelsmann group company,
also shows confidence in the manufacturability of HD DVD discs. "To
prepare for the future needs of our customers, Sonopress is actively
developing the capability to manufacture HD DVD discs," said Peter
Schaper, Vice President, Engineering, Sonopress. "The first samples of
these new discs, along with our experience producing multi-layer DVD
discs including DVD-14 (double-sided DVD discs, single-layer on one
side and dual-layer on the other side) and DVD-18 (double-sided DVD
discs, dual-layer on both sides), have given us a high degree of
confidence in the manufacturability of multi-layer HD DVD discs."

"This evidence from major players in the disc manufacturing industry
further demonstrates the key advantages of HD DVD," said Hisashi
Yamada, Chief Fellow of Toshiba Corporation's Digital Media Network
Company. "Commercial introduction of key machinery is a strong
acknowledgement of HD DVD as the best solution for disc replication,
and indicates that the industry is ready for mass production in
support of the launch of HD DVD players and content scheduled for
later this year."

All HD DVD discs share the same basic structure as current DVDs: two
0.6-mm thick discs bonded back-to-back, the same fundamental structure
used in the production of more than 1000 DVD disc replication lines
around the world. From these existing DVD lines, 3.2 billion discs
were produced in 2004 worldwide. By adopting the same proven structure
and material as current DVDs, an HD DVD disc can be produced without
incurring significant additional cost.

HD DVD offers a variety of discs, including: a 15GB single-layer,
single-sided disc and a 30GB dual-layer, single-sided ROM disc, both
approved and standardized by the DVD Forum (an international
association of hardware manufacturers, software firms, content
providers and other users of DVDs). Toshiba also recently announced a
high capacity triple-layer, single-sided 45GB ROM disc, and a hybrid
(double-sided, dual-layer) ROM disc with 30GB of high-definition
content on one side and 8.5GB of standard-definition on the other.
Manufacturability for these new discs has been verified as well by key
disc replicators.

High performance HD DVD discs are the viable solution for content
providers who demand proven cost efficiency, superior performance and
high storage capacity. Earlier this year, several Hollywood motion
picture studios announced plans to issue a broad range of new releases
and catalog titles on HD DVD beginning in Q4 2005.

http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messag...81/145110.html






"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

Allan

In article <>,
Allan <> wrote:
>HD DVD Gains Momentum
>Posted by Admin on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 03:10 pm:
>HD DVD Gains Further Momentum as Commercialization Approaches; Disc
>Replicators and Equipment Manufacturers Prepare for Mass Production to
>Support Upcoming Launch of the HD DVD Next Generation Disc

Things change so fast in this industry.

This months issue of Studio [they don't have on-line content but
can be subscribed if you qualify at http://www.studiomonthly.com ]
has an article on HVD - Holographic Video Discs.

Currently expected to ship OEM at the end of 2006 it is also
currently targetted for production use and also for online storage
for such things as streaming video.

200GB at 20Mb second currently, with 1TB expected, what is
interesting is that the holographic technology means that the discs
will be flexible [though currently in a cartridge] and thus more
rugged than CD or DVD technology. 16 Hrs of HD video is currently
overkill for the consumer - at this time.

Don't expect it for anything in the consumer area for a couple of
years - at least - but it is truly amazing at just how fast
the technology in all fields is advancing.


--
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com

Bill Vermillion

Bill Vermillion wrote:

> Don't expect it for anything in the consumer area for a couple of
> years - at least - but it is truly amazing at just how fast
> the technology in all fields is advancing.

I wonder how much consumers will keep paying for new technologies only
to have them go obsolete in five years' time.



John

--


Von Herzen, moge es wieder zu Herzen gehen. --Beethoven

The Man Behind The Curtain

On 7/3/2005 10:49:24 AM, The Man Behind The Curtain wrote:

> I wonder how much consumers will keep paying for new technologies only
> to have them go obsolete in five years' time.

What new technology has gone obsolete in five years time?

You'd prefer to still be watching black & white TV and listening to music
on an old 78 RPM phonograph?

For that matter, what are you doing here? Why aren't you discussing this
on a Hamm radio?
--
"You're a monster, Zorg."

Now playing: "Yes - The Gates of Delirium"

Tarkus

> Bill Vermillion wrote:
>
>> Don't expect it for anything in the consumer area for a
>> couple of years - at least - but it is truly amazing at just
>> how fast the technology in all fields is advancing.
>
> I wonder how much consumers will keep paying for new
> technologies only to have them go obsolete in five years'
> time.

Detroit has the answer: Don't change the technology, just build crap that
won't last 6 years - backed by a 5 year warranty with exceptions that barely
cover typical 6 month problems!! Consumers still flock. Ya know, come to
think of it - ya sure don't want to buy the built in CD or DVD players do
ya? Nothing like leaving your vehicle with the dealer to get the stick-on
labeled DVD out of the player, which player will then have to be replaced
;-0))

But then, King Gillette knew this a century ago - or are you still
sharpening your ATRA blades on the chair strop??

BJ

Billy Joe