Burn It, Flip It, Print It with LightScribe Duplicators

~ StorDigital’s LightScribe duplicators offer easy disc burning & labelling ~
New from StorDigital the LightScribe duplicator supports silkscreen-quality disc label printing direct from a DVD and CD duplication tower.
Burning and printing large volumes of discs has never been easier, thanks to a new range of DVD and CD duplication towers from StorDigital. The new standalone LightScribe duplicators are available in configuration from 1 to 15 targets and allow users to burn and label their discs in a traditional-style standalone tower copier. This is the perfect solution for any company or individual who wants to make the best impression with their disc.
StorDigital LightScribe duplicators feature patented HP LightScribe disc labeling technology. By utilising a special disc, LightScribe duplicator operators are able to burn their discs, then flip them and then burn a label or image on to the top of the disc. By offering duplicators featuring this enhanced functionality StorDigital Systems are revolutionising the traditional in-house production process.
Nic Ranshaw (MD of CD-writer.com and CEO of StorDigital Systems) had this to say: “The introduction of our LightScribe duplicators really does represent a turning point in the way people approach disc publishing. Traditionally if a tower duplicator customer wished to produce a disc that is both copied and labeled they would have to purchase a separate printer. We have transformed the process, making production simpler and reducing expenditure.“
He added, “We don’t consider that the LightScribe system is perfect for everybody. It won’t replace our automated inkjet printers, but having a tower duplicator that can also label your discs is a strong selling point”.
StorDigital LightScribe duplicators featuring HP LightScribe technology are available now from CD-writer.com Ltd and StorDigital Systems on 0208 293 0777. To register for a CD-writer.com trade account log on to http://reseller.cd-writer.com.
Retail customers can get more information and buy online at www.cd-writer.com.
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Panasonic introduces world’s first 6X write-once blu-ray disc media

Osaka, Japan (June 18, 2008) — Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, announced today that it has developed the world’s first Write-Once Blu-ray Discs(BD-R) with 6X writing speed*. The new discs will be available in Japan with both 25GB and 50GB capacities in July.
Panasonic, which introduced the world’s first dual-layer 1X BD-RE Blu-ray Disc in 2004**, 2X BD-R/RE Discs in 2006, and 4X BD-R Disc in 2007, is now launching the world’s first 6X BD-R to meet consumer demand to write and read large amounts of data at a higher speed. The new 6X discs have a maximum data transfer speed of 216Mbps, which is 20% faster than that of 16X DVD-R discs. This transfer speed, along with the discs’ high capacity, allows consumers to use these discs for a variety of applications such as storing High Definition video or backing up PC data.
The new discs have a wide power margin at any writing speeds from 1X to 6X. This enables high-quality recording, even if the drive’s laser power fluctuates, resulting in greater overall drive compatibility.
Panasonic’s adoption of newly-developed disc technology produces extremely level and well-balanced discs with highly precise signal grooves. This improves servo characteristics and enables the laser beam to focus to the right position even when the disc is rotating with 6X high speed, thus providing optimum reading and writing performance.
Blu-ray disc drives compatible with 6X write-once Blu-ray discs are planned to be commercialized in Japan by the end of September 2008.
*As of June 18, 2008, as 6x recordable Blu-ray disc
**The capacity of Blu-ray discs is expressed in units of 1GB=1 billion bytes, but the capacity is slightly below that after formatting, so that the actual amount area that can be used will be less.
***Introduced in Japanese market only
For more informations about the product, visit http://panasonic.net.
SE-T084M/RSWD: New Samsung slot-in external DVD writer
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, is expanding its TruDirect™ line of optical disc drives with the development of a slim, slot-in external model, the SE-T084M/RSWD. Samsung’s revolutionary TruDirect technology allows consumers to create DVDs and burn digital content through a PC without the need for a hard drive. The time-saving TruDirect ™ SE-T084M provides easy and fast real-time recording of DVDs.
For more informations about this product, go to www.emedialive.com .
No HD DVD for Xbox 360

Microsoft says it has ‘no plans’ to add hi def HD DVD playback to the Xbox 360’s capabilities
Xbox 360 fans agog at the console’s hi def graphics might reasonably have expected to be able to play HD DVDs at some point in the future - just read this month’s mag for our prediction. Microsoft, however, has just come out and said it has ‘no plans’ to add the technology to forthcoming versions of the 360.Given the fact that there’s no HD DVD optical drive in the existing machine, such an upgrade was always going to be a long shot. Still, that didn’t stop the likes of Bill Gates and Yoshihiro Maruyama – head of Xbox in Japan – hinting that they were looking at the technology.So we hoped,…
Full content at: Stuff.Tv
Blu-Ray leaps ahead

Blu-Ray, the next-generation movie disc format that rivals High-Definition DVD, has another powerful new backer. But does the world need a DVD replacement?
The war over the format for next-generation DVDs has taken another interesting turn, with Warner Brothers defecting from the HD-DVD camp. Well, not quite defecting. More a case of hedging its bets by announcing it’ll support both Sony’s Blu-Ray format and its previous disc of choice, Toshiba’s HD-DVD. Warner’s decision follows a similar move by Paramount last month.You see, there’s currently a big spat over the future of video discs. Why? Because you can’t fit a full movie’s worth of high-definition video onto a normal DVD – and the increasing popularity of high-def TVs means that a new disc…
Full content at: Stuff.Tv
The first combination HD DVD / Blu-ray media PC

So you’ve pondered the benefits of the two high-definition formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray, and you just can’t make up your mind. AACS or AACS? 1080p or 1080p? Well forget building your own homebrew “combination” player or waiting for some manufacturer to build a combo laser or all-in-one disc, and head on over to your local specialty shop to pick up a VidaBox LUX or MAX, as the company has just announced a pair of upgraded combination HD DVD / Blu-ray systems with both formats inside! Having your cake and eating it too will cost you, though: $1629 over the regular $3499 price of the LUX and a gra…
Full content at: Engadget
The first Blu-Ray player and recorder

Panasonic takes the next step and produces a Blu-Ray player that’ll record hi-def footage, too – albeit in a slightly complicated way
Believe it or not, the first VHS machines had only play, fast forward, rewind and stop. The vital record button didn’t come till later.And so it’s been with Blu-Ray. The only way to burn one of Sony’s hi-def discs was to buy a BD-R burner for your PC; dedicated TV boxes have been play only. Now, finally, Panasonic has made the next natural step with its two new DIGA boxes.The DMR-BW200 and DMR-BR100 both offer playback of BD movies but they’ll also record hi-def video to their internal hard drives (500GB and 200GB respectively). 500GB equates to roughly 60 hours of comp…
Full content at: Stuff.Tv
The $100 HD DVD player

US retailers are to shift $100 (£50) HD DVD players from tomorrow. We want them too!
Earlier this week, we brought you news of a sub $200 (£100) Toshiba HD DVD player, about to go on sale in the US. Well, now it seems it’s going on sale for $100. That’s just £50.The HD-A2 is a basic HD DVD player, churning out a maximum resolution of 1080i, missing out the highest setting 1080p. It also supports Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound, HDMI and has an Ethernet port. But for $100, its cheap at twice the price.The new price point, putting even Tesco’s penny-pinching DVD players to shame, is being backed by American retail super-giant Wal-Mart – the US o…
Full content at: Stuff.Tv
Sony's first Blu-ray

It’s made by Sony, plays Blu-ray discs, is out in the US and not available here yet. No, not the PS3, but the dedicated BDP-S1 movie spinner
Take one PS3, remove all the gaming abilities and what have you got? That’s right, a Blu-ray player. So is there anything to commend Sony’s first stand alone machine?Well first impressions in the States are that the picture quality is superb. It’s also one of the first players to support the enhanced Blu-ray Disc Java extras (BD-J to its friends) found on titles such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - but then so do our PS3s.So will it be worth shelling out for instead of the equally elusive gamer? We’ll put them side by side as soon as we get our hands on one.EssentialsSony BDP-…
Full content at: Stuff.Tv

