Teac Have released a DVD burner based on the -R/ -RW standard.

Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of video editing, image editing and DVD authoring software, today announces Ulead(R) MediaStudio(R) Pro 7.0, the newest version of Ulead's professional video editing software. MediaStudio Pro 7.0 now boasts software-only, real-time editing, display and output features that outperform other non-linear editing software solutions in the professional video editing software market. MediaStudio Pro 7.0 will be available in March 2003.

Macrovision Corporation (Nasdaq: MVSN), the leading developer and supplier of digital rights management (“DRM”) products, today announced that it has integrated its latest DRM solution (MacroSafe™) with InterVideo’s WinDVD, the world's most popular DVD player. The two companies will also join in co-marketing efforts to promote this secure solution to the video on demand market.

It seems several sites are taking pre-orders for the new NEC ND 1100 DVD writer (with drives expected in January):

309 EUR @ alternate.de & 2726,25 kr @ specitek.se.

The trial of a Norwegian teen accused of developing a utility that enables people to illegally copy DVD movies opened in Oslo yesterday.

As the deadline approaches for public comment on the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act, experts are offering advice on how to persuade the feds to allow exemptions that change access controls on digital media.

Plasmon, the market leader for professional optical archival solutions, announced the successful demonstration of their new UDO drive and media technology at the COMDEX trade show in Las Vegas during the week of November 18th 2002.

Macrovision, best known as the creator of the copy protection technology that's contained on virtually every commercial videotape and many DVDs, said Tuesday that it is forming a new division focused on music piracy.

HANOI (Reuters) - Eight days after the latest James Bond thriller ``Die Another Day'' was released in the United States, pirated DVD versions of the movie shot with camcorders were being hawked for a little over $1 in Vietnam's capital.

This is the new Datawite +R disc which is based on the Ricoh stamper. The obvious visual difference between the two discs is the new Ricoh based disc is a yellow colour and and old Prodisc based disc is a silver colour. The Ricoh based Datawrite disc is also described as generation 2.

Related stories:
Parting of ways for Prodisc and Datawrite?

Maxell is introducing smaller and double-sided DVD-R discs. Come February 2003, Maxell will release 3-inch, 2X Mini DVD-R discs that will let users easily carry 1.4GB in a shirt pocket. Users will be able to write on these with any DVD-RW/-R drives, and read them with any DVD-ROM drive or living room DVD player that can read standard-size DVD-Rs. These discs are planned for the next generation of digital camcorders, digital cameras, and MP3 players.Maxell's new double-sided DVD-R discs which are available now, are the do-it-yourself equivalent of those commercial DVDs with the wide-screen version of a movie on one side and full-screen version on the other. The discs can hold an impressive 9.4GB.

This new firmware will allow your Dual RW drive to record at 4X on 4X compatible DVD+R media as well as improve the DVD-ROM reading performance with DVD recordable/rewritable media. To read the installation instructions click here.

Jon Lech Johansen, (18), AKA "DVD Jon” is on trial in Norway "because he wrote a program that helped further the unraveling of a code meant to protect DVD films from free viewing or illegal copying. Then he publicized it, allowing others to watch DVDs on a computer instead of having to buy an expensive DVD player". Johansen bought the DVDs legally and consumers view him as a hero, but his actions riled the powerful Motion Picture Association of America, which views Johansen as a threat.

Reading through various forums and discussion groups it seems that we are far from happy with Pioneer and the A05 4x speed DVD writer. The writer will not burn satisfactory to the budget brands and is limited to 1x speed writing to known 2x speed media. I was going to get myself an A05 for Xmas but I have serious doubts now.

Our resident DVD Guru Flash has been hearing rumours in chatrooms and forums all over the net that Ritek have stopped producing the much loved G03 DVD disc. This disc is the basis for many leading brands of DVD-R including the new Datasafe disc that was reviewed here. We are sure Flash will keep us up to date :)

Datasafe have sent us a press release about their new 4x DVD-R disc. Which went on sale last week.

The peak season effect and rise of US$0.01 in CD-R disc prices were slightly reflected in November sales of the leading Taiwan based storage disc makers Ritek and CMC Magnetics.

TDK Recording Media Europe has recently received reports of the production and sale of DVD-R discs that are not authorised or manufactured by TDK, but have TDK's manufacturer identification code. Confirmed products violating the TDK DVD manufacturer identification code include SuperX and Princo DVD media. TDK believes these discs will cause confusion and inconvenience to both consumers and recording drive manufacturers in terms of poor quality issues, and would like to take this opportunity to explain its position.

The manufacturer identification code is a piece of information engraved into the stamper, the core component of the optical disc manufacturing system. This unique code identifies the manufacturer of the disc and is read by the recording drive in order to adjust to the optimal recording settings dictated by the disc type. The manufacturer identification code is one of the underlying mechanisms for ensuring reliability. TDK co-operates with leading DVD drive manufacturers to ensure their DVD writers automatically detect the speed of the DVD media being used, in order to optimise performance. As a result, TDK DVD discs provide the highest compatibility and quality with all drives.

TDK discovered that DVD–R discs are circulating in the European market in violation of its manufacturer identification codes. TDK is not the manufacturer of these particular discs and takes no responsibility for them. TDK has voiced objections in the strongest possible terms to the parties involved in both manufacture and distribution of discs linked with the unauthorised use of TDK’s manufacturer identification code. Considering that this type of conduct is detrimental to the entire industry, TDK has also explained the situation to industry groups including the RW Products Promotion Initiative (http://www.rwppi.com) and other involved parties. TDK takes a firm position against the unauthorised use of manufacturer identification codes in order to prevent any inconvenience to our customers. The TDK name has become one of the world’s most respected brands in recording media and TDK will make every possible effort to maintain its trusted brand, relied upon by its customers.

After the success of Flash's report on the A04/104 firmwares we asked him to cast his expert eye over the various A03 firmwares. So if you are confused take a look at our firmware review.

TOKYO - Away from home for a few weeks and missing your favorite television programs? Toshiba Corp. will release a new DVD video recorder in Japan in January with a hard disk drive (HDD) capable of recording up to 208 hours of programs.