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Sony Japan unveils Wi-Fi multimedia Clié PEG-VZ90
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/337/C3200/
Pace launches world's first mobile PVR for payTV
08:58 BST, Tuesday 14th September 2004 -- by Alan Jay
The Pace Handheld PVR2GO is its latest innovation and makes it possible to view conditional access protected digital TV content, wherever and whenever a subscriber chooses.
Pace’s PVR2GO has a 5” (12.7cm) widescreen display and users can download protected TV content onto a 40 GByte hard drive, to view on a handheld screen anywhere that they choose: on the train, in the car, on holiday. The display is encased in a robust outer with touch screen controls that include pause, fast-forward and rewind. In addition to television, PVR2GO can be used for audio (MP3 and Windows media audio), viewing j-peg images and playing games.
“This is a new era in PVR,” comments Neil Gaydon worldwide sales and marketing director. “Every operator we talk to has or wants PVR in their business plan as it totally revolutionises the viewing experience, enabling the viewer to watch what they want, when they want. Now with PVR2GO a viewer can watch TV where they want too, an exciting new proposition for operators seeking to attract high-value long-term subscribers.
“PVR2GO makes a PVR subscription even more attractive and valuable to the end-user, as well as extending revenue opportunities for the operator - it’s a win-win proposal. This new device will also help operators take on new competitive threats coming from illegal peer-to-peer downloading and gaming devices capable of storing content downloaded from the internet.”
He continues: “PVR typically attracts premium subscribers from high income, but often very busy families. Our own in-depth customer research with pay-TV subscribers has revealed real excitement for the viewing flexibility PVR2GO can now provide. In addition, our research has shown that VR2GO’s class-leading form factor is small enough to take anywhere a subscriber wants, enabling them to catch up on favourite shows or download additional pay-per-view content for watching on the move. Our PVR2GO platform can be tailored to an operator specification, with different screen sizes, functionality and travel accessories.”
PVR2GO comes with integrated speakers and 3D-surround sound, has a stereo headphone socket and wireless headset support and ‘analogue out’ for large screen viewing and sharing. Connectivity options include USB 2.0 for content downloading and 1394 for multimedia distribution.
Pace engineers have designed PVR2GO to support all industry standard conditional access systems and can be configured for operator specific middleware and applications. It can also be formatted to utilise MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or Window Media 9 content.
There are no details as to in which markets and at what price this might be made available. Obviously it looks like this might have been on Sky’s list of things to add to the new Sky+160 – which has USB2 connectivity – but it seems unlikely that Pace developed it for Sky and was then announced to announce a general purpose version at IBC last week.
Pace wows with pay TV PVR
By Faultline
Published Tuesday 14th September 2004 11:14 GMT
One of the most exciting developments at the International Broadcasting Conference in Amsterdam at the weekend must have been UK set-top box maker Pace, bringing out what it believed was the world’s first handheld personal video recorder for pay TV.
Pace Micro Technology is one of the few UK companies that is making headway in the booming US set top market and can live with the incumbent lead US set top makers Scientific Atlanta and Motorola. The new Pace PVR2GO, with a 5-inch widescreen display, and users can download protected TV content onto a 40 GB hard drive, to view on a handheld screen anywhere that they choose: on the train, in the car, on holiday.
It has a robust outer cover with touch screen controls. In addition to television, PVR2GO can be used for audio (MP3 and Windows media audio), viewing jpeg images and playing games.
PVR2GO is intended to be sold with subscription services and Pace is targeting it at operators that want to tailor the service and integrate conditional access systems. Pace recently qualified under Motorola’s stringent US conditional access program so that it can provide set-tops into the US cable market.
Pace says that its own customer research with pay-TV subscribers shows that high income subscribers will be happy watching on the small screen, something that quite a lot of research has thrown doubt on.
Most portable media players, such as those from French company Archos, have the option of viewing either on the small screen or output to a television, and PVR2GO is no different, offering analog TV output.
Connectivity options include USB 2.0 for content downloading and 1394 for multimedia distribution and it can also be formatted to use MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or Windows Media 9 content. Pace also demonstrated at IBC the distribution of video content and personal video recorder (PVR) services to multiple TVs in a household.
The Pace multi-room system is designed to drive second subscription opportunities for broadcasters and capitalize on consumer demand for PVR around the home.
Finally, Pace and Espial put on show a specialist IPTV set-top box for the hospitality industry with built in web browsing, to offer hotel viewers a full range of services such as pay-per-view, video-on-demand, interactive shopping and community information.
Copyright © 2004, Faultline
DivXNetworks Partners With Plextor to Release First DivX Certified PC-Based Personal Video Recorder
SAN DIEGO & FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 2004
Users Can Pause Live TV and Record Favorite Shows on Personal Computers; DivX Encoding Offers 300% More Compression than MPEG-2
DivXNetworks, Inc., the company that created the revolutionary, patent-pending DivX(R) video compression technology, and Plextor(R) Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, today announced that the Plextor ConvertX(TM) PX-TV402U Personal Video Recorder (PVR) with built-in TV tuner is the first official DivX Certified(TM) Personal Video Recorder to reach the market.
The new ConvertX PX-TV402U captures and encodes broadcast, cable, or satellite TV onto a computer hard drive. Users can watch, pause, and record live TV, or use an integrated electronic programming guide to schedule recordings with a single mouse click. In addition to encoding programs, movies, and sports events from a TVsource, ConvertX also supports capturing home video from such sources as camcorders, DVD players, and VCRs through its built-in composite and S-Video inputs.
Before certifying ConvertX, the DivXNetworks expert team of video engineers subjected the device to a rigorous testing process to ensure high performance and interoperability with all versions of DivX video. The ConvertX Model PX-TV402U will be available in late September for $199 at www.divx.com/hardware.
"Plextor video capture products have been popular with the DivX user community ever since they were first introduced early in 2004," said Bill Holmes, Director of Product Management for Consumer Electronics at DivXNetworks, Inc. "With the introduction of the PX-TV402U, now people can record TV on their PC using the DivX format. Its support of the DivX Home Theater, Portable and HandHeld profiles makes the PX-TV402U perfect for people who want to play back their programs on DivX Certified DVD players, PDAs, cell phones or personal video players.
"The ConvertX PX-TV402U supports traditional compression formats like MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, but the addition of the DivX format puts this product ahead of the competition," said Howard Wing, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Plextor. "Millions of people around the world are using the DivX format and with DivX Certification of the PX-TV402U, they can be confident that the programs they record can be played back in their DivX Certified player."
With the launch of the DivX Certified Program for encoding devices, DivXNetworks includes a full DivX software development kit, rigorous certification testing, and marketing and sales support focused on helping third party development and OEM partners create DivX Certified hardware encoding solutions. The DivX Certified Program enables companies to meet the global demand for high-quality DivX video-enabled encoding devices, including video peripherals, video cards, digital cameras, digital camcorders, personal video recorders, and more. For more information on the DivX Certified Program, visit www.divx.com/certified. For more information on the Plextor ConvertX device, visit www.plextor.com/english/products/ConvertX2.htm.
About DivXNetworks
OT: iRiver Picks New Microsemi Battery Charger Circuit for Latest Hard Drive MP3 Players
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 2004--Microsemi Corp. (Nasdaq:MSCC), a leading manufacturer of high-performance analog/mixed-signal integrated circuits, announced today that its new LX2201(TM) linear battery charger circuit has been chosen by iRiver Corp. for their latest MP3 hard drive player designs.
The new H-300 Series iRiver players have the ability to record, encode and store MP3s in real time directly from their FM tuners, a microphone or optical input, allowing users to record MP3s on the fly from an array of sources without connection to a PC.
The iRiver design takes advantage of the LX2201's advanced circuitry to provide faster charging of its Lithium-Ion cells, without sacrificing system performance. The Microsemi charger circuit monitors input current supplied by the MP3 player/recorder to allocate unused power for charging. It also includes a USB limit control function that allows ultra-fast USB 2.0 transfers.
The LX2201 fit iRiver's requirements for advanced features in a cost-effective charger suited to their USB data transfer designs. Its small package and simple design-in were a plus, with only three external resistors needed to complete the charging function.
"iRiver's new MP3 hard drive player typifies the quality consumer products we had in mind when developing the LX2201," said Paul Bibeau, vice president and general manager of Microsemi's Integrated Products Group. "It can take full advantage of our advanced, high-performance features," he said.
The LX2201's design includes an internal pass element that can function as a reverse direction load switch, full-capacity charging with always-cool running, a conditioning mode for deep discharge, topping charge for long periods of non-use and a highly tolerant 5 volt plus 10 percent wall supply regulation.
Complete technical information is available on the Microsemi Web site, www.Microsemi.com. Samples and evaluation kits can be requested through this site, from Microsemi sales representatives or through Microsemi's distribution channel.
About Microsemi
Microsemi is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of high-performance analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits and high-reliability discrete semiconductors. The company's semiconductors manage and control or regulate power, protect against transient voltage spikes and transmit, receive and amplify signals.
Microsemi's products include individual components as well as integrated circuit solutions that enhance customer designs by improving performance and reliability, battery optimization, reducing size or protecting circuits. The principal markets the company serves include implanted medical, military/aerospace and satellite, notebook computers and monitors, automotive and mobile connectivity applications.
More information may be obtained by contacting the company directly or by visiting its Web site at http://www.microsemi.com.
Gateway Shifts Back to Personal Computers
September 13, 2004 4:28:00 PM ET
By Franklin Paul
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gateway Inc. (GTW) on Monday said it would return to its roots as a personal computer company, backing off on an aggressive strategy of expanding into TVs, digital cameras and other gadgets in a move to return to profitability.
While it will continue to sell consumer electronics like digital music players and big-screen TVs, Gateway, which earlier this year bought low-cost PC maker eMachines, will expand its presence in big-box electronic retailers and grow Internet and phone sales of hardware and services to government and corporate markets.
``Our focus right now is to stick to our core business,' Gateway Chief Executive Wayne Inouye told analysts at a meeting in New York.
The new strategy completes a shift spearheaded by Inouye, the former CEO of eMachines, to shrink Gateway's size and improve margins through cost management. Gateway already has a deal with retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) and others.
Not long after he took the helm at the company, after Gateway completed its purchase of eMachines in March, Inouye closed Gateway's remaining 188 retail stores and promised to cut marketing expenses and work force.
``We have to have a very aggressive minute-to-minute focus on keeping costs low,' he said on Monday.
Irvine, California-based Gateway faces formidable rivals in Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) and Dell Inc. (DELL), which already have extensive ties with many of the world's biggest corporations.
But Inouye said Gateway can score as a low-cost alternative to those players. The company also sees growth opportunities in international markets, including Mexico, Japan, Germany and France.
CONNECTIONS TO RETAIL MARKET
Gateway said it will continue to sell so-called ``convergence' devices -- digital entertainment gadgets that connect with PCs, such as MP3 players. It will also sell liquid crystal and plasma televisions over the phone and the Internet and to the professional market.
Analysts said at the meeting the changes this year were necessary and that the management team Inouye brought with him from eMachines carried connections to the retail market that founder and former Chief Executive Ted Waitt had lacked.
``They've lost money for four years, so something had to give,' said one analyst who asked not to be identified. ``They brought in a guy who would make the cuts and he brought Best Buy with them.'
Rod Sherwood, Gateway's chief financial officer, told Reuters the company will remain in the consumer electronics market, where it sells a range of products. Waitt had embarked on a strategy to become a wide purveyor of gadgets.
``PCs are the primary focus,' Sherwood said. ``But at the same time we will continue to offer our convergence products.'
The company also backed the third-quarter and revenue and operating loss forecasts it gave in July. It reiterated that it sees revenue of $900 million to $950 million and a loss before items of 7 cents a share to 9 cents a share.
Analysts now expect Gateway to post a third-quarter loss of 8 cents a share on revenue of $941.8 million, according to Reuters Estimates.
Shares of Gateway closed down 12 cents, or 2.5 percent, at $4.70 on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Additional reporting by Duncan Martell in San Francisco)
It could have read,
Two Iraqi spies met in a busy resturant after
they had successfully slipped into the U.S.
The first spy starts speaking in ENGLISH.
The second spy shushes him quickly and whispers
"Don't blow our cover! You're in America now.
Speak Spanish."
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040920/story.html
Plextor Introduces First PC-Based Personal Video Recorder with MPEG-4 and DivX Hardware Compression
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 2004--
Users Can Pause Live TV and Record Favorite Shows on Personal Computers; DivX Format Offers Nearly 300% More Compression than MPEG-2
Plextor(R) Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, today announced the new ConvertX(TM) PVR model PX-TV402U with built-in TV tuner. The new PX-TV402U captures and records broadcast, cable, or satellite TV onto a computer hard drive using the DivX(R), MPEG-4, MPEG-2, or MPEG-1 formats. Users can watch, pause, and record live TV, or use an integrated electronic programming guide (EPG) to schedule recordings with a single mouse click.
Unlike PVRs that connect to a television set, the PX-TV402U does not require a monthly service fee; it allows users to burn their favorite programs and home videos onto CDs and DVDs using their computer's CD or DVD recorder; and it supports real-time hardware encoding to DivX and MPEG-4. DivX offers three times greater compression than MPEG-2 without quality loss, so a two-hour movie occupies less than 2GB of drive space at the highest quality DivX setting. DivX files are even small enough to play on portable devices like cell phones, PDAs and personal video players. The PX-TV402U is a DivX Certified hardware encoder ensuring the video files created can be played back in all DivX Certified players.
"The PX-TV402U is a cost-effective way for any home PC user to get all the same benefits of having an expensive DVR hooked up to the television set in their living room, including being able to watch all their favorite shows whenever they want," said Dirk Peters, director of marketing, Plextor. "But the PX-TV402U has the additional advantage of being connected to the PC so users can easily add hard disk storage when they want more capacity, they can burn CDs and DVDs using their CD/DVD burner and they can have access to the Internet so they can share their favorite videos and home movies with peers. PC based PVRs combine the benefits of a TV based PVR with the power and flexibility of a PC."
ConvertX PVR PX-TV402U
Plextor ConvertX PVR video capture devices record video to personal computers for editing, storing, and sharing. In addition to recording programs, movies, and sports events from the built-in TV tuner, the PX-TV402U also supports RCA composite audio/video input and S-Video input connections for capturing home video from such sources as camcorders, DVD players, and VCRs.
The PX-TV402U includes InterVideo WinDVR 5 software. During live television viewing, WinDVR supports all of the time-shifting features normally associated with PVRs, including pausing live TV, skipping forward and instant replays.
For TV recording, Plextor tightly integrated TitanTV(R), a free web-based Electronic Program Guide from Decisionmark(TM), with WinDVR 5. A user simply selects the EPG button in the WinDVR 5 software to bring up a picture-in-picture screen containing the TitanTV.com web site. A single mouse-click over a program listing schedules it to record.
After a TV program or home video has been captured and recorded, the PX-TV402U makes it easy to burn it to a DVD (or VCD), mini-DVD, AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, ASF, WMV, or DivX(TM) movie. If users want to edit their recordings or re-author their discs they can use WinDVD Creator 2 to create the perfect videos with titles, transitions, special effects, music, and menus.
Recommended System
Nori -- Personal computer system with a minimum Pentium(R) III 800 MHz and Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or faster suggested processor, 256 MB RAM, 10 GB of free hard drive space; Microsoft(R) Windows(TM) XP Pro/Home/2000 operating system; Windows compatible AGP or PCI graphic card; Windows compatible sound card with support for 48-KHz playback (PCI recommended); and USB 2.0 port. A CD-R/RW or RDVD disk drive is required for CD or DVD creation.
Personal computer system with a Pentium(R) 4 1.8 GHz or faster processor, 512 MB RAM, 10 GB hard drive; Microsoft(R) Windows(TM) XP Pro/Home/2000 operating system; Windows compatible AGP or PCI graphic card; Windows compatible sound card with support for 48-KHz playback (PCI recommended); and USB 2.0 port. A CD-R/RW or RDVD disk drive is required for CD or DVD creation.
Pricing and Availability
The PX-TV402U is scheduled for shipment to distributors and resellers in North and South America in September of 2004. The PX-TV402U has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $199.99 USD. All retail packages include unlimited toll-free technical support and one-year full warranty.
About Plextor
Plextor Corp. is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment for professionals, consumers, and enterprises. Headquartered in Silicon Valley since 1990, Plextor has introduced generations of award-winning products, including digital video converters and CD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, and DVD+/-R/RW optical disk drives. Plextor is privately owned by Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd., a developer and manufacturer of advanced technology hardware and precision electronic equipment headquartered in Japan.
Plextor is a registered trademark and ConvertX is a trademark of Plextor Corp. DivX is a registered trademark of DivXNetworks, Inc. InterVideo and WinDVD are registered trademarks of InterVideo, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Contacts
OT: iRiver Makes Significant Price Move on iFP-700 and iFP-800 Series Flash-Memory Music Players
512MB iRiver Flash Player Available for Under $200
MILPITAS, Calif., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- iRiver's award-winning iFP-700 and iFP-800 flash-memory music players are available at a reduced price to consumers effective immediately. Through an advantageous technology and financial arrangement with suppliers, iRiver is able to offer the same high-quality, feature-rich product at a substantially lower price. For
example, MSRP on the iFP-700 and iFP-800 1GB flash players dropped $150.
MSRP for the iFP-700 and iFP-800 flash players are now:
$119.99 - iFP-780 (128MB) $119.99 - iFP-880 (128MB)
$149.99 - iFP-790 (256MB) $149.99 - iFP-890 (256MB)
$199.99 - iFP-795 (512MB) $199.99 - iFP-895 (512MB)
$249.99 - iFP-799 (1GB) $249.99 - iFP-899 (1GB)
"These new price points reflect our drive to reduce costs to customers by securing favorable technology and economic relationships with suppliers," said Anthony Taroni, director of sales at iRiver America. "iRiver is the leader in the flash-based portable music player market, and our new pricing creates a
rare instance when consumers don't have to choose between price and quality."
iFP-700 and iFP-800 Series Feature:
-- USB 2.0(1) provides up to 3x faster transfer speeds over USB 1.1
-- Up to 1GB(2) internal storage
-- Supports MP3, OGG, ASF, WMA and WMA-DRM music files
-- An integrated digital FM tuner with presets
-- Programmable FM recorder
-- Up to 40 hours of battery life (Single AA battery)
-- Integrated voice recorder
-- Upgradeable to future formats and features
-- Store or transfer files of any type
-- Lighted 4-line text display
-- Weighs only 40 grams (1.4 ounces)
-- Ultra-small design
iRiver's iFP-700 and iFP-800 series are available in four capacities
-- 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB -- and play up to 40 hours of music on a single AA. The new line also comes with accessories for an active lifestyle including a sport armband, neck strap, carrying case and line-in encoding cable. In addition to playing MP3, OGG, ASF, WMA and WMA-DRM music files the iFP-700 and
iFP-800 series are compatible with online music services that use Windows Media DRM technology.
For more information on iRiver's iFP-700 and iFP-800 series players visit
http://www.iriveramerica.com/products/flash.aspx
Pace’s PVR2GO PVP acronym heaven
Posted Sep 13, 2004, 8:00 AM ET by Simon Spagnoletti
Related entries: Portable Video
Determined to move beyond the UK set top box market, Pace has developed its PVR2GO media player. We’re not so sure how different it is from a “regular” personal video player, aside from the as-yet unaccomplished goal of tying it in with paid TV content. 5-inch screen, check. 40GB hard drive, check. MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 and MP3, WMA, JPG support, check. USB 2.0, FireWire, headphone ports, check. Seems pretty much the same to us as most of the others. Guess what’s really meant by all those acronyms is that they want you to pay them for shows, instead of just downloading them off the internet. It doesn’t look too shabby though. It’s not like we’d mind if our cable company threw this in for a few more bucks a month
http://www.engadget.com/entry/5192188220920632/
adding leather seats and in-flight entertainment to planes will take time.
Delta plan seen by some as setup for bankruptcy
The Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Key elements of Delta Air Lines' broad turnaround plan will take months if not years to implement, suggesting the struggling carrier is setting itself up for how it will survive after a likely Chapter 11 filing, industry observers and legal experts said Thursday.
Delta's plan, announced Wednesday, includes cutting up to 7,000 jobs, but over 18 months. The shedding of its Dallas hub will not take full effect until Jan. 31.
Delta will expand its hubs in Cincinnati, Atlanta and Salt Lake City with redeployed aircraft from Dallas-Fort Worth. The Salt Lake hub is Twin Falls air travelers' only nonstop destination.
The company's strategy to cut $5 billion in costs is targeted to 2006, and adding leather seats and in-flight entertainment to planes will take time.
By the Atlanta-based airline's own admission, however, time is running out.
"Those of us looking at it from an objective perspective are assigning a low probability of that plan being realized outside of bankruptcy," said James Owers, a Georgia State University corporate restructuring expert.
Delta said Wednesday that a bankruptcy filing could come as early as three weeks from now if it can't head off a mass exodus of pilots. Worried about their pensions, several hundred Delta pilots have retired early in recent months, and more have threatened to do so, the company says.
The pilots, meanwhile, have said they would be more eager to stay if Delta promised to preserve their accrued retirement benefits. Such a promise would be very unlikely and perhaps not even possible without setting up an expensive pension trust fund, observers say.
As for the $1 billion in pilot concessions the airline says it needs quickly to help avoid bankruptcy, the pilots union said last week it doesn't expect an agreement in the near future.
"The airline needs more than just concessions from pilots," said William Rochelle, an airline bankruptcy lawyer in New York. "They also need to restructure their business fundamentally and they have to re-negotiate aircraft financing. The latter two are very difficult to accomplish without the clout of Chapter 11."
Philip Baggaley, an airline analyst at Standard & Poors, said that if Delta can get the concessions from pilots it is seeking, that would go a long way in helping to avert bankruptcy.
But, he said in the context of the turnaround plan, "They also know that may not be possible and they are preparing for Plan B as well."
Baggaley said the pilot retirement issue has created a particular problem for Delta. It may be hard for the airline to avoid more early retirements because it may be more beneficial for pilots to cash in now, rather than wait until after bankruptcy if that happens.
Delta pilots who retire can elect to receive 50 percent of their pension benefit in a lump sum and the other 50 percent as an annuity later, regulatory filings show.
Delta's pilots are keenly aware of what has happened at bankrupt United Airlines, which has threatened to terminate its employees' retirement plans.
"It's looking less and less appetizing for employees in bankruptcy," Baggaley said.
Pace Launches World's First Mobile Personal Video Recorder for Paytv
IBC 2004
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Sept. 10, 2004 – Handheld PVR2GO Premieres at IBC 2004
Pace Micro Technology plc (LSE:PIC), the world’s largest dedicated developer of digital set-top box technology, has today revealed the world’s first mobile personal video recorder (PVR) for payTV services, with the end-consumer placed at the centre of its iconic design. Pace is a market leader in PVR product technology; this latest innovation makes it possible to view conditional access protected digital TV content, wherever and whenever a subscriber chooses.
Pace’s PVR2GO, with a 5“ (12.7cm) widescreen display, extends the opportunity for PVR services beyond the ’traditional’ home-viewing environment. Users can download protected TV content onto a 40 GByte hard drive, to view on a handheld screen anywhere that they choose: on the train, in the car, on holiday. The display is encased in a robust outer with touch screen controls that include pause, fast-forward and rewind. In addition to television, PVR2GO can be used for audio (MP3 and Windows media audio), viewing j-peg images and playing games.
“This is a new era in PVR,“ comments Neil Gaydon worldwide Pace’s sales and marketing director. “Every operator we talk to has or wants PVR in their business plan as it totally revolutionises the viewing experience, enabling the viewer to watch what they want, when they want. Now with PVR2GO a viewer can watch TV where they want too, an exciting new proposition for operators seeking to attract high-value long-term subscribers.
“PVR2GO makes a PVR subscription even more attractive and valuable to the end-user, as well as extending revenue opportunities for the operator – it’s a win-win proposal. This new device will also help operators take on new competitive threats coming from illegal peer-to-peer downloading and gaming devices capable of storing content downloaded from the internet.”
He continues: “PVR typically attracts premium subscribers from high income, but often very busy families. Our own in-depth customer research with pay-TV subscribers has revealed real excitement for the viewing flexibility PVR2GO can now provide. In addition, our research has shown that PVR2GO’s class-leading form factor is small enough to take anywhere a subscriber wants, enabling them to catch up on favourite shows or download additional pay-per-view content for watching on the move. Our PVR2GO platform can be tailored to an operator specification, with different screen sizes, functionality and travel accessories.”
PVR2GO comes with integrated speakers and 3D-surround sound, has a stereo headphone socket and wireless headset support and ’analogue TV out’ for large screen viewing and sharing. Connectivity options include USB 2.0 for content downloading and 1394 for multimedia distribution.
Pace engineers have designed PVR2GO to support all industry standard conditional access systems and can be configured for operator specific middleware and applications. It can also be formatted to utilise MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or Window Media 9 content.
About Pace
Pace (LSE:PIC) is a leader in digital television technology. The Company’s primary focus is the development of innovative set-top box solutions for operators, broadcasters, telecommunications companies and retail markets worldwide.
Toshiba's Line of Digital Video Recorders on Display at CEDIA 2004
Friday September 10, 9:30 am ET
Toshiba showcases digital video recorder line, including two Digital Media Servers with TiVo(R) and three DVD recorders
CEDIA, INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C., showcased one of the most extensive lines of digital video recorders to meet the emerging market at this year's CEDIA Show. Toshiba's full line of digital video recorders offers combinations for a choice of recording scenarios, including TiVo capabilities, hard disc drives (HDD), and a DVD Recorder with VHS.
To support retail sales, Toshiba will be providing dealers with in-store display materials, literature and demonstration discs to increase consumer awareness and provide education on digital recording. To further assist the consumer with their purchase, Toshiba will also provide a toll free support line (1-800-631-3811) that will be prominently located inside the carton box.
"Toshiba's line of DVD recorders offers a model to complement the varied needs of consumers," said Jodi Sally, Assistant Vice President of Marketing, Toshiba Digital A/V Group. "Our full line of digital video recorders offers flexibility for all recording types. Whether you are a fan of TV programming and Time shifting or you like to build your own library of family recordings, Toshiba has a digital video recorder that is right for you."
Digital Media Servers
Expanding upon the relationship with TiVo Inc., Toshiba showcased two new Digital Media Server models that feature TiVo technology with DVD recording. Both models include high capacity hard disc drives with the capability to record the user's favorite programs. With the addition of a front panel DV input, both models offer the ability to transfer camcorder material to the hard drive and then to DVD quickly and easily.
With TiVo Basic(TM) service included without having to pay a subscription fee, users can select programs to record from a 3-day program guide, save them to the hard drive and view them at their leisure, or they can record their shows to DVD quickly and easily. TiVo's easy to use interface can automatically create a DVD Menu based on the user's selections, or titles can be manually entered. In either case, simplicity is the key. Additionally, both units come with a 45-day free trial of the TiVo Plus(TM) service, offering users the opportunity to try features unique to the TiVo Plus service including the ability to search for programs by title, set up Season Pass(TM) recordings for their favorite shows, and create WishLists(TM) to find their favorite shows.
Other key features include Progressive Scan Component Video Outputs for both DVD and DVR signals, capability to record in DVD-R and DVD-RW formats, as well as an IR blaster for Cable Box and Satellite Receiver control. The TiVo Basic service includes a 3 day rolling program guide, TV "Trick Play" features including the ability to pause and rewind live TV, and manual recording capability with repeat function. Both units are fully upgradeable to the TiVo Plus service (subscription required) which includes the newly added Home Media Option.
The RS-TX20 (MAP $599.99) with 120 GB hard disc drive (up to 140 hours of recording time) and the RS-TX60 (MAP $699.99) with 160 GB hard disc drive (up to 200 hours of recording time) will be available this month.
DVD Recorders
Toshiba also showcased three DVD Recorders. The recorders come in three different configurations to meet the varied desires of this emerging market: DVD Recorder, DVD recorder and VHS, and a DVD Recorder with a built-in hard disc drive.
The RD-XS52 (October 2004, $599.99) will feature a 160GB hard disc drive providing ample digital recording time. The unit allows users to record and playback their favorite TV shows as well as building personal movie libraries for archiving and preserving family videos. The RD-XS52 is one of the first DVD recorder models to incorporate High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI(TM)) with upconversion capability to 720p or 1080i. This single cable connection provides the highest quality interface between a DVD player and a compatible HD television, ensuring that all the signals remain in their pure digital form.
The Toshiba D-VR3 (Available now, $449.99) combines Toshiba's quality DVD recorder technology with VHS capability. The D-VR3 allows users to archive home videos of favorite VHS tapes to DVD within the same device.
Toshiba also highlighted the D-R2 (Available now, $299.99) DVD Recorder. The D-R2 offers DVD recording capability on DVD-RAM, DVD-RW or DVD-R. A front DV input, as well as front panel A/V input jacks, allows the transfer of camcorder recordings directly onto DVD media.
All Toshiba DVD recorders feature Digital Cinema Progressive Scan output, Colorstream(TM) Pro Component Video Outputs, Multimedia playback for JPEGs and MP3 titles, and a Zoom mode. The line also features 3-D Virtual Surround Sound and Digital Noise Reduction and a front panel digital video (DV) input, which allows users to digitally transfer home movies to DVD or a hard disc drive from a camcorder via the digital video terminal.
Toshiba's line of DVD recorders share a stylish cosmetic look that will complement all Toshiba display devices, particularly flat panel displays.
DivX Releases Version 5.2
By Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen - Posted Sep 8, 2004
In late July, DivXNetworks, Inc. announced the release of version 5.2 of its codec, offering a built-in bitrate calculator, a new fast encoding mode, and support for French, German, and Japanese in addition to English—a move that points to the international nature of the company's market.
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"About 75% of our traffic and two-thirds of our revenue are from outside the United States," says Kevin Hell, DivX's chief marketing officer and managing director. "The DivX brand is appealing to the European market, since (co-founder) Jerome ‘Gej' Rota is from France, and there's a lot more anti-Microsoft sentiment over there." Worldwide, DivX claims 120 million downloads of the three versions of its codec: DivX, the free encoder, decoder, and player; DivX Pro, the $19.99 advanced encoding tool; and Dr. DivX 9 (now in version 1.0.5), a $49.99 consumer-targeted suite that includes DivX Pro.
Hell says that DivX's internal testing shows that DivX 5.2 offers "33-38%" better encoding quality, defined by signal-to-noise ratio, and 300% faster encoding speed than Microsoft Windows Media Video 9, though no independent tests are yet available. But compression efficiency has always been the name of DivX's game—it's always touted the codec's ability to deliver full-length DVD-quality movies within the 700MB storage limits of a CD—so it's no surprise that it once again forms the core of 5.2's marketing pitch.
Beyond the promises of improved image quality and encoding times, DivX 5.2 offers several improvements over 5.1:
• Adaptive single and multiple consecutive B-frames, which allow the encoder to save space by only encoding the differences between preceding and subsequent frames (i.e. "talking head" shots where the background stays constant).
• Multiple quantization metrics, which apply different bitrates to different types of video streams (i.e., animation vs. live-action). For the most part, DivX uses H.263 quantization, which is designed for a wide range of bitrates, but 5.2 adds MPEG-2 quantization, which is particularly efficient for high-bitrate encoding.
• Automatic update downloading.
Beyond its high efficiency, the core of DivX's business strategy has been the company's aggressive pursuit of the consumer electronics space; at the same time it's worked hard to establish itself in more traditional, PC-based streaming. DivX-certified set-top players are available from KiSS, Philips, JVC, Samsung, and others, and the Plextor ConvertX encoding device bridges the PC-CE gap.
In the European market, DivX recently announced an agreement with Wind, an Italian telecommunications company, for secure, video-on-demand delivery over IP. The VoD service uses progressive download rather than "pure streaming," an approach that corporate communications manager Tom Huntington says was based on consumer preferences. "Customers face the trade-off between watching something right away or letting it buffer a bit and getting a higher-quality video, and they clearly prefer the latter," he says. "If you're going to lay out up to $15 (for premium content) you want to make sure it's at least what you get when you go to Blockbuster and rent a DVD."
DivX movies are also now available on Alaska Airlines flights via the APS digEplayer VoD playback device, and Huntington says more airline partnerships are in the works. "We feel the appearance of these kinds of devices validates the ‘iPod' version of video," Huntington says.
The company also has been running its own VoD service, which Huntington says includes 17,500 titles from 40 content partners. At this point, it's mostly independent, anime, and adult content, with "rental" rates ranging from $1.95 for five days to $14.99 for 30 days of viewing on a consumer's PC. Why the lack of big-name titles? "The indie and adult folks are moving a lot more aggressively from a DRM perspective," Huntington says, "but their success will help more studios get comfortable with the technology, both from an encoding and a DRM perspective. We've already had films from Warner Brothers and Disney go through our encoding facility."
TI's Digital Media Processor Cranks Out HD Video Streams with Room to Spare
View Blazingly Fast Video Encode/Decode of Microsoft's Content in WMV HD at IBC
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Manufacturers of consumer electronics and set top boxes now have a clear path to delivering high definition (HD) streaming video with the new 720 MHz version of the TMS320DM642 DSP-based digital media processor from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN). TI's digital media processor delivers HD video
streams in Microsoft's Windows Media High Definition Video (WMV HD) format at 720p resolution, as well as MPEG-4, MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 formats. The device also processes standard definition video decoding for the emerging H.264
format.
This digital media processor follows on the success of the 600 MHz DM642,which is in the hands of hundreds of customers developing everything from security cameras to video telephony systems, and is being incorporated intodesigns by eight of the top 10 IP set top box manufacturers. For moreinformation, please see: http://www.ti.com/dm642720pr.
TI will demonstrate the digital media processor family at the
International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, Sept. 10-14, in Hall 4,booth #161.
In addition to sampling the 720 MHz version of the DM642, TI is nowoffering production class devices for the TMS320DM640 and TMS320DM641, plusthe 600 MHz version of the DM642. These code-compatible digital mediaprocessors are scalable across a wide range of clock speeds and memorycapacities to support applications from video-based consumer electronics tovideo infrastructure equipment.
"TI's DM642 was one of the first programmable DSP to pass conformancetesting at D1 resolution for both the Windows Media 9 encoder and decoder,"said Steve Sklepowich, group manager in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows DigitalMedia Division. "TI's new 720MHz DM642 facilitates the ramp of HD WM9 into arange of embedded consumer applications with code-compatible, programmable
performance."
"We expect to see momentum for high end IP set top boxes," said GregIreland, senior research analyst, consumer markets: video for for IDC. "For USdeployment, HD will be a critical element of advanced video on demandservices, and the availability of set top boxes that can deliver robust HD will have a positive impact on the market."
With manufacturers driving toward more complex features and functionality,having a programmable platform with optimized performance is key. The DM642includes integrated multimedia and communications peripherals such as on-chipHD-capable video ports, glueless Ethernet connectivity, multi-channel audio
and 66-MHz PCI connectivity. The new 720 MHz version offers higherperformance for HD streaming and broadcast applications as well as headroomfor extended features such as object recognition and tracking for surveillance applications, multiple channel decode for streaming applications and image cleanup, network transport, better audio quality and better system control for
other video applications. The DM641 and DM640 processors also support video ports and critical peripherals for digital media adapters, personal video recorders, consumer IP-based video phones and video conferencing systems and TI continues to supply advanced development tools to accelerate product development. Engineers can turn to the Digital Media Developers Kit, whichcontains a PCI-bus EVM evaluation module (also available separately) as well as eXpressDSP(TM) software and development tools including DSP/BIOS(TM),reference framework software, streaming-media executable demos, a high-speedemulator and even a camera with cables. Also, the new 720 MHz version of the DM642 EVM enables engineers to begin immediate evaluation of their algorithms such as dual standard-definition D1 decoding or HD 720p decode. Further, third parties supply DM64x-based tools with hardware and software tailored for system-level solutions in specific markets such as consumer IP-based video phones or set top boxes. This third party network also offers a wide range of AV algorithms including H.264, H.263, AC-3, AAC, MP3 and more; please see http://www.ti.com/dm642720pr for full list.
Pricing and Availability
The DM640, DM641 and DM642 (600 MHz version) are available now in volume production with pricing starting as low as $19.95 each in quantities of 10,000 for the 400 MHz DM640. The TMS320DM642 running at 720 MHz is sampling today at $59.99 (10 KU). The DM642 Evaluation Module (EVM) is $1995 with the complete DM64x-based Digital Media Developer's Kit (DMDK) selling for $6495
which includes the DM642 EVM.
Product Reviews for the DM642 DSP-Based Digital Media Processor
Please see http://www.ti.com/dm642720pr for additional product reviews.
"When you take into account your power budget, your performance
requirements and tool chain support, there really aren't any options left. The DM642 is simply the best choice if you need to support more than one video codec. With the new 720 MHz version of the DM642, we can achieve significantly higher bit rates when decoding H.264 video, thus meeting broadcasters' demands as to video quality and decoder reliability."
Jan Rychter, CTO, Sentivision
"Our control room solution consists of a number of projection modules, and each of these projection modules has its own control which can display a number of video sources onto a single screen in a flexible configuration. We use DSPs because we see that the standards for compressing video are changing
all the time and DSP allows us to change the algorithm as needed. We chose the DM642 for our latest design because it gives us the same performance for a better price because of the integrated peripherals that are available on the chip, and this allows us to lower the total system cost of our solution. The
new 720 MHz DM642 will allow us to decode more channels simultaneously on the same input card, which would allow us to increase the number of channels that we can decode on a single device and display on our screens as well as go into higher resolutions."
Peter Brussens, market development manager, broadcast, Barco
"VBrick is using the DM642 for increased processor capacity and higher performance, as we seek full D1 resolution and adherence to standards. We think the DM642 is an excellent platform to build on for additional videocapabilities. For current and future applications, it's very important for us to deliver DVD-quality video, including MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 with up to full 30 frames per second, PAL, NTSC, over IP networks. For the newer MPEG profiles and for emerging standards, the DM642 allows us to develop on a platform that gives our customers flexibility."
Rich Mavrogeanes, founder and CTO, VBrick Systems
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real-world signal processing requirements.
In addition to Semiconductors, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com.
TRADEMARKS
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
digital surveillance systems.
ViewSonic Pursues $8.5 Billion Home Networking Opportunity; Media Network Products Deliver Unmatched Visual Experience on Home Displays
LA JOLLA, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Sept. 8, 2004 -- ViewSonic(R) Corp., a worldwide leader in visual display products, today unveiled a wireless media networking initiative targeted at the burgeoning home networking market, estimated to reach $8.5 billion by 2008 (1). The first products bring consumers a complete solution for sharing digital video, pictures and music across consumer electronics devices.
ViewSonic's product offerings include a wireless media adapter, the WMA100, along with two wireless media gateways, the 80GB WMG80 and the 120GB WMG120, to address growing needs for storing digital content and distributing it to any display throughout the home. Superior wireless video performance is provided through the WMA100's advanced video processing technology, while the WMG80 and WMG120 offer a benchmark combination of wireless routing and network storage functionality--including the ability to simultaneously view different files in multiple locations.
"ViewSonic's complete home networking solution will give consumers the freedom to enjoy digital media anywhere in their homes without being tied to the PC, and the ability to experience it at better than DVD quality," said Todd Greenberg, director of product management, ViewSonic.
"Consumer usage of home networking and digital content is approaching mass market levels," said Mike Wolf, Principal Analyst, Consumer Content and Connectivity, for InStat/MDR. "As the convergence of these two trends continues, media networking devices - like ViewSonic's WMA and WMG products - will become an increasingly crucial piece in the entertainment system."
ViewSonic's Media Networks initiative furthers the company's vision of a display-centric world by providing an integrated, seamless solution for transparently moving digital content among displays, devices and platforms--whether in the home or in a business setting. Future product lines will include business-focused networking options for addressing audiovisual requirements in the workplace and in commercial settings. Its entrance into home networking also expands the company's presence in the consumer electronics market, which now spans more than 50 products, including LCD TVs, plasmas, wireless home automation displays, projectors, video processors and computing accessories.
WMA100 Offers Unsurpassed Performance
In keeping with ViewSonic's heritage of display excellence, the WMA100 offers outstanding video streaming performance utilizing the latest scaling, decoding and decompression technology to wirelessly receive and display better-than-DVD-quality video.
When connected to any display via VGA or DVI, the WMA100 automatically detects and scales transmitted video content to the screen's native resolution. DVI, composite-video, component-video, S-Video and VGA video outputs team with analog and coaxial SPDIF audio outputs with Dolby 5.1 pass through to make the WMA100 the most versatile media adapter on the market.
During the initial one-touch autosync set up, the WMA100 will locate and automatically attach to the gateway or allow the user to select from available networks within its range. Once a network is selected, all photos, music and video files that are stored in the user's "My Photos," "My Music" and "My Videos" folders are detected. Folder selections can be managed using the included management software.
Video file formats supported by the WMA100 include MPEG 1, 2 and 4. Audio file support includes MP3, unprotected AAC, WMA and WAV. Photos in JPEG, GIF or PNG formats can be displayed using the WMA100.
WMG80 and WMG120--Gateways for Functionality
ViewSonic's wireless media gateways provide value by functioning as both an 802.11g wireless router and a network attached storage device with print server capabilities. When the WMA100 is combined with either the WMG80 or the WMG120, consumers can store and wirelessly deliver digital content to one or more displays in the home.
By storing content directly on the gateway, users will achieve better video streaming performance by eliminating the multiple distribution stops necessary when using a PC as a server. With the increased available bandwidth, glitch-free simultaneous distribution to two or more displays is possible.
Both models offer two USB ports to support USB printers and external storage devices. The gateways feature a quick and easy set-up wizard and compatibility with Windows 98 SE and beyond.
Available in the fourth quarter through authorized ViewSonic resellers and retailers, including Fry's Electronics, Amazon.com, Hoppins/Onecall.com and other regional outlets, the WMA100 has an estimated street price (ESP) of $299. ViewSonic will offer bundles that provide complete home networking solutions. The WMG80-B1 includes one WMG80 and one WMA100 for an ESP of $699, while the WMG120-B1 includes one WMG120 and one WMA100 for an ESP of $799. Backed by a one-year limited warranty on parts and labor with onsite service, the products also include ViewSonic's toll-free technical support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information or images of ViewSonic Media Networks devices, or to locate an authorized ViewSonic dealer, visit www.viewsonic.com/medianetworks or call 800.888.8583.
About ViewSonic
ViewSonic(R) Corp., a worldwide leader in visual display products, offers comprehensive display solutions for today's business, education and consumer electronics markets. The company's products have won more than 1,000 awards globally from independent publications and organizations.
Headquartered in Walnut, Calif., ViewSonic was founded in 1987 and is a privately held corporation. For further information, please contact ViewSonic Corp. at tel: 800.888.8583 or 909.869.7976; fax: 909.468.3736; or www.ViewSonic.com.
NAD Electronics and Digital 5 Introduce Next Generation Entertainment Networking Device
Wednesday September 8, 10:10 am ET
Enables NAD Connected Device to Stream Digital Content Throughout the Connected Home
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital 5, Inc., a leading provider of software for streaming of multimedia content, today announced that its AV software will enable the new connected AV device by NAD Electronics, a leading manufacturer of home theatre devices and hi-fi components.
With the Digital 5 client software integrated into NAD's new NetCap Network Receiver, customers are able to access digital entertainment, as well as live Internet streaming, to play on the big screen television and surround sound audio of their Home Theatre. The device is fully compliant with industry standards such as UPnP, HTTP, RTP, NMPR, DLNA, 802.11g.
Embedded with Digital 5 AV software, the NAD NetCap can stream WMA, MP3, AAC, LPCM audio files and industry video formats such as MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, and can render digital photo files in formats such as JPEG, TIFF, PSD, PICT and BMP.
Additionally, the NAD NetCap will provide the consumer with the ability to remotely auto upgrade the device firmware and software synchronization, thereby allowing the device to incrementally provide new services and functionality which will continue to add more value and enhance the NetCap's capabilities.
"The emergence of media networking continues to be the most exciting part of the home networking market," according to Mike Wolf, Principal Consumer Connectivity and Content Analyst with In-Stat/MDR. "We expect Microsoft's Media Center Extender technology to accelerate this trend going forward into 2005."
Digital 5's AV software is complete embedded software, which can run on a number of industry codec ICs. This software can be implemented in many connected consumer devices as a stand alone for an AV media device, or embedded as a modular solution into another AV component. The Digital 5 AV platform offers a modular architecture, which allows the flexibility to be easily ported to multiple codec chips in the market today while supporting multiple industry standard DRM solutions such as Windows Media DRM, DTCP/IP and others.
"With Digital 5 software and the NAD NetCap's superior sonic and visual performance, enjoyment of digital entertainment content located on local PCs and over the Internet is now available from the comfort of the Home Theatre. This is a natural extension of functionality to our NAD AV Components," says Greg Stidsen, Director of Product Development for NAD ELECTRONICS. "NAD is pleased to work with Digital 5 to help us accelerate our vision of bringing new entertainment options to our customers."
"We continue to enhance our core technology offering in distributing digital entertainment content across the networked home," says Mike Harris, president of Digital 5. "We value working closely with NAD to expand our presence in the high-performance audio and video marketplace."
Digital 5 networking technology currently powers several classes of connected consumer electronics devices from leading electronics companies such as Gateway. This is the first application of this technology in a product primarily intended for the Home Theatre enthusiast, and to be marketed through CEDIA's custom installation retail channel. Digital 5 incorporates Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology as well as advanced Quality of Service and advanced DRM and Security features.
About Digital 5, Inc.
Digital 5, Inc. (Digital 5) is a leading provider of software enabling both wireless and wired sharing of multimedia content among networked consumer electronics (CE) devices. Digital 5's software technology is used to enable new products for existing CE categories, such as DVD Players, televisions, and stereo systems, giving them the capability to access media content over a home network and the Internet. These products allow consumers to enjoy their music, digital pictures, or video in the comfort of their various home entertainment locations. With headquarters in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and operations in California and India, Digital 5 can be contacted on the World Wide Web at http://www.digital5.com.
The O-300 was a Digitalway flash based player (I have a couple and they are great!)..part of our defunct retail foray of the 0-100, 0-200, 0-300, Treo, O-1000, Silhouette......
Fever pitch for mobile entertainment market
By Nick Easen for CNN
Tuesday, September 7, 2004 Posted: 5:32 AM EDT (0932 GMT)
LONDON, England (CNN) -- It has been 25 years since Sony launched the original Walkman, now the portable entertainment scene is going through a energetic renaissance, but this time it is digital.
Seeded by the success of Apple's iPod and online store iTunes, joggers, cyclists and drivers the world-over now consume entire CD collections and downloaded tunes on pocket-held devices.
But Apple is about to find the market more crowded. Microsoft and others are moving in. Their entry is set to herald a new phase in the battle for personal entertainment.
"We are seeing new players in the market innovate with new features such as video. But the market is still very young, people still carry CD and cassette players," Ian Fogg, personal technology analyst at Jupiter Research told CNN.
In direct competition to iTunes, Microsoft is about to offer songs on its Web site for 99 cents. RealNetworks already has a promotional 49 cents per-song download campaign.
Other competitors include Wal-Mart Music Downloads, Sony Connect, Musicmatch Jukebox, Napster 2.0.
On the hardware side, Singapore-based Creative Technology is doubling the number of digital music players from eight to 16 by the end of the year.
"This year, MP3 (digital audio players) will be the hottest segment -- last year was digital cameras," Creative Chief Executive Sim Wong Hoo told reporters.
Reviewers are hailing its new "Zen" player as one of the strongest rivals to-date for Apple's market-leader, iPod.
One thing that differentiates Zen is its ability to offer more than just music in easy to use formats. It has the ability store up to 85 hours of video and thousands of photos.
"Portable Media Centres are vanguard devices that will change the way we think about digital entertainment on the go," says Todd Warren, a corporate vice-president at Microsoft.
"Today we are seeing just the tip of the iceberg in how content companies are envisioning a future where people can take all of their digital entertainment wherever they go -- on vacation, while they commute, at the gym."
The company that invented the portable music player, Sony, has released a digital version called the Network Walkman complemented by its online music store Connect. Hewlett Packard has also launched a digital music player.
But dethroning the iPod is likely to be an uphill struggle. Microsoft has come late to the music game -- one in which Apple has significant market share. Many consumers already associate the Apple brand with portable digital music.
The simplicity of Apple's online store and its music player could also create a barrier for competitors.
"The goal is to make it easy to use, Apple has this, but it may not be the dominant player in the future," says Fogg.
Analysts say that the boom in the personal entertainment scene may also be marked by consumer bewilderment at the multitude of models and digital-entertainment formats.
By giving people an increasing range of choices for audio and visual content that is portable and competitively priced could change the face of personal and pocket-sized entertainment -- but do not throw out your first generation iPod yet.
"I expect in 10 years you will still have a music player that is just good for music. I do not think you will have a single device for all forms of entertainment including video -- it is an experience issue," explains Fogg.
Digital 5 Announces Advanced AV Streaming Technology
Intel NMPR Validated AV Software Offers True Scalability and Fast Deployment of Connected Consumer Devices
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital 5(TM), Inc. today announced the launch of its latest streaming technology software to support the secure management and distribution premium video and audio content throughout the connected home from either the local PC or across the Internet.
The new Digital 5 AV embedded Client Software can run on a number of industry codec ICs. This software can be implemented in many connected consumer products, either as a stand-alone AV media device, or as an embedded solution into another AV component. The Digital 5 AV platform offers a modular architecture, which allows the flexibility to be easily ported to
multiple codec chips in the market today while supporting multiple industry standard DRM solutions such as Windows Media DRM, DTCP/IP and others.
Additionally the technology has received Intel Networked Media Product Requirements (Intel NMPR) approval. The Digital 5 client software can stream WMA, MP3, AAC and LPCM audio files. It supports industry video formats such as MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 and can render digital photo files in formats such as JPEG, TIFF, PSD, PICT and BMP.
The Digital 5 AV Client Software offers full industry compliance by supporting industry standards such as UPnP, HTTP, RTP, NMPR, DLNA and 802.11g. Digital 5 AV Client Software offers an application customization layer creating the ability to easily add more application functionality and to utilize the client customizable user interface to expose more features, and
create unique branding to enhance the connected device and user experience.
The Digital 5 AV client software offers the industry's leading Quality of Streaming (QoS) technology. The Digital 5 client software supports the streaming of leading content services such as Radio@AOL, RealRhapsody, Napster, MusicMatch, and vTuner.
The new release of Digital 5 AV software allows consumer electronics OEMs and ODMs to bring to market a digital media device such as a television, cable or satellite set-top box, home stereo component or any other media playback device, to support the management and sharing of digital media and Internet
content to improve the consumer entertainment experience.
Additionally, Digital 5 offers the ability to remotely auto upgrade the device firmware functionality and software synchronization. This key feature will enable the device manufacture to incrementally update the device capabilities and bring new premium services directly to the device in the field.
"Intel is pleased to be working with Digital 5 in passing baseline testing for Intel NMPR. We believe that Intel's NMPR enabling efforts with Digital 5's AV solution will help accelerate the adoption of interoperable PCs and networked CE devices on the home network, providing a better experience for
consumers when sharing content," said Kevin Corbett, vice president and chief technology officer, Intel's Desktop Platforms Group.
"Providing the technology that allows OEMs to build low-cost and high- performance networked entertainment devices to securely stream content is an integral part of Digital 5's vision for the connected home," said Mike Harris, Digital 5 president. "Digital 5 is pleased to play a major role in providing consumers a way to enjoy premium movies and music anywhere, anytime in their connected homes."
Digital 5 networking technology currently powers several classes of connected consumer electronics devices including DVD players from leading consumer electronics companies such as, Gateway, Apex, Oritron, Go-Video and Netgear. Digital 5 incorporates Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology as well as advanced Quality of Service and advanced DRM and Security features.
About Digital 5, Inc.
Digital 5, Inc. (Digital 5) is a leading provider of software and system intellectual property to enable both wireless and wired sharing of content among networked consumer electronics (CE) devices. Digital 5's software technology is used to enable new products for existing CE categories, such as DVD Players, televisions, and stereo systems, giving them the capability to access media content over a home network and the Internet. These products allow consumers to enjoy their music, digital pictures, or video in the comfort of their various home entertainment locations. Digital 5 brings fundamentally new capabilities to market for leading original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs).
With headquarters in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and operations in California and India, Digital 5 can be contacted on the World Wide Web at http://www.digital5.com.
Asustek to add MP3 players and LCD monitors to its own-brand product mix
Asustek Computer will start marketing its own-brand MP3 players in the fourth quarter and may add an LCD monitor to its product lineup, according to company sources.
The company has not yet decided whether to manufacture the digital music players by itself or outsource the production to other companies, the source noted. Asus will start marketing the MP3 players in October, but the sources added that the company has not yet set a timetable for the launch of its own-brand LCD monitors.
Notebooks and motherboards will continue to drive the company’s revenue growth in 2004 and 2005, the sources said, noting that notebooks and motherboards will account for 33% and 30%, respectively, of Asustek’s total revenues this year. Although graphics cards and optical disc drives (ODDs) only accounted for 7% and 5%, respectively, of revenues last year, the company said these proportions will increase substantially this year.
The sales value of Asustek’s handsets is expected to top NT$2-2.5 billion this year, accounting for 6-8% of its total revenues, according to the sources
iriver and Texas Instruments Unveil New Portable Media Players
First A/V CD Player Debuts, Offering New Ways for Consumers to Experience Music, Photos and Movies On-the-Go
DALLAS and MILPITAS, Calif. and SAN DIEGO, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ --
Redefining the portable media player (PMP) market with the industry's first CD portable media player, Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN) (TI) and iriver introduce the availability of two new portable media devices. Powered
by TI's Digital Media family of digital signal processors (DSPs), along with multiple analog components from TI, iriver's IMP 1100 is the world's first audio/video (A/V) CD player, and the multifunctional PMP-100 is a hard disk drive A/V player with FM tuner. (See http://www.ti.com/portableaudio5 )
"Advances in audio/video technology are enabling innovative portable products, such as the PMP, which offers consumers new ways to enjoy their digital content," said Cindy McCurley, Senior Analyst, In-Stat/MDR. McCurley's recent report entitled "Handheld Audio/Video Players: Audio, Video and More!" projects that in four years, more than 7.6 million PMP units will
ship worldwide, with a compound annual growth rate of 179 percent over the 2003-2008 period. "As consumer awareness increases, functionality expands, and prices decline, a growing number of consumers will be drawn to having access to their content wherever they are, whether it is their favorite song,
home video, or family photo."
The IMP 1100 A/V CD player combines the convenience and reliability of a CD player with the cutting-edge capabilities of an A/V player. Consumers can watch home movies or digital photos on the 2" 260k color TFT LCD screen.
Leveraging TI's power-efficient DSP and high-performance DC/DC power management ICs, the IMP 1100 can play up to six hours of video and approximately 25 hours of music with one charge of the rechargeable lithium- ion (Li-Ion) battery. The IMP 1100 also supports a variety of additional
features, including:
* TV-out/line out to watch shows on the home TV
* Upgradeable firmware to get the latest features of tomorrow
* Audio formats -- MP3, Windows Media Audio (WMA) and ASF, DivX video, and imaging formats -- JPEG and BMP, offering broad support forcontent
The PMP-100 HDD A/V player is the first HDD-based A/V player with an FM tuner. It also offers the above mentioned features with additional support for MPEG4 video. The USB 2.0 device and host allow consumers to access content quickly and easily, whether it is from the Internet or personal use, such as pictures taken with a digital camera.
Video and pictures can be seen clearly on the large 3.5" 260k color TFT graphic LCD screen. The PMP-100 can play approximately four to five hours of video and up to 10 hours of audio on a Li-Ion battery and up to 18 hours for audio playback after firmware optimization. iriver offers the PMP-100 with either 20GB and 40GB of storage.
"By partnering with TI, we are able to continue to develop next-generation consumer entertainment devices," said Matthew Yoon, Marketing Director, iriver.
"We see tremendous growth potential in the PMP market, as innovation is the
key to success in this growing market."
As the leader in providing silicon to the PMP market, TI has a variety of solutions to offer manufacturers to help them take advantage of the power efficiency and performance headroom of TI's Digital Media processors. In addition, TI's DC/DC power management devices prolong battery life by achieving up to 96 percent power conversion efficiency. Portable media players require design complexity, enhanced user interfaces and advanced
systems on chip (SoCs), and TI is one of the few companies that can meet these performance and cost demands.
Pricing and Availability
The IMP 1100 is scheduled to be available in the Q3 of 2004 and will have
a suggested retail price of $279.99. The PMP-100 is available now and will
have a suggested retail price of $479.99 for 20GB and $579.99 for 40GB.
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog
technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements.
In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors &
Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in
Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than
25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ti.com .
About iriver
iriver is the emerging global leader in delivering portable digital media
devices. iriver provides consumers with the viewing, listening and recording
flexibility to accommodate their active lifestyles by manufacturing award-
winning hybrid products supporting existing and emerging formats, including
MP3, OGG, ASF, WMA and WMA-DRM. Milpitas-based iriver America, Inc. can be
found on the Web at http://www.iriveramerica.com .
SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated
Web Site: http://www.ti.com http://www.ti.com/portableaudio5
http://www.iriveramerica.com
Photo Notes: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010105/NEF016LOGO AP
Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org PRN Photo Desk,
photodesk@prnewswire.com
Sellgino Portable Media Player
http://www.engadget.com/entry/8536655998821744/
Samsung Electronics develops world's 1st HDD-embedded mobile handset
, 09.07.04, 9:12 AM ET
SEOUL (AFX) - Samsung Electronics Co said that it has developed a hard disc drive (HDD)-embedded mobile handset, claiming it the world's first.
The new camera phone, to be released to the local market in mid-September, contains a 1-inch 1.5GB hard disc drive inside, a considerable expansion of memory capacity compared with the conventional handsets with a maximum 100MB memory.
It also features a high-resolution 2.2-inch liquid crystal display, MP3 player, electronic book and Korean-English/English-Korean dictionaries.
A powerful microphone enhances the camcorder function, while dual speakers provide 3D sound effects, the company added.
eunkyung.seo@xinhuafinance.com
AFX News Limited
that the broker advision this mam was making money off of the dentist's loaned shares.
As was the owner of the stock IMO. People whos shares get used for shorting, get a cut.
As far as being posted on other boards..they already know the story is full of BS and half truths. All IMHO lol
Northwest inaugurates trans-Pacific Airbus flights
WILLIAM MCCALL; The Associated Press
PORTLAND - Northwest Airlines on Wednesday became the first domestic carrier to offer trans-Pacific service aboard an Airbus A330-200, with a flight to Japan that features amenities such as business-class seats that flatten into beds and on-demand movies.
Introduction of the fuel-efficient, twin-engine European jet also marked the beginning of a West Coast expansion for Airbus near the birthplace of rival Boeing Co. in Seattle.
Northwest, the only U.S.-based airline to operate the A330-200, has dedicated its first two Airbus jets to its Portland-Tokyo route.
The Minneapolis-based airline will add the Airbus to its Tokyo flights from Sea-Tac Airport and San Francisco later this year as five more aircraft are delivered by Airbus, said Northwest spokes-man Kurt Ebenhoch.
The 243-passenger A330-200 has 32 business-class seats that fold and bend all the way into a flat bed, with a privacy hood and lumbar support that can massage the backs of weary travelers.
The Airbus also features a new entertainment system throughout the airplane that gives passengers access to on-demand movies with individual remote controls that can fast-forward and rewind. The remote controls also allow access to music, electronic games, maps, shopping and other information.
Seats also feature sockets so that travelers with laptop computers can plug into the airplane's power system and avoid using batteries.
The amenities "are essential for us to compete effectively," said Laura Liu, Northwest vice president of international marketing and revenue management.
She noted the A330-200 also is 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the DC-10 it replaces, and is much quieter.
Todd Blecher, a Boeing spokesman, said the introduction of the rival Airbus is part of a new era in air travel that will feature smaller, more fuel-efficient planes that can provide international service to smaller airports or markets, such as Portland.
Blecher said Boeing already has orders for its new 7E7 line, with the first delivery expected in 2008. The new Boeing aircraft will compete with the Airbus model for long-range flights.
"They will provide airlines a tool to open city pairs like Portland and Tokyo, or any number of city pairs around the world, by bringing the range and efficiency to smaller airplanes that had only been found on larger airplanes," Blecher said.
The new Airbus service was welcomed by Port of Portland executive director Bill Wyatt, who has worked hard to restore international flights to Portland after it became the only major city on the West Coast without direct international passenger service with the departure of Delta Air Lines in March 2001.
International service did not resume until March 2003, when Lufthansa offered a flight to Frankfurt, Germany, the same month that Mexicana Airlines announced it would offer daily passenger service to Guadalajara, Mexico, which began in May 2003.
Northwest began its Tokyo service from Portland in June.
New Mini MP3 Player with 5GB 1-inch Seagate Hard Drive
September 02, 2004
Seagate Technology and Creative Technology Ltd today announced that Creative's first mini MP3 player, MuVo2 FM 5GB, comes equipped with Seagate's new 5 GB, 1-inch ST1 Series hard drive with RunOn Technology. It is the first product Seagate is delivering as part of a strategic relationship between Creative and Seagate, and both companies have plans to deliver to consumers more leading-edge portable audio product lines using Seagate storage technology.
"Customers are demanding handheld audio playback devices that provide quiet acoustics, high reliability and top streaming performance" said Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative Technology Ltd. "Creative is pleased to be working with Seagate to deliver the industry highest capacity MuVo2 FM Mini MP3 player to the market, allowing the player to hold up to 150 hours of high-quality music files."
"Our relationship with Creative is only beginning with their adoption of the ST1 Series hard drive," said Brian Dexheimer, Seagate executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing. "Seagate worked closely with Creative to align with their technology and business needs. This announcement further confirms Seagate's entry into the handheld application space, and offers proof that our products deliver what consumer electronics companies need most - quiet acoustics, high reliability, and top performance for digital media."
The new Seagate ST1 Series, the industry's first 1-inch hard drive to offer up to 5GB of storage, lets consumers quickly download massive libraries of high-fidelity music to pocket players. Seagate's new and unique RunOn Technology improves the drive's performance in high-motion environments, such as when the listener is exercising while listening to music.
The Seagate ST1 Series' unique rugged design has changed the playing field for 1-inch hard drives, helping music players better withstand the abuse that hand-held devices are subject to. Seagate listened to the music player market and has reinvented the 1-inch hard drive to provide the best combination of performance, reliability, battery life and cost.
http://www.seagate.com/cda/newsinfo/newsroom/releases/article/0,1121,2322,00.html
Apple-Rival Creative to Double MP3 Player Lines
Thu 2 September, 2004 14:51
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Computer audio equipment maker Creative Technology Ltd. said on Thursday it would double its MP3 player product lines from its current eight by year-end, stepping up competition for rivals such as Apple Computer Inc. AAPL.O
Singapore-based Creative CREA.SI is fighting to expand its share of the fast-growing digital music market as its computer sound card business declines, rolling out well-received players that store thousands of songs on pocket-sized disk drives or smaller flash memory chips.
Its latest "Zen" music player has been hailed by reviewers as one of the strongest rivals to date for Apple's market-leading iPod.
Creative has also launched, with the backing of Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O , a handheld device called the Portable Media Center that can store and display video and photos.
The company said it held a 10 percent share of the global market for MP3 players in the June quarter, coming second after Apple's 17 percent share.
"This year, MP3 will be the hottest segment -- last year was digital cameras," Creative Chief Executive Sim Wong Hoo told reporters.
"We intend to double the MP3 player lines by year-end from eight to 16, to provide more choice to the big markets, and each line will have different design, features, (storage) capacity and colors," he added.
He declined to elaborate on product details.
As well as Apple, Creative is pitting itself against Sony Corp. 6758.T , which plans to launch a rival to the iPod.
Creative, which is in the process of scrapping its Nasdaq listing, also plans to extend its marketing push to Hong Kong, Australia, Tokyo, South Korea, Shanghai and Beijing.
"Our marketing campaign had phenomenal success in Singapore, and we're prepared to scale this globally in a big way for this Christmas," Sim said.
He declined to reveal how much Creative was planning to spend on its television, print and Internet advertisements, some of which mimic's Apple's advertising for the iPod, but said it would be much bigger than the "multi-million-dollar budget" for Singapore.
"We intend to lead in this space. We intend to out-invest everybody else. We will be relentless," Sim added.
Last month, Creative forecast lower earnings in the July to September quarter on a hike in advertising expenses for its new products.
Creative shares were down 1.1 percent at S$18.20 on Thursday.
Microsoft Wins Place on High-Def Videodiscs
Developers of a new format for DVDs back the firm's compression method as one option.
By Jon Healey, Times Staff Writer
Developers of high-definition DVDs have embraced technology from Microsoft Corp. to squeeze more video onto discs, marking another win for the software powerhouse in its drive to expand beyond the personal computer.
The decision by the Blu-ray Disc Assn. is the latest sign of progress in Microsoft's efforts to gain a foothold in the entertainment industry. The Redmond, Wash.-based company has won more support from consumer electronics manufacturers than Hollywood but is gradually laying the foundation for a world of personal entertainment that can be powered entirely by its products.
The association's decision, which is expected to be announced today, will affect a new generation of discs and players that can display much more detailed pictures than today's DVDs.
In a replay of the battle between VHS and Betamax, two different types of high-definition discs — Blu-ray and HD-DVD — are expected to start competing for sales in the U.S. as early as next year.
By requiring "VC-1" video technology developed by Microsoft to be included in all Blu-ray disc players, the association is mirroring a move made earlier this year by the HD-DVD forces. And with support from both camps, Microsoft will stay in the game regardless of which standard wins in the marketplace.
The Blu-ray and HD-DVD endorsements won't force Hollywood to use Microsoft's technology, which is merely one of three options for compressing video onto the next-generation discs. But they give Microsoft its biggest opportunity to date to participate in the home video market, which generates much of Hollywood's profits.
Microsoft is expected to collect a significant share of the licensing fees that manufacturers and studios are likely to pay for using VC-1, even though the company handed over control of the technology earlier this year to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. That group oversees technologies designated as industry standards for video.
"We are extremely pleased that Blu-ray has chosen [VC-1] as a mandatory compression technology for its format," said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Digital Media Division. Still, he added that Microsoft would give equal support to "the emerging high-definition video formats that deliver new possibilities for content providers and consumers."
Microsoft's anti-piracy technology is already in widespread use by online music and movie services, with the notable exception of Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store. Computer manufacturers are using Microsoft's software to try to displace VCRs and set-top boxes with entertainment-oriented PCs. And consumer-electronics companies are teaming with Microsoft to bring digital audio and video from the Internet to portable devices.
Backers of Blu-ray discs — which include Sony Corp., Pioneer Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Hewlett-Packard Co. — say they can hold six times as much data as today's DVDs, and 66% more than an HD-DVD. As for supporters of HD-DVD, including Toshiba Corp., NEC Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co., they argue that it will be easier to adapt today's DVD production plants to HD-DVD than Blu-ray, making their discs much less expensive to produce.
Both groups would require player manufacturers to support three technologies for compressing video digitally. MPEG-2 would be the primary video format, while VC-1 or an advanced version of MPEG-4 could be used to squeeze more material onto the disc. The MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 technologies were developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group.
Andy Parsons, a senior vice president of Pioneer, said the decision to include VC-1 was based in part on discussions with the Hollywood studios, which "wanted a lot of flexibility." VC-1 and MPEG-4 enable studios to put up to eight hours of high-definition video on a Blu-ray disc, almost twice as much as MPEG-2, said Richard Doherty, director of professional audio-video at Panasonic.
Creative unveils iPod Mini-coloured MuVo2
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/01/creative_muvo_2_fm/
Rio's Carbon MP3 Player
Supersleek 5GB digital audio player is set to challenge Apple's IPod Mini.
Tom Mainelli, PC World
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Rio's new 5GB Carbon is the sleekest MP3 player I've laid eyes on. Happily, the device, which hits stores this week, isn't just about looks: A simple interface and amazing battery life make it the new mini to beat.
The Carbon targets music lovers who want something more pocketable than today's larger, higher-capacity 20GB hard-drive players, but who are unwilling to settle for lower-capacity, flash-based devices. At $249, it's not inexpensive, but it is comparable in both size and price to Apple's much-adored IPod Mini--and it offers a full 1GB more storage space.
The Carbon's wedge-shaped design is truly a sight to behold. It weighs just 3.2 ounces, and its dimensions--2.4 inches wide, 3.3 inches tall, and 0.6 inches deep--make it insanely easy to slip into a shirt, pants, or jacket pocket. The front is a scratch-resistant gray plastic, and the back is a metallic, fingerprint-prone mirrored surface.
The evolutionary cousin of Rio's still-shipping 1.5-GB Nitrus, the Carbon replaces that unit's mini-joystick with a smooth-operating directional pad. Using it in conjunction with a clickable jog dial and menu button, each located along the right side, I found the Carbon a breeze to navigate (although lefties may feel differently).
Rio keeps the rest of the external buttons to a minimum. Besides the power button, there's just the headphone jack, USB port, and a built-in microphone for recording memos. While most players include a sliding locking mechanism to prevent accidental input, Rio chose to implement this feature through the menu system. I found this annoying at first, but quickly got the hang of it.
The Music Inside
Transferring music to the Carbon is easy. You can plug the unit into any USB 2.0 port and the PC will see it as an external drive, allowing you to drag and drop tunes (or other files) onto the player. You also can use Rio's solid Music Manager app.
I encode the vast majority of my music as 192-kbps MP3s, and I managed to squeeze 906 songs onto the player. (Note: The little rascal was actually hot to the touch when I finished.) In addition to MP3s, the Carbon also supports WMA files and Audible.com's Audible codec. Additional codec support would be nice, but as is the unit should support downloads from most of today's online music stores.
The Carbon makes choosing your tunes a snap, letting you select songs by album, artist, genre, and track. Other playback options include the venerable Play All, as well as the ability to play back songs based on when you last listened to them. You can choose to hear stuff you've accessed in the last day, two days, week, or month.
The Carbon's greatest weakness: There's no way to generate your own on-the-fly playlists. To enjoy your own best-ever set, you have to create a playlist on your PC first, and then transfer it to the Carbon. For some this will be a deal-breaker, but for me it's not a huge loss. The software also features the PC version of the excellent Rio DJ auto-playlist generator that's found on board the 20GB Rio Karma.
Extra-Long Lived
If the Carbon's ultrasleek design doesn't impress you, its battery life will. Despite its tiny size the unit's rechargeable lithium battery ran for an impressive 20 hours and 37 minutes in my informal test.
In a move I'm not thrilled about, Rio's included USB cable does double duty as a power cord when you plug it into the included AC adapter. I've never been crazy about this approach because it means if I want to charge the unit away from the PC, I have to unplug the syncing cable to do it.
Rio throws in a pair of serviceable earbuds that demonstrate the unit's ability to put out a fair amount of sound. As with most included ear wear, however, you'll enjoy the Carbon's solid audio quality more with an aftermarket set of headphones.
The unit itself feels well built and sturdy. Rio includes a modest case, and while I hesitate to whine about it (I cried foul when the company neglected to ship a usable case with the Karma), I did find myself wishing it was a bit more functional.
Despite these minor nitpicks, I found the Carbon to be a truly impressive MP3 player. More than just flashy good looks, it offers up a solid interface, quality sound, and outstanding battery life. If 5GB of storage suits your needs--and playlists aren't your thing--then this is the player for you.
Rio Carbon
Impressive 5GB player looks great, and works even better.
Street: $249
www.digitalnetworksna.com/rioaudio/default.asp?cat=35
Hitachi Shrinks Hard Drive, Specialized for Consumer Devices; New ZIF Connector Makes Hitachi 1.8-inch Drive Smaller, Sleeker, Easier to Integrate
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 2004--With the needs of the consumer electronics (CE) industry top of mind, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies today announced a new, redesigned 1.8-inch hard disk drive that is tailored to device manufacturers' needs -- easy integration and less space consumption. In doing so, Hitachi has created a sleeker 1.8-inch hard drive that is specialized for consumer electronics.
Hitachi has replaced the standard notebook-based connector on its new Travelstar C4K60 series with a ZIF connector(a), widely implemented in CE devices today. With the ZIF connector, Hitachi has reduced the footprint of its new drive by 10 percent and enabled easier integration through a common connector, which the CE industry has been using successfully for many years.
In portable consumer electronics, small is cool. This makes Hitachi's CE-focused 1.8-inch drive the coolest cat on the block; the drive offers the smallest footprint (3780 mm2) and lightest weight (46 grams) in its class.
"Real estate is precious commodity in consumer devices, which is why we've focused on reducing the space consumption of our 1.8-inch product to help manufacturers make smaller and sleeker devices," said Bob Holleran, general manager, 2.5-inch/ 1.8-inch Consumer & Commercial HDDs, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "This move to create a CE-specific hard drive is one of many that Hitachi will be making to serve this growing market in a very focused way."
Size and weight aren't the only important factors in designing hard drives for the CE space. Cramming the greatest amount of data onto a hard disk is also important to enable high capacities in increasingly smaller devices. The C4K60 achieves that objective with an areal density of 99.8 gigabits per square inch, which leads the category for the 1.8-inch segment. At this density, Hitachi is making possible 30 gigabytes (GB)(b) of storage capacity on a single disk.
"Hitachi is clearly demonstrating that it's taking the CE segment seriously with this new drive," said John Donovan, vice president of TrendFocus. "Because of its size, high storage capacity and shock specifications, the 1.8-inch hard drive segment is defining the use of hard drives in consumer electronic devices where the balance between device size and high capacity is key."
Focused On Consumer
Hitachi has considered both the needs of CE end-users and device manufacturers in creating the Travelstar C4K60 series.
"Our goal in adding and fine-tuning features on our new 1.8-inch drive is to make it the 'essential gear' for consumer devices, alongside our award-winning one-inch Microdrive and 2.5-inch Travelstar products," said Holleran.
For device manufacturers, the ZIF connector on Hitachi's new drive provides size- and ease-of-integration benefits, but it may also result in lower design and integration costs and greater reliability. Additionally, the ZIF connector, which allows the drive to talk to the host device through a flex cable, gives manufacturers greater flexibility in mounting schemes. For example, manufacturers could mount the Travelstar 1.8-inch drive in a floating scheme and implement dampening or insulative materials around the drive for even better shock protection. The ZIF connector also makes for more reliable devices through its reduced pin-count -- 40 compared to the 50 on the notebook-based connectors.
At 500 Gs operating and 1200 Gs non-operating, the C4K60 series already provides excellent shock protection, making the 1.8-inch category the best shock performer among all other hard disk drive categories. This is a boon for active consumers who often give their portable CE devices a workout in daily usage.
High-quality sound in portable entertainment devices is also of great importance to consumers. But being light on its feet doesn't make the Travelstar C4K60 series a lightweight in acoustics; the drive offers excellent noise-reduction technology to optimize users' listening experience. The drive's sound emission at idle and seek operation (1.6- and 2.2-bels, consecutively) are extremely low and undetectable by the human ear. This adds significantly to the user experience, especially in music and video applications where 1.8-inch hard drives are growing in popularity.
The power-management features of Hitachi's new 1.8-inch drive are targeted at providing optimum conservation in the modes at which the drive spends most of its time: idle, read and standby. The C4K60 series offers the best combination of power consumption in these modes, enabling up to 32 hours(c) of play time in the average digital music device.
"Hitachi has done a good job of listening to what is important to us in making and selling CE devices with hard disk drives, especially in the portable segment," said Mr. Chua Hiap Chew, vice president, Personal Digital Entertainment Products, Creative Technology. "Size, capacity points, connector, power consumption and shock must all be considered differently than for IT applications, and Hitachi has done an admirable job in creating the right balance of all these factors in its new 1.8-inch CE product."
The Travelstar C4K60 series for consumer electronics operates at 4200 RPM and is available in 20- and 30-GB capacities -- the most popular capacity points for the MP3 segment, where 1.8-inch drives are most prevalent.
Technical Specifications
Travelstar C4K60 series
20/30 GB
7.0 mm in height
4,200 rpm
99.8 billion bits per square inch maximum areal density
1/1 glass disk platter(s)
2/2 GMR recording head(s)
1200 G/1ms non-operating shock
500 G/2ms operating shock
7.1 ms average latency
15 ms average seek time
ATA-6 100 MB/sec maximum interface transfer rate
46/46 weight in grams
1.6/1.6 Bels typical idle acoustics
2.2/2.2 Bels typical operating acoustics
(a) Standard notebook-based connectors are typically 50-pin connectors with a cable width of 48 mm, as compared with the 22-mm flex cable and 40-pin configurations of the ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) connector.
(b) 1 gigabyte = 1 billion bytes
(c) Using a 3.7 Volt 2000 mAh lithium ion battery, playing at 48kbps continuous playback
About Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies was founded in 2003 as a result of the strategic combination of Hitachi's and IBM's storage technology businesses. By the end of 2003, Hitachi GST became the industry's second largest hard disk drive manufacturer with $4.2 billion in revenue.
The company's goal is to enable users to fully engage in the digital lifestyle by providing access to large amounts of storage capacity in formats suitable for the office, on the road and in the home. The company offers customers worldwide a comprehensive range of storage products for desktop computers, high-performance servers and mobile devices. For more information on Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.hitachigst.com.
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 326,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2003 (ended March 31, 2004) consolidated sales totaled 8,632.4 billion yen ($81.4 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.hitachi.com.
Microsoft gets tuned up to launch online music store
INTERNET SALES: The software giant's move into online music is similar to the strategy that has won it success in the Web browser and game console markets
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2004,Page 12
When Microsoft unveils its online music store later this week, the first song offered should be Dave Brubeck's "It's Deja Vu All Over Again": For Microsoft, taking a trail blazed by others -- then trying to dominate the market -- is a familiar tune.
With the opening on Thursday, Microsoft will land itself in a market that Apple Computer pioneered more than a year ago with its iTunes online music store. That's much the same way that Microsoft took on Netscape in the Web browser business and Sony in the market for console game machines.
As a storefront on the MSN online service, Microsoft's music service will offer song tracks for downloading to personal computers and portable music players.
Granted, the market for online music today is tiny, accounting for less than 2 percent of all music sales in the US. Even five years from now, online sales are expected to account for 12 percent of a US$1.7 billion domestic market.
"For Microsoft, it's like Slate, not Xbox," said David Card, research director of Jupiter Research, referring to Microsoft's foray into online magazine publishing, which is considered a tiny business within the company. "It's a pretty small opportunity right now."
But music is only part of Microsoft's strategy. The company has timed the store opening with the release of a new version of Windows Media, the software that allows consumers to play movies, songs and other content on a variety of devices running a version of the Windows operating system. With Windows Media and the online music store, Microsoft hopes to further its efforts to make Windows a foundation for its reach beyond the desktop and into the living room.
The launch also comes as MSN is finally turning the corner. The service has begun making a profit for the first time, after losing money consistently since it was introduced as the Microsoft Network in 1995. For the fiscal year that ended in June, the unit posted an operating profit of about US$200 million, compared with a loss of about US$531 million last year.
But regardless of MSN's success, Microsoft will face a strong competitor in the online music market. In 16 months, Apple has managed to capture almost 70 percent of the market for digital music downloads, according to Forrester Research. And iTunes has helped Apple sell its iPod, the portable music player compatible with iTunes. Last month the company announced it had sold its 100 millionth song -- a milestone that did not come as quickly as the company had originally projected.
The rest of the market for online music downloads is shared by Sony, RealNetworks, Napster from Roxio, MusicMatch, the Wal-Mart Stores Web site and a long list of others, "all fighting for the scraps that Apple has left behind," said Josh Bernoff, a market research analyst at Forrester. Yahoo, Virgin Records and MTV, a Viacom unit, are all expected to join the fray within the next few months.
Given just how fragmented the market is, MSN's 8 million subscribers could quickly allow Microsoft to grab second place, Bernoff said. That's the spot that has been held for the past few weeks by RealNetworks, a longtime Microsoft adversary that has both a music download store and a subscription-based streaming music service.
Thales Unveils the World's Largest Inflight Entertainment A380 System Test Lab in Irvine, California
555 Seat Configuration Meets Airbus Approval for First Test Flight Aircraft
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Thales, a world leader in inflight entertainment and communications systems for commercial aircraft, will demonstrate its TopSeries i-5000 inflight entertainment (IFE) system for aerospace industry executives, public officials and the media at their Irvine,
California facility on September 14th. Thales' TopSeries is the most technologically advanced IFE system currently on the market, designed to meet market demand for Internet connectivity, integrated system design and operational efficiency. Today, this advanced system sits in the world's largest A380 IFE test lab in Irvine, California.
TopSeries has been approved by both Boeing and Airbus for installation on both single and twin aisle airplanes and is the only system to achieve this level of fleet commonality. With the Thales TopSeries i-5000 onboard A380 aircraft, passengers will enjoy large LCD displays at every seat (ranging in
size from 8.4" - 22"). System capabilities include broadband laptop connectivity for off aircraft communications, interactive on-demand system control for activities such as audio/video entertainment, web surfing, shopping, and broadcast entertainment/satellite TV.
The TopSeries i-5000 has been selected for installation aboard the Airbus A380, the largest and most advanced commercial airliner ever conceived. The TopSeries system demonstrated on September 14th has been tested and accepted by Airbus and will be the first IFE system to fly on the new Airbus A380 which
will take place in August 2005.
WHAT: Introductions by Thales and Airbus followed by system
demonstration of Thales' TopSeries i-5000 inflight entertainment
and communications system built for the Airbus A380 passenger
plane
WHEN: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 9:00 a.m. PT - 12:00 noon PT
WHERE: Thales 17481 Red Hill Avenue
Irvine, California 92614-5630
Tel: (949) 660-7722
digEplayer in use by Alaska Airlines. Known deals signed with a few others. EVERYONE in the business already knows about our player including the competition...read about GD's comments from last years meetings.
It all comes down to executing and delivery The digEplayer has already itself.
GD's Yes!Solo and the pea have how many deals?
callmeal Ok "several" moons ago LOL
Posted by: Tenderloin
In reply to: None Date:5/9/2004 12:04:50 AM
Post #of 65198
General Dynamics EMPOWERYES!
http://www.gd-ais.com/Products/Datasheets/AES/YES!productbrochure.pdf
http://www.gd-ais.com/Products/Datasheets/AES/YESFAQ.pdf
deBeer Agoura
MAYBE THIS IS WHERE GD GOT THE IDEA! LOL READ FROM director of cabin electronics for General Dynamics AT LAST YEARS WAEA Conference
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=1418998
Even competitors -- most of whom are in town for this week's World Airline Entertainment Association conference -- had nice things to say about the portable device.
"It is a good idea, light and small," said Dale Linder, director of cabin electronics for General Dynamics. Linder's company yesterday introduced EmPower YES!, an in-flight entertainment system that can store 28 feature films and 100 hours of music. Because the system is embedded in each seat of an aircraft, it is heavier and more costly than the APS.
That extra payload might not seem like much. But some installed entertainment systems can weigh more than 2,000 pounds per aircraft, which translates to about $80,000 per year in fuel.