After spending the last few days, on and off, installing Windows 7 on a couple of laptops, and after seeing some press releases over the last couple of days for Win7-ready versions of several utilities, I thought I would compile a quick list of utilities that I have found helpful for either optimizing systems or just saving my bacon… Read the rest of this entry »
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The Computer Toolbox
Pioneer 12x Blu-ray Disc burner now shipping
Just when you weren’t really sure where the interest in Blu-ray Disc was going, here comes the Pioneer BDR-205 Blu-ray Disc burner, a drive that can burn at speeds of up to 12x–and that’s for both single- and dual-layer BD-R media. (Though, confusingly, the read speed for BD-R and BD-RE tops out at 8x. See the spec sheet on the web site for all of the gory speed details.)
The drive doesn’t skimp on the good specs; it reads and writes pretty much every optical format we can think of offhand (even DVD-RAM), it uses the SATA interface and there’s a 4MB buffer.
The best part? The MSRP is only $249… so street price for this drive will surely be even less. While optical drives have been a commodity item for years at this point, it’s great to see that there’s still some innovation left. But at the same time, prices will only keep going down…
Blu-ray Disc on the Mac? When?
Recently, I was a little surprised, but very enlightened when I came across MCE Technologies‘ web site as I was compiling the buyer’s guides for the October issue. While Adobe Encore and Roxio Toast 10 Titanium with the HD/BD plug-in will happily create a Blu-ray Disc on a Mac, you still can’t play back a Blu-ray Disc without employing Windows XP/Vista/7 running under Boot Camp (sorry, virtual machine users… too much system resources needed… that would be painful to watch if you could pull it off at all.)
For a company who is usually near the bleeding edge, we’re a little surprised Apple hasn’t put forth at least basic Blu-ray Disc playback support on the Mac; and surely someone in the Pro Apps team is a little worried that Adobe and Roxio may be eating Apple’s lunch when it comes to disc burning.
I just came across a petition to ask Apple to consider adding Blu-ray Disc support to DVD Studio Pro… while online petitions usually strike me as being a bit silly, this is one where if you happen to sign that petition, you may just find my name on it as well.
Credit due: ProVideo Coalition.com: the EDITBLOG by Scott Simmons
Blu-ray Disc Player Firmware Update Needs are Stifling the Format?
I read a story this morning on hometheaterreview.com discussing how the growth of the Blu-ray Disc format is probably limited based on how often player firmware needs to be updated. This is a side of Blu-ray Disc that I haven’t experienced in person yet since I don’t own a player yet and no set-top players have come through the building to date. (Any manufacturer reps reading this? Care to help us alleviate this condition? 
)
The problem is that new features, bug fixes and key revocations by the paranoid Hollywood movie cartel (who are actually very nice people… just paranoid) are causing the need for end-users to update their firmware. And firmware is not something that should be updated on a whim on anything–in the above-mentioned story, writer Jerry Del Colliano shares the experience of updating his Blu-ray Disc player’s firmware and having the machine croak… and since the player was out of warranty, he was SOL. If a guy who knows what he’s doing kills his player because of a firmware update gone awry, where does that leave the much-less-technically advanced users buying these players and getting burned by something like this?
Unless the answer is that everyone who wants to watch Blu-ray Discs gets a Sony PlayStation 3, the best-regarded (and cheapest) Blu-ray Disc player on the market? The potential problem is that would unfortunately make for dire times at Sony, who sells the PS3 at a loss in hopes that people will buy the expensive games to play on the console. The beauty part is that it’s very easy to update the firmware on a PS3, when it has to be done. But then you get into a discussion of economies of scale, supply and demand, etc. (No, I couldn’t get into a whole economic discussion at the moment… it’s been too long since I took an econ class, although I did enjoy microeconomics.)
Adobe takes the lid off CS4
It’s been a busy time at Adobe lately, as they’ve released today new versions of just about every piece of software that they make. But for Videomaker readers, lets break down their new Creative Suite 4 Production Premium bundle, available in October for $1,699.
We managed to finagle a beta version of CS4, that we’ve been playing with for a while now and I’ll go through some of the new features of each part of the package below. But first off, a broad overview is in order. As you may have heard already, there’s been a shift to a new interface across the board for all apps. This common interface makes working in each individual program a lot easier, especially as most users might not be as savvy in one app, as they are in another.
Talking with Adobe about CS4 in a general sense revealed that this release was all about stability and work flow enhancements, rather than new features. That’s not to say there’s not anything new (I highlight these below), but I applaud the effort in refining the core usefulness of the programs. Many people make their living in Adobe applications, and solving work flow issues is by far more important on a day to day basis than the latest effect.
Imation Announces TDK 6x Blu-ray Discs
Reprinted from an Imation press release:
Imation Corp. (NYSE:IMN), exclusive licensee of the “TDK Life on Record” recording media brand, today announced the first 6x Blu-ray recordable (BD-R) and Blu-ray recordable double layer (BD-R DL) media for the U.S. retail market. Imation is also launching a full line of TDK Life on Record Blu-ray disc cleaning and storage accessories to protect and maintain high-definition content on this new media format.
“As more consumers create new digital memories in high definition, those memories will be relived on Blu-ray media,” said Jean-Paul Eekhout, global brand director of the TDK Life of Record brand, Imation Corp. “The TDK Life on Record brand continues to be a sought-after Blu-ray pioneer both as the first-to-market with 6x Blu-ray recordable media, and for unique technology and accessories that make TDK Blu-ray media more durable and compatible with Blu-ray players.”
Adobe to Release CS4 on September 23rd
Adobe will release CS4 on September 23rd 2008.
That is all we’re allowed to tell you 
Keep checking back at here for updates as the NDA’s expire…
Roxio Announces Creator 2009
Reprinted from a Roxio press release:
Roxio®, a division of Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today launched Roxio Creator™ 2009, the latest version of the company’s market-leading suite of photo, video, and music authoring, burning, and online sharing applications. Creator 2009 introduces a range of pioneering audio features, integration of family-friendly online services, and advanced support for High Definition (HD) video. Creator 2009 also offers a streamlined workflow that enables consumers to complete a broad range of media creation, editing, sharing, and management projects more efficiently. Taking the guesswork out of evolving technologies and complicated formats and enabling users to take full advantage of all of Creator’s capabilities, Creator 2009 offers direct links to informative tutorials and how-to articles that provide guidance and creative inspiration. Roxio Creator 2009 is available today at www.roxio.com for $99.99 and will be introduced early next month in retail stores worldwide.
“Whether it’s the desire to edit hours of footage from a special family event, create a personalized photo slideshow of exotic travels or compose a perfect music playlist, consumers just want a straightforward solution that enables them to quickly and effortlessly create, preserve and enjoy their personal media content,” said Vito Salvaggio, vice president of consumer products, Roxio division of Sonic Solutions. “We listened to our customers and with Creator 2009 delivered a suite that is not only powerful, but also easy enough for family members of all skill levels to achieve great results.”
Roxio Creator 2009 introduces a variety of new features and enhancements to help both families and digital multimedia enthusiasts organize their digital world and express themselves through engaging movies, powerful multimedia stories and creative projects.
Roxio Creator 2009 Highlights:
Online and Mobile Sharing
Users will appreciate the direct access to Roxio Online, a new digital storytelling platform that enables families to turn their photos and videos into engaging slideshows that can be shared and enjoyed on PCs, DVDs, TVs, a range of handheld devices, and popular social networking sites. For added convenience, Roxio Online can be accessed from within Creator 2009’s product launcher and is available from within applications such as VideoWave®, CineMagic® or Media Manager. The Roxio Online service is available through a free subscription. Consumers can unlock additional creation and sharing capabilities by upgrading to Roxio Online’s premium service.
Ease-of-Use
The redesigned Creator 2009 product launcher provides quick access to all the tasks and creation tools available within Creator. Whether it’s editing video, creating a photo slideshow or burning an audio CD, Creator’s friendly and interactive design makes it easy to quickly accomplish a given task. Also easily accessible are a variety of helpful how-to articles and video-tutorials designed to guide consumers through the creative process.
Beyond the dozens of new workflow enhancements that make projects easier to complete, Creator 2009 also features SyncIt!™, a new desktop applet that automatically converts digital files to preferred formats for viewing on mobile devices, smart encoding technology for the quick authoring of HD video, and enhanced multi-core processor support for the latest CPUs.
Life in High Definition
Families and others can now create stunning HD projects using footage from AVCHD camcorders and favorite HD programming from TiVo® and other DVRs and burn it in HD, using DVD burners, onto standard DVDs for playback on a Playstation® 3 and other Blu-ray Disc players. This technology provides consumers with an affordable alternative to enjoy up to 60 minutes of video in HD. For even more impressive results, consumers may choose from a variety of new high definition menu themes and easily add them to their final productions. Enabled by a High-Def/Blu-ray Disc Plug-in, consumers can burn HD video to Blu-ray Disc, and enjoy more than three hours of HD movies on their HDTV using any Blu-ray Disc set-top player.
Superior Audio and Music
Headlining the new audio capabilities of Roxio Creator 2009 is Audiobook Creator™, an innovative technology that converts an entire audiobook into a single file with preserved chapter markers, making it easy for on-the-go readers to enjoy their favorite book on iPod®, iPhone® or other portable players like the Creative Zen®. Until now, users were only able to convert audiobook CDs into dozens of individual chapter files, making it difficult and often frustrating to manage on a portable device. Creator’s already impressive audio capabilities are enhanced by the new Beatmatching™ feature which enables users to create music compilations of perfectly synchronized cross fades for great sounding party mixes that are ideal for special occasions and gatherings.
In support of the launch of Creator 2009, Roxio is extending MyMoments™, its educational portal that offers consumers a wealth of digital media resources including how-to videos, informative tutorials and blogs. Included in the latest additions is Extreme Digital Makeover™, a web-based video series dedicated to helping users make the most of their digital lives. To view the series or to learn how you could become a makeover candidate visit: http://www.roxio.com/go/digitalmakeover.
Pricing and Availability
Roxio Creator 2009 will be available in retail stores worldwide this month and is available today directly from Roxio at www.roxio.com for $99.99. The High-Def/Blu-ray Disc plug-in will be sold as a downloadable component from roxio.com for $29.99. Roxio will offer the High-Def/Blu-ray Disc plug-in for free for customers who purchase from roxio.com through September 30, 2008.
For enthusiasts who want even more capabilities and control, Roxio is releasing Roxio Creator 2009 Ultimate for $129. The Ultimate version includes everything available in Creator 2009 and, in addition, includes the High-Def/Blu-ray Disc plug-in and a comprehensive set of audio and backup tools, which would cost over $300 if purchased separately.*
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