Disc

Future of Film: Is the DVD Dead?

Authored by Scott Goldberg on March 21, 2007 - 2:06pm.

From the Future of Film: UPDATED: Industry conversations for the past year have occasionally centered on the film distribution model – specifically one format that supports it, DVDs – and how it is changing. Today, on a panel entitled, “The Death of the Disc?” it appeared the answer to that question is no, the DVD is not dead…at least not for now.

Hackers Crack Sony Universal Media Disc Format for PSP Game Console

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 6, 2005 - 10:01am.

Los Angeles -- Hackers have discovered how to extract files from the Universal Media Disc (UMD), the new proprietary disc format Sony created for use with its PSP (PlayStation Portable) handheld video game console, Reuters reported. However, the extracted game files cannot yet be played on their own, as there is currently no way for users to "burn," or create a new UMD disc. It's unclear if this method could also be used to defeat copy-protection on UMD discs containing full-length movies; many studios have committed to releasing films on the UMD format, and a copy of Sony's "Spider-Man 2" was included with initial PSP shipments in the U.S. The developer website PS2nfo.com first reported details of the hack, showing files pulled from UMD discs for games including "Ridge Racers" and "Vampire Chronicles."

Toshiba, Memory-Tech Develop Disc That Supports DVD, HD DVD

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 7, 2004 - 4:17am.

Tokyo -- Japanese electronics firm Toshiba announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Memory-Tech Corporation to develop a dual-layer disc that is compatible with both current DVD players and Toshiba's next-generation HD DVD format. The disc is meant to make for a more smooth transition to HD DVD, allowing the same one-sided disc to be pressed with either 4.7GB of standard DVD data, 15GB of HD DVD data, or both. Tokyo-based Memory-Tech will manufacture the discs, which are not expected to cost more to produce than current DVD discs. The new discs are expected to begin shipping in late 2005 alongside the first HD DVD players. Toshiba recently announced support for its technology from four Hollywood movie studios, who will release movies on the HD DVD format. The company's HD DVD is battling with Sony's rival Blu-ray high-capacity DVD format for dominance in the market.