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Next-Generation

Samsung Wins MP3 Processor Contract for Next-Generation iPods

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2006 - 8:59am.
Napa, Calif. - Korea's Samsung Electronics announced that it will supply the MP3 media processors to be used in Apple's next-generation iPods, replacing former partner PortalPlayer, EE Times reported. In addition to the MP3 processors, Samsung also provides a large quantity of the NAND flash memory used in Apple's iPod Nano models.
tags: MP3 | Samsung | iPods | Next-Generation | Wins | Contract |

Next-Generation DVD Copy-Protection AACS Ready for Licensing

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 22, 2006 - 4:22am.
Los Angeles - The entertainment and technology firms developing the Advanced Access Content System (AACS), a technology designed to secure video on next-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD formats, announced on Wednesday the availability of the technology through interim licensing agreements. The release of the content protection specification has been long-awaited, as Blu-ray developer Sony, HD DVD developer Toshiba and their manufacturing partners prepare the first next-generation DVD players for release. Companies involved in the development of AACS include IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Matsushita, Sony, Toshiba, Disney and Warner Bros. The AACS licensing body said that the final license agreement for AACS is expected in the coming months.
tags: DVD | AACS | Ready | Next-Generation | Copy-Protection |

Toshiba to Offer First Next-Generation HD DVD Players in U.S. in March

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 5, 2006 - 7:15am.
Las Vegas - Japanese consumer electronics firm Toshiba announced on Thursday that it will begin shipping its first next-generation HD DVD players in the U.S. in March. Toshiba will offer two player models, the $799 HD-XA1 and $499 HD-A1. The company will promote the launch of HD DVD with a retail demonstration campaign targeting the top 38 U.S. TV markets, and an extensive advertising campaign. The company also promised that backers will make nearly 200 titles available on HD DVD by the end of the year. Universal Pictures on Thursday announced its initial slate of 10 titles that it will offer in HD DVD format in March, which will include "Jarhead," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Cinderella Man." Separately, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said in his keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that his company will offer an add-on HD DVD drive for its Xbox 360 video game console by the end of 2006. Sony plans to include the capacity to play its rival Blu-ray DVD discs in the PlayStation 3, due for release later this year.
tags: HD | Toshiba | U.S | Next-Generation | DVD Players |

All Next-Generation Game Consoles to Ship with Parental Controls

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 28, 2005 - 10:40am.
Washington - All three next-generation video game consoles -- the Microsoft Xbox, which was released last week, and the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution, due for release next spring -- will feature parental controls, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced on Monday. Similar to the "V-Chip" that was federally mandated to ship with all new televisions, the game consoles will let parents determine which games their kids will be able to access, based on the game ratings defined by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). Microsoft's Xbox already ships with such controls, and Sony implemented them with the release of its PSP handheld system. "With the average age of game players now 30, our industry naturally creates content appropriate for a wide range of audiences, just as there are TV shows, films, music, and books for people of all tastes, interests, and values," said ESA president Doug Lowenstein. "I am proud that each console maker has taken the initiative to give power to the parents, offering technology not available for DVD players or even portable music players that will allow parents to control the entertainment their children access. In a culture where raising kids is a challenge, video game parental control technology gives power to the parents."
tags: Games | release | Next-Generation | Parental | Controls |

MGM Pledges Support for Sony Blu-ray Next-Generation DVD Format

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 10, 2005 - 8:20am.
Los Angeles - Film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) announced on Thursday that it will release films on Sony's Blu-ray next-generation DVD format. The announcement gives Sony a solid advantage over rival Toshiba's HD DVD format in terms of studio support; recently, both Warner Bros. and Paramount said they would release movies on both Blu-ray and HD DVD -- after previously announcing support for only HD DVD. So far, no studio that first pledged support for Blu-ray has said it will also support Toshiba's format. MGM was recently acquired by an investor group that includes Sony.
tags: Sony | DVD | Blu-ray | MGM | Next-Generation |

Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Next-Generation Video Game Console

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 13, 2005 - 9:18am.
Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft last night unveiled its Xbox 360 next-generation video game console -- a white box with a 20GB hard drive and DVD player that can either lay flat or stand upright -- during an MTV special hosted by Elijah Wood. Microsoft will beat both Sony and Nintendo to market with Xbox 360, which is slated for release in North America in November, and in Europe and Japan by the end of the year. Nintendo's "Revolution" and Sony's next PlayStation are expected to be released some time in 2006. Microsoft touted the Xbox 360's high-definition graphics, and its ability to stream high-definition TV and movies stored on a Media Center PC to a television. The company will provide a free version of its Xbox Live online gaming service, in addition to a subscription version that enables multiplayer gaming and includes a USB camera accessory option. Game titles scheduled for release at launch include 2K Sports' "NBA 2K6"; Activision's "Call of Duty 2" and "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland"; id Software's "Quake 4"; Electronic Arts' "Madden NFL 06," "Need for Speed Most Wanted" and "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06"; Majesco's "The Darkness"; Microsoft Game Studios' "Perfect Dark: Zero," "Kameo: Elements of Power," "Project Gotham Racing 3" and "Gears of War"; THQ's "Saint's Row"; and Ubisoft's "Ghost Recon 3."
tags: Xbox | Microsoft | Next-Generation | Video Games |