26/02/2009 - Panasonic To Release Freesat PVR HDD Blu-Ray Recorder

Panasonic has unveiled what it claims are the world's first Blu-ray recorders with two integrated Freesat receivers and an internal hard drive.
Freesat is a UK free-to-air digital satellite television service that is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV.

13/02/2009 - Can Blu-ray Now Be Regarded As"Mainstream"?

Sales of Blu-ray discs have climbed to such an extent in Europe that the high-def format is now officially "mainstream".
At least that's according to the cross-industry trade body, Digital Entertainment Group Europe(DEGE).

13/02/2009 - Sony Plans Movie and Game on Blu-ray Disc

Sony is planning on creating a hybrid Blu-ray - with a game and movie on the same disc.
The move is being viewed as a way to boost the appeal of the Playstation 3 in the face of falling prices for Blu-ray players and the increasing popularity of games consoles such as Wii and XBOX 360.

22/01/2009 - Sony Takes On Pirates By Opening Blu-ray Plant in China

Sony is turning its sights on the growing high-def market in China with the opening of a Blu-ray manufacturing plant in Shanghai.
The new plant will produce 500,000 of the high-def discs per month specifically for the domestic market.

22/01/2009 - Hardware Confusion A Barrier To Blu-ray Uptake

With prices of Blu-ray players and discs falling, the high-def format appears to be making some headway after a hesitant start.
But public ignorance of what hardware is required to fully enjoy Blu-ray is preventing even greater uptake, according to the British Video Association.

08/01/2009 - Blu-ray Growth Bolsters Dipping DVD Sales

US consumer spending on packaged home entertainment - rental and sales of DVD and high-def disc formats - fell by 5.5 per cent in 2008, to USD $22.4 billion, according to the Digital Entertainment Group.
Spending on DVD purchases fell more dramatically than the total, declining by 9 per cent, to about USD $14.5 billion, and the shipment of DVD units was down almost 15 per cent in 2008 to 1.4 Billion

08/01/2009 - HD Content Helps Freesat Double Sales

Freesat doubled sales of its satellite packages in the last quarter of 2008.
Emma Scott, MD of the UK's free-to-air digital satellite television service, said high definition content from the BBC and ITV have helped drive sales.

06/01/2009 - Young Lead Shift Towards Internet TV Viewing

Internet television viewership is increasing rapidly in the US due to better content and improved viewing quality, according to Move Networks.
The Internet TV service provider has released figures showing it streamed more than 100 million hours of high definition content and over 180 million total hours of content in 2008.

17/12/2008 - Movial Launches HD Video Calling for PCs

Movial has announced a new software application that offers PC-to-PC, and PC-to-Mobile HD video.
Victor Donselaar, president of Movial, said the Communicator PC 7.2 HD video calling technology significantly reduces the CPU and bandwidth utilization compared to other technologies.
He said this enables users to run multiple applications at the same time.

17/12/2008 - VUDU Brings The Web To TV

VUDU has launched a new platform that brings Web-hosted applications and services to consumer appliances, including its own Internet movie player.
The VUDU RIA (Rich Internet Application) platform will deliver TV shows as well as Web apps which enable users to share their photos and watch the tens of millions of YouTube videos on their HDTVs.
The company plans to open VUDU RIA up to third party developers in the first half of 2009.

11/12/2008 - Emblaze: Growing Global Demand For Desktop Videoconferencing Solutions

As the global appetite for videoconferencing solutions grows, so do the possibilities they offer.
hdtv.biz-news spoke to Linor Shachar, VP sales and marketing for videoconferencing experts Emblaze VCON, about the latest market trends and developments.

10/12/2008 - USB Device Plays HD Content On PC

DiBcom has launched an HD-ready digital terrestrial decoder in a USB key device that gives viewers free high-def content on their PCs.
The French mobile TV hardware maker claims the device is a world first - other manufacturers are already offering USB devices that receive over-the-air HD broadcasts although not in such a small package.

10/12/2008 - Netflix Beats Blu-ray Target - Hopes High For 2009

Netflix has reached its target of 500,000 Blu-ray subscribers ahead of schedule.
The retailer's chief financial officer Barry McCarthy said subscribers had added the option of paying an extra USD $1 to receive Blu-ray Disc titles at a quicker rate than Netflix forecast in October.

10/12/2008 - Japan Grasps Blu-ray - US Starts To Get Taste

Blu-ray players bucked generally weak Black Friday sales in the US - helped considerable by average prices dropping to USD $200, according to DisplaySearch.
Stripping out sales of Sony's PlayStation 3, the researchers report that US Blu-ray Disc player revenue "more than tripled from a year earlier" during the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday .

26/11/2008 - YouTube Offers Widescreen HD Videos

YouTube has finally moved to a default widescreen player with an HD-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the announcement follows the video sharing giant's recent decision to start hosting full-length Hollywood movies.
Not that anyone will be complaining.

21/11/2008 - Blu-Ray Takes On Pirates And Old HD Rival In China

Blu-Ray discs will go on sale in China for the first time today - officially that is.
While it's been possible to buy dubious pirated version of the high-def format for some time, today marks the start of what is expected to be a major push by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment into the vast Chinese market.