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Criterion embraces Blu-ray

Marc Chacksfield — 1210332180

Hi-def enthusiasts rejoice! Prestigious US movie distributor Criterion has lined up 13 titles to be released on Blu-ray in the coming months.

The company, which is famed for its brilliant restoration of classic movies such as The Man Who Fell To Earth and Dr Strangelove, has pencilled in an October release for its first-ever HD line-up. The movies released are wide-ranging – from Carol Reed’s The Third Man to Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket.

Criterion is promising in its newsletter to make sure pricing of the discs are similar to their standard-definition equivalents.

Those familiar with Criterion will know the company likes to take care of its film collection. It was among the first to introduce the widescreen format to video, and it also had the ingenious idea of filling up the space of discs with audio commentaries and the like.

Compatibility issues

Unfortunately, there’s no word yet if The Criterion Collection Blu-rays will be multi-region. So, if you’re based in Europe, it is best to check if your Blu-ray system is Region A compatible before you whip out the credit card and get ordering.

Those who are interested in getting their hands on the company’s Blu-ray titles can check out the full list of movies here.

Now Toshiba boss bets house on standard DVD

J Mark Lytle — 1204619643

Anyone familiar with the conservative nature of big Japanese business will tell you that Toshiba’s decision to drop HD DVD like a hot brick was almost unseemly in its haste, even though the firm had little choice.

Instead of slowly running down production and sales, Toshiba CEO Atsutoshi Nishida went straight for the jugular last month. He put the whimpering format out of its misery, but what’s next for the hard-man boss after such a high-profile failure?

Standard DVD

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Nishida explained that Toshiba will switch focus to standard DVD players and even suggested that Blu-ray will struggle.

He said: “What people don't realise is that Hollywood studios are going to release new titles not just for Blu-ray but for standard DVDs as well, and there are a far greater number of current-generation DVD players out there.”

Upscaling players

That’s all very well, but isn’t the fact that DVD machines are as cheap as chips a bit of a problem? Apparently not: “If you watch standard DVDs on our players, the images are of very high quality because they include an upconverting feature. And we're going to improve this even more, so that consumers won't be able to tell the difference from HD DVD images.”

While Nishida clearly has nerves of steel, it’s hard to see many people who want to watch high-quality video not actually buying a high-definition machine. It just doesn’t make sense.

Although he’s clearly banking on a price difference in favour of his players, it won’t be long before Blu-ray decks hit the price sweet-spot that made DVD a must-buy product a few years ago.

Things to consider before renting films on iTunes

Anna Lagerkvist — 1204126655

Movie rentals through the iTunes Store haven’t hit the UK yet, but before they do (later this year), it’s worth checking over your hardware to see if it’s compatible. Otherwise you could end up like IT journalist Jeff Carlson after his Apple TV ordeal.

Carlson details his experience on Tidbits.com. He accessed the iTunes Store to download a film to his newly updated Apple TV media player. No problems so far; the trouble began when he finally got around to watching the unspecified film.

Device set-up

"The Apple TV wouldn't let me [watch the downloaded movie], due to the way I have the device set up. You see, I don't own an HDTV, which is required for the Apple TV,” Carlson wrote.

“My Apple TV has been connected to a Dell FPW2005 20-inch LCD display (the same kind to which I connect my MacBook Pro at home and at the office). The two devices are connected by a cable that has an HDMI plug on one end (which attaches to the Apple TV) and a DVI plug on the other (connecting the Dell monitor).”

Error message

This is where the problem lay. When attempting to watch the movie, Carlson was hit with an Apple TV error message stating: "This content requires HDCP for playback".

HDCP, or High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection, is a form of DRM that prevents you from playing video over DVI and HDMI connections if you don't own compatible hardware that can decode the signal properly. So if your monitor is too old it may not include HDCP. This makes it impossible to display movies on the monitor.

You can bypass this by ordering additional connection cables depending on the output offerings on your monitor. Carlson found that his monitor couldn’t handle the component-to-DVI adapter needed to watch Apple TV content.

No transfer

As movies rented directly from the Apple TV can’t be transferred to another device, Carlson was left with no other choice but to ask Apple for a refund (which he received).

If you rent a movie on your Apple Mac via iTunes, the movie can be transferred between an Apple iPhone, iPod or Apple TV. But content bought and downloaded straight to the Apple TV can only be watched by hooking up a compatible TV or monitor.

So if you have your eyes on the Apple TV and iTunes movie rental service, make sure your TV or monitor supports HDCP, component video or the correct DVI connections to avoid disappointment.

Is Blu-ray destined for failure?

James Rivington — 1203937606

Falling DVD sales in the US have sparked fears that optical formats are losing their grip on the movie industry. And while Blu-ray may now have slain HD DVD, the format could be in trouble before it’s even had a chance to make an impact.

Sales of DVDs fell by 3.2 per cent to $15.9 billion in the US in 2007, which Adams Media Research says is the first annual drop since DVDs first went on sale. Similar drops are forecasted for this year and next year too.

The Herald Tribune says that rather than pushing the benefits of Blu-ray to the consumer, Hollywood studios are instead desperately trying to breathe life back into the industry as a whole.

DVD sales fall in US

It’s not hard to see why DVD sales have fallen. The internet has played a massive role in the movie industry over the last few years. And while the web does provide vital revenue streams for studios, it also drains money away from them. The internet giveth, and it taketh away.

The elephant in the room, in this case, is internet piracy. In the past, the only people who bought pirated movies were those who visited car boot sales and dodgy markets. But now millions of ordinary people all over the world are downloading high-quality versions of movies, illegally and for free.

So is the general consumer losing interest in physical formats and turning their attention to digital downloads? And if so, what future can a barely-established HD optical format have in an industry in transition?

Services like iTunes and the Xbox Live Video Marketplace are offering movies to download for a fee, in an effort to tap into this consumer desire for digital copies. And 20^th Century Fox is now offering a digital copy of all its titles on an extra disc inside the DVD case.

New approach

Other studios such as Disney, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros and Universal are also reportedly set to implement this idea in their own DVD releases. Some analysts believe this idea will help to rejuvenate the slump in DVD sales in the US.

We spoke to some young people who have large DVD collections but also a habit of downloading movies and TV shows from the web. They indicated that putting digital copies of movies in with DVD releases would be a positive thing.

“It’s hard to turn up the chance to download a movie that I would not usually consider buying,” said one man. “And there’s also a lot to be said for having a digital copy on my computer. I like being able to watch something with a few clicks of my mouse. It also means I can queue up a number of things to watch in a row, instead of having to change discs all the time.

“I’d definitely consider buying more DVDs if we got decent digital copies with them, yeah I think it’s a good idea.”

Tom Adams at Adams Media Research thinks that including digital files on a separate disc is a great way to get people interested in DVDs again.

“It has real potential to steal the thunder from the internet delivery companies,” he said.

Of course, the fall in DVD sales could also be a good thing for Blu-ray. High-definition copies of movies could be just the thing to reignite the public's interest in buying movies again. And it’s important to point out that in most international territories, DVD sales are not falling.

But internet piracy is a massive issue, and content providers are going to have to come up with something special if they're to persuade normal people to pay for something they could otherwise get for free.

Toshiba drops 10 new DVD players

Anna Lagerkvist — 1203678984

Toshiba has announced its new range of DVD players for the coming year – 10 models in total, ranging from DVD recorders to DVD/VCR combos, as well as portable and standalone DVD player sectors.

Toshiba has included 1080p upscaling as standard on all high-end players, and all DVD recorders equipped with integrated hard disk drive (HDD) storage are now Freeview playback compliant.

Two non-HDD recorders also include digital tuners, while extensive connectivity, DivX video codec support, JPEG picture viewer, MP3/WMA playback and DV input are also available on various different models across the range.

All new DVD players feature support for DVD+R/+RW playback too.

DVD player range – key highlights

Among the DVD recorder range, three new models have been added: the Toshiba DR18DT, RD-88DT and RD-98DT.

The trio provide high resolution PAL playback, and DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, CD/ CD-R/-RW and CD-DA support. All three also offer DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW (XP/SP/LP/EP/SLP) recording compatibility, and support for Toshiba’s REGZA-Link technology (HDMI CEC).

1080p DVD upscaling is provided via HDMI, while the other connections available include DV input, component video and composite video outputs, 2x SCART, coaxial output and two channel audio outputs.

DVD recorders

The new DVD recorders all offer Freeview playback and twin tuners (1x analogue, 1x digital). The DR-18DT records all content direct to disk, while the RD-88DT provides 160GB of integrated storage alongside two-way dubbing. The range is headed-up by the RD-98DT HDD recorder, which offers the same complete feature-set as the RD-88DT, but adds a bigger 250GB hard drive to provide additional recording space.

The high-end DVD player family has been extended with the Toshiba SD-480E and Toshiba SD-580E. Both boast support for high resolution PAL progressive scan playback, and DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, CD/ CD-R/-RW, Video-CD, SVCD and CD-DA compatibility. HDMI connectivity has been added to offer 1080p high-definition upscaling.

Each model is compatible with Toshiba’s REGZA-Link technology (HDMI CEC). Also included are component video and composite video outputs, 1x SCART, coaxial output and two channel audio outputs. Both players also have JPEG, DivX and MP3 support, with the SD-580E also housing a USB connection.

DVD players

Toshiba's entry-level DVD player range has been strengthened by the SD-180E, SD-185E and SD-280E. The trio sport component video and composite video outputs, 1x SCART connection, coaxial output and two channel audio outputs. JPEG compatibility is catered for by all the players as well, with the SD-185E additionally offering DivX video codec support. The SD-280E also offers MP3 playback.

Finally, if you still have video tapes sitting in your cupboard, Toshiba has added two DVD/VCR combo players. The Toshiba D-VR18DT offers high resolution PAL progressive scan playback, 1080p high-definition upscaling via HDMI and an integrated digital tuner for Freeview access. It features composite video, 2x SCART, coaxial and 2x channel audio outputs. An analogue tuner is also present to compliment the digital offering to allow two-way dubbing.

We're awaiting confirmation as to UK pricing and availability dates.

80m fake DVDs bought every year in the UK

Anna Lagerkvist — 1203090552

The market for counterfeit goods is bigger than ever in the UK, with fake DVDs being the most popular product.

Thanks to the development in the high-definition TV and camcorder markets, the prevalence of counterfeit DVDs is growing year on year, according to the BBC’s The Money Programme.

The British Video Association has estimated that some 80 million fake DVDs were sold last year in Britain, with the total value of counterfeit goods in the UK representing a value of £11 billion.

Unprecedented quality

“The quality of copies now achievable through HD TVs and camcorders is unprecedented, making it acceptable to most or all general consumers,” a Money Programme press release stated.

While the government and the film industry is getting serious on tackling the matter, watermarking technology has become more common. One product, VideoMark, from security firm Verimatrix can even track video piracy to the source through its intelligent watermarking system.

Verimatrix’s VideoMark forensic watermarking technology establishes a virtual ‘chain of custody’ for content that accurately identifies the source of unauthorised copies.

Watermark

The watermark is embedded in the content itself and remains even if the movie clip has been decrypted, decoded and possibly re-encoded to another file. Some more robust watermarks will survive the transition from digital to analogue and back. Even if someone has filmed a movie on their high-def camcorder and transferred into an electronic copy, the watermark will remain.

“While it does not prevent the problem it can serve as a deterrent and possible means of prosecution for those responsible,” a Verimatrix spokesperson said.

'The Money Programme: Britain's Favourite Fakes', focusing on the trade of counterfeit goods in the UK, will be shown on BBC2 tonight at 7pm.

Movie industry admits it doesn't know pirates

Don Reisinger — 1201137145

In the United States, two organisations - the RIAA and the MPAA - have become widely disliked for their use of lawsuits and scare tactics to stop people from pirating music and movies.

One of the most targeted groups by both organisations is the 18-25 demographic; more specifically, college students. For years, the MPAA has said that college students are to blame for 44 per cent of the motion picture industry's piracy losses each year, accusing them of being the largest group of pirates.

Human error to blame

But, in a surprise announcement that could have a significant impact on the future of the MPAA, it announced on Wednesday that this data was factually incorrect, saying that college students represent only 15 per cent of the movie industry's piracy losses each year.

The MPAA claims "human error" is to blame for the foul up. The organisation takes "this error very seriously and has taken strong and immediate action to both investigate the root cause of this problem as well as substantiate the accuracy of the latest report," it said.

Now, how about someone tells the movie makers that most of those losses really come from awful films?

Panasonic squeezes more HD TV onto normal DVD

J Mark Lytle — 1200049278

If you thought VHS was dead, then think again and take a look at the latest impressive Diga-branded high-definition video recorders from Panasonic Japan.

The DMR-XP12 and XP22V go on sale there early next month, with the latter model including, believe it or not, a VHS deck for a spot of old-fashioned tape-based action in the high-def era.

New compression in action

At ¥75,000 (£350) for the XP12 and ¥100,000 (£465) for the XP22, the new Digas don't come cheap, but there's more than enough hardware in place to justify the cost.

Panasonic's banner headlines for the newcomers paint them as the first in the world to record HD TV in a 4x long-play mode using the MPEG-4 AVC compression we've seen before.

(Almost) never-ending story

The upshot is that a mind-bending 94.5 hours of broadcasting will fit onto the relatively small 250GB hard drive each machine carries. Dump that to a standard 8.5GB dual-layer DVD and the span is a still-impressive 3 hours. With compression like that, the fuss about Blu-ray and HD DVD begins to look pointless.

The other features common to both units include dual digital and analogue tuners, SD card slots, the ability to read HD TV recordings in the AVCHD format and a single 1080i HDMI output each. Sadly, neither is likely to be made available overseas.

Blu-ray already doing better than DVD did?

James Rivington — 1199894676

Blu-ray has been more successful in its first year than DVD was in a similar time scale. Frank Simonis, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, says that despite BD sales being way behind DVD, things are going swimmingly.

"Blu-ray has done better than DVD did in its early days," he said in an interview with us today. "And now all the buyers of those beautiful HD-ready flat screens are looking for the true source of HD."

BD shadows DVD success

In the UK there is only limited HD content available, the rest of Europe has no HD transmissions at all. So what to do with those HD-ready TVs? Blu-ray is the ideal source. Both movies and games can be shown on them in the ultimate quality and I think that will excite the consumer."

Of course, you'd expect Simonis to wax lyrical about his own format. But the BDA man was keen to point out the fact that Blu-ray has been more of a hit than DVD was in its early days. And this is despite the fact that it's having to tussle with Toshiba's rival HD DVD format. DVD had no serious competitors at all.

"I think all the ingredients are there. Replication capacity is now gearing up. You will see in the next six months a multiple of new announcements about new players coming out. Hardware prices have already come down dramatically.

"If you compare it with DVD, DVD was launched at $1,000, and it took three years to come down to $299. But right now, in just one year, we are already down to $299 in the US and €399 in Europe. And this trend is set to continue."

At the Blu-ray Disc Association press conference at CES, Danny Kaye, executive vice president of research and technology at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, said that Blu-ray is set to hit the proverbial big time this year.

BD on the way up?

"If we take a look at the historical performance of the home entertainment market - the transition from VHS to DVD and now to Blu-ray - there are some very interesting parallels as we go from one format to another," Kaye said.

"We talk about the inflection point [the point at which a new format actually grabs hold of the marketplace, and consumers embrace it and begin to buy more strongly] and interestingly the inflection point is happening at the same point in time with BD as it did with DVD. As we went from VHS to DVD, it was about after the third or fourth year after the format introduction when suddenly DVD became massive.

"Blu-ray sales are following the exact same pattern. We're at the inflection point now so we predict that things are about to pick up exactly as they did for DVD and actually it's all happening faster for Blu-ray than it did for the last format."

Simonis told us that the BDA and its software and hardware partners are committed to making 2008 "the year of Blu-ray". Blu-ray Disc movies outsold HD DVD movies by two-to-one in the US in 2007 and by three-to-one in Europe.

"There will be a much bigger and more focused push this year than we had last year," said Simonis. "Last year we were in battle mode. This year the goal is how to grab the consumer's heart and to pull them over to the Blu-ray format."

Blu-ray, HD DVD to hit critical mass in 2008

Rob Mead — 1199455536

The battle between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats should be decided in Britain next year after Christmas shoppers revealed their planned purchases for 2008.

54 per cent of shoppers said they'd definitely switch to one of the two formats in the next 12 months, with 39 per cent saying they'd make the change even sooner - within the next six.

The shoppers were surveyed by the Digital Entertainment Group Europe (DEGE), which promotes standard and high definition movie formats in the UK.

As far as this Christmas goes, the overwhelming majority of those surveyed are sticking with DVDs as gifts for family and friends. DEGE says 78 per cent of shoppers plan to give DVDs this Christmas, compared to 68 per cent last. Of those planning to buy one or more movies, 82 per cent said they were buying DVDs, compared with 9 per cent for Blu-ray and HD DVD gifts combined.