DigitMemo.com

The so-called “impenetrable” BD+ DRM scheme has reportedly already been subverted

We haven’t broken down the minutes and seconds or anything, but we’re fairly certain that July 10th wasn’t exactly ten years ago. Nevertheless, the so-called “impenetrable” BD+ DRM scheme has reportedly already been subverted, and it’s no shock to hear that the folks behind SlySoft had a hand in it. Regrettably, there’s not a lot of details beyond that just yet, but according to the outfit’s CEO, the software is ready to rock and should be released before the end of 2007.

Transformers is best-selling movie on both standard and high-definition

Transformers is undoubtedly one of this year’s biggest films, so it should come to no one’s surprise that its release on the home video market quickly rose to the of the charts. Paramount Pictures today informed the media that Transformers is the top selling day one high-definition release ever.

Transformers on HD DVD sold 100,000 copies on October 16, making it biggest home video high-definition day yet. The release eventually gathering 190,000 sold over the first week, leading Paramount to boast Transformers as, “the fastest and best-selling week one release on either high definition format as well as the best selling HD DVD ever.”

Click for more on "Transformers" on HD DVD Sets All Sorts of Sales Record »

Matsushita, the world’s largest consumer electronics maker, plans to offer the world’s first DVD recorders that can store full high-definition programs on conventional DVD discs next month.

The new device is expected to be a boon for the backer of the Blu-ray format; Blu-ray uses discs several times more expensive than standard DVD media. While the DVD discs won’t have the capacity of a Blu-ray disc, the content will be of similar visual quality.

Click for more on HD Recorder Can Use Standard DVDs »

Microsoft adds free Internet content and remote access to recorded TV shows, music and other Media Center features.

If you already have a Media Center PC, it’s your lucky day, as Microsoft adds two features to the platform: Internet TV and Media Center’s own version of SlingBox called WebGuide.

Click for more on Media Center Users Get Free ITV and Slingbox Functionality »

The new drivers enable HD video post-processing on 8500 and 8600 series cards.

NVIDIA yesterday released new ForceWare 163.69 WHQL certified drivers for Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. The new drivers only support NVIDIA GeForce 6, 7 and 8 series graphics cards.

Click for more on NVIDIA Releases New WHQL Certified Vista Drivers »

Adobe Tuesday announced an update to its Flash Player multimedia player, now in beta testing, that will support higher quality audio and video than previous versions via standard H.264 video — used in cable boxes and high definition DVDs — and High Efficiency AAC audio.

The update, code-named Moviestar, is a likely welcomed step toward better performance by Flash Player, especially in the wake of Microsoft(MSFT)’s announcement earlier this year that its Silverlight technology would support high definition by using the VC-1 codec used by Windows Media. Also supporting H.264 and High Efficiency AAC going forward are Adobe’s AIR rich Internet application runtime and Adobe Media Player, the company’s new desktop multimedia player.

Click for more on Adobe Flash Player Goes High-Def »

The battle over the competing high-definition DVD technologies has sputtered in recent months as Blu-ray discs have emerged as the front-runner. Blu-ray titles are sharply outselling HD offerings, major retailers like Target are stocking only Blu-ray players, and Blockbuster recently said it would carry Blu-ray exclusively. But money talks: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD DVD.

Click for more on Money Talks: Movie Studios Paid $150M to Support HD DVD Over Rival »

Movies Distributed by Paramount and DreamWorks Animation are to be released Exclusively in HD DVD Exclusively, include “Blades of Glory,” “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third”, which representing more than $1.5 Billion in combined worldwide box office.

The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs. Paramount Home Entertainment will launch its exclusive HD DVD program with the release of the blockbuster comedy hit “Blades of Glory” on August 28th and follow with two of the biggest grossing movies of the year “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third”. These three titles alone represent more than $1.5 billion in box office ticket sales worldwide.

Click for more on Paramount and DreamWorks Animation Drop Blu-Ray for HD-DVD »

Which is better for HTPC, the PureVideo HD in G84/G86 or UVD in ATI RV610/RV630? Bottom line is, they’re really powerful in video decoding compare to their precursors, even a $50 card can beat its $500 “big brother” in case of HDVideo decoding.

The newest recent low and mid-range graphics cards from AMD-ATI and NVIDIA have an extended and new video processing unit that can decode all the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD glory. It’s a good time to put some of the newer graphics cards to the test.

Click for more on HD-Video Decoding: Nvidia PureVideo HD vs. ATI UVD »