Owner: Current News in Disc Repair URL:http://discstation.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:40:15 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: All the news, views, and happenings at Discstation, your disc scratch repair specialists, in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Our company is dedicated to professional disc repair, disc repair products, and damage prevention for the DVD rental ind Site statistics:Click here
Video Ezy and Mobilesoft, video-on-demand trial, Sydney 2006-10-17 11:02:00 This article appeared in the Australian Financial Review in the October 14-15, 2006 edition, www.afr.com
Paul Uniacke, the chief executive of Australia's biggest movie rental business, Video Ezy, has taken an 8.8 per cent stake in information technology hardware provider Mobilesoft.On October 3, Uniacke announced he had bought about 12.6 million shares in Mobilesoft for just over $250 000 via a 2c a share placement. The company's shares last traded at 4.5c.
Mobilesoft has a market capitalism of $6 million. In January this year, it announced it had secured a $5 million order to provide set-top boxes that decode video signals sent over TV internet protocol networks. Video Ezy is now trialling a video-on-demand
service in Sydney
where customers can download movies onto a memory stick, which they can then plug into aVideo Ezy set-top box to play the movies.
Video Ezy has yet to announce the set-top box supplier but as it has about 540 movie rental stores in Australia, it is potentially
Drought-Proofing Australia 2006-10-16 15:15:00 The following text was sent to me by `Yogi', who is a very good chartist using Gann principles, and other methods as well, read on about a possible solution to the current water shortage crisis;
Re: Reticulate Australia
..... :)Hi folks,Instead of whining about the symptoms of drought, let's inject some constructive thought into drought-proofingAustralia ..... it CAN be done, with a genuine commitment from BOTH governments and the private sector. We have been pumping water from Perth to Kalgoorlie, which is 360 metres above sea level, for over 100 years.
Imagine, how much water and energy we can save, if we could REVERSE that flow ..... there would be a torrent of water flowing into our parched reservoirs in Perth ..... a torrent of water, that could also generate power, as well. Right-of-way for a pipeline from Kalgoorlie-to-Perth presents no problem, as it has been established for over 100 years.
Described as the largest infrastructure project, since the Snowy River Scheme, Retic Read more:Drought
Video stores to be a thing of the past? 2006-09-26 04:01:00 I have been having a lot of conversations with people who tell me of the imminent demise of all video/dvd rental stores
, and everybody will be downloading all their movies within 12 months (insert whatever time period suits). I think that there is a lot of hot air and conjecture on this subject at the moment, and maybe this quote, presents a more balanced view of the future of the DVD industry;
HMR: Do you think the evolution of digital distribution will change packaged media's position on the home entertainment food chain?Marvis: Packaged media people have talked about the threats to it for a long time. I always use the example of online books: Readily available for many years, they have hardly caused book stores to go out of business. Maybe they have caused some consolidation, but there is still a thriving business at retail even though you can buy any book you want online.I think the packaged media business will continue. I think we will see HD DVD become much more prevalent on s
Redbox Goes Online DVD Rental 2006-09-21 10:07:00 This article that was emailed to me is quite interesting, as the Redbox DVD rental kiosks at McDonalds (in the US) are now going to be combined with the ability to make an online order for a movie. Redbox must have one very clever software package to keep a track of all the DVD movies...read on,
Author: JESSICA WOLF
jwolf@questex.com
Posted: September 19, 2006
Email this Story to Friend
McDonald's-owned DVD rental kiosk company Redbox has officially launched its planned online program.
Redbox renters can now visit the company Web site, www.redbox.com, chose a movie, pay for it, find out which kiosk is stocked with it and go there for convenient pick up. Then, renters can return the DVD to any other Redbox location.
The company's Web site will track every transaction in real time and keep the stock at each location up to date.
Redbox executives are billing the service as more convenient than online rentailer Netflix.
"Other rental companies leave you guessing what m Read more:Rental
DVD RFID chip to solve DVD piracy? 2006-09-18 11:34:00 As an up-date to the last article that I posted, this link is very interesting, and the potential ramifications for the DVD industry are huge, all DVD players will need a RFID reader installed to be able to play a DVD. Sony and Microsoft would surely have to be considering RFID as a solution to PS2 and Xbox game piracy
and illegal game copying? Readers will also note that a large-scale test of this new technology is planned for Australia...
DVD chips 'to kill illegal copying'
By Simon Burns, 18 September 2006 09:58 AEST
DVDs will soon be tracked with embedded radio transmitter chips to prevent copying and piracy, according to the company which makes movie discs for Warner, Disney, Fox and other major studios.
The technology, which can also be used for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs, will allow movie studios to remotely track individual discs as they travel from factories to retail shelves to consumers' homes.
Home DVD players will eventually be able to check on the chip
Major CD, DVD Pirate Outfit Uncovered 2006-09-16 08:58:00 I don't know the date, or the writer of this article, as it was emailed to me without, so there is no link, but it has some seriously interesting facts in it, such as , the pirate DVD burning operation was capable of producing 6000 DVDs per hour!...read on...
In what music and movie industry leaders say is a significant blow to the nation's piracy market, police on Thursday raided an office and a garage, confiscating 208 CD and DVD burners and about 40,000 bootlegged discs.
What they uncovered was the second-largest CD burning lab in the United States and one of the largest movie pirating labs in the country, said the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America, whose staffs helped local police.
Among the films being illegally reproduced were some not yet officially released on DVD, including "Snakes on a Plane" and "World Trade centre." The music ranged from Latin to gospel.
The first warrant was executed Thursday morning at a Bronx gar Read more:Major
, Pirate
, Outfit
Australia is the driest of the inhabited continents 2006-09-12 10:48:00 This quote from Al Gore, is way off topic for this blog, but sometimes it pays to pause and consider whats happening to the wider world around us...read on,
Al Gore, on ABC Radio this morning: (12 Sept 2006)"Australia
in many ways is more at risk than any other nation. You have climate extremes now because of your latitude and your place in the middle of the ocean, an island continent and those extremes are predicted to get worse ... You have, here in Sydney, in Brisbane, in Perth and elsewhere, shortages of drinking water. You have more fires, you have threats to the Great Barrier Reef, you have more Category Five cyclones and, most importantly of all, the soil moisture is being threatened as scientists have told us it would be. Australia is the driest of the inhabited continents and you've ingeniously created this magnificent civilisation in a place where the water is marginal and yet global warming threatens that. We can solve it but in order to avoid that harm we have to see it a
Home Media Centre, Video Ezy, Sydney 2006-11-02 09:48:00 Here's an update to the previous AFR article on Video Ezy's new technology trials, this press release was emailed to me, so I don't have the original source, read on, its pretty interesting;
Mobilesoft confirms exclusive four year contract
In its update released on 25th August, 2006 the Company advised that its wholly owned subsidiary, Mobilesoft (Aust) Pty Ltd had entered into a conditional contract for the supply of one of its network consumer devices. We are now able to reveal that this exclusive contract is with Australia's largest movie rental franchise, Video Ezy which intends to launch an electronic rental service for movies at home.
The contract is conditional on field trials. The Company is now able to announce that the field trials commenced on 31st October, 2006 and will progressively take place in 40 homes throughout the Sydney
Metropolitan area. The trials will be extended to regional Australia commencing early 2007.
The contract is for the supply of up to 390,000 Read more:Centre
State of play of Movie Downloads in Aust. 2006-11-07 08:42:00 The following article gives a pretty good summary and explanation of whats happening with Movie downloading in Australia. Both technology systems mentioned are being marketed by publicly listed companies, Mobilesoft (MSO) and Reeltime (RMA), so its easy to track their progress through company reports released on the stock exchange at
www.asx.com.au
Direct to DVD download planAndrew ColleyNOVEMBER 07, 2006
AUSTRALIANS will soon be able to legally pluck movies from the internet and keep them on their living room shelves permanently.Killer app: Australians are to get DVD downloadsAt present, Australians can only use the internet to rent self-destroying movies that can't easily be screened on any home entertainment equipment but a personal computer, making it hard to get them to the living room.According to sources, however, ReelTime Media is close to launching an online movie download service that allows burning to DVD.The service would be the first internet-only DVD distribution chan Read more:State
, Downloads
What is the best way to handle and store a writable DVD disc? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Disc Handling, Storage and DisposalWhat is the best way to handle and store a writable DVD disc?A disc should always be handled by grasping its outer edges, center hole or center hub clamping area. Avoid flexing or dropping the disc and exposing it to direct sunlight, excessive cold, heat or humidity. Handle only when being used and do not eat, drink or smoke close by. Discs should be stored in DVD jewel cases or video boxes rather than sleeves because cases will not contact the discs' surfaces and generally provide better protection again scratches, dust, light and rapid humidity changes. CD jewel cases can stress DVDs by gripping them too tightly resulting in discs being difficult to remove from CD cases without excessive flexing. As a result, use only containers specifically designed for DVDs and discs should always be removed carefully. Once placed in their cases discs can be further protected by keeping them in a closed box, drawer or cabinet. For long-term storage and archival
Will this catch on in Australia too? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Hollywood adds disc insuranceChain starts Movie Gallery program; fees donated to charity to startBy Cindy Spielvogel 7/31/2006JULY 31 | Hollywood Video stores in August will join their sister Movie Gallery outlets in offering Play Guard, an optional insurance program to absolve renters of liability for damaged discs.Renters in Hollywood's more than 2,000 stores will be asked if they want to pay an extra 25¢ to qualify them for a waiver if the movie or game they rent becomes accidentally damaged. The program is similar to a car rental company offering optional insurance at the counter.To read the full article, use this link:http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6357499.html?nid=2705
Read more:Australia
Xbox 360 HD DVD Player to be Cheapest on Market 1970-01-01 00:59:59 With Toshiba's HD DVD players setting consumers back $400-500 or more and Blu-ray players costing as much as $1000, Microsoft has vowed that its Xbox
360 HD DVD add-on will be the cheapest hi-def movie player available when it ships later this year. More within...While Microsoft recently demonstrated its upcoming HD DVD player for the Xbox 360 at the DVD Forum event in Los Angeles, an exact price and date for the peripheral has yet to be announced. The device, which will contain a Toshiba drive, will ship during this holiday season, and many are expecting a price point somewhere in the range of $200.Read the rest of the article, here:http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=13461If you have scratched Xbox discs that don't play anymore, you can use our disc repair service, here:http://www.discstation.com.au/product.pasp?emGUID=52C5839F418A4592BB9A3604B1F8B1EC!2732!3080&categoryid=2&productid=4
Read more:Market
, DVD Player
High-definition DVD will confuse customers? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I thought this article about the HD-DVD, Blu-Ray battle was pretty interesting, and poses some tricky problems for the industry in the near future:Stalemate seen in high-definition DVD warBy Reuters null, 11 August 2006 15:02 AEST Research/TrendsLONDON, Aug 11 - The battle between two hyped formats for high-definition DVD will confuse customers
and turn many of them off the whole technology, a London-based research firm predicted.Market research analyst Screen Digest also forecast that only $11 billion of the total $39 billion expected to be spent on video discs by 2010 in the United States, Europe and Japan will be generated by the competing high-definition DVD formats, Sony Corp.-backed Blu-ray and Toshiba-supported HD-DVD."The net result of the format war and the publicity it has generated will be to dampen consumer appetite for the whole high definition disc category," Screen Digest analyst Ben Keen said.To read the full article, use this link;http://www.itnews.com.au/new
Tower Records has gone bust! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This is surely a sign of the times in the retail music industry, and there's a very interesting graph in this article that compares CD sales with Album downloads, and the numbers of CD music stores in 1991, compared to now...A Broken Record StoreIndustry Icon Tower
Is Bankrupt and on the BlockBy Yuki NoguchiWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, August 23, 2006; Page D01Tower Records
, the iconic chain where generations of music lovers have gone to lose themselves in record-store reveries, is up for sale in bankruptcy court, forsaken by consumers who favor digital music and discounts at big-box superstores.Tower represents a time when music had a different cultural status than it does today, as songs vie for attention with newer pastimes such as video games, Internet surfing and instant messaging. Its financial faltering -- this is its second bankruptcy filing since 2004 -- signals not only corporate problems but also a shift in how people shop and think about music in their lives.Clic
Preserving Those Precious Video Memories 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Preserving Those Precious MemoriesThursday, 3 Auguat 2006, 12:00 pmPress Release: DiscstationPreserving Those Precious MemoriesNew life can now be breathed into precious videotaped memories with the help of the latest digital technology.Irreplaceable but vulnerable footage of weddings, christenings, holidays or sporting events can all be converted into long-lasting DVD format. And the process involved is safe, cheap and simple, thanks to technology from the United States used by New Zealand company, Discstation Limited.Discstation's system, known as V2Disc, involves converting videotaped material from analogue to digital format, compressing the data and then burning it onto a DVD disc. From this month onwards, V2D technology will be available at all of Discstation's 150 outlets throughout New Zealand. The process is not expensive, with conversion of a 60 minute videotape costing less than $50."The result of this process will be a version of your golden memories, which should stay fre
E3 as we know it has been changed forever! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The New E3E3 as we know it has been changed forever. While rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated, it will no longer have the sprawling mass of people, lights and sound that come with a large trade show environment. Instead, it will be replaced by a series of focused meetings and press events. Read on for more details...Over the weekend, certain news sites reported the the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) was canceling the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) as a response to several large game publishers pulling their support. However, the ESA had not issued an official statement on the matter one way or another, leading to a tense weekend for those in the industry, lingering questions in all of our minds. Was E3 going to be altered? Or would it be terminated outright?To read the full article, use this link, www.biz.gamedaily.com
Movielink signs download-to-burn deal 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Movielink signs
download-to-burn dealService to use Sonic Solutions' DVD-on-Demand technologyBy Paul Sweeting 7/16/2006JULY 17 | The movement toward allowing consumers to burn their own DVD copies of downloaded movies is poised to take a major leap forward.On Monday, software maker Sonic Solutions and download service Movielink are set to unveil a cross licensing agreement for technology that will enable consumers to download movies and burn them onto discs that will play in most set-top DVD players.Although the announcement of the deal will not include firm commitments from program suppliers to make their titles available for home burning, Movielink is owned by five major studios, and it's unlikely they would permit the deal with Sonic to go ahead unless plans for a download-and-burn option were well advanced.To read the full article, please use this link:http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6353674.html?nid=2705
Digital Vault thwarts hackers 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Digital Vault
thwarts hackersBy K.C. Jones, 20 July 2006 09:29 AEST SecurityWith 63 million American adults banking online and millions falling victim to identity theft, GuardID Systems, a San Mateo, Calif. startup, forecasts shipping 250,000 ID Vaults.The company boasts a consumer security device that protects against phishing, pharming and keystroke logging. ID Vault, a single-function USB token, contains a smart card chip that stores user names and passwords for all online accounts.Users can plug the "digital vault" into their PCs and click on icons for secured favourites. From there, they can choose the accounts they want to access. Pages loads automatically, saving the effort of launching browsers. The device sends encrypted data without requiring users to type access codes.To read the full article, use this link;http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=35066&eid=3&edate=20060720
Read more:Digital
Music defines moments in our life, past and present 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Start from scratch, Bring your favourite music memories back with DiscSTATION...This link is our old old website entry page for NZ, it features a pretty cool disc man who you can control to catch falling discs, and it also features a mint soundtrack, check it out here:`Catch the scratched discs using the little chubby guy' THENEnter our `Catching Scratched discs using the little online chubby guy' competition. Send an email to glen@discstation.biz, stating the total number of discs caught. We'll announce the competition winner before 30 September 2006. Winner receives this prize, 1 x Professional Grade Disc Cleaning Kit NB. You've gotta click on the little chubby guy to start him up!
Read more:Music
DVD FAQs - Should fingerprints and dust be cleaned off a writable DVD disc? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Like CD, DVD technology is robust and employs several design elements to minimize the effects of fingerprints
and minor scratches on data integrity. The first line of defense comes from the physical structure of the disc and the location of the data-bearing marks and lands. The reading laser beam shines through the disc's substrate focusing beyond the contaminated surface directly onto the marks and lands beneath. In concert with advanced error detection and correction capabilities minor debris and abrasions are largely ignored. That said, handling care should always be taken as above. A dusty disc should be blown off so that the dust does not enter the drive mechanism and accumulate on the lens or other optical components. It should be noted as well that fingerprints, dust and scratches have a greater impact on recording than is the case with reading a disc since contaminants reduce the effectiveness of the writing laser by obscuring its beam from the disc's recording layer. For f
Texas Hold 'em Free on Xbox Live Arcade 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Microsoft are being very generous before the release of the Sony PS3, they may as well I s'pose...Texas
Hold 'em Free on Xbox
Live Arcade...at least, for the next 48 hoursMicrosoft today reminded every Xbox 360 owner of the special Texas Hold 'em deal for this week's Xbox Live
Arcade Wednesday. Between Wednesday, August 23 at 1 AM PT and Friday, August 25 1 AM PT, Xbox Live Marketplace users can download Texas Hold 'em for free. After that period of time, it can be downloaded for 800 Microsoft Points."Texas Hold 'em for Xbox Live Arcade simulates the real poker atmosphere and gameplay only found in competitive poker rooms around the world," said the release by Microsoft. "Persistent Bankroll and lifelike graphics make this game a must-have for any poker fan. Play against the dealer or play online with or against your friends and turn every night into poker night."by David Radd
Free Music Downloads 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Amazing news today about Spiralfrog, and it raises many questions for the future, such as what's next? maybe free movie downloads? Read on, as below...SpiralFrog, Universal in free music download deal By Yinka Adegoke and Mark McSherry Reuters Tuesday, August 29, 2006; 2:27 PM NEW YORK (Reuters) - SpiralFrog, a new online music service, on Tuesday said it reached an agreement with Universal Music
Group to offer free downloads of its songs and is trying to reach similar deals with other record labels. The service, to be launched in December, experiments with a new business model that is funded entirely by advertising, as opposed to the pay-per-song model of Apple Computer Inc.'s market-leading iTunes music store.To read the full article, click here
Read more:Downloads
Fix Disc Read Errors on your PS2! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This is an awesomely useful step-by-step article, if your PS2 has disc read errors, read on, and then get your tools out! Dealing with PlayStation 2 disc read errorsBy Rob Nelson Sunday, November 09, 2003 Introduction Ever gotten those annoying Disc Read Error messages on your Playstation 2? If you have, I'll bet the first time you saw one was on the 31st day you've had it, after the Sony 30-day warranty expired. If you're real lucky, your PS2 might last two or even three years; eventually this error will hunt down your PS2 and settle down there. If it only affects you some of the time — you might be able to play some DVD movies, but your favorite one never loads, or you can only play PSone games and not silver-colored PS2 games — then chances are it's not a serious error and only requires minor adjustments to your PS2. Since it is out of warranty, there's little risk in opening it up and trying to fix it yourself before paying to send it back to Sony's repair center. Read more:Errors
54 percent of Internet users have watched or downloaded a video clip 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Take a second look at that percentage, and then consider the implications for the DVD rental industry? Read on...Visitors Value Video Viewing VarietyDavid A. Utter, Staff Writer, Published: 2006-09-05A survey by AOL and AP found that 54 percent of Internetusers
have watched or downloaded
a video
clip.The usage of online video has increased by a third since the same time last year, according to the video survey performed by the two firms, as 32 percent of respondents said they watch more video today.Full article is hereIf you are looking for information on how to convert your old VHS videotapes to DVD,then, use this link www.videoclip.com.au
Read more:Internet users
, video clip
Australia's first Mobile Internet Phone 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Engin and Nokia have announced the release of the Nokia N80 Internet
Edition today, this phone will allow Engin customers to make cheap internet phone calls on a mobile phone. We use Engin VOIP services for all our phone requirements, so this looks like a chance to make further cuts in our telecommunciations costs!Use this link to read the full details of this service;http://www.engin.com.au/public/pressreleases.htm
Read more:Australia
, Mobile
New Disc Repair machine released 1970-01-01 00:59:59 DVD repair and the removal of scratches has never been easier with Discstation's product range. Discstation specialises in professional DVD disc repair machines and disc repair products.Discstation professionally removes scratches from all types of discs. They provide hi-tech machinery that will remove light, medium and heavy scratch damage and repair all types of discs, including DVDs, CDs, and video console game discs.Discstation is the scratch repair and damage prevention specialists for the DVD/video rental industry in Australia and New Zealand. DVD repair and the removal of scratches can be a hassle-free and simple process with our range of disc repair solutions. Maintain DVD inventory, add new revenue streams, and improve the quality of discs, all with Discstation.Discstation's machinery is easy to use. The company recommends that customers just fill the machine's pump reservoir with polish, load the disc, press start and let it run - simple and fast.Discstation is pleased t Read more:released
, Repair
Movie download service available to Australian residents 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Here's an update to the story I posted on Nov 7 regarding the launch of a movie download service in Australia, that allows users to legitimately `burn' downloaded movies to DVD. This effectively bridges the gap between the PC and TV in the short term, until web-enabled TVs become more prevalent.Yahoo!7, ReelTime partner on content dealBy Staff writers, iTnews 9 February 2007 13:06 AESTReelTime Media and Yahoo!7 have partnered to form a TV and movie download service available
to Australianresidents
.Under the agreement, Yahoo!7 users can link directly to ReelTime.tv to access and download its range of major and independent studio movies and TV programs to a PC, laptop or portable device. Users of the service have the option to download to rent (DTR) and download to own (DTO) any content purchased.ReelTime Media managing director John Karantzis said the deal would allow Yahoo!7 users access more than 1500 hours of content from providers such as Sony, MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, Univers Read more:Movie download
questions that need to be answered 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak? Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough? Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet? Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle? Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection? Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard? Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him? Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets? Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"? Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white? Is there ever a day that mattresses and rugs are not on sale? Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized? Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put i Read more:questions
DVD renting, customer survey, 2007-02-28 22:23:00 I would like to know about your individual experience at your local video store. If you have a couple of minutes, please take our DVD survey...thanks for expressing your opinions.
Recommend Site To A Friend
