Standard access obligations for facilities and services in Multimedia.


(1) Subject to such exemptions as may be determined by the Minister by order published in the Gazette, a network facilities provider and a network service provider shall provide access to their network facilities or network services listed in the access list to any other—

(a) Network facilities provider;

(b) network service provider;

(c) applications service provider; or

(d) content applications service provider,

Who makes a written request for access to such network facilities provider or network service provider on reasonable terms and conditions.

(2) The access provided by one provider (“the first provider”) to another provider under subsection (1), shall be—

(a) of at least the same or more favorable technical standard and quality as the technical standard and quality provided
on the first provider’s network facilities or network services; and

(b) on an equitable and a non-discriminatory basis. 

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding five
hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.

We all share this beautiful planet and aspire to a high quality of life for ourselves and our descendants.

But the scientific community’s near-unanimous conclusion is that, if left unchallenged, climate change will make life very difficult for humans and drive many other species to extinction. Now is the time to take action.

Addressing climate change requires concerted effort by individuals, businesses and, most importantly, governments. By combining personal action with regulations, market mechanisms and incentives, Ontario will dramatically reduce greenhouse gasses and start to turn back the clock on climate change.

Every purchase of a toothbrush, a vegetable, an automobile or a house is an economic decision that influences climate change. Simple changes to our tax structure will make it easier for businesses and consumers to modify their lifestyles and purchasing habits.

We believe this can best be achieved by shifting taxes off climate change-neutral choices and onto climate change-inducing choices. We think Ontarians should pay for what they burn, not for what they earn. No new additional taxes are needed to address climate change.

This is the Green Party of Ontario’s climate change plan; this is our solution to the climate crisis. After reading this document, we think you’ll agree that our plan best addresses the needs of Ontarians now and well into the future. Together, we can face this challenge. Together, we can build a vibrant, sustainable economy in Ontario.

Together, we will succeed. For a strong, healthy and sustainable society,

Windows Vista  is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, Tablet PCs, and media center PCs. Prior to its announcement on July 22, 2005, Windows Vista was known by its codename “Longhorn“. Development was completed on November 8, 2006; over the following three months it was released in stages to computer hardware and software manufacturers, business customers, and retail channels. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide, and was made available for purchase and download from Microsoft’s website. The release of Windows Vista comes more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows.

Windows Vista contains many changes and new features, including an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network, using peer-to-peer technology to simplify sharing files and digital media between computers and devices. Windows Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for software developers to write applications than with the traditional Windows API.

Microsoft’s primary stated objective with Windows Vista, however, has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system. One common criticism of Windows XP and its predecessors has been their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide “Trustworthy Computing initiative” which aims to incorporate security work into every aspect of software development at the company. Microsoft stated that it prioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, thus delaying its completion.

While these new features and security improvements have garnered positive reviews, Vista has also been the target of much criticism and negative press. Criticism of Windows Vista has targeted high system requirements, its more restrictive licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of new digital rights management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of protected digital media, lack of compatibility with certain pre-Vista hardware and software, and the number of authorization prompts for User Account Control. As a result of these and other issues, Vista has seen adoption and satisfaction rates lower than Windows XP

Development

Microsoft began work on Windows Vista, known at the time by its codename “Longhorn” in May 2001, five months prior to the release of Windows XP. It was originally expected to ship sometime late in 2003 as a minor step between Windows XP and “Blackcomb”, which was planned to be the company’s next major operating system release. Gradually, “Longhorn” assimilated many of the important new features and technologies slated for “Blackcomb”, resulting in the release date being pushed back several times. Many of Microsoft’s developers were also re-tasked with improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, both of which had been the target of a number of high-profile security lapses. Faced with ongoing delays and concerns about feature creep, Microsoft announced on August 27, 2004 that it had revised its plans. The original “Longhorn”, based on the Windows XP source code, was scrapped, and Longhorn’s development started anew, building on the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 codebase, and re-incorporating only the features that would be intended for an actual operating system release. Some previously announced features such as WinFS were dropped or postponed, and a new software development methodology called the “Security Development Lifecycle” was incorporated in an effort to address concerns with the security of the Windows codebase.

After “Longhorn” was named Windows Vista in July 2005, an unprecedented beta-test program was started, involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers and companies. In September of that year, Microsoft started releasing regular Community Technology Previews (CTP) to beta testers. The first of these was distributed at the 2005 Microsoft Professional Developers Conference, and was subsequently released to beta testers and Microsoft Developer Network subscribers. The builds that followed incorporated most of the planned features for the final product, as well as a number of changes to the user interface, based largely on feedback from beta testers. Windows Vista was deemed feature-complete with the release of the “February CTP”, released on February 22, 2006, and much of the remainder of work between that build and the final release of the product focused on stability, performance, application and driver compatibility, and documentation. Beta 2, released in late May, was the first build to be made available to the general public through Microsoft’s Customer Preview Program. It was downloaded by over five million people. Two release candidates followed in September and October, both of which were made available to a large number of users.

While Microsoft had originally hoped to have the consumer versions of the operating system available worldwide in time for Christmas 2006, it was announced in March 2006 that the release date would be pushed back to January 2007, in order to give the company – and the hardware and software companies which Microsoft depends on for providing device drivers – additional time to prepare. Through much of 2006, analysts and bloggers had speculated that Windows Vista would be delayed further, owing to anti-trust concerns raised by the European Commission and South Korea, and due to a perceived lack of progress with the beta releases. However, with the November 8, 2006 announcement of the completion of Windows Vista, Microsoft’s lengthiest operating system development project came to an end.

The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3, and commonly abbreviated to PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft‘s Xbox 360 and Nintendo‘s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

One major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, which contrasts with Sony’s former policy of relying on game developers for online play. Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the PlayStation Portable, and its use of the high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium. The PS3 is also the first Blu-ray 2.0-compliant Blu-ray player on the market

The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania. Two SKUs were available at launch; a basic model with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD) and a premium model with a 60 GB HDD and several additional features (The 20 GB model was not released in Europe or Oceania.) Since then, several revisions have been made to the console’s available models and has faced stiff competition from the other seventh generation consoles. As of December 20, 2007, the PS3 is in third place in home console sales for its generation.

History

Silver PlayStation 3 prototype (E3 2005 specs). Note the two additional USB ports, three Gigabit Ethernet ports and two HDMI ports.

Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 to the public on May 16, 2005, during the E3 2005 conference. A functional version of the system was not present there, nor at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005,although demonstrations (such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) were held at both events on devkits and comparable PC hardware.^[21][22] Video footage based on the predicted PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire).

The system was initially planned to have two HDMI ports, three Ethernet ports and six USB ports, though, as shown at E3 2006, this was later reduced to one HDMI port, one Ethernet port and four USB ports, presumably to cut costs. Two hardware configurations were also announced for the console; a 20 GB and a 60 GB, priced at $499/€499 and $599/€599 respectively. The 60 GB would be the only configuration to feature a HDMI port, Wi-Fi internet, flash card readers and a chrome trim with the logo in silver. It was announced for a simultaneous worldwide release; November 11 for Japan and November 17 for North America and Europe

On September 6, 2006, Sony announced that the PAL region (Europe and Oceania) PlayStation 3 launch would be delayed until March 2007 due to a shortage of diodes used in the Blu-ray Disc drive.

At the Tokyo Game Show on September 22, 2006, Sony announced that it would be including HDMI on the 20 GB system with a silver logo, but not the chrome trim, flash card readers or Wi-Fi. Also, the launch price of the Japanese 20 GB model was reduced by over 20%, and the 60 GB model was announced for an open pricing scheme in Japan. During the event, Sony showed 27 playable PS3 titles running on final hardware.

Launch

The PlayStation 3 was first released in Japan on November 11, 2006 at 07:00. There were reports that many of the first systems were obtained by businessmen – mainly Chinese nationals – who bought the systems in order to resell them on eBay According to Media Create, 81,639 PS3 systems were sold within 24 hours of its introduction in Japan.

Soon after its release in Japan, the PS3 was released in North America on November 17, 2006. Reports of violence surrounding the release of the PS3 include a customer shot, campers robbed at gunpoint, customers shot in a drive-by shooting with BB guns, and 60 campers fighting over 10 systems.

On January 24, 2007, Sony announced that the PlayStation 3 would go on sale on March 23, 2007 in Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and New Zealand     The system sold about 600,000 units in its first two days. On March 7, 2007, the 60 GB PlayStation 3 launched in Singapore with a price of $799. The console was launched in South Korea on June 16, 2007 in a single version equipped with an 80 GB hard drive and IPTV.

Hardware

The PlayStation 3 is convex on its left side when vertical, (the top side is convex when horizontal) and has a glossy black finish with the Playstation logo on the left side. Playstation designer Teiyu Goto stated that the Spider-Man-font-inspired logo “was one of the first elements(SCEI president Ken Kutaragi ) decided on and the logo may have been the motivating force behind the shape of PS3.”

The PlayStation 3 features a slot-loading 2x speed Blu-ray Disc drive for games, Blu-ray movies, DVDs, CDs, and other optical media. It was originally available with hard drives of 20 and 60 GB (only the 60 GB model was available in PAL regions). An 80 GB model has since been introduced in NTSC regions, and a 40 GB model has been introduced in all regions. All PS3 models have user-upgradeable 2.5″ SATA hard drives.

The PlayStation 3 uses the IBM-designed Cell microprocessor as its CPU, utilizing seven of the eight “synergistic processing elements” (often shortened to SPE). The eighth SPE is disabled to improve chip yields i.e. chips do not have to be discarded if one of the SPEs is defective. Only six of the seven SPEs are accessible to developers as one is reserved by the OS. Graphics processing is handled by the NVIDIA RSX, which can output resolutions from 480i/576i SD up to 1080p HD. The PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of XDR main memory and 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX.

The system has Bluetooth 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3a built in on all currently shipping models. Wi-Fi networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80 GB models while a flash card reader (compatible with Memory Stick, SD/MMC, and Compact Flash / Microdrive media) is built-in on 60 and 80 GB models.

Numerous accessories for the console have been developed including the wireless Sixaxis controller, the wireless DualShock 3 controller, the BD Remote, the PlayStation Eye camera and the upcoming Play TV DVB-T tuner/digital video recorder accessory.

At its press conference at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced the DualShock 3 (trademarked DUALSHOCK 3), a PlayStation 3 controller with the same function and design as the Sixaxis, but with vibration capability included. Hands-on accounts describe the controller as being noticeably heavier than the standard Six axis controller, and capable of vibration forces comparable to the DualShock 2.  It was released in Japan on November 11, 2007, and is scheduled to release on April 15, 2008 in North America and in Spring 2008 in Europe.

The PS3′s hardware has also been used to build supercomputers for high-performance computing. Terra Soft Solutions has a version of Yellow Dog Linux for the PlayStation 3, and sells PS3s with Linux pre-installed, in single units, and 6 and 32 node clusters. In addition, Rapid Mind is pushing their stream programming package for the PS3. Also, on January 3, 2007, Dr. Frank Mueller, Associate Professor of Computer Science at NCSU, clustered 8 PS3s. Mueller commented that the 512 MB of system RAM is a limitation for this particular application, and is considering attempting to retrofit more RAM. Software includes: Fedora Core 5 Linux ppc64, MPICH2, Open MP v2.5, GNU Compiler Collection and CellSDK 1.1.^{[133][134][135]}

On March 22, 2007, SCE and Stanford University released the Folding@Home project for the PlayStation 3. This program allows PS3 owners to lend the computing power of their consoles to help study the physical process of protein folding.

Software

Operating system

Sony has added the ability for the operating system, referred to as System Software, to be updated. The updates can be downloaded from the PlayStation Network directly to the PS3 and subsequently installed or downloaded from the official PlayStation website to a computer, transferred to portable storage media, and subsequently installed on the system. Updates can also be installed from game discs that require the update to run the game.

The latest version of the software, version 2.35, was released on May 15, 2008, and improved the stability of some PS3 titles. The prior update, version 2.30, released April 15, 2008 featured a new embedded PlayStation Store and also enabled DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks on Blu-ray discs. Version 2.20 was released on March 13, 2008 and updated the PS3 to Blu-ray profile 2.0 and added several other minor improvements.

Version 2.10, released on December 18, 2007, made the PS3 compatible with Blu-ray profile 1.1, added a new music visualization, added the ability to change voice pitch in the console’s chat function, and added support for DivX, XviD, and VC-1 (WMV) codecs.

The PlayStation 3 also includes the ability to install other operating systems, such as Linux.

Graphical user interface

The PlayStation 3 version of the XrossMediaBar (pronounced Cross Media Bar, or abbreviated XMB) includes nine categories of options. These include: Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, Network, PlayStation Network, and Friends (similar to the PlayStation Portable media bar). The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slideshow, play music and copy audio CD tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc or DVD-Video), compatibility for a USB keyboard and mouse, and a full web browser supporting in/compatible file download function. The Friends menu allows mail with emoticon and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional PlayStation Eye or Eye toy webcam. The Network menu allows online shopping through the PlayStation Store.

PlayStation Network

In response to Microsoft’s success with their Xbox Live network, Sony announced a unified online service for the PlayStation 3 system at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing meeting in Tokyo. Sony also confirmed that the service will always be connected, free, and include multiplayer support. In addition, the registration interface can only be accessed through the PS3 system interface.

At the Tokyo Game Show on September 21, 2006, it was revealed that users will be able to download some of the thousands of PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 titles from the PlayStation Network for about US$5–$15, starting with those with the smallest game data. Ken Kutaragi also announced functionality with other systems, similar to Nintendo‘s Virtual Console, including confirmed Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 functionality. However, Sega replied that Sony had been too hasty with calling it a fact, and that it was still “under examination”.

On May 8, 2007 Sony Computer Entertainment announced PlayStation Network Cards, a form of electronic money that can be used with the Store. PlayStation Network Tickets, available in units of 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen, can be purchased at convenience stores throughout Japan. Each ticket contains a 12 alphanumeric code which can be inputted to the PlayStation Network to place credits in the virtual wallet. The tickets are available through electronic kiosks at 26,000 convenience stores, including Lawsons, Family Mart, Daily Yamazaki, Ministop and Sunkus. They are also available at 26,000 post office ATM machines, although registration is required first at a special mobile website.

A similar PlayStation Network Card system based on actual cards instead of tickets was introduced in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in Summer 2007 and is scheduled for a Spring 2008 release in North America.

PlayStation Home

During the 2007 Game Developers Conference, Sony announced PlayStation Home, a new free-to-download community based service for the PlayStation Network, which allows users to create an avatar character for their PlayStation 3 system. This avatar will get its own apartment, which can be adorned by items players can receive in several achievements. In the future the service will also expand, allowing players to have more sorts of clothing, as well as hold pets. Home will be a Second Life-like experience and will allow gamers everywhere to interact in a virtual world. Home will also act as a meeting place of sorts for players who want to play multiplayer games on the PlayStation 3. During a video demonstration of Home, Sony said that a Home icon and options will be added to the Xross Media Bar (XMB), so it is expected to be available through a firmware update or separate download from within the PlayStation Store. A closed beta was in progress in Europe in May 2007, and an open beta was scheduled to be available in North America in early fall 2007. However, at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced that the final worldwide launch of Home, which had originally been scheduled for fall 2007, would take place in Spring 2008. SCEI President and Group CEO Kaz Hirai later explained that the launch was delayed for further testing and feedback evaluation to provide the best possible experience upon launch. On April 21, 2008, Sony announced that Home would be delayed further and the closed beta would be extended until fall 2008, effectively delaying the service’s availability to the general public by a full year.

PlayStation Portable connectivity

The PlayStation Portable can connect with the PlayStation 3 in many ways, including in-game connectivity. For example, Formula One: Championship Edition, a racing game, was shown at E3 2006 using a PSP as a real-time rear-view mirror. In addition, it is possible to download PlayStation 1 games to the PlayStation 3 from the PlayStation Store. These games were not originally playable on the PS3; however, they could be sent to a PSP, and played using the PSP’s PlayStation Emulator. Sony added support for playing downloaded PS titles on PS3 on April 18, 2007, with the update to firmware revision 1.70.

Sony has also demonstrated the PSP playing back video content, including 1080p content from the PlayStation 3 hard disk across an ad-hoc wireless network. This feature is referred to as Remote Play located under the browser icon on both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable. Remote play has since expanded to allow remote access to the PS3 via PSP from any wireless access point in the world.

Games

The PlayStation 3 launched in North America on November 17, 2006 with a total of twelve titles and another three were released before the end of the year. After five days of sales it was confirmed that first person shooter Resistance: Fall of Man from Insomniac Games was the top-selling game, and was heavily praised by numerous video game websites, including GameSpot and IGN, both of whom awarded it with their PlayStation 3 Game of the Year award for 2006. Some titles missed the launch window and were delayed until early 2007, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, F.E.A.R. and Sonic the Hedgehog. During the Japanese launch, Ridge Racer 7 was the top-selling launch title, while Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire also fared well in sales; both of which were offerings from Namco Bandai. The PlayStation 3 launched in Europe with twenty-four titles, including games that were not offered in the North American and Japanese launch, such as Formula One Championship Edition, MotorStorm and Virtua Fighter 5. Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm have been the most successful titles so far, and both games are to receive sequels.

At E3 2007, Sony was able to show off a number of their upcoming video games for the PlayStation 3, including Heavenly Sword, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, all of which were released in the fourth quarter of 2007. They also showed off a number of titles set for a 2008 release; most notably Killzone 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2004 first person shooter. LittleBigPlanet was also demonstrated during the event and subsequently won the award for ‘Most Original’ game of the show. A completely new title called InFamous was also presented to the media, expanding on the ever-growing sandbox genre. Several PlayStation Network titles were also on display, including SOCOM: Confrontation and Warhawk, both of which will be released as downloads via the PlayStation Store as well as on Blu-ray Disc. It was also revealed that the first-person shooter Haze will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3, and Unreal Tournament 3 would be released ahead of other console versions in time for the holiday season. Perhaps the biggest announcement, however, was that the highly-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be released only on the PlayStation 3, amid rumors that the game would appear on other platforms. Two other important exclusive titles to be released by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, a dual installment in the Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation, were shown at TGS 2007 in order to appease the Japanese market.

The iPhone is an Internet-enabled multimedia mobile phone designed and marketed by Apple Inc.. It has a multi-touch screen with virtual keyboard and buttons. The iPhone’s functions include those of a camera phone, portable media player (iPod), in addition to text messaging and visual voicemail. It also offers Internet services including e-mail, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity. It is a quad-band mobile phone that uses the GSM standard, and hence has international capability. It supports the EDGE data technology.

Apple announced the iPhone on January 9, 2007. The announcement was preceded by rumors and speculations that circulated for several months.  The iPhone was initially introduced in the United States on June 29, 2007 and is in the process of being introduced worldwide. It was named Time magazine’s Invention of the Year in 2007.

Features

The iPhone allows conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions. For example, a playing song fades out when the user receives a call. Once the call is ended the music fades back in. Voice dialing is not supported by the iPhone.

The iPhone includes a visual voicemail feature allowing users to view a list of current voicemail messages on-screen without having to call into their voicemail. Unlike most other systems, messages can be listened to and deleted in a non-chronological order by choosing any message from an on-screen list. AT&T, O2, T-Mobile, and Orange modified their voicemail infrastructure to accommodate this new feature designed by Apple. A lawsuit has been filed against Apple and AT&T by Klaussner Technologies claiming the iPhone’s visual voicemail feature infringes two patents.

A ringtone feature was introduced in the United States on September 5, 2007, but is not yet available in all countries where the iPhone has been released. This feature allows users to create custom ringtones from their purchased iTunes music library for an additional fee equal to the price of a song. The ringtones can be from 3 to 30 seconds in length of any part of a song, can include fading in and out, can pause from half a second to five seconds when looped, and never expire. All customizing can be done in iTunes, and the synced ringtones can also be used for alarms on the iPhone. Custom ringtones can also be created using Apple’s Garage Band software 4.1.1 or later (available only on Mac OS X) and third-party tools.

Apple has released a video explaining many of iPhone’s features through a series of demonstrations.

Multimedia

The layout of the music library differs from previous iPods, with the sections divided more clearly alphabetically, and with a larger font. Similar to previous iPods, the iPhone can sort its media library by songs, artists, albums, videos, playlists, genres, composers, podcasts, audio books, and compilations. Cover Flow, like that on iTunes, shows the different album covers in a scroll-through photo library. Scrolling is achieved by swiping a finger across the screen.

The iPhone supports gapless playback.

Like the fifth generation iPods introduced in 2005, the iPhone can play video, allowing users to watch TV shows and films. Unlike other image-related content, video on the iPhone plays only in the landscape orientation, when the phone is turned sideways. Double tapping switches between wide-screen and full-screen video playback.

The iPhone allows users to purchase and download songs from the iTunes Store directly to their iPhone over Wi-Fi with the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, but not over the cellular data network.

Internet connectivity

Internet access is available when the iPhone is connected to a local area Wi-Fi or a wide area EDGE network. The iPhone is not able to use 3G or HSDPA networks. Steve Jobs has stated 3G would need to become more widespread in the United States and much more energy efficient before it’s included in the iPhone. By default, the iPhone will ask to join newly discovered Wi-Fi networks and prompt for the password when required, while also supporting manually joining closed Wi-Fi networks. When Wi-Fi is active, the iPhone will automatically switch from the EDGE network to any nearby previously approved Wi-Fi network.

The EDGE network provides greater availability than 3G, as GSM carriers based in the U.S. do not have full 3G coverage. In contrast, 99% percent of people in the Australia have access to 3G coverage.

The ubiquitous Internet connection offered by the iPhone has been widely utilized by users. According to Google, the iPhone generates 50 times more search requests than any other mobile handset. According to Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann, “The average Internet usage for an iPhone customer is more than 100 MBytes. This is 30 times the use for our average contract-based consumer customers.”

Web accessibility

The iPhone is able to access the World Wide Web via a modified version of the Safari web browser. Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and supports automatic zooming by pinching together or spreading apart fingertips on the screen, or by double-tapping text or images. The web browser displays full web pages as opposed to simplified pages as on many mobile phones.

The iPhone does not support Flash. Although the iPhone does not include Java technology in its out-of-the-box configuration, Eric Klein, VP of Marketing for Sun Microsystems, announced on March 7, 2008 that Sun would make Java available after June 2008. Klein later admitted that it may not be possible to port Java to the iPhone due to SDK licensing issues.

Wikipedia Main Page on iPhone’s Safari in landscape mode

Apple developed an iPhone application for accessing Google’s maps service in map, satellite or hybrid form, a list of search results, or directions between two locations, while providing optional real-time traffic information. During the product’s announcement, Jobs demonstrated this feature by searching for nearby Starbucks locations and then placing a prank call to one with a single tap. Though Flash isn’t supported in Safari on the iPhone, Apple also developed a separate application to view YouTube videos on the iPhone, similar to the system used for the Apple TV.

E-mail

The iPhone also features an e-mail program that supports HTML e-mail, which enables the user to embed photos in an e-mail message. PDF, Word, and Excel attachments to mail messages can be viewed on the phone. Yahoo! and Google’s Gmail currently offer a free Push-IMAP e-mail service similar to that on a BlackBerry for the iPhone; IMAP and POP3 mail standards are also supported, including Microsoft Exchange and Kerio MailServer. This is currently accomplished by opening up IMAP on the Exchange server; however, Apple announced it has licensed Microsoft ActiveSync and will fully support the platform in June 2008 when the iPhone 2.0 firmware (currently referred to as 1.2) is released. The iPhone will sync   e-mail account settings over from Apple’s own Mail application, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Entourage, or manually configured using the device’s Settings tool. With the correct settings, the e-mail program can check almost any IMAP or POP3 account.

Others

The iPhone features a built in 2.0 megapixel camera, without optical zoom, a flash or autofocus, located on the back for still digital photos, but does not support video recording. It also includes software that allows the user to upload, view, and e-mail photos. The user zooms in and out of photos by “unpicking” and “pinching” them through the multi-touch interface. The software interacts with iPhoto on the Mac and Photoshop in Windows.

The built-in Bluetooth 2.x+EDR supports wireless earpieces, which requires the HSP profile, but notably does not support stereo audio (requires A2DP), laptop tethering (requires DUN and SPP), or the OBEX file transfer protocol (requires FTP, GOEP, and OPP).

Text messages are presented chronologically in a mailbox format similar to Mail, which places all text from recipients together with replies. Text messages are displayed in speech bubbles (similar to iChat) under each recipient’s name. The iPhone currently has built-in support for e-mail message forwarding, drafts, and direct internal camera-to-e-mail picture sending. However, it does not yet have capabilities for delivery reports, instant messaging, MMS, or copy/cut/paste. Some of these functions are accessible via free Safari-based “applications” called “Web Apps“, as well as by free “hacked” native applications, though at this time Apple only sanctions the use of Web Apps. Support for multi-recipient SMS was added in the January 2008 (v1.1.3) software update.

Interface

The display responds to three sensors: a proximity sensor that shuts off the display and touch screen when the iPhone is brought near the face to save battery power and to prevent inadvertent inputs from the user’s face and ears, an ambient light sensor that adjusts the display brightness which in turn saves battery power, and a 3-axis accelerometer, which senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly. Photo browsing, web browsing, and music playing support both upright and left or right widescreen orientations, while videos play in only one widescreen orientation.

A single “home” hardware button below the display brings up the main menu. Sub selections are made via the touch screen. The iPhone utilizes a full-paged display, with context-specific submenus at the top and/or bottom of each page, sometimes depending on screen orientation. Detail pages display the equivalent of a “Back” button to go up one menu.

The iPhone has three physical switches on its sides: wake/sleep, volume up/down, and ringer on/off. All other multimedia and phone operations are done via the touch screen.

The iPhone interface enables the user to move the content itself up or down by a touch-drag motion of the finger, much as one would freely slide or flick a playing card across a table with a finger. Similarly, scrolling through a long list in a menu works as if the list is pasted on the outer surface of a wheel: the wheel can be “spun” by sliding a finger over the display from bottom to top (or vice versa). In either case, the object continues to move based on the flicking motion of the finger, slowly decelerating as if affected by friction. In this way, the interface simulates the physics of 3D objects, giving it a real world feel.

The photo album and web page magnifications are examples of multi-touch sensing. It is possible to zoom in and out of web pages and photos by placing two fingers (e.g. thumb and forefinger) on the screen and spreading them farther apart or closer together, as if stretching or squeezing the image. As can be intuitively expected from multi-touch sensing, the two fingers don’t have to be from the same hand.

 Multi-Touch Screen

The 3.5 in liquid crystal display (320×480 px at 160 ppi) HVGA touch screen topped with optical-quality, scratch-resistant glass is specifically created for use with a finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing. Because the screen is a capacitive touch screen, no stylus is needed, nor can one be used. Bare skin is a requirement; users wearing gloves would have to remove them to use the touchpad, unless they are wearing electrically conductive gloves.

The user interface also features other visual effects, such as horizontally sliding sub-selections and co-selections from right and left, vertically sliding system menus from the bottom (e.g. favorites, keyboard), and menus and widgets that turn around to allow settings to be configured on their back sides.

Storage

The iPhone was initially released with two options for internal storage size; either a 4 GB or 8 GB flash drive (manufactured by Samsung) model was available. On September 5, 2007, Apple announced they were discontinuing the 4 GB models. On February 5, 2008, Apple announced the addition of a 16 GB model to the iPhone lineup.^[65] The iPhone does not contain any external memory card slots for expanded storage.

Software

iPhone OS is the operating system that runs on the iPhone and iPod touch. It is based on a variant of the same basic Mach kernel that is found in Mac OS X. iPhone OS includes the software component “Core Animation” from Mac OS X v10.5 which, together with the Power VR MBX 3D hardware, is responsible for the smooth animations used in its user interface. The operating system takes up considerably less than half a GB of the device’s total 8 GB or 16 GB storage. It will be capable of supporting bundled and future applications from Apple.

The iPhone is managed with iTunes version 7.3 or later, which is compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later and 32-bit Windows XP or Vista. The release of iTunes 7.6 expanded this support to include 64-bit versions of Vista,  and a workaround has been discovered for previous 64-bit Windows operating systems.

The iPhone’s CPU is an ARM-based processor instead of the x86 and PowerPC processors used in Apple’s computers. This means applications can not simply be copied from Mac OS X and have to be written and compiled specifically for the iPhone. Additionally, the Safari web browser supports web applications written with AJAX, which, by design, are platform agnostic applications.

 Applications

There are several applications located on the “Home” screen: Text (SMS messaging), Calendar, Photos, Camera, YouTube, Stocks, Maps (Google Maps), Weather, Clock, Calculator, Notes, Settings, and iTunes. Four other applications delineate the iPhone’s main purposes: Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod.

The YouTube application streams videos over Wi-Fi and/or EDGE after encoding them using QuickTime‘s H.264 codec, to which YouTube has converted about 10,000 videos. As a result, the YouTube application on iPhone can currently view only a certain selection of videos from the site.

At WWDC 2007 on June 11, 2007 Apple announced that the iPhone will support third-party “applications” via the Safari web browser that share the look and feel of the iPhone interface. On October 17, 2007, Steve Jobs, in an open letter posted to Apple’s “Hot News” weblog, announced that a software development kit (SDK) would be made available to third-party developers in February 2008. Due to security concerns and Jobs’ praise of Nokia’s digital signature system, it is suggested that Apple will adopt a similar method. The SDK will also allow application development for the iPod touch. The iPhone SDK was officially announced on March 6, 2008, at the Apple Town Hall facility. The SDK will allow developers to develop native applications for the iPhone and iPod touch, as well as test them in an “iPhone simulator”. However, loading an application onto the devices is only possible after paying a US$99 Apple Developer Connection membership fee. Developers are free to set any price for their applications to be distributed through the App Store, of which they will receive a 70 percent share. Developers can also opt to release the application for free and will not pay any costs to release or distribute the application beyond the US$99 membership fee. The SDK is available immediately, while the launch of applications will require waiting until a firmware update in June 2008. This update will be free for iPhone users, however, there will be a charge for iPod touch owners.

Many third party Safari “applications” and un-signed native applications are also available. The ability to install native applications onto the iPhone outside of the App Store will not be supported by Apple. Such native applications could be broken by any software update, but Apple has stated it will not design software updates specifically to break native applications other than applications that perform SIM unlocking.

Multimedia technologies, applications and content products are a “knowledge industry” that is characteristic for Southern California. most multimedia firms are based in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. Hollywood provides the content, Silicon Valley the technology and the synergy of both is unique to California.

This industry sector has a high added value and as such cannot be ignored by Swiss companies involved in any aspect of the multimedia cluster. This information is constantly updated , which allows Swiss companies to be informed about:

·                     Technological development

·                     Content resources

·                     Collaboration opportunities

·                     Trade events

·                     Reports  on trade events

·                     Web re sources

Components of the multimedia industry cluster

Markets:

·                     Education

·                     Entertainment

·                     heal

End Products:

·                     Distance Learning, Instruction

·                     Home entertainment, Movies/TV, Virtual Reality, Animation

·                     Medical Imaging

·                     Teleradiology

·                     Video Conference, Training, Presentations

Contact Providers:

·                     Information Providers

·                     Publishers/news originations

·                     Producers: film, TV, video

Multimedia Developers

·                     Artists, writers, animation, graphics designers

·                     Original content developers

·                     Programmers, interface designers

Technology providers

·                     Manufacturers of computers and electronics

·                     suppliers of chips and components

·                     Digital carriers

·                     Software developers

Infrastructure

·                     Telephone and cable lines

·                     Trade organizations, events, publications

·                     Professional services

·                     Education and training instructions

·                     research and development laboratories

Multimedia

Multimedia is the use of several different media to convey information (text, audio, graphics, animation, video and interactivity). Multimedia also refers to computer media.

As the information is presented in various formats, multimedia enhances user experience and helps grasping information better and faster.

Presenting information in various formats is nothing new to human beings, but multimedia generally implies presenting information in narious formats. Although it is also used in visual arts to describe works created using more than one medium.

Multimedia finds its applications in various areas including, but not limited to, Education, Entertainment, Engineering, medicine, Mathematical and Scientific Research.

In educations, multimedia is used to produce Computer based Training courses (popularly called CBT’s), reference books like encyclopedias and almanacs.

A CBT lets the user go through a series of presentation, text about a particular topic and associated illustrations in various information formats.

In engineering, especially in Mechanical and Automobile Engineering, multimedia is primarily used for designing a machinery or automobile. This lets an Engineer view a product from various perspectives, zoom critical parts and do other manipulations, before actually producing it. This is known as Computer Aided design (CAD).

This is my Redesigned Pencil tool icon

When shopping for a new computer, you will come across many phrases that you may not be familiar with; many tout the benefits of a new technology. In relation to multimedia PCs and media centers, speed and the ability to multitask has prompted the development of new technologies. There are new operating systems available to help you manage and view your media and new processor abilities and configurations.

Here are just a few components that are recently obtainable or available soon:

Intel® Viiv Technology

Overview

This technology designed by Intel is specifically for multimedia PCs, game machines and media centers or component systems. It incorporates three key components including a dual core 64-bit processor, an advanced chipset and Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system.

Intel presents it as a ”new platform designed for the enjoyment of digital entertainment” and they collaborated with over 40 entertainment companies such as Movie link, Yahoo Music Match and Adobe to ensure compatibility.

Through Intel’s product page it is difficult to figure out what”Viiv Technology” actually is versus what it does. They refer to the key components, which include the Pentium D, Intel Core Duo and Extreme Edition processors; these are all top-of-the-line processors and good for multimedia and games. The chipsets include the Intel 975X Express, which can support dual-core processors and the Extreme Edition with multiple 2X8 graphics cards, Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology (Intel® MPT), 8GB memory addressability to enable 64-bit computing, and ECC memory support. They also include an Intel Pro/100VM network connection, which is supposed to speed up the download time of high-quality digital content like movies and games.

Conclusion

In simple terms, Viiv Technology with a combination of high quality components equates to speed and the ability to multitask. For example, with a good system you should be able to download a movie, edit photos, run a security program and chat, all at the same time.

Microsoft Windows Vista

This runs with other windows programs and helps make it easy to find and organize files, information and programs. There are five versions, Business, Enterprise, Home Premium, Vista Ultimate and Home Basic.

Windows Vista has simplified the familiar start up menu and has added an integrated desktop search. While looking for documents, ”Live Icons” will reveal contents without having to open the file. With this program, you can even enter keywords to search the control panel to find out where to perform specific changes.

It has a ”live” task bar, so instead of opening programs listed in the taskbar, you can mouse over the taskbar item and a thumbnail view of the page or the contents of the file will display.

It has features called windows flip and windows flip 3D, so when you Alt+Tab through your open programs, a thumbnail of the page is displayed. Using flip 3D, you can use your mouse to scroll through 3D images of the pages.

Beyond helping you find files and programs, it includes security, a sidebar, Internet Explorer 7, SuperFetch, System Restore, an email organizer, Windows Backup, a network center, speech recognition, and much more. It has the ability to set user and parental controls as well as protection from malware (viruses, spyware).

Windows Vista Aero provides high-end visuals and can adjust to different hardware.

Microsoft reports that it will be available in 2006 and many PC providers list their product as”Windows Vista Enabled.”

Conclusion

Windows Vista is designed to make using the computer easy for anyone. Even the most unorganized, computer illiterate person can use this program to find a file they forgot the name of or to help them figure out how to add a screen saver. It can even save you if you accidentally delete a file. It displays clear, attractive visuals and includes a good assortment of security and maintenance features.

Windows XP Media Center Edition

This program is offered through pre-installation only and is installed in most media centers and nearly all multimedia computers. This program is designed to manage and view media. It can help users play DVDs, watch and record television, play music, watch home videos, organize pictures, burn DVDs and CDs, provide online access and syncs to portable devices.

In terms of television, it supports TV and personal video recording for ATSC Digital TV (480p) and High Definition TV (720p/1080i) local network TV programming delivered via UHF antenna. It can support two tuners per computer, 2 analog or 1 analog and 1 DTV/HDTV tuner for local channels via over-the-air signal. With two tuners, you can record one television show while you are watching another.

The Update Rollup 2 is Windows Media Center Extender compatible. This utilizes the Xbox 360 to provide media center entertainment to any TV in the house.

It can be operated through a unique Media Center remote control and is compatible with a mouse and keyboard.

Conclusion

This is an excellent operating system for media centers, however if you are primarily using your multimedia PC for non-entertainment purposes, Windows XP Home or Professional Edition may be a better choice.

Dual Processors or Dual Core and Hyper-Threading (HT) Technology

These technologies speed up processes and allow multiple programs to run at once.

Dual Processors —

Traditionally this meant two separate processors located on the same motherboard. According to Intel’s article, Dual Processors, Hyper-Threading Technology, and Multi-Core Systems, ”A multi-processor capable operating system can schedule two separate computer processes or two threads within a process to run simultaneously on these separate processors.” Currently, many manufactures are opting for a dual core processor.

Dual Core —

Generally, this is two identical processors contained in the same IC (integrated circuit) package. Either they have their own on-die cache or they share. Both processors have their own communication path to the systems front side bus (FSB).

Multi Core —

More than two processors. Currently, many operating systems cannot handle multiple processors. However, some of the newer Microsoft Windows XP versions and many Unix/Linux-based operating systems can support multiple processors.

Hyper-Threading (HT) —

With this technology two threads can execute on the same processing core, parallel to each other. It is possible to implement this technology on a dual processor making available up to four threads at once.

Conclusion:

Is more better? Yes, if you are a gamer or want to run several complex programs at once. However, if you just employ your computer for common uses, a single processor with HT technology will do what you want and cost less. If you want to use your computer for multimedia, you may want to consider a Pentium D (dual core) 930 or higher. Gamers might want to invest in the Intel® Pentium® Processor Extreme Edition. Multi Core is beyond what most people need.

Technology is ever-evolving phenomena whose main purpose seems to make things easier and faster. With computers, more is usually better and if you under-buy, you will be disappointed later when you cannot run the newest programs.

BLU-RAY DISC (New Technology)

1.    What is Blu-ray?

Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the name of a next-generation optical disc format. The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc.

2.    Why the name Blu-ray?

The name Blu-ray is derived from the underlying technology, which utilizes a blue-violet laser to read and write data. The name is a combination of “Blue” (blue-violet laser) and “Ray” (optical ray). According to the Blu-ray Disc Association the spelling of “Blu-ray” is not a mistake; the character “e” was intentionally left out so the term could be registered as a trademark.

The correct full name is Blu-ray Disc, not Blu-ray Disk (incorrect spelling)
The correct shortened name is Blu-ray, not Blu-Ray (incorrect capitalization) or Blue-ray (incorrect spelling)
The correct abbreviation is BD, not BR or BRD (wrong abbreviation)

3.    Who developed Blu-ray?

The Blu-ray Disc format was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers, with more than 180 member companies from all over the world. The Board of Directors currently consists of:

Apple Computer, Inc.
Dell Inc.
Hewlett Packard Company
Hitachi, Ltd.
LG Electronics Inc.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Pioneer Corporation
Royal Philips Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Sharp Corporation
Sony Corporation
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
TDK Corporation
Thomson Multimedia
Twentieth Century Fox
Walt Disney Pictures
Warner Bros. Entertainment

4.    What Blu-ray formats are planned?

As with conventional CDs and DVDs, Blu-ray plans to provide a wide range of formats including ROM/R/RW. The following formats are part of the Blu-ray Disc specification:

BD-ROM – read-only format for distribution of HD movies, games, software, etc.
BD-R – recordable format for HD video recording and PC data storage.
BD-RE – rewritable format for HD video recording and PC data storage.

There’s also plans for a BD/DVD hybrid format, which combines Blu-ray and DVD on the same disc so that it can be played in both Blu-ray players and DVD players.

5.    How much data can you fit on a Blu-ray disc?

A single-layer disc can hold 25GB.
A dual-layer disc can hold 50GB.

To ensure that the Blu-ray Disc format is easily extendable (future-proof) it also includes support for multi-layer discs, which should allow the storage capacity to be increased to 100GB-200GB (25GB per layer) in the future simply by adding more layers to the discs.

6.    How much video can you fit on a Blu-ray disc?

Over 9 hours of high-definition (HD) video on a 50GB disc.
About 23 hours of standard-definition (SD) video on a 50GB disc.

7.    How fast can you read/write data on a Blu-ray disc?

According to the Blu-ray Disc specification, 1x speed is defined as 36Mbps. However, as BD-ROM movies will require a 54Mbps data transfer rate the minimum speed we’re expecting to see is 2x (72Mbps). Blu-ray also has the potential for much higher speeds, as a result of the larger numerical aperture (NA) adopted by Blu-ray Disc. The large NA value effectively means that Blu-ray will require less recording power and lower disc rotation speed than DVD and HD-DVD to achieve the same data transfer rate. While the media itself limited the recording speed in the past, the only limiting factor for Blu-ray is the capacity of the hardware. If we assume a maximum disc rotation speed of 10,000 RPM, then 12x at the outer diameter should be possible (about 400Mbps). This is why the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) already has plans to raise the speed to 8x (288Mbps) or more in the future.

8.    What video codecs will Blu-ray support?

MPEG-2 – enhanced for HD, also used for playback of DVDs and HDTV recordings.
MPEG-4 AVC – part of the MPEG-4 standard also known as H.264 (High Profile and Main Profile).
SMPTE VC-1 – standard based on Microsoft’s Windows Media Video (WMV) technology.

Please note that this simply means that all Blu-ray players and recorders will have to support playback of these video codecs, it will still be up to the movie studios to decide which video codec(s) they use for their releases.

9.    What audio codecs will Blu-ray support?

Linear PCM (LPCM) – up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio. (Mandatory)
Dolby Digital (DD) – format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound. (Mandatory)
Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) – extension of Dolby Digital, 7.1-channel surround sound. (Optional)
Dolby TrueHD – lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (Optional)
DTS Digital Surround – format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound. (Mandatory)
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio – extension of DTS, 7.1-channel surround sound. (Optional)
DTS-HD Master Audio – lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (Optional)

Please note that this simply means that Blu-ray players and recorders will have to support playback of these audio codecs, it will still be up to the movie studios to decide which audio codec(s) they use for their releases.

10.                       Will Blu-ray discs require a cartridge?

No, the development of new low cost hard-coating technologies has made the cartridge obsolete. Blu-ray will instead rely on hard-coating for protection, which when applied will make the discs even more resistant to scratches and fingerprints than today’s DVDs, while still preserving the same look and feel. Blu-ray also adopts a new error correction system which is more robust and efficient than the one used for DVDs.

11.                       Will Blu-ray require an Internet connection?

No, you will not need an Internet connection for basic playback of Blu-ray movies. The Internet connection will only be needed for value-added features such as downloading new extras, watching recent movie trailers, web browsing, etc. It will also be required to authorize managed copies of Blu-ray movies that can be transferred over a home network.

12.                       Will Blu-ray down-convert analog outputs?

No, Blu-ray players will not down-convert the analog output signal unless the video contains something called an Image Constraint Token (ICT). This feature is not part of the Blu-ray Disc spec, but of the AACS copy-protection system also adopted by HD-DVD. In the end it will be up to each movie studio to decide if they want to use this “feature” on their releases or not. The good news is that Sony, Disney, Fox, Paramount, MGM and Universal have already stated that they have no intention of using this feature. The other studios, which have yet to announce their plans, will most likely follow suit to avoid getting bad publicity. If any of the studios still decide to use ICT they will have to state this on the cover of their movies, so you should have no problem avoiding these titles.

13.                       Will Blu-ray support mandatory managed copy?

Yes, mandatory managed copy (MMC) will be part of the Blu-ray format. This feature will enable consumers to make legal copies of their Blu-ray movies that can be transferred over a home network. Please note that “mandatory” refers to the movies having to offer this capability, while it will be up to each hardware manufacturer to decide if they want to support this feature.

14.                       When will I be able to buy Blu-ray products?

If you live in the US or Canada you can already find Blu-ray players from Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, Philips and Pioneer available in stores, as well as a growing selection of Blu-ray movies. We also expect to see Blu-ray players from LG and Sharp, as well as a second-generation Blu-ray player from Samsung introduced in the near future. The first Blu-ray hardware and software should also be available in many European countries now.

15.                       What will Blu-ray products cost?

As with any new technology the first generation of products will likely be quite expensive due to low production volumes. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for long as there is a wide range of Blu-ray related products (players, recorders, drives, writers, media, etc) planned, which should help drive up production volumes and lower overall production costs. Once mass production of components for Blu-ray products begins the prices are expected to fall quickly.

According to the Blu-ray Disc Association, the overall cost of manufacturing Blu-ray Disc media will in the end be no more expensive than producing a DVD. The reduced injection molding costs (one molding machine instead of two, no birefringence problems) offset the additional cost of applying the cover layer and low cost hard-coat, while the techniques used for applying the recording layer remain the same. As production volumes increase the production costs should fall and eventually be comparable to DVDs.

Blu-ray vs DVD

16.                       Will Blu-ray replace DVDs?

Yes, that’s the expectation. The Blu-ray format has received broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today’s DVD format. In fact, seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) have released titles in the Blu-ray format. Many studios have also announced that they will begin releasing new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD, as well as a continuous slate of catalog titles every month. For more information about Blu-ray movies, check out our Blu-ray movies section which offers information about new and upcoming Blu-ray releases, as well as what movies are currently available in the Blu-ray format.

However, the two formats (Blu-ray and DVD) will most likely co-exist for quite some time until HDTVs become more widespread.

17.                       Will Blu-ray be backwards compatible with DVD?

Yes, several leading consumer electronics companies (including Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Sharp and LG) have already demonstrated products that can read/write CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs using a BD/DVD/CD compatible optical head, so you don’t have to worry about your existing DVD collection becoming obsolete. In fact, most of the Blu-ray players coming out will support upscaling of DVDs to 1080p/1080i, so your existing DVD collection will look even better than before. While it’s up to each manufacturer to decide if they want to make their products backwards compatible with DVD, the format is far too popular to not be supported. The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) expects every Blu-ray Disc device to be backward compatible with DVDs.

18.                       Why should I upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray?

The simple answer is HDTV. If you’ve ever seen high-definition (HD) video on an HDTV, then you know just how incredibly sharp the picture is and how vivid the colors are. In fact, HD offers five times the amount of detail compared to standard-definition (SD). The problem with today’s DVDs is that they only support SD and don’t have the necessary storage capacity to satisfy the needs of HD. That’s where Blu-ray comes in, it offers up to 50GB of storage capacity and enables playback, recording and rewriting of HD in all of the HD resolutions including 1080p. The format also supports high-definition audio formats and lossless audio.

In addition to the greater video and audio quality, the extra storage capacity also means there will be plenty of room for additional content and special features. This combined with the new BD-J interactivity layer adopted by Blu-ray will bring the menus, graphics and special features to a whole new level. For example, you will be able to bring up the menu system as an overlay without stopping the movie, and you could have the director of the movie on the screen explaining the shooting of a scene while the scene is playing in the background. The advanced interactivity combined with the networking features of Blu-ray will also allow content producers to support new innovative features such as downloading extras, updating content via the web, and watching live broadcasts of special events.

Thanks to the greatly enhanced HD video and audio quality as well as the advanced interactivity and networking features, Blu-ray represents a huge leap forward in the DVD viewing experience and will offer consumers an unprecedented HD experience.

19.                       What is the difference between Blu-ray and DVD?

20.                       Will Blu-ray replace VCRs?

Yes, as VCRs don’t support recording of HDTV programming consumers will soon need to replace them. Blu-ray recorders combined with hard drives offer a very flexible alternative for those that want to record HDTV. While HD-DVRs already allow consumers to record HDTV, the amount of HDTV programming that can be recorded and archived is limited by the size of the hard drive. Blu-ray recorders will offer a solution to this problem as they allow consumers to record the video to Blu-ray discs and then free up the hard drive. This should make them popular among people that want to archive a lot of their HDTV recordings. The Blu-ray recorders will also offer a lot of compelling new features not possible with a traditional VCR:

· Random access – instantly jump to any place on the disc

· Searching – quickly browse and preview recorded programs in real-time

· Create playlists – change the order of recorded programs and edit recorded video

· Simultaneous recording and playback of video (enables Time slip/Chasing playback)

· Automatically find an empty space to avoid recording over programs

· Improved picture – ability to record high-definition television (HDTV)

· Improved sound – ability to record surround sound (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc)

21.                       What about Blu-ray for PCs?

There are plans for BD-ROM (read-only), BD-R (recordable) and BD-RE (rewritable) drives for PCs, and with the support of the worlds two largest PC manufacturers, HP and Dell, it’s very likely that the technology will be adopted as the next-generation optical disc format for PC data storage and replace technologies such as DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM.

Blu-ray vs HD-DVD

22.                       Is Blu-ray the same thing as HD-DVD?

No, HD-DVD (previously known as AOD) is the name of a competing next-generation optical disc format developed by Toshiba and NEC. The format is quite different from Blu-ray, but also relies heavily on blue-laser technology to achieve a higher storage capacity. The format is being developed within the DVD Forum as a possible successor to the current DVD technology.

23.                       What benefits does Blu-ray offer compared to HD-DVD?

Although both Blu-ray and HD-DVD are similar in many aspects, there are some important differences between them.

The first is capacity. Because Blu-ray utilizes a lens with a greater numerical aperture (NA) than HD-DVD, the laser spot can be focused with greater precision to fit more data on the same size disc. This allows Blu-ray to hold 25GB per layer (50GB on a dual-layer disc), whereas HD-DVD can only hold 15GB per layer (30GB on a dual-layer disc). Blu-ray has also adopted a higher data transfer rate for video and audio (54Mbps vs 36.55Mbps). The greater capacity and data transfer rates for Blu-ray will allow the movie studios to release their movies with higher quality video and audio than the HD-DVD format.

The second is content. The Blu-ray format has received broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today’s DVD format. Seven of the eight major movie studios (Warner, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM and Lionsgate) have released titles for Blu-ray, whereas HD-DVD only has support from two major movie studios (Paramount and Universal). This is an important difference because some of the studios might only support one of the formats, so you won’t be able to get your favorite movies in the other format. Choosing the format with the most content support minimizes this risk.

The third is hardware support. The Blu-ray format has broad support from the world’s leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers, including Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Sharp, JVC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, TDK, Thomson, LG, Apple, HP and Dell. The Blu-ray format will also be supported in the next-generation PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console. This means that you will have a lot of choice when it comes to players and hardware. The HD-DVD format has far fewer supporters, so the amount of players and hardware will be very limited. Currently, Toshiba is the only company offering a stand-alone HD-DVD player.

24.                       What is the difference between Blu-ray and HD-DVD?