Blu-ray Disc (BD) News

More than One in Five US Households Have a TV Connected to the Internet
Apr 27, 2012 – At least 21% of US households (approximately 27 million) have either an Internet-ready TV, game console, standalone Blu-ray player, and/or smart set-top box connected to their home network, says ABI Research.
News categories: ABI Research, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, USA

38% of U.S. Households Now Have a TV Connected to the Internet
Apr 9, 2012 – New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group (LRG) finds that 38% of all households have at least one television set connected to the Internet -- up from 30% last year, and 24% two years ago.
News categories: Leichtman Research, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, USA

Quickflix launches movie streaming service in New Zealand
Mar 29, 2012 – Quickflix (ASX: QFX) has announced the launch of its movie subscription streaming service in New Zealand, becoming the first home entertainment company in that country to offer unlimited viewing of Hollywood movies and TV series streamed over the internet.
News categories: Quickflix, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, New Zealand, Smart TV, Streaming, Tablet

US Audiences to Pay for More Online Movies in 2012 than for Physical Videos
Mar 22, 2012 – According to IHS Screen Digest, Americans will pay to consume more movies online in 2012 than they will on physical video formats, marking the first year that legal, Internet-delivered movies will outstrip those of DVDs and Blu-ray discs combined.
News categories: Screen Digest, Blu-ray, Digital TV, DVD, Market Research, Streaming, USA

ViXS Systems Showcases Media Excellence at CCBN 2012
Mar 20, 2012 – ViXS has announced that at CCBN it will be demonstrating media processing, transcoding technologies, broadcast/infrastructure solutions, n-screen/Multi-screen products, STBs, CA/DRM, Blu-Ray/Media Hubs, Smart XCode™ streaming and MoCA devices.
News categories: ViXS Systems, Blu-ray, CCBN, Gateway, Placeshifting, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Smart Home

Rovi and Sagemcom Launch the First DivX Plus HD Certified STB for Europe
Mar 20, 2012 – Sagemcom and Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI) have announced that the Sagemcom BPRSI88-250 HD TNTSAT set-top box (STB) has integrated DivX Plus® HD, the premium level of DivX certification. The DivX Certified® STB is currently available in France.
News categories: Rovi Corp, Sagemcom, Blu-ray, DVR, France, Media Player, Satellite, Set Top Box, Video Exchange

Smart CE Device Unit Shipments to Surpass 92 Million in 2016
Feb 29, 2012 – The advent of 'smart CE devices' is having a profound effect on the digital multimedia home. New NPD In-Stat research forecasts that smart CE device unit shipments will surpass 92 million in 2016.
News categories: In-Stat, Blu-ray, Digital TV, DVR, Gaming, Market Research, Optical Disc Recorder, Set Top Box

MPEG LA Offers MVC Patent Portfolio License
Feb 22, 2012 – MPEG LA has announced the availability of the MVC Patent Portfolio License. The joint license includes patents that are essential to the Multiview Video Coding ('MVC') standard for encoding and decoding 3D video.
News categories: MPEG LA, Blu-ray, Licensing, Metaverse, Patent

Verizon and Redbox Form Joint Venture to Create New Consumer Choice for Video Entertainment
Feb 6, 2012 – Verizon (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Redbox (Nasdaq: CSTR) have announced the formation of a joint venture to offer Redbox® DVD and Blu-ray Disc® rentals combined with a new video on-demand streaming and download service from Verizon.
News categories: Verizon, Redbox, Blu-ray, Digital TV, DVD, Streaming, USA