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Verbatim PhotoSave DVD-R Review

Verbatim USA recently sent us some samples of their new PhotoSave DVD-R’s to test out. So what exactly are “PhotoSave DVD’s”?

The Verbatim website describes the product with “Verbatim’s PhotoSave DVD allows you to quickly backup and archive up to 2,000* photos stored on your PC or digital camera. This recordable DVD searches and stores over 80 different types of photo and video files, protecting your valuable photo memories from hard drive crashes.”

In this article we test out the product to see if it delivers on its promise.

The sample we received was a 3 pack of slim jewel cases, pictured below.

These PhotoSave discs come with a prerecorded zone, which contains the software that performs the automated backup of photo files. If you flip the disc over to look at the recordable side, you will notice that there is a darker ring on the very inner circle of the disc. This dark ring is the prerecorded information on the disc. The photo below highlights this prerecorded area with a red circle.

We inserted the PhotoSave DVD-R into our recordable DVD drive and the software launched automatically. If you have auto-play disabled, you will need to launch the software from the disc yourself.

We used additional software to determine that our PhotoSave DVD-R’s had a Manufacturer ID (MID) of MCC 02RG20. This MID tells us that these discs are genuine 8x DVD-R’s manufactured using Mitsubishi Chemicals Corporation technology. This comes as no surprise to us, as we already know that Mitsubishi Chemicals is the parent company of Verbatim.

The PhotoSave software can automatically detect and backup all JPEG photos on your PC, or you can manually select what files to backup.

Below is the welcome screen that will appear when the software is launched. For this test, we chose the “Auto Copy from: My Pictures” option, which is the default choice. This option states “Automatically scan for photos on your computer, record to this disc and close disc for archiving/viewing/ Note: only jpeg photo files will be recorded.”

As you can see in the screenshot below, the PhotoSave software detected 691 jpeg photos on my test computer, totaling 1.67GB worth of data.

We clicked the Record button to get the process started. The process starts with the Verbatim PhotoSave software adding the photo files that it found to the burning compilation as shown in the screenshot below.

After the PhotoSave software is done adding all files to the burning compilation, the burning process will start. The total length of the burning process will depend upon the total size of the photos that you are backing up and the speed of your DVD burner.

Once the burning process has finished, you will see the completion screen shown below. Clicking on Finish will close out the PhotoSave software.

Summary and Conclusion

Positives:
High Quality 8x MCC DVD-R discs
No software to install
Automated detection of JPEG photos
Simple and easy to use
Backs up all JPEG photos as advertised
Manual option for backing up other file-types
Multi-session options
Backup directly from a digital camera

Negatives:
No option for automatically detecting & backing up non-JPEG file types
Some DVD drives may have trouble reading multi-zone DVD-R discs

All in all, we found that the PhotoSave DVD’s delivered on Verbatims’ promise of providing an easy, hassle free method for backing up photos on a PC. We would not hesitate to recommend this product, especially for less technically inclined users that might need assistance with operating DVD burning and backup software.

You can pick up a 5 pack of the Verbatim PhotoSave DVD-R for $16.37 here.

Optimize PS3 for Blu-ray Video playback

I stumbled across this helpful video by IGN on how to properly setup your Playstation 3 for optimal Blu-ray Disc playback. If you have a PS3, I would recommend watching this.

First Blu-ray/DVD hybrid disc released in Japan

Japan’s Infinity Storage Media announced this week the world’s very first BD-DVD hybrid disc. This disc will be formatted to playback in a standard DVD player and Blu-ray Disc player while preserving a label-side. Both formats will be on the same side.

The first layer (closest to the surface) is a single-layer BD25 (25GB) followed by two DVD layers (8.5GB together). This hybrid format will play in regular players.

The first title available in this format is a Japanese TV program called Code Blue. It will be released in a multi-disc box set

Infinity Storage Media says they are working on a dual-layer BD/single-layer DVD hybrid disc as well. This will have 50GB for Blu-ray and 4.7GB for DVD.

Redbox expands reach

Redbox has begun installing their planned roll-out of 2,600 DVD rental kiosks in 7-Eleven stores, airports and gas stations across the country. Soon you will be able to pick up a rental when you stop for gas on your way home and drop it off at the grocery store when you’re done.

Airports receiving kiosks include General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, WI, Nashville International Airport in Nashville, TN, and Gerald R. Ford Airport in Grand Rapids, MI. So just in case you quit your job brewing beer in Milwaukee to pursue your musical career in Nashville, you can rent a movie from Redbox for the trip down.

Gas station chains Maverick of Tennessee, Royal Farms of Maryland, and Thortons of Wisconsin are all scheduled to to receive rental stations. This could be big news, but I’m in California and haven’t heard of any of those chains.

Redbox is currently available at Walmart stores, and many pharmacies and grocery stores.

Redbox rentals cost $0.99 per day.

Source: Home Media Magazine

Netflix raises prices for Blu-ray subscribers

While this certainly did not come as any surprise, Netflix has confirmed that Blu-ray subscribers will begin paying $1 more per month on their November billing statement.

Netflix emailed their subscribers a comment about how Blu-ray movies cost more, so the subscription is rising.

As you may know, Blu-ray movies are more expensive than standard definition movies. As a result, we’re going to start charging $1 a month (plus applicable taxes), in addition to your monthly membership charge, for unlimited access to Blu-ray movies.

You can reject this price increase by removing yourself from Blu-ray access in your account settings.

MPAA accuses Real of DMCA infringement

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), representing the major Hollywood studios, filed a lawsuit alleging RealNetworks violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The lawyers at the MPAA are always hard at work looking for ways to disenfranchise their most loyal consumers.

This challenge is reminiscent of the lawsuit successfully defeated by Kaleidescape earlier this year. Real obtained a DVD-CCA license and have been offering RealDVD software with this license allowing users to make copies of their DVDs, without breaking the CSS encryption, and storing them on their computer’s hard drive.

The MPAA is alleging Real had not obtained specific authorization from the copyright holders to make copies with their software. They are attempting to bypass the DVD-CCA issue by cutting them out of the equation. The DCMA prevents companies or end-users from circumventing copy protection, but Real and Kaleidescape insist their DVD-CCA license allows them to play backed-up DVDs without breaking the encryption.

The outcome of this case would most certainly affect all hard drive based DVD server systems, including Escient, Life|ware, Niveus, Kaleidescape, et al.

Source: TWICE

Ritek launches Qflix recordable DVD media

Advanced Media/Ritek USA sent us a press release this morning to announce the launch of Qflix recordable DVD media in North America. Here is an excerpt from the release.

“Advanced Media Inc. is pleased to announce it is an official distributor of RITEK manufactured Qflix DVDs. Home entertainment is a heavily targeted market for DVD and Blu-ray media. Now Sonic has taken DVD technology to the next level with Qflix,” said Harvey Liu, president of Advanced Media Inc. “RITEK’s strong global reputation for producing DVDs of uncompromising quality and compatibility ensures a great consumer entertainment experience regardless of whether content is manufactured on-demand to fulfill an online order, purchased through a retail kiosk, or produced in the home.”

Why Qflix? Qflix DVDs are specialized discs that allow the on-demand recording of digitally distributed entertainment with CSS encryption (Content Scramble System). This is the same protection found on commercially mass-produced movie titles. Qflix DVDs can also be used by duplication system operators providing custom DVD publishing services to Internet retailers and in movie kiosks that will offer retail customers touch-screen access to vast libraries of rich content. Qflix media is also available for consumer use in the home to legally record premium entertainment downloaded from the Internet. To learn more about Qflix visit: www.qflix.com.

The full press release can be found here.