To hype its array of high-definition offerings, Panasonic launched an extensive marketing blitz and a program that will award 100 families $20,000 worth of its products.

Microsoft has announced it will lower the price of the popular Xbox 360 HD DVD Player from $199 to $179 ERP (United States only) starting Aug. 1, 2007, and will add five free HD DVD movies for anyone purchasing an Xbox 360 HD DVD Player between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30.

LG is preparing a internal optical drive capable of reading both Blu-ray Discs and HD DVD media, it has been claimed. The South Korean giant is also readying a BD writer capable of 6x burn speeds.

LightScribe is now licensed by over 80 electronics and software companies worldwide, including many disc publishing systems manufacturers focused on SMB market

ABC.com is now beta testing a player that will allow it to stream television shows in high-definition. The player is produced by Move Networks, and recommends a 2Mbps or faster broadband connection, 128MB of video RAM, 1 GB of RAM, and a resolution of at least 1300x770 pixels.

Popular programmes on the BBC can be downloaded
The BBC's flagship online TV service is being launched, offering viewers the chance to download their favourite programmes from the last seven days.

More than 12,000 people have signed an e-petition on the 10 Downing Street website urging the BBC to make its iPlayer available to non-Windows users.

LG will launch GGC-H20LI, its latest Super Multi Blue hybrid drive supporting read of both Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD DVD formats, for sale at a recommended price of US$400 later this quarter, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

LiteOn announced its plans to cut the price of its LH-2B1S Blu-Ray drive in Europe by nearly 20%.

It seems AllofMP3's recent legal victory over Rosbank, which meant that the Visa processing company did not have the right to break its contract with AllofMP3 only covers users accessing the site from Russia.

The CompactFlash Association (CFA) has announced the formation of a working group to develop a specification for a CompactFlash card with a SATA (Serial ATA) interface.

Good news for film studios: Even television viewers with the ability to skip commercials are watching ads for movies.

The leaks are flowing thick and fast now, as the online photographed pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are now replaced with a much more convenient pdf of the book.

Ricoh has exhibited it's Multiple Format Compatible Plate (MFCP), an optical device that enables the playback of CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats with a single objective lens, at InterOpto '07.

TDK have launched two new write-once Blu-ray Discs capable of recording at 4x speed. TDK 4x 25GB BD-R Blu-ray Disc media and the 50GB version will both begin shipping later this summer.

An increasing number of China-based optical disc drive (ODD) and electric home appliance makers, such as Shinco Electronic and TCL, have stepped into assembling entry-level DVD recorders using mechanical loaders, a key part of the drives, supplied by Taiwan-based makers.

Nokia has launched a service which it said would cut the time a GPS-enabled cellphone takes to pinpoint its whereabouts, opening new opportunities for location-based online services.

Mitsubishi has debuted a new series of CD-R media, specialy designed for people with weak vision.

Almost half a million DVD players manufactured in China have been recalled in Japan after reports that some had emitted thick smoke and begun to melt.

Hackers have found a way to unlock the popular Apple iPhone, less than a month after the phone hit retail stores. Currently, the iPhone is unusable without a new 2 year contract with AT&T which costs consumers a minimum of $1400 USD by the time it is over.