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| Sony DADC Announces Launch of Blu-ray Disc Production in Europe |
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Blu-ray Disc Authoring has begun in April 2006 with replication in Europe to follow in August
Salzburg, Austria; May 30, 2006 – Sony DADC today officially inaugurated Blu-ray Disc BD-ROM
(video, games, data) production services in the Europe.
Sony DADC in Salzburg, Austria is the first to serve the European market with a comprehensive
Blu-ray supply chain solution which includes authoring, replication and worldwide distribution
services. The European replication is scheduled for August with an initial monthly capacity of
260.000 units increasing up to 2,5 mio units per month by October. First production has begun in
Sony DADC's Shizuoka, Japan facility this Spring, and production has also started in the United
States in May. Throughout the remainder of 2006, Sony DADC will continue to add and expand
replication capacities on a global basis.
Sony DADC has already started accepting authoring orders for Blu-ray allowing publishers to
test and learn more about the possibilities this exciting High Definition format has to offer at an
early launch stage. Currently, Sony DADC's initial authoring capacity ranges from 10 to 20 titles
per month. The expected high demand can be met by raising the capacity up to 60 titles per month
within a period of just 3 months. Based on extensive experience and knowledge in DVD and UMD
authoring Sony DADC has perfected the authoring process for the Blu-ray format in the past months.
The early start of Authoring in Europe, with replication soon to follow, is Sony DADC's vital
contribution in establishing the format amongst content owners, retailers and consumers.
The launch of the PS3 this November, along with the availability of Blu-ray players from
various consumer electronics manufacturers, are playing an essential role in increasing the market
penetration of this leading High Definition format. A projected 25% of American homes will be
receiving High Definition programming next year and a rising demand for High Definition content in
Europe reflect the market's move towards this new entertainment experience. Major events, such as
the upcoming FIFA World Cup held in Germany, and risen sales of flat panel plasmas are further
driving High Definition viewing and the Blu-ray format.
Blu-ray Disc is the next generation optical disc format developed for high definition video
and high capacity software applications. A single layer Blu-ray disc will hold up to 25GB of data
and a dual layer up to 50 GB. This greater storage capacity enables the Blu-ray Disc to store up to
five times the amount of content than current DVDs, making the high definition viewing experience
available for home entertainment.
"Sony DADC is thrilled to be the leading facility for optical discs in Europe and have a full
Blu-ray line and Blu-ray Authoring ready," said Dieter Daum, President, Sony Disc & Digital
Solutions. "Blu-ray is going to revolutionize the way consumers enjoy and interact with high
definition entertainment content, and we are pleased to play a critical role in this important
development."
About Sony DADC Bringing together physical and digital solutions, Sony DADC supplies a full
line of high-quality products and services to the entertainment business. Services include brand
asset management, authoring, editing, copy control, graphic design, mastering, replication,
packaging, distribution for optical storage media. A network of sales agents provides sales support
in all European countries and in the Americas. For further questions, please contact the Sales Team
at Sony DADC at +43 6246-880-555 or via email at
sales@sonydadc.com and visit us at
www.sonydadc.com.
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