Music defines moments in our life, past and present

Start from scratch, Bring your favourite music memories back with DiscSTATION...

This link is our old old website entry page for NZ, it features a pretty cool disc man who you can control to catch falling discs, and it also features a mint soundtrack, check it out here:

`Catch the scratched discs using the little chubby guy'
THEN
Enter our `Catching Scratched discs using the little online chubby guy' competition. Send an email to glen@discstation.biz, stating the total number of discs caught. We'll announce the competition winner before 30 September 2006. Winner receives this prize, 1 x Professional Grade Disc Cleaning Kit NB. You've gotta click on the little chubby guy to start him up!

Digital Vault thwarts hackers

Digital Vault thwarts hackers
By K.C. Jones, 20 July 2006 09:29 AEST Security

With 63 million American adults banking online and millions falling victim to identity theft, GuardID Systems, a San Mateo, Calif. startup, forecasts shipping 250,000 ID Vaults.

The company boasts a consumer security device that protects against phishing, pharming and keystroke logging. ID Vault, a single-function USB token, contains a smart card chip that stores user names and passwords for all online accounts.

Users can plug the "digital vault" into their PCs and click on icons for secured favourites. From there, they can choose the accounts they want to access. Pages loads automatically, saving the effort of launching browsers. The device sends encrypted data without requiring users to type access codes.

To read the full article, use this link;
http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=35066&eid=3&edate=20060720

Movielink signs download-to-burn deal

Movielink signs download-to-burn deal
Service to use Sonic Solutions' DVD-on-Demand technology
By Paul Sweeting 7/16/2006

JULY 17 | The movement toward allowing consumers to burn their own DVD copies of downloaded movies is poised to take a major leap forward.

On Monday, software maker Sonic Solutions and download service Movielink are set to unveil a cross licensing agreement for technology that will enable consumers to download movies and burn them onto discs that will play in most set-top DVD players.

Although the announcement of the deal will not include firm commitments from program suppliers to make their titles available for home burning, Movielink is owned by five major studios, and it’s unlikely they would permit the deal with Sonic to go ahead unless plans for a download-and-burn option were well advanced.

To read the full article, please use this link:
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6353674.html?nid=2705

Polar Frog leaps into DVD burning

Polar Frog leaps into DVD burning
FROM VSDA: Kiosk maker to bow machines at grocer Sprouts
By Jennifer Netherby 7/11/2006

JULY 11 | LAS VEGAS—In one of the first deals for in-store DVD burning, kiosk maker Polar Frog Digital will bow a mainstream movie download kiosk at natural grocer Sprouts, Polar Frog CEO Todd Rosenbaum said.

Polar Frog has deals with independent suppliers Hart Sharp, Razor Digital and Ariztical to offer a selection of content for in-store burning through the kiosks, which the company is showing off during the VSDA convention. The company is in talks with the major studios and other retailers to add additional content and store locations.

Polar Frog’s kiosks hold between 700 to 800 films or 3,000 TV episodes (roughly 3 terabytes). Through a high-speed Internet connection, the kiosks can download 40 new movies each month.

Consumers can only choose from those movies already downloaded to the kiosk. Once they make their choice, the kiosk takes six to eight minutes to burn a disc, which can then be played on any set-top DVD player. The kiosks also let consumers pre-order titles through the system.

Fot the full article, please see this link:

Indie retailers eye new technologies

Indie retailers eye new technologies
FROM VSDA: Digital downloads could benefit stores, says panel
By Jennifer Netherby 7/12/2006

JULY 12 | LAS VEGAS—Independent retailers ahead of the tech curve predicted in a Tuesday panel that digital downloads and other new technologies could be a good thing for the corner video store.

Retailers crowded in for the Tuesday morning “Alternative Delivery Methods: Competition? Opportunity!” IDEA panel, which gave an overview of new technologies such as:

• Wi-Max: Similar to MovieBeam’s model, Wi-Max would allow stores to send digital copies of movies to customers within a six- to eight-mile range who have a compatible set-top box. Retailers would buy an antenna (for roughly $10,000) to receive digital movie copies from distributors or studios, which they would then beam to customers.

• Movie Downloads: In the next few years, as telcos add fiber optic lines to homes, increasing bandwidth and allowing consumers faster download speeds, digital movie downloads will become a more popular option for consumers, panelists said. IDEA is working on a movie download backbone for its member retailers that would possibly allow them to sell movie downloads to customers.

• Online sales and rentals: IDEA also is working on a technological backbone to allow its members to offer DVD rentals and purchases online similar to Netflix.
IDEA chair Jim Loperfido said a recent retailer survey found that while 61% of retailers have a Web site for their store, only 16% sell DVDs online and only 8% offer rentals online.

For the original source of this article, please use this link:
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6352095.html?nid=2705

How to clean, and spell, CDs and DVDs

This article is interesting as it explains the spelling of disk or disc...but we at Discstation DO NOT recommend the methods described to clean discs...read on,

How to clean, and spell, CDs and DVDs
Monday, June 26, 2006
By Andy Kaiser
The Grand Rapids Press
You want to clean your compact disc. You're worried about the scratches on your DVD disk. Wait, is it "disc" or "disk"? Is this just a case of "poTAYto, poTAHto", or is there a difference?

"Disk" and "disc" are indeed two different words. "Disk" is of American origin, while "disc" is British. "Disk" refers to computer storage media, while "discs" refer to music. So, if you're an American data-backup expert, you'll spell "disks." If you're a British phonograph collector (and aren't we all, just a little?) you'll spell "discs".

For those not meeting the above nationality and job requirements, just use whatever word you want and hope nobody asks you to spell it.

For the full article, use this link,
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/1151333211109180.xml&coll=6

Video killed?

Take the time to read this full transcript as there are some very good comments about the video downloads, and video stores,

Video killed?
Sunday, June 25, 2006
"They've been saying that we were going to be put out of business for 25 years."

Video and DVD rental stores say reports of their death are greatly exaggerated. It is, after all, a market nudging $1 billion dollars per annum, up from just $630 million only a few years ago. With pay TV now gaining real traction and movies on demand via broadband becoming a reality, how long have the Video Ezys of the world really got? Katrina Nicholas reports.

Full transcript, use this link:
http://businesssunday.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=108325

DVDPlay growth draws cash

DVDPlay growth draws cash
UPDATE: Secures $20 million in financing for expansion
By Susanne Ault 6/27/2006

JUNE 27 | Rental kiosk company DVDPlay has rented its 5 millionth movie and expects to double that figure by the end of this year. Coming on the heels of that milestone, DVDPlay also has scored $20 million in new equity financing from a group of investors.

The support will be used toward DVDPlay’s expansion through 2007. Currently, DVDPlay has installed machines in 500 locations and hopes to have kiosks in an additional 700 spots by the end of this year.

Participants in the funding include El Dorado Ventures, Emergence Capital Partners, Palo Alto Venture Partners and Vanguard Ventures.

To read the full article, use this link:
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6347520.html?nid=2705