Source: Kyodo News
Matsushita And JVC To Delay Release Of DVD-Audio Players
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Victor Co. of Japan (JVC) said Wednesday, December 1, they will postpone the release of DVD-Audio players scheduled for this month. Matsushita will make a delay of around six months, while JVC, a Matsushita subsidiary, has yet to decide a new launch date. The postponement is necessary because a copy-prevention function in software to reproduce DVD-Video programs was deciphered by a 14-year-old Norwegian in early November, the two companies said. Makers of movies, music and other programs want software with a reliable anti-copying function, they added. As Matsushita initially planned to release its player in November, the latest decision is the second postponement. DVD-Audio players play back music recorded on a DVD disk featuring sound quality nearly identical to that heard in concert halls. When plugged into a television set, the audio player can play back movies pre-recorded with DVD standards, while playing back graphics, text, and music videos.