Tracking progress in BD production facilities

[Grubert]

InfoSmart brings BD production to Hong Kong and China

InfoSmart, a leading DVDR manufacturer in Hong Kong and Brazil, has announced its purchase of a $1.4 million Smart BD replication system from Anwell Technologies. The BD system will be installed in InfoSmart's Hong Kong plant, making it the first such Line in commercial use in China and Hong Kong.

InfoSmart and Anwell have also agreed to collaborate and share BD manufacturing process know-how.

[...]

The Anwell Smart BD system is capable of producing 500,000 units per month once 100% operational, and InfoSmart anticipates a start-up manufacturing date by the end of June.

Link



Full press release here.

[Blu Titan]

Good find Grubert. I had a feeling it was your thread even before opening it.

[Grubert]

Thanks.

It's ironic to see all those North American top-tier replicators hemming and hawing at risking money on a replication line, and a Hong Kong company jumps in with the $1.4 cheque.

However, it isn't known if they'll replicate movies or PS3 games.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Grubert

Thanks.

It's ironic to see all those North American top-tier replicators hemming and hawing at risking money on a replication line, and a Hong Kong company jumps in with the $1.4 cheque.

However, it isn't known if they'll replicate movies or PS3 games.

I don't think Chinese companies will be allowed to replicate movies just yet, I imagine this will be for PS3 games for now, don't forget that the PS3 games sell over 1 million a week and most BD capacity is used by that, so installing game capacity is actually more profitable for replicators. I doubt that any of their 125,000 units a week will be used by studios, independent or otherwise.

One thing to remember, at the height of its powers, the PS2 userbase was buying up to 4 million games a week worldwide which is a pretty big number and if the PS3 is to equal that, the capacity needs to be there, especially if games are going to use BD-DL more regularly like MGS4, Killzone 2, Final Fantasy 13 and a host of other games in their planning stages.

[ranma]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

I don't think Chinese companies will be allowed to replicate movies just yet, I imagine this will be for PS3 games for now, don't forget that the PS3 games sell over 1 million a week and most BD capacity is used by that, so installing game capacity is actually more profitable for replicators. I doubt that any of their 125,000 units a week will be used by studios, independent or otherwise.

One thing to remember, at the height of its powers, the PS2 userbase was buying up to 4 million games a week worldwide which is a pretty big number and if the PS3 is to equal that, the capacity needs to be there, especially if games are going to use BD-DL more regularly like MGS4, Killzone 2, Final Fantasy 13 and a host of other games in their planning stages.

There are some insider information about WB china (co-operated with a chinese distributor company) is about to release Blu-ray movies in china in May 2008. and Also there already has many localized and local-made movies on BD in Hong Kong.

This news is about Hong Kong replicator too.

[Grubert]

Related:

Taiwan's U-Tech Media to begin shipment of BD movie discs in 4Q08, says paper

U-Tech Media, the largest Taiwan-based producer of pre-recorded optical discs, has landed OEM orders for Blu-ray Disc (BD) movie discs from top Hollywood movie studios, with shipments to begin in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) newspaper.

U-Tech will install a production line for BD DL (single-sided double-layer, 50GB capacity) movie discs in the second quarter of 2008, undertake trial production in July-August and then will be poised for volume production in September of this year, the EDN pointed out.