OTHER TECH

I told you about fast-growing fields of new formats intended to replace the CD. You know the place: First there was Warner's MVI, for Music Video Interactive. Then there was Disney's CDVU+, pronounced "CD view plus" (see my blog entry under July 19, 2007).

Well, here's another disc for you all: DFS, for Digital Future Solution. An updatable format that will be CD- or DVD-based, it's just one part of the Because Group's multimedia "solution," centered on its skyHub digital portal (for details, see thebecausegroup.com). And here's another disc: DVDplus, which actually has been knocking around Europe for a while. Now that the DualDisc is dead, Dieter Dierks is planning a big U.S. push for his similarly double-sided format, reportedly emphasizing the DVD side's capability for surround mixes (see dvdplusint.com).

Meanwhile, Sony BMG has joined the digital gift-card movement with its Platinum MusicPass ($12.99 list), which allows you to download a full album plus bonus tracks, videos, and other extras. The first 37 titles range from Dylan to Daughtry.

Similarly, the iTunes revolution is helping to free up ways for watching movies and TV shows. The online store and 20th Century Fox have announced Digital Copy, which allows you to transfer a DVD to your iTunes library. First up: Star Wars? No! Family Guy Presents Blue Har­vest, of course! And that Ratatouille rat-a-tat-tat below? It's to show the many ways you can watch iTunes Movie Rentals (starting at $2.99), which draw from every major studio. Does Steve Jobs have all of the future video solutions? No one knows; that'd be like looking through a glass Apple.

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