Here at Video Labs, the warm weather has blossomed into a deluge of
Blu-ray projects. What accounts for the upswing? While it's difficult to pinpoint any one category, there are some trends on the rise in the DC market. Our customers have brought us a variety of interesting and challenging projects - everything from
data archiving to full length features.
Film FestivalsFilm festival season is upon us and, for some local filmmakers, Blu-ray Disc offers some great advantages for gaining entry into the most prestigious festivals. Jeff Colburn of
Patriot Film Studios told us that, "With the advancement of High Definition cameras, technology is now affordable for the independent filmmaker to shoot at 1080p or greater. With our film, we utilized the RED camera and shot at 4K. Some film festivals allow you to submit Blu-ray, but most still only allow DVD screeners. Hopefully, more festivals will accept Blu-ray submissions in the near future as it's almost a disservice to show your film (even) at 720p. So much is lost." We worked with Jeff on mastering
Devil's Racecourse in both DVD and Blu-ray. He also commented, "Once selected, many festivals support
HDCam for actual screenings as well."
Marketing and Promotion
Marketing groups for our local broadcasters have recently added Blu-ray Discs to their outreach efforts, especially when targeting TV critics for their premiere shows. We're also seeing requests for use at trade shows, museum kiosks and conferences where widescreen monitors are now the norm. But, even with a small duplication order, Video Labs stocks a variety of packaging and printing options including
Blu-ray branded cases and our high quality color thermal printing. To expedite orders, we have increased our capacity for this format.
Professional Demos and Proposals
If you're working on your next career milestone, we're prepared to help. How better to showcase your skill set if you're working in HD? Consider that decision makers may be viewing your work on a 46" LCD screen. Recently, we created a Blu-ray master that was included with a bid proposal - the advanced Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound really highlighted this contractor's talent in audio engineering and sound design.
Archiving and Records Management
Blu-ray is also a terrific storage medium. Unlike portable hard drives which may become damaged or broken, BD works like any data disc, allowing for a secure burn to archive assets and files. Those in the document management field might find them to be a cost-effective, secure storage format. Video Labs stocks 25GB discs and provides
image scanning and archiving services for affordable rates.
Stay tuned for more about the unique features of the Blu-ray as it evolves. Just this week, the
Blu-ray Disc Association announced the release of the BD-XL, a rewritable disc with capacity of 100GB and a new hybrid format called the IH-BD.
Some leading indicators . . .
What accounts for the uptick? While we can't point to any one reason, here are some converging trends.
> Consumer demand and awareness is on the rise - the unrivaled viewing experience of HD has brought more viewers to the exciting format.
The Digital Entertainment Group announced this week that 1st Quarter sales of Blu-ray Discs increased by 74% compared to the same period in 2009.
> Revenue from Blu-ray has been consistently on the rise this year. Consumers have started to explore some the advanced features of BD-Live and Internet Connectivity.
> Cost-efficient authoring solutions like
Adobe Encore CS4 have made it easier to handle the production workflow, reducing the cost of mastering. At the same time, the cost of raw materials has been reduced. Video Labs' authoring specialists have found Encore to be an efficient tool for most projects to date. Using it we can easily provide pop-up and motions menus.
> Retail prices for Blu-ray players have fallen - it's not uncommon to find a quality player at a price point of $150.00 - 200.00. This also increases viewership.
And now, a word or two about Spring . . .
"Use this handy spring guide to get started in your garden. Believe it or not, the key is to avoid getting too impatient and doing certain jobs too soon."
- Valerie Yoscak, Senior Account Representative & Gardening Enthusiast
- Winter Clean Up - Rake your lawn to get rid of dead growth, leaves, twigs and winter debris. This lets the light and air to the soil levels, encouraging new growth.
- Re-seed bare or damaged patches in the lawn.
- Transplant any existing shrubs you want to move before they begin to leaf out.
- Weed beds early - Weeds are easier to pull while their roots are still shallow in early spring.
- Cut back any remaining dead perennial foliage from last season (trimmings can go into compost).
- Cut back ornamental grasses to about 10 inches from the ground.
- Don't plant annuals too early. Save your money and wait until mid May.
- Plan out your garden before heading to your favorite GardenCenter. It will save you money when purchasing your perennials and annuals.
- Stand inside your home and look out the window before planting your perennials and annuals. By doing this so you can enjoy the colors from the inside of your home too.
- Turn on your Ipod station with your favorite selections, plant, mulch and have fun!
We sympathize with our friends in Europe who have been affected by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, in Iceland. (pronunciation guide from NPR blog: http://tinyurl.com/y6p23hp) 
