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SONY has revealed that The Smurfs and Friends With Benefits will be the first movies it releases on home video that will be compatible with the UltraViolet view-anywhere system. The movies will arrive in stores December 2. The high-definition Blu-ray versions will be UltraViolet compatible. Time Warner confirmed in August that two movies, Horrible Bosses and Green Lantern, would be its launch films for UltraViolet in the fourth quarter of 2011.

PARAMOUNT Pictures has become the latest studio to consolidate many of its distribution operations to reflect the growing importance of international markets and new digital platforms through which people watch movies. Under the new structure, DVD, digital and television licensing will be merged into a newly created umbrella division called Home Media Distribution. In addition, Paramount is relocating its international operations, currently headquartered in London, to Los Angeles, in order to work more closely with the rest of the studio.

HENLEY-on-Thames UK, CD Team – one of the leading providers of CD and DVD duplication services in the UK announces that customers can request a free sample pack of FalconMedia professional optical discs, including CD-R and DVD-R discs from the FalconMedia Pro Smart Guard Glossy Inkjet and FalconMedia DupliLine Thermal White ranges.

SONY has revealed a range of low-carbon and waste-cutting technology at Berlin IFA for the first time. It showcased its low energy Bravia 22EX310 TV made from recycled plastics (from 99% used DVDs and TV optical sheets). It was showed its new energy-efficient Sony BDP-S185 Blu-ray disc player that uses 47% less power than the company's older models. It is about a third narrower than similiar products therefore cutting shipping related carbon emissions by 40%, according to Sony.

ITHACA, New York, is the setting for what 3DFusion calls the “first to market, stereoscopic broadcast quality, glasses-free 3D television platform”. A fully operational 3D kiosk has been installed at Ithaca Mall displaying 3DFusion’s proprietary 3DFMax stereoscopic content. The pilot consists of 20 3D auto-stereoscopic (ASD) displays mounted on five POS kiosk units, located at various malls and commercial centres. 3DFusion has stated its plans to expand nationally to thousands of ASD units in all 25 major demographic regions.

SONY DADC has signed a global deal with BBC Worldwide to provide encoding, digital fulfillment, and other asset management to help it sell more of its programming on digital platforms. BBC Worldwide said the agreement with Sony DADC will help it meet both an increase in consumer demand and pressures to reduce time-to-market across territories.

WITH 22 million pirated discs in Fiji last year according to FIRCA records, the Fiji Audio Visual Industry Association has made a direct appeal to the Prime Minister make efforts to root out piracy. They say it’s unfair its members are paying taxes to government while most piracy DVD outlets are having a free ride. Recent figures indicate that 2010 annual imports of discs numbers around 22 million, up from 3.3 million in 2005 – an increase of 666%.