LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (April 13, 2015) – Scenarist, LLC, the developer of Hollywood- standard professional Blu-ray Disc authoring systems based in Marin County, California, announced today at that it has launched the UHDG, a global focus group of high-end authoring facilities, technology companies and service providers that will work with Scenarist during the critical development phases of its authoring systems for the new Ultra HD Blu-ray format. UHDG members will gain early access to Scenarist’s new tools so they can acquire the necessary expertise in the new format, create test titles and provide feedback to Scenarist during the development.
“Scenarist is a critical part of our physical delivery strategy for both DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats and we are excited to participate in the UHDG during the development of authoring tools for Ultra HD Blu-ray,” said Mikio Aonuki, director Q-TEC, Inc. a major content authoring facility located in Tokyo, Japan. “We are confident in Scenarist’s ability to deliver the right tools for us to launch our UHD-BD authoring business.”
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced extensions to the Blu-ray Disc format at CES 2014. The new format is to be called Ultra HD Blu-ray (UHD-BD) and includes support for ultra high definition, high dynamic range 4K video, increased content storage and Digital Bridge, the ability to legitimately export contents from BD titles to other electronic formats.
“Ultra HD Blu-ray will provide a premium movie watching experience that includes thrilling HDR video, immersive audio and exciting features that consumers will love,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association promotions group. “We applaud Scenarist’s efforts in engaging the authoring community with the UHDG. Such work is an essential component to the successful launch of the Ultra HD Blu-ray format later this year.”
“Scenarist is renowned in the industry for providing highly accurate authoring tools that have supported all format capabilities for the last 20 years. The industry has relied on Scenarist for its DVD and Blu-ray needs and we are excited about their new development for Ultra HD Blu-ray”, said Juan Reyes, CTO of BluFocus. “We are happy to support them and their customers by providing advanced testing services as the Ultra HD Blu-ray format develops.”
As a UHDG Advisory Group member, BluFocus, a certification and testing facility for the Entertainment Industry, will be providing advanced quality assurance and quality control services such as compatibility, functionality, qualitative review, verification and training services to Scenarist customers to ensure high quality and error free Ultra HD Blu-ray products.
“We are excited to be working closely with the members of the UHDG and the BDA to continue the legacy during the development of our new Ultra HD Blu-ray authoring systems,” said Rolf Hartley, managing partner at Scenarist, LLC. “With HDR 10-bit video, amazing audio and new features like Digital Bridge, Ultra HD Blu-ray will make blockbuster movies light-up the living room like nothing else. It’s going to be simply spectacular.”
Members of the UHDG and the UHDG Advisory Group include the following:
- Q-TEC, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan
- Deluxe Digital Services in Burbank, California
- GLS Studios in München, Germany
- D-STUDIO Services in Diepenbeek, Belgium
- CMD – Craigman Digital in Burbank, California
- DTS, Inc. (NASDAQ: DTSI) in Calabasas, California
- Dolby Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: DLB) in San Francisco, California
- BluFocus, Inc. in Toluca Lake, California
- Daikin Industries in Tokyo, Japan
- MediArte in Delft, Netherlands
Scenarist is targeting the release of its Ultra HD Blu-ray authoring system in the third- quarter of 2015. Scenarist will attend the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada in stand SU11221MR on April 13-16, 2015