"NEXT GENERATION CONTENT PROTECTION SPECIFICATION -
ADVANCED ACCESS CONTENT SYSTEM (AACS) MADE AVAILABLE FOR LICENSING
Technology, Entertainment and CE Industry Alliance Collaborates to Expedite Consumer Access to Next-Generation High-Definition Digital Entertainment
LOS ANGELES, Calif., February 21, 2006 - AACS LA founders IBM, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric), Sony, Toshiba, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Studios today announced the immediate availability of AACS (ADVANCED ACCESS CONTENT SYSTEM) under interim licensing agreements.
The AACS specification accelerates the ability of consumers to enjoy exciting, new, flexible entertainment experiences and storage options, while continuing to provide the traditional, straightforward playback mode, for the next generation of prerecorded and recordable optical media such as Blu-Ray and HD DVD. Additionally, AACS is designed to create unprecedented flexibility, portability and security for entertainment content to be enjoyed on networked home, portable PC or CE devices.
This technology is the product of unprecedented collaboration between the consumer electronics, IT and entertainment industries to facilitate the next generation of high-definition entertainment, said Michael B. Ayers, AACS LA spokesperson. Were confident that AACS will immediately enable a host of compelling new digital entertainment experiences for consumers around the globe.
While next generation HD players are in final assembly, and movies are being mastered, the AACS architects are ensuring consumers can enjoy the HD picture, sound and robust portability potential of AACS without any further delays. Much more than just HD movies, AACS delivers new consumer interactivity, portability and feature enhancement after purchase on a scale like no other consumer digital entertainment system can, said Richard Doherty, Research Director for the Envisioneering Group. AACS represents a cross-industry team of chip, consumer electronics, PC designers and content creators, all dedicated to enriching the consumers home and portable entertainment experience.
The final license agreement for AACS is expected to be announced in the coming months. In the meantime, companies in the consumer electronics, IT and entertainment industries are now able to develop devices and solutions based on the published specs and compliance rules.
More information on AACS LA and ADVANCED ACCESS CONTENT SYSTEM can be found on the groups website,
www.aacsla.com.