Pioneer Launches Pair of New DVD/CD Writers

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Pioneer announced a pair of new DVD/CD burners today that are both designed to be internal drives. The pair can write DVD-R/+R discs at up to 20x speed. The drives are the Pioneer DVR-116D and the Pioneer DVR-216D.

The new drives feature Optimal Write Speed technology to determine the best speed for the media inserted. Both drives will ship in July 2008. The drives are designed to be quiet and feature an anti dust internal mechanism. The difference between the two drives is that the 216D uses SATA interface and the 116D uses the PATA interface. Read more

Posted on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:49:33 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

George Clooney in Feud with Writers Union

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - George Clooney has quietly withdrawn from the Writers Guild of America after the union rejected his request for a writing credit on his new film "Leatherheads," Daily Variety reported in its Friday edition.
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Posted on Fri, 4 Apr 2008 02:40:56 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Film and Television Writers approve Contract

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By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film and television writers, whose months-long strike crippled U.S. television production until it ended earlier this month, have overwhelmingly approved a new contract with major producers, the writers' union said on Tuesday.

The Writers Guild of America said 93.6 percent of 4,060 votes cast were in favor of the new three-year contract that runs through May 1, 2011. Guild President Patric Verrone called it "a new beginning for writers in the Digital Age."
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Posted on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:46:20 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Lawyer's steady Hand guided Hollywood Writers Deal

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By Matthew Belloni

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter, ESQ.) - Lawyers get blamed for a lot of Hollywood's ills: hyper-litigiousness, protracted deal negotiations and risk-averse studios.
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Posted on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:09:20 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Hollywood Writers face Uncertainty on Return

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By Sue Zeidler

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood writers finally returned to work on Wednesday with a brighter future in new media but facing uncertainty about whether their 14-week strike will cost them lucrative TV work. Read more

Posted on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:40:59 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Hollywood Writers vote to lift 14-week Strike

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film and television writers voted decisively on Tuesday to lift their 100-day-old strike against major studios and return to work on Wednesday, formally ending the worst labor clash to hit Hollywood in 20 years. Read more

Posted on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:40:19 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Strike yields mixed Results for Hollywood Writers

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By Carl DiOrio

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Figuring the winners and losers in the aftermath of the writers' tentative contract deal is a complex calculation. Writers themselves fall in both categories. Read more

Posted on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:05:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Striking Writers upbeat about proposed deal

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By Steve Gorman and Kemp Powers

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Striking television and film writers on two coasts gave a warm reception to a tentative contract deal reached on Saturday with major studios, signaling that Hollywood's bruising three-month-old labor clash is near a conclusion. Read more

Posted on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:05:49 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Screenwriters Union Leaders said to back Contract

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Striking Hollywood writers could return to work as early as Monday for the first time in three months if they embrace a contract deal that union leaders are said to endorse, according to a union-affiliated blog site on Friday. Read more

Posted on Sat, 9 Feb 2008 09:07:20 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Hollywood on Edge as striking Writers set Meetings

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By Carl DiOrio

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With an entire industry eyeing a pair of Writers Guild of America meetings Saturday, everybody and their (out of work) brother wants to know when the picket lines will come down and the union's three-month-old strike will end. Read more

Posted on Fri, 8 Feb 2008 01:54:43 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Striking Writers to debate Labor Deal on Saturday

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Writers Guild of America plans to brief its members this weekend on a deal taking shape to end their 3-month-old strike, using the meetings to gauge rank-and-file support for the labor plan, union leaders said on Tuesday. Read more

Posted on Tue, 5 Feb 2008 23:47:44 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Hollywood on Verge of Deal to end Writers Strike

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Negotiators for Hollywood studios and striking writers have agreed to terms of a new contract that could be presented to union leaders in days and, if approved, end their three-month-old labor clash later this week, two sources told Reuters on Monday. Read more

Posted on Tue, 5 Feb 2008 00:49:38 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Major Progress reported in Writers Talks

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's striking writers and its major studios made "significant progress" in recent talks aimed at ending their labor dispute, a source briefed on the discussions said on Saturday, raising hopes a settlement may be near.

Word of a breakthrough came as the Writers Guild of America strike neared its three-month mark and after 11 days of low-key contract talks that followed a separate labor deal between the studios and Hollywood directors. Read more

Posted on Sun, 3 Feb 2008 23:29:47 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Grammy Organizers reach Deal with striking Writers

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's striking writers said on Monday they will grant an "interim agreement" to organizers of the Grammy awards allowing the ceremony honoring musicians to be written by union members. Read more

Posted on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:24:52 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Hollywood Writers Strike clouds Oscars

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In the 80 years since the first Oscars were handed out, it has taken a war or a flood or an assassination to drastically alter or delay the celebration surrounding the film industry's highest honors. Read more

Posted on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:36 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Striking Writers, Studios eye informal Talks

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By Carl DiOrio

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hollywood's striking writers and the major studios enter this week sharing a single resolve: once more, with feeling. Read more

Posted on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Writers Strike sends viewers to DVDs, Video Games

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By Thomas K. Arnold

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Hollywood writers strike looks like a boon for the DVD and video game industries. Read more

Posted on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Directors' Deal could split striking Writers

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By Carl DiOrio

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With a new labor contract for the Directors Guild of America expected to be announced imminently, Hollywood's top screenwriters could turn up the heat on their union to end its 11-week-old strike. Read more

Posted on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:17:15 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Striking Writers cry foul over ''Tonight Show'' Jokes

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The union for striking Hollywood writers cried foul on Thursday over late-night TV comic Jay Leno writing his own jokes for his return to the air from an eight-week hiatus forced by the walkout. Read more

Posted on Thu, 3 Jan 2008 23:27:52 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Letterman to return in Deal with striking Writers

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By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Late-night TV host David Letterman reached a deal on Friday with the union for striking screenwriters that will let his show return to the air next week while bringing his writing staff back with him. Read more

Posted on Sat, 29 Dec 2007 02:01:06 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Hollywood Writers press Talks with small Producers

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By Sue Zeidler and Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Striking Hollywood writers have opened preliminary contract talks with small, independent producers willing to break from major studios with whom the writers are deadlocked, their union leaders said on Wednesday. Read more

Posted on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr