LiteOn Dual Format Writer on Pricewatch

[tazdevl]

Price doesn't seem too great, nor do the specs especially with the 510 and 4040B on the horizon.

$310-330.

Just search for "400D".

[Ian]

Yeah, so much for the rumors about it being less than $200.

Gotta love those rumor websites.

[dhc014]

http://www.maxgroup.com/Products/detail ... m=LT33301R

[Ian]

Its supposedly in stock at avlogic.

[jase]

It should at least have $ony running scared, lol

[Kennyshin]

It should at least have $ony running scared, lol

What if it is Sony?

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php ... genumber=5

[jase]

Could well be.

Although if it is then that picture must be a mock-up, surely? The drive in that image is without doubt a LiteOn design, and looks nothing like the Sony drives I've seen.

[Kennyshin]

Could well be.

Although if it is then that picture must be a mock-up, surely? The drive in that image is without doubt a LiteOn design, and looks nothing like the Sony drives I've seen.

The drive in my avatar is Sony as well.

[cfitz]

The drive in my avatar is Sony as well.

I've often wondered what that drive was. Now that you have offered the bait, I will bite: exactly what is that drive (model and function)?

cfitz

[Ian]

That's an interesting point about the 400D being a Sony. With Lite-On's own drives rumored to be delayed, putting out a drive based on the 500AX might be a way for them to save face.

I'll talk to Lite-On this week and see what I can find out about the 400D. What's interesting is that they haven't said anything about it to me. They've really been pimping their slim combo drive and DVD/MPEG-4 player.

[Phoenix '97]

I dunno about the drive being a Sony - look at the seek times. In the description of the LiteOn drive, the seek times are 300 and 250ms for CD and DVD respectively (is that really bad?) while the Sony seek times are 160 and 200ms.

[Ian]

Those are access times.. but yeah, 300ms is still pretty high.

Most DVD drives have an average access time of about 140-150ms or so for DVD's. CD's are usually faster.

[tazdevl]

I'll talk to Lite-On this week and see what I can find out about the 400D. What's interesting is that they haven't said anything about it to me. They've really been pimping their slim combo drive and DVD/MPEG-4 player.

I'll be interested to hear their response.

[Ian]

I haven't gotten much info from them. I sent one of my contacts an email last night and like the rest of us, he thought their 4x +RW drive would be out in July. Hopefully he'll do some digging and get back to me with more info on the 400D.

[Kennyshin]

The drive in my avatar is Sony as well.

I've often wondered what that drive was. Now that you have offered the bait, I will bite: exactly what is that drive (model and function)?

cfitz

You missed some of my previous posts. I tried to buy a few units of the model in November 2002. We failed. I mean, some of us in South Korea jointly tried to buy 10 or more units from some Tokyo Akihabara offline shops. It's Melcoinc's Buffalo DVM-4222iU2. DVM-4222FB and DVM-4222iU2 are based on Sony DRU-500A. 4242 is based on DRU-500AX. FB is internal IDE/ATA and iU2 is IEEE 1394a plus USB 2.0. The price in Nov. 2002 was something 37,000 Yen when the South Korean price for DRU-500A was at least 440,000 Won. I mean, external IEEE 1394a + USB 2.0 drive in Japan is cheaper than internal drive in South Korea! Right now, Buffalo DVM-4242iU2 costs about 33,000 Yen. 120 Yen = 1 US Dollar = 1,200 South Korean Won.

4222

4x DVD-R
2x DVD-RW
2.4x DVD+R
2.4x DVD+RW

4242

4x DVD-R
2x DVD-RW
4x DVD+R
2.4x DVD+RW

4244 (my own guess at the next model name)

4x DVD-R
2x DVD-RW
4x DVD+R
4x DVD+RW

I'm not sure if anyone beside Melco Buffalo has succeeded in releasing DRU-5xx-based DVD writers in Japan. Many sells drives based on Pioneer DVR-A05 in Japan. I have some (indirect) contacts at NEC, IO DATA, Melco, Pioneer, etc. and somewhat more direct contacts at Lite-On, Samsung, and LG. The most promising products in Q2 and Q3 this year are NEC ND-1100A and ND-1300A in my judgement even though they are rather old and outdated.

[cfitz]

Thanks for the info, Kennyshin. I always thought it was a neat looking drive.

It's too bad for you that drives cost more inside South Korea than outside, particularly since South Korean manufacturers make a lot of drives. I guess they must be emphasizing exports at the expense of local consumers.

cfitz

[burninfool]

Could well be.

Although if it is then that picture must be a mock-up, surely? The drive in that image is without doubt a LiteOn design, and looks nothing like the Sony drives I've seen.

I agree,typical Lite-On writer...headphone jack and volume control but no play/next button making them useless.

[jase]

Now that this thread is being linked to on the home page, just a quick word for that new Optorite/MSI drive (the DD0203).

This looks like the drive we've been waiting for doesn't it? 4x DVD+/-R, 2x DVDRW *and* (here's the clincher as far as I am concerned) according to Optorite's website it is compatibe with the new HD-Burn standard.

Assuming the write compatibility/quality is good and the price is reasonable (which it certainly seems to be if it's undercutting the Sony considerably and is even rivalling the Pioneer -- and that price will sink quickly, the prices of Taiwanese drives always do) this is the drive to beat so far IMHO.

If this drive only had DVD-RAM recording in addition to all that, ah well nothing's perfect eh lol.

[dhc014]

There are a couple on ebaynow too.

I guess you were right. Don't they look quite similar?

Sony DRU-500A:


Lite-ON LDW-400D:

[Nerva]

And what is the Optorite DD-0203 OEM version of?
I'v look on the box and its look like not as LiteOn...

[jase]

The Optorite is based on the Sanyo BPDV2. I am not sure if it's manufactured by Optorite or Sanyo though. As the drive will be released also as the MSI 8404, I wouldn't completely rule that possibility out.

As for the LiteOn, yes I see what you mean -- wonder why they released the other picture then? Strange.

If LiteOn can get the supply issues ironed out (in Europe at least, the Sony has been painfully thin on the ground, leading to extortionate prices and grey imports) it'll stomp all over the Sony variant, given that it's already cheaper and will remain so over the course of its life.

[Nerva]

You mean the MSI soon release DVD+/-RW MSI 8404 based on this Sanyo?

[jase]

It's on the cards, yes.

I was considering buying a 4x DVD writer a few weeks ago -- but then I took stock. A flood of new, cheaper DVD writers are expected on the market soon (ie in the next 3 months or so) and I would advise anyone wanting to upgrade (ie if they already have a serviceable writer) an existing 1x or 2x DVD writer to hang fire until these new drives surface.

The only issue I can see with these new drives is media compatibility. The likes of Princo designed their DVD-R discs to be compatible with the Pioneer writers, and not much has changed since then. With so many different designs and so many types of inferior media out there, I forsee difficult times ahead for those wanting to use cheaper media.

Having said that, in the longer term it will doubtless force companies to produce better discs, so everyone wins. Eventually.....

[Ian]

The Optorite is based on the Sanyo BPDV2. I am not sure if it's manufactured by Optorite or Sanyo though. As the drive will be released also as the MSI 8404, I wouldn't completely rule that possibility out.

I don't think its a straight rebadge of the BPDV2. Optorite has been designing and manufacturing their own drives for awhile now. Of course, no one has a BPDV2 or a DD0203 yet, so who knows.

[jsl]

http://forum.firmware-flash.com/viewtopic.php?p=51011#51011

Drive properties shows the name "Generic CRD-BPDV2".