With the price of DVD writers reaching new lows, LG and Samsung have
announced that they will be launching 22x DVD writers later this year. While many enthusiasts are looking forward to 4.5 minute burn
times, the higher price tag associated with these drives and the lack of compatible media is expected to prevent them from going
mainstream.
While Samsung Electronics launched its Super-WriteMaster SH-S223 22x DVD burner in early March 2008 and LG
Electronics will follow suit to launch its latest Super Multi series GH22, in the second quarter of 2008, 18x and 20x are still the
mainstream burning speed levels, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
22x DVD burners take 4.5 minutes to burn a 4.7GB 16x
DVD+R/-R disc, faster than 6-8 minutes using an 18x or 20x model, the sources pointed out. However, the highest write speed of blank
DVD+R/-R discs currently available is 20x, and 22x DVD burners are significantly more expensive, the sources indicated. Therefore, 22x is
unable to replace 18x and 20x to become the mainstream DVD burning speed, the sources noted.
The article also states
that Sony is expected to introduce a 22x DVD writer later this year. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes.