The DVD Forum held their 42nd Steering Committee meeting earlier this week. Among other things, the group approved the Download DL logo as well as the specifications for the China High Density Read-Only Disc (C-HD DVD-ROM). Here are some of the highlights from the meeting:
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Sony DADC recently signed a deal with Indiana Secretary of Commerce Nate Feltman to expand its Blu-ray Disc manufacturing operations in Indiana. The $113 million expansion is expected to create up to 85 new jobs for the city of Terre Haute.
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Toshiba announced its new line of 1.8-inch hard disk drives this week. The 160GB MK1617GSG and 80GB MK8017GSG feature a 1.5Gbps Serial ATA interface and 5,400 RPM rotation speed. Toshiba also claims that the MK1617GSG is 25% more efficient than its current 120GB model, the MK1216GSG.
Imation recently announced a new line of external hard disk drives. The company is kicking off the line with the ultra-slim Apollo Portable Hard Drive. This USB-powered drive is available in capacties up to 320GB and features a midnight black-brushed surface with chrome detailing.
If you have a lot of audio CD's, ripping and importing them into iTunes or Windows Media Player can take a considerable amount of time. To streamline the process, Primera has launched its new "Rent & Rip" program. The program allows people to rent a Primera Bravo SE Disc Publisher and use the included PTRip software to automatically rip their entire CD collection.
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Pioneer Electronics announced two new 20x DVD writers this week. The DVR-116D (PATA) and DVR-216D (SATA) are capable of 20x DVD±R and 12x DVD±R DL writing speeds and offer support for Pioneer's new Optimal Write Speed function. Pioneer has also redesigned the drives’ internal mechanisms to reduce noise and protect against dust.
According to DigiTimes, Taiwan's second-tier disc makers are facing a
shortage of TFP (tetrafluoro-propanol). In preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese government is attempting to reduce
air polution by asking the country's three TFP makers to cut or stop production for 100 days. As a result, second-tier disc makers have
been forced to reduce or temporarily halt production.
In preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the China
government in April 2008 asked the three TFP makers and other chemical producers to cut or stop production for 100 days in an attempt to
reduce air pollution, the sources pointed out. In addition, the China government placed a temporary ban on the transportation of
dangerous goods, including TFP for export, beginning June 2008, the sources indicated.
The situation has resulted in a short
supply of TFP for second-tier disc makers, the sources pointed out. CMC Magnetics and Ritek, the top-two Taiwan-based makers of blank
optical discs, have not been substantially affected by the shortages because they have supplies guaranteed by long-term contracts, the
sources indicated.
This comes at a bad time as the third quarter is traditionally the peak period for blank optical
discs. The decreased production could push up OEM quotes for the quarter. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes.
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