CDRLabs has taken a long overdue look at LG's second generation Super Multi Blue drive, the GGC-H20L. While lacking BD writing capabilities, the drive sports specs similar to its more expensive sibling, the GGW-H20L. The GGC-H20L is capable of 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 4x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. On top of that, it can read HD DVD's at 3x and Blu-ray Discs at speeds as high as 6x.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the GGC-H20L and see how it compares to some of the Blu-ray Disc drives from the competition. Does the GGC-H20L have what it takes? You'll have to read the review to find out.


LG GGC-H20L Super Multi Blue Blu-ray Disc & HD DVD-ROM
If you have any comments or questions about this review or the LG GGC-H20L, please post them in the forum. Add a comment
Iomega announced this week that it will be unveiling its third generation REV backup drive at CeBIT 2008. Designed to provide the performance of a hard drive with the removability of tape, Iomega's new drive offers transfer rates of up to 35MB/second and a maximum capacity of 120GB.

Iomega Corporation (NYSE: IOM), a global leader in data storage and protection, today announced the new Iomega REV 120GB Backup Drive, the third generation of its award-winning REV technology and a benchmark in smart, sensible backup for small and medium-sized businesses, remote work groups and others.

Iomega will unveil the new Iomega REV 120GB Backup Drive and REV 120GB disks at CeBIT 2008, the international technology tradeshow beginning today in Hanover, Germany, and running through March 9. Iomega is located at CeBIT in Hall 2, booth D56.
The Iomega REV 120GB Backup Drive is expected to be available in April as external USB 2.0 and internal SATA models. An ATAPI model is also planned for mid-year. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
LG Germany has announced its first external "Super Multi Blue" drive, the BE06LU. Like its internal counterpart, the GGW-H20L, the BE06LU supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD and features 6x BD-R and 4x BD-R DL writing speeds. supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD and features 6x BD-R and 4x BD-R DL writing speeds.

LG completes its market-leading hybrid burner team with the external LG BE06LU smarter in black-and-white look. Equipped with the latest Blu-ray technology, the device also burns BD-R discs (single-layer) in 6-fold and BD-RE discs 2-fold speed. Of course, reads the new LG burner also HD-DVD discs.

As usual, LGs recent addition to Renner Brenner HD media are all popular DVD and CD formats. For professional design of the appropriate blanks, the LG BE06LU the latest LightScribe technology on board.
The BE06LU is available in Europe now for 399 Euros. The drive will also be available at US retailers like Best Buy in the near future. More information, including a full list of specs, can be found here. Add a comment
SanDisk sent out a press release this morning, announcing the SanDisk FlashBack Adapter. This device plugs into a laptop's ExpressCard slot and automatically backs up your data to an SD or SDHC memory card.

You’re at a conference and someone spills coffee on your laptop PC, shorting out the system and cutting you off from your presentation and notes. Or your computer slips out of your hands and crashes to the floor. These are moments that everyone dreads, but today SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) unveiled a rescue option - a lifeline for laptop users called the SanDisk FlashBack Adapter. This unique device fits into the ExpressCard slot of your PC, automatically and continuously backing up and encrypting critical data onto an SD flash memory card.

Whether your PC suffers a system failure or a full hard drive crash, the SanDisk FlashBack Adapter allows you to access your content safely from the memory card. Designed for the millions of newer notebook computers that have an ExpressCard slot, the SanDisk FlashBack Adapter offers a reliable, easy-to-use system to protect critical files by copying them automatically and instantly to an optional SD or SDHC memory card of any capacity. And with the backup card nesting completely inside the laptop, the system is literally out of sight. Nothing protrudes from the PC and nothing needs to be attached to any other port.
The SanDisk FlashBack Adapter is being demonstrated this week at CeBIT and will ship worldwide in Q2 for a suggested retail price of $29.99. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
While Toshiba lost the format war, they aren't giving up on the consumer electronics market. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Toshiba Chief Executive, Atsutoshi Nishida, stated that the company plans to work on bringing content from the PC to the television and focus on "upconverting" DVD players.
"What people don't realize is that Hollywood studios are going to release new titles not just for Blu-ray but for standard DVDs as well, and there are a far greater number of current-generation DVD players out there. If you watch standard DVDs on our players, the images are of very high quality because they include an "upconverting" feature. And we're going to improve this even more, so that consumers won't be able to tell the difference from HD DVD images. The players would be much cheaper than Blu-ray players too. Next-generation DVD players are in a much weaker position than when standard DVD players were first introduced."
Toshiba's HD DVD players were very good at upconverting standard DVD's. It will be interesting to see if they can improve the image quality to deliver near HD DVD quality on their DVD players. If you'd like to read more, the entire interview can be found here. Add a comment
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Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme CPU Cooler @Madshrimps
Tuniq TX-2 Thermal Compound @Virtual-Hideout
VIA EPIA-SN1800 @ASE Labs
VIZO Master Panel II @BCCHardware
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Broadcom has announced that it has acquired Sunext Design, Inc. By purchasing Sunext Design and licensing technologies from its parent company, Sunext Technology, Broadcom hopes to integrate Blu-ray Disc capabilities into its next generation consumer electronics products.
Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it has acquired Sunext Design, Inc. ("Sunext Design"), a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Sunext Technology Company Limited ("Sunext Technology"), and has licensed certain optical disk reader and writer technology from Sunext Technology. Sunext Technology is a privately-held fabless semiconductor company that specializes in optical storage technologies.

High definition optical disc players are emerging as a popular platform for in-home entertainment worldwide by combining the benefits of a high definition viewing experience with the convenience and familiarity of DVD media. Sunext single-chip front-end technology is a strong complement to the industry-leading Broadcom system-on-a-chip (SoC) back-end Blu-ray Disc platform, and key to an integration roadmap that will drive the cost of these devices down to levels that enable widespread consumer adoption of high definition optical disc players and recorders.
If you'd like to read more, Broadcom's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
DivX, Inc. announced today that Panasonic's Profile 1.1 Blu-ray Disc player has been certified for DivX playback. The DMP-BD30EG/EE will be released to the European and Russian markets beginning in March.
DivX, Inc., a digital media company, (NASDAQ:DIVX) today announced the DivX Certification of Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc (BD) Player (PN: DMP-BD30EG/EE).

The Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, which joins a number of existing DivX Certified products from Panasonic, is scheduled to be released beginning in March and is expected to be the first DivX Certified Blu-ray Disc Player available in Europe and Russia. Like Panasonic’s existing DivX Certified DVD players, the latest DivX Certified Panasonic Blu-ray disc player enables users to enjoy high-quality DivX video playback.

“In order to give our users access to the extremely popular, high-quality DivX format, we have introduced the first DivX-Certified Blu-ray Disc Player for Europe and Russia,” said Yuki Kusumi, Group Manager of Product Technology, Video Business Unit, Network Business Group, Panasonic AVC Networks Company, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. “The timely launch of this strategic product is a direct response to the strong demand for DivX playback among consumers. We are very confident this product will be very popular in the European and Russian markets.”
if you'd like to read more, DivX's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
A-DATA Nobility N702 4GB Flash Drive @ThinkComputers.org
Aeneon Xtune DDR3-1333 2GB Memory Kit @TweakTown
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OCZ Rally 2 Turbo Flash Drive @BHmag.fr
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Corsair has announced that it will be debuting its new Flash Voyager GT USB drive at CeBIT 2008. The GT features advanced flash controller technology as well as 16GB of hand-selected NAND flash chips which provide data transfer speeds that are up to 4x faster than standard USB drives.

Corsair www.corsair.com, a worldwide leader in high performance computer and flash memory products, announced a new 16GB high performance “GT” Flash Voyager USB 2.0 drive. The new Corsair 16GB GT Flash Voyager USB drive will be debuted at the CeBIT 2008 Show next week in Hanover, Germany on Corsair’s stand (Booth 40 in Hall 21).

The new Flash Voyager GT USB drive provides data transfer rates that are up to 4X faster than standard USB 2.0 drives. Whether transporting office files, pictures or even full-length movies, you can “store-n-go” faster with the Corsair GT USB line. The drive has been optimized to take full advantage of its advanced flash controller technology as well as the screened and hand-selected NAND flash chips.
The Flash Voyager GT is available now for a suggested retail price of $169.99. More information is available on Corsair's website. Add a comment