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Today, CDRLabs brings you an in depth look at Lite-On's 4x BD-ROM drive, the DH-4O1S. Affordably priced, this read-only drive gives consumers the ability to watch Blu-ray movies on their computers. Along with 4x BD read speeds, the DH-4O1S is capable of reading DVD's at 12x and CD's at 32x.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the DH-4O1S and see how it compares to some of the Blu-ray Disc drives from the competition. Does the DH-4O1S have what it takes? You'll have to read the review to find out.


Lite-On DH-4O1S 4x BD-ROM
If you have any comments or questions about this review or the Lite-On DH-4O1S, please post them in the forum. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
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. Add a comment

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Aeneon XTUNE 1GB DDR2-1066 Dual Channel Memory Kit @Bigbruin.com
ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi-AP Motherboard @ThinkCo mputers.org
Thecus N299 NAS Server @Virtual-Hideout
XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 @TweakPC
VIZO Luxon Advanced ED HDD Enclosure 1TB eSATA @BCCHardware
Western Digital Caviar and RE2 GreenPower 1TB Hard Drives @HotHardware.com
Zalman ZM750-HP Power Supply @HardwareLogic
ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GX2 Graphics Card @TweakTown
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Optical Storage
Plextor LLC sent out a press release this morning, announcing it new combination Blu-ray/HD DVD drives. The PX-B920SA and PX-B300SA are capable of playing both Blu-ray and HD DVD movies and offer support for LightScribe technology. The PX-B920SA ups the ante even further with 4x BD-R writing speeds.

The internal PX-B920SA drive features 4X BD-R write speed and a Serial ATA (SATA) interface for fast data throughput, up to 150 Mbits/sec. This drive is ideal for PC OEMs, systems integrators, enterprises, professionals, and high-end consumer markets where people want HD DVD playback along with Blu-Ray recording and playback.

The new PX-B920SA is a Blu-Ray burner that also plays HD DVD discs and supports high-speed reading and recording of DVD and CD media formats, including DVD-RAM, Dual Layer DVD, Double Layer DVD, DVD±R/RW, and CD-R/RW.

The new PX-B300SA multifunction drive is capable of playing both Blu-Ray and HD DVD media. The internal drive also reads and records DVD and CD media formats with recording speeds of 16X DVD±R, 24X CD-RW, and 40X CD-R. The PX-B300SA, which includes a SATA interface for high performance, is designed for PC OEMs, systems integrators, enterprises, professionals, and mid-market consumers who want to playback both Blu-Ray and HD DVD discs and record on DVD and CD media.
The PX-B920SA and PX-B300SA will ship in late March and are priced at $599.99 and $499.99 respectively. If you'd like to read more, Plextor's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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While not storage related, I felt that ASUS's new Splendid HD1 video enhance card was worth a mention. ASUS claims that this video add-on card increases picture quality for HD content by "upgrading" generic VGA to true HDMI.

Catering to the new era in multimedia technology, ASUS, producer of high quality audio and visual solutions, has announced the new ASUS Splendid HD1 video enhance card. This astounding piece of hardware is able to increase picture quality for HD content to deliver sharper, more vividly colored visual outputs. It can even enhance lower resolution inputs by recovering image clarity when viewing legacy content for viewing on LCD TV or monitors; as well as provide true HDMI with audio and HDCP.

With the implementation of ASUS’ exclusive Splendid technology into a video add-on card, users will be able to enjoy full 1080P entertainment on their monitors. Able to provide an authentic ASUS LCDTV video solution to any PC, this card helps fill in the gap between viewing content on the PC and traditional Consumer Electronic devices. It is also able to provide HDMI upgrades with true Audio & HDCP certified protection - allowing users to enjoy enhanced PC video and audio quality to easily change your generic PCs into true HTPCs for an outstanding multimedia experience.
No word yet on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, ASUS's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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ASUS EAH3870 Top Video Card @I4U
ASUS GeForce 9600GT 512MB @Phoronix
Belkin N1 802.11n Wireless USB Network Adapter @I4U
Logitech Alto Express @Phoronix
MSI P35 Platinum Combo Motherboard @HotHardware.com
mStation Orb 2.1 Stereo Orb iPod Dock @BCCHardware
Mtron Pro 7000 2.5-Inch 16GB SSD SATA7025 @Benchmark Reviews
NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler @HardwareLogic
Samsung SyncMaster 2243BW 22" Wide Screen LCD @HotHardware.com
Soyo Topaz S 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor @ThinkComputers.org
SteelSeries Ikari Optical and Laser Mice @TweakTown
Thermaltake BlacX Hard Drive Docking System @Bigbruin.com
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Home Entertainment
Good news for those that watch Blu-ray movies on the PS3. Sony announced today that the console will be getting support for BD-Live (Profile 2.0) in the next system software update. With this new feature, PS3 owners will be able to take advantage of downloadable content such as videos, games and ringtones.
Sony ComputerEntertainment America (SCEA) today announced that the next system softwareupdate for PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system, slatedfor release in late March, will add Blu-ray Disc(TM) (BD) Profile 2.0 orBD-LIVE, enabling PS3 owners to experience interactive features, such asdownloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more. In addition toBD-LIVE, the system software update (v. 2.20) will enable photo and musicplaylists on PS3 to be copied to PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable) handheldentertainment system, among other new features. These updates demonstratehow PS3 continues to evolve as a home entertainment hub with theflexibility to deliver the newest technology innovations that benefit PS3owners.

"With Blu-ray established as the high-definition optical disc standard,more consumers are ready to jump in and take advantage of everything theformat offers," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing,SCEA. "Whether you want to download movie extras, send ringtones to yourphone, or play interactive games, BD-LIVE will offer exciting new ways toenjoy a Blu-ray movie. With these regular firmware updates andfuture-proofed technology, SCEA is making the 10-year lifecycle of PS3possible."
This update is coming just in time for Sony's first BD-Live enabled titles, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day, which will be released on April 6th. If you'd like to read more, Sony's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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DFI LanParty UT ICFX3200-T2R/G Intel LGA775 Motherboard @ThinkComputers.org
Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3-14400 DDR3-1800 @ASE Labs
Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks (Carl Zeiss AF 2007 Model) @Everything USB
OCZ Technology PC2-8000 Platinum Edition 4GB DDR2 Kit @Bigbruin.com
Samsung SyncMaster 2243BW 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor @Tweaknews.net
Sunbeamtech UFO Acrylic Cube Case (ACUF-T) @HardwareLogic
VIZO Ares Internal SATA II Mobile HDD Rack @BCCHardware
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Software
SlySoft announced this morning that it has released a new version of AnyDVD HD that can remove BD+ protection from Blu-ray discs, including those released by Twentieth Century Fox.
Film studios that have switched to Blu-ray may have crowed a little too early because the much-praised BD+ copy protection is an ad absurdum affair now, too. With today's release of version 6.4.0.0 of AnyDVD HD it is now also possible to make backup security copies of Blu-ray discs protected with BD+.

Richard Doherty of the Envisioneering Group will have to revise his statement from July, 2007 regarding BD+: "BD+, unlike AACS which suffered a partial hack last year, won't likely be breached for 10 years". It is worth mentioning that since he made that statement only eight months have gone by.
If you want to check out the latest version of AnyDVD, it can be downloaded from SlySoft's website. Otherwise, SlySoft's entire announcement can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
AOpen sent out a press release this morning, announcing its first Blu-ray Disc drive. The BDR0412SA is capable of reading BD media at 4x and is backwards compatible with most existing CD and DVD formats.

For your best video and storage experience, AOpen announces the first Blu-ray Disc drive BDR0412SA. It can read Blu-ray Disc at 4X (17,844KB per sec.), DVD-ROM at 12X, DVD+/-R at 12X, DVD-RAM at 5X and CD at 32X; and gives you an all in one optical reading option for multimedia entertainment.

Blu-ray Disc (BD) is an optical disc storage media format using blue-violet laser with shorter wavelength. Blu-ray Disc was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group of leading electronic companies: Sony, Matsushita, Pioneer, Philips, Thomson, LG Electronics, Hitachi, Sharp, and Samsung. It has the same dimensions as a standard DVD or CD but can hold 25GB (single layer) and 50GB (dual layer).
No word yet on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, AOpen's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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