Pioneer Europe has officially announced their second generation Blu-ray Disc writer, the BDR-202. The new drive features 4x BD-R and 2x BD-RE writing speeds and, unlike the BDR-101A, is backwards compatible with both DVD's and CD's.

Developed for professional users, the BDR-202 internal drive for PCs supports the writing of both write-once (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) single-layer Blu-ray discs.

The versatile writer, which is now available in Europe, is also compatible with a range of DVD and CD media; speeds include 12X writing to DVD-R/+R, 6X to DVD-RW/+RW and 24X to CD-R/RW.

The optical pickup unit is equipped with our newly developed BD/DVD/CD three-way compatible lens that realises high-speed recording at a maximum speed of 4X on BD-R media and 2X speed on BD-RE.
No word on price but you can bet that the BDR-202 will be expensive. More information, including a full list of specs, can be found here. Add a comment
The Japanese company, Buffalo, has announced a new series of drives based on the Panasonic SW-9576. These internal and external "Super Multi" drives feature 16x DVD±R, 4x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and are backwards compatible with older, cartridge based DVD-RAM discs. Here are some of the specs:



Writing Speeds:
DVD±R: 16x
DVD±R DL: 4x
DVD+RW: 8x
DVD-RW: 6x
DVD-RAM: 5x
CD-R: 40x
CD-RW: 24x

Read Speeds:
DVD-ROM (Single): 16x Max
DVD-ROM (Dual): 8x Max
DVD±R: 16x Max
DVD±RW: 8x Max
DVD±R DL: 8x Max
DVD-Video (CSS): 6x Max
DVD-RAM: 5X Max
CD-R/ROM: 40x Max
CD-RW: 24x Max


The DVSM-CX516FBV, DVSM-CX516U2/V and DVSM-CX516IU2/V will ship in August and are priced at 12,500 Yen ($105US), 15,700 Yen ($132US) and 17,900 Yen ($151US) respectively. More information can be found here. Add a comment
Imation has announced that it has completed the $260 million acquisition of the TDK brand recording media business. As part of the deal, the TDK Corporation has been issued 6.8 million shares of common stock, making them Imation's largest shareholder.
Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of the TDK brand recording media business and use of the TDK brand name for recording media products worldwide, for a combination of Imation common stock and cash.

Imation issued to TDK Corporation 6.8 million shares of Imation common stock, representing 16.6 percent of shares outstanding after issuance of the shares to TDK. Additional cash consideration and customary closing costs and advisory fees brought the total cost to Imation to approximately $260 million. Additional cash consideration of up to $70 million could be paid by Imation to TDK Corporation contingent upon future financial performance of the acquired business.

By agreement, TDK's ownership stake will not exceed 22 percent of Imation common stock on a fully diluted basis. TDK becomes the largest shareholder of Imation and, under terms of the transaction, has the right to nominate a representative to serve on the Imation Board of Directors.
According to the press release, Imation will continue to supply TDK brand products to the market. TDK will also continue R&D and manufacturing operations for recording media and will supply Imation as well as its other OEM customers. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
IronKey recently announced the launch of the IronKey Secure Flash Drive with Internet Protection Services. This new USB flash drive provides onboard hardware encryption to protect your data as well as integrated internet services like secure web browsing and password management.

The IronKey has been designed to be the world’s most secure USB flash drive, using onboard hardware encryption to protect the gigabytes of files that can be stored on the device. No software or drivers need to be installed on the host computer to use an IronKey. A password is used to unlock the IronKey, and this is verified in hardware. If an IronKey is lost or stolen, attempts to unlock or tamper with it will trigger a self-destruct sequence, ensuring data is kept confidential.

What sets the IronKey apart from other secure USB flash drives is its integrated Internet services, which leverage the encryption and authentication power of the IronKey Cryptochip to protect Internet passwords and web surfing. When the IronKey is plugged into a computer and unlocked with a password, its owner can use the IronKey Password Manager to securely store and manage all of his online passwords, and protect them from phishing, pharming and keylogging threats.
The IronKey Secure Flash Drive with Internet Protection Services is available now in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities. Full details can be found on the IronKey website. Add a comment

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While adult film makers in the US have primarily been pro-HD DVD, those in Japan are reportedly embracing the Blu-ray Disc format. According to PC World, finding companies to mass produce their adult titles hasn't been an issue either, as there are companies in Taiwan more than willing to do the work.
Until now, only a handful of companies operated the stampers needed to copy thousands of Blu-ray Disc movies at a time. But the Japanese company handling most of the early Blu-ray Disc adult film releases in Japan says it has partnered with a Taiwanese company able to secure the necessary equipment from Sony.

"In Japan, there are some problems. Companies cannot press Blu-ray discs because they cannot touch adult-related contracts," said Kiyotaka Konno, director of administration at Assist Corp., a Japanese company that authors and replicates DVDs for the adult industry in Japan. "So we asked some makers in Taiwan to do the work, and then we import the discs back to Japan. The Taiwanese company was able to obtain a pressing machine from Sony and will start mass production in August."
The Japanese adult film industry has already put out ten movies on Blu-ray and more are on the way. In comparison, only one adult film has been released on HD DVD in Japan. If you'd like to read more, then entire article can be found here. Add a comment
The research group, Parks Associates, has released a new report on next generation DVD players. According to the report, Blu-ray currently has the lead due to recent retail developments, support from major Hollywood studios, and inclusion of the format into the Playstation 3. The report also states that sales of next generation players will reach 32 million units by 2011.

As consumers continue to embrace more high-definition products and services, next-generation DVD players are poised to experience significant growth over the next five years, according to a new report from Parks Associates titled Next Generation DVD Players: Will History Repeat? The new report estimates that, with set-top box models and game consoles combined, more than 32 million Blu-ray and HD DVD players will be sold in United States by 2011, an 85% increase from the 4.9 million units estimated to be sold in 2007.

“Purchasing or renting DVDs will continue to be a dominant way for consumers to view content,” stated Chris Roden, Research Analyst at Parks Associates. “What has yet to be determined is which format will become the standard, HD DVD or Blu-ray?” According to the report, consumer confusion is still prevalent with less than 10% of U.S. consumers stating that they are familiar with the HD DVD or Blu-ray formats.

“However, we are starting to see the pendulum swing slowly in one direction,” said Roden. “Recent retail developments, support from major Hollywood studios, and inclusion of the format in the PlayStation 3 puts the Blu-ray format in the lead.”
It's going to be interesting to see how HD DVD backers respond to this report. If you'd like to read more, Parks Associates' entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
ASUS has released some details on their latest "Super-Multi" drive, the DRW-2014L1T. Along with support for LightScribe and Serial ATA, the DRW-2014L1T features 20x DVD±R and 14x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Here are some of the drive's specs:



Writing Speeds:
DVD+R: 20X, 16x, 12X, 10x, 8X, 4X
DVD+RW: 8X, 6X, 4X, 2.4X
DVD+R DL: 8X, 6X, 4X, 2.4X
DVD-R: 20X, 16X, 12X, 10X, 8X, 4X, 2X
DVD-RW: 6X, 4X, 2X, 1X
DVD-R DL: 8X, 6X, 4X
DVD-RAM: 14X, 12X, 5X
CD-R: 48X, 40X, 32X, 16X, 10X, 4X
CD-RW: 32X, 24X, 16X, 10X, 4X

Read Speeds:
DVD-ROM (Single Layer): 16X Max
DVD-ROM (Dual Layer): 8X Max
DVD-RAM: 12X Max
DVD±R DL: 8x Max
CD-ROM: 48x Max
CD-R/RW: 40x Max

Access Times:
DVD-ROM: 150ms
CD-ROM: 140ms


At this time we have not heard if or when the DRW-2014L1T will be available in the US. As soon as we find out, we'll let you know. Until then, more information can be found on ASUS's website. Add a comment
MICRODIA recently announced the launch of their Flash-Key Fruit-A-Roma USB drives. These new drives have a capacity of 8GB and come in four fruity scents: orange, strawberry, grape and green apple.

MICRODIA Ltd. (MICRODIA), a world leader and innovator in flash memory technologies, announced today the newlylaunched Flash-Key Fruit-A-Roma USB drives that add fragrant fruity scents and colours to MICRODIA’s high quality range of USB flash drives. Aunique and novel concept, Fruit-A-Roma USB drives are the first of their kind to offer fresh fruit flavors that you can actually smell, encompassingMICRODIA’s high quality USB flash drive technology for superior data storage.

MICRODIA’s Fruit-A-Roma USB drives offer a twist of fun for the younger generation and the young-at-heart who enjoy novel products and expect thehighest quality. Fruit-A-Roma comes in four fruity scents of orange, strawberry, grape and green apple. Built-in software maximizes user’s mobilecomputing experience, enabling easy data storage and transfer in a handy and fashionable way. With its compact size of 4.3 x 1.8 cm, this fun andhassle-free product is easy to carry and simple to use with no driver installation required1. The USB 2.0 interface enables hot plug-and-play and thehigh quality memory chip can be re-written 1 million times and keep data more than 10 years.
No word on pricing or availability. If you'd like to read more, MICRODIA’s entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Target isn't the only retailer deciding to go promote Blu-ray in their stores. Video Business has reported that BJ's Wholesale Club has decided to drop HD DVD and will carry Blu-ray exclusively at all of its stores.
East Coast chain BJ’s Wholesale Club will drop HD DVD from its shelves and carry the Blu-ray Disc format exclusively by the fourth quarter, according to sources at the retailer and several Hollywood studios.

Sources said the chain will carry Blu-ray exclusively at all its 170 stores, although it continues to carry both formats on its Web site.
Toshiba better do something because if large retailers like Walmart or Best Buy follow this trend and decide to go Blu-ray, the format war is pretty much over. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment