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As you can see, the LH-20A1H takes a little more than 5 minutes to burn an entire 4.7GB DVD. The writing quality looks pretty good as well. However, they used another Lite-On drive to test it. If you'd like to see more, head on over to CDbest. If their website is slow, the screenshots have also been mirrored in our forum. Add a comment
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Plextor Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, today announced that the corporate identity of Plextor Corporation will cease to exist effective August 31, 2006. On September 1, 2006, a new corporate identity will be created - Plextor LLC, a partner and merged entity of Shinano Kenshi Corporation (SKC-U.S.). SKC is one of the world's largest electronic motor manufacturers.If you'd like to read more, Plextor's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Plextor LLC will continue to operate under its current structure and business strategies, and the company will remain located in Fremont, California. In essence, Plextor will remain fully autonomous and separate from SKCs Los Angeles-based organization.
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Parallel to the new announcements to LiteOn BenQ communicated that one will withdraw oneself until further notice at least into Europe from the business with optical drive assemblies. The last DVD burner, which is sold under the label BenQ, is the DW-1670. The Blu ray burner planned first will appear no more. Support and warranty, inclusive firmware updates are however further ensured for past customers, since BenQ on other markets will offer further drive assemblies.We've heard rumors that BenQ is also pulling out of the US market. Considering that the company never released the DW-1670 over here, I'd have to say that this is probably true. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
As reason BenQ Germany indicated the extremely small profit margins in the range of optical data storage. BenQ had entered only 2003 by a Joint venture with Philips into the market of the DVD burners and in relatively short time a name with qualitatively high-quality DVD burners had made themselves.
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Nero, leaders in digital media technology, today announced that its Nero 7 Essentials digital media software suite will be bundled with all of NU Inc.'s HBR258 half-height external Blu-ray Disc drives beginning in late September. The new HBR258 can read and write to BD, CD and DVD media.If you'd like to read more, Nero's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Nero 7 Essentials features state-of-the-art applications that enable Blu-ray Disc (BD) data recording and packet writing; DVD playback and authoring; video editing and capturing; data backup and archiving; and includes a full digital home entertainment and media management solution.
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HEXUS.lifestyle: But in just raw data storage, Blu-ray is going to be better as it holds more data.At this point, I don't really think warping is an issue. However, as BD reading and writing speeds increase, this might change. If you'd like to read more, head on over to HEXUS.lifestyle. Add a comment
Jim Armour: Looking at the numbers on a bit of paper, you'd think so, but what you need to do is look at the Blu-ray discs and players first, before you make a decision. Let's go back to the disc construction for a second. HD DVD uses a sandwich method which helps to combat disc warping. Blu-ray doesn't. It uses a single plastic substrate layer, then adds on the recording material and then top it all off with a very hard Zircon layer. This means that when the disc expands to get hot, it will warp downwards as that Zircon layer isn't going to budge.
HEXUS.lifestyle: But that's a uniform direction of warping? Surely as long as you're ready for it, it won't make any difference?
Jim Armour: You'd think so, wouldn't you? But now we have to go back to the lens. Blu-ray uses a 0.85 Numerical Aperture and, with their recording layer just 0.1mm below the disc surface, they've got to get the lens very close to the disc surface to be able to focus it tightly enough to give them a 25GB storage capacity. So now you've got a Blu-ray lens sitting somewhere between 0.1 and 0.3 millimetres from a disc coated with a substance almost as tough as diamond which, when it warps, can only warp downwards, towards the lens. Guess what happens when you run Zircon over glass at 2000rpm? Sure, your data will be safe but you're going to need a new Blu-ray lens.
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Roxio, a division of Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today launched Roxio Easy Media Creator 9, a substantial upgrade to the company's comprehensive suite of CD and DVD authoring, burning, photo, video and music applications. Reaffirming the company's position as market innovator, the latest version is packed with over 100 new features and trend-anticipating capabilities such as mobile entertainment support, Blu-ray Disc (BD) recording, Microsoft Windows Vista compatibility, and high-definition video creation tools. For the first time, Sonic is executing a near simultaneous release of its market-leading suite across multiple channels and regions to fully support its massive global installed base of customers and distribution partners. Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 is available today at www.roxio.com and will be in retail stores throughout North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region later this month.Easy Media Creator 9 will be available in stores later this month for a suggested retail price of $99.99. More information can be found on Roxio's website. Add a comment
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Royal Philips Electronics is pressing makers of pre-recorded discs in Taiwan to accept a licensing scheme similar to Veeza, a licensing scheme that was not well received by disc makers, according to industry sources. The new scheme is applicable to pre-recorded CD-R and DVD discs, and so far, only Bestdisc Technology has sign up for it while leading and second-tier makers are still watching developments, the sources said.The article also mentions that Philips is urging vendors not to place orders with unlicensed manufacturers. They're also going as far as to get customs agencies to confiscate discs without a Philips license. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
To date, there has been no disc makers in Taiwan and China who have accepted the Veeza licensing system, which applies to blank CD-R discs, the sources indicated. Philips is now pushing its new licensing scheme for pre-recorded discs on Taiwan-based makers by attaching it to existing contracts, the sources pointed out.
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As in the US, Toshiba will sell two models in Europe. A €599 model (£400) will be available from November and a €899 (£600) model will go on sale a month later, the company said at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
That means European consumers will be paying a higher price for the entry-level player than their counterparts in the US, where Toshiba sells its HD-A1 for £260.
The Toshiba players have much in common. The HD-E1 and HD-XE1 both play a wide range of optical discs including HD DVD, DVD and CDs. However, only the more expensive HD-XE1 supports video output at full high-definition of 1080 lines and progressive scanning (1080p). The HD-E1 will manage up to 1080i, which almost certainly beats the TV in your living room right now, although it's regarded as slightly inferior to the 1080p format.
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My standard answer to the question "Do Pioneer have any plans to support HD DVD?"This seems to be happening way too often lately. Reporters just don't understand the technologies and are misinterpretting the comments of product managers. Please feel free to join the ongoing discussion in our forum. Add a comment
Is:
"Currently we have no plans to do so..... however, Pioneer will monitor the market situation with other formats and will "consider" to adopt those formats as and where the market is demanding it".
It seems that my comments to some press people at IFA have been taken totally out of context and that it has been concluded by themselves that Pioneer would be introducing HD DVD support into our future models !!!
So, the case still stands that way..... "Currently we have no plans to do so....."
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The first new drive, the BDR-102 will also support CD-R/RW discs, another disc format missing from the company's current product, the BDR-101. The BDR-102 is due to ship early next year, possibly in two versions, one with an IDE interface, the other with a SATA connector. It's not clear at what speeds the BDR-102 will write single- and dual-layer, 25GB and 50GB BD-R and BD-RE discs.Talk about surprising news. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here.
Further out, the BDR-103 will bring on board support for HD DVD, presumably recordable and rewriteable versions of the format as well as pre-recorded discs.
Update: The German website, heise online, has reported that the BDR-103 will only be able to read HD DVD media and not write to it. They also mention that Pioneer plans to ship the drive in October of 2007. Add a comment
