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Optical Storage

17 July 2006

DigiTimes has reported that Lite-On will unveil their 18x DVD burner models this quarter or early next quarter and plans to offer 20x DVD burners in the 4Q of this year.

Lite-On IT, given the fact that several global leading brands will follow Japan-based Plextor and unveil 18x DVD burner models this quarter or early next quarter, is preparing to offer 20x DVD burners in the fourth quarter to enhance its competitiveness, according to industry sources.

Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology (TSST), NEC, Hitachi-LG Data Storage (HLDS), Pioneer and I-O Data Device are among the brands expected to release 18x DVD burners soon, the sources indicated.

If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

14 July 2006

According to an article at DigiTimes, quotes for 16x DVD burners have continued to fall during the 2Q of 2006 due to competition from manufacturers like Foxconn Electronics and NEC.

The quotes for 16x DVD burners have fallen 5-10% during the second quarter of 2006 amid competition from makers such as Foxconn Electronics (the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry) and NEC, according to Taiwan-based optical disc makers.

Sources said Foxconn was competing for orders by initiating a price war for the 16x DVD burner segment while other sources said NEC was strategically dumping products to clear out inventory, causing market quotes to sink to a new low.

The article also mentions that several manufacturers are shifting to "Super Multi" drives or 18x DVD burners to raise their average selling price. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

13 July 2006

Imation sent out a press release this morning, announcing the availability of its Blu-ray Disc media. Available in recordable (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) formats, these single layer discs can store up to 25 GB of data.

Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN - News) today announced the availability of its Blu-ray media to major IT and data storage channel partners at its "Blue Technology" conference. Imation designed the conference and tour of its new advanced optical manufacturing facility at Imation world headquarters in Oakdale, Minn. to educate Imation channel partners on blue-laser optical technologies, and their application for high definition media in the enterprise. These leading optical media distributors and their customers know the challenge of keeping up with today's exploding data storage requirements, which are expected to triple by the end of the decade. Now, with Imation Blu-ray media, professionals have a simple solution for managing their growing quantity of critical data storage. Available in recordable (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) formats, Imation Blu-ray discs store up to 25 GB of digital files -- five times the capacity of standard DVDs -- and are ideal for reliable business backup, including medical and government imaging, photography, videography, as well as high definition video recording.

Imation's Blu-ray recordable (BD-R) and re-writable (BD-RE) media will be available in August for a suggested retail price of $19.99 and $29.99, respectively. More information can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

13 July 2006

Warner Home Video has announced that the first wave of its Blu-ray Disc titles will be available on August 1st.

Warner Home Video (WHV), which distributes the largest film library of any studio, today announced that it will launch its first wave of titles on Blu-ray Disc. On August 1, WHV will release four titles -- "Training Day"; "Good Night, and Good Luck"; "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang"; and "Rumor Has It" -- on the Blu-ray format to support the initial roll out of Blu-ray players in North America. "Training Day" and "Good Night, and Good Luck" will be available for $28.99 SRP and "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" and "Rumor Has It" will be available for $34.99 SRP. Future waves of Blu-ray launch titles will be announced in the coming weeks.

If you'd like to read more, Warner's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

13 July 2006

Blu-ray backers like Sony and Pioneer aren't the only ones experiencing delays. Toshiba has reportedly pushed back the release of their first HD DVD recorder to July 27th.

Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will postpone the sale of the first recorder for HD DVD high-definition video discs because of a production delay.

The new recorder, the RD-A1, had been slated to go on sale Friday, but the release will be pushed back to July 27, the Tokyo-based electronics maker said in a release.

The new machine combines an HD DVD burner with a one-terabyte hard disk and can record and store up to 130 hours of high-definition broadcasts.

Unfortunately, Toshiba still has no plans to offer the RD-A1 outside of Japan. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

12 July 2006

According to research done by the Santa Clara Consulting Group, the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD will not impede the market. The group also expects sales to be nearly $2 billion in 2006 and more than $28 billion by 2010.

Paced by anticipated sales of blue laser players, game consoles, PC drives, and related media, the blue laser disc technology market is expected to exceed $28 billion in sales in 2010, according to Santa Clara Consulting Group (SCCG). Growth will be driven by six sub-segments, according to a report released today: Blu-ray and HD DVD Disc Technologies: Pursuit of a New Standard.

SCCG estimates that the game console segment, supported by sales of the PlayStation 3, will have the most important influence on the blue laser disc technology market, with more than half of the $2 billion in revenue for 2006. Content, including movies and games, will represent half of this market's revenues in 2010.

If you'd like to read more, the entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

12 July 2006

I-O DATA Japan has announced a new series of drives based on Sony NEC Optiarc's upcoming 18x "Super-Multi" drive, the AD-7173A. Along with 18x DVD±R and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds, these internal and external drives feature support for Labelflash technology. Here are some of the specs:

Writing Speeds: DVD±R: 18x DVD±R DL: 8x DVD+RW: 8x DVD+R DL: 8x DVD-RW: 6x DVD-RAM: 12x CD-R: 48x CD-RW: 32x

Read Speeds: DVD-ROM (Single): 16x Max DVD-ROM (Dual): 12x Max DVD±R: 16x Max DVD±RW: 13x Max DVD±R DL: 12x Max DVD-RAM: 12X Max CD-R/ROM: 48x Max CD-RW: 40x Max

The DVR-AN18GL and DVR-UN18GL should hit store shelves in early August for ￥9,300 ($80US) and ￥13,600 ($117US) respectively. More information can be found here and here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

12 July 2006

TDK sent out a press release today, announcing the launch of its Snap N' Save product line. An alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cases offer greater protection and organization options.

TDK, a world leader in digital recording solutions, today announced the launch of its Snap N' Save product line, recordable DVD and CD media supplied in innovative Snap N' Save cases. Offering the ultimate combination of robust disc protection and compact media storage, Snap N' Save cases snap closed, securely protecting your discs by sealing out dirt, dust and other contaminants that can have a negative impact on media performance. A new alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cuts down on case clutter, enables keeping multiple disc sets together for superior organization, and seamlessly integrates with your home media library. TDK is offering DVD and CD media in Snap N' Save cases in a variety of colors and pack sizes.

"We're pleased to offer our customers ultimate performance DVD and CD media packaged in Snap N' Save cases," commented Bruce Youmans, TDK Vice President of Marketing. "Snap N' Save offers the same bulk storage capabilities of a spindle, but is designed to provide stronger disc protection. What's more, with a variety of colors and pack configurations, Snap N' Save offers seamless storage and organization options alongside CD jewel cases and DVD movie boxes in our customers' home media libraries."

Media using TDK's Snap N' Save cases are available now. More information, including prices, can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

12 July 2006

ATI has announced that their H.264 video decoder has been chosen by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player. Here's part of their press release:

ATI Technologies (TSX:ATY.TO - News)(NASDAQ:ATYT - News) today announced that Microsoft Corp. has chosen ATI's H.264 decoder for the Xbox 360(TM) HD DVD player, bringing users sharper, more true-to-life visuals and smoother playback of high-definition content. HD DVDs encoded using one of three approved codecs deliver up to six times the resolution of traditional DVDs all on a single disc. Built on ATI's Avivo(TM) technology, the decoder used for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player brings to bear ATI's considerable multimedia know-how to ensure gamers, home theatre buffs, and casual viewers alike get a more perfect picture from the H.264 format.

If you'd like to read more, the entire press release is available on ATI's website. Add a comment