Today, CDRLabs brings you an in depth look at Plextor's new "Super-Multi" drive, the PX-750A. Based on the BenQ DQ60, the PX-750A is capable of 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+R DL, 4x DVD-R DL writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. On top of that, it can read and write to DVD-RAM media at 5x.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the PX-750A and see how it compares to some of the "Super-Multi" drives from the competition. Does the PX-750A have what it takes? You'll have to read the review to find out.


Plextor PX-750A 16x DVD±RW/RAM
If you have any comments or questions about this review or the Plextor PX-750A, please post them in the forum by clicking the link below. Add a comment
According to an article at Reuters, Toshiba has pushed the launch of their HD DVD players back until April. While they have not set a specific date, Toshiba is expected to release their players on April 18th, the same day the first HD DVD titles are available.
The launch of HD-DVD took another hit Wednesday with Toshiba announcing it is holding off on shipping next-generation players until April, a month behind schedule.

Last week, Warner Home Video, the only studio that had set firm release dates for high-definition DVD software, said it wouldn't release its first three titles until April 18, three weeks behind schedule, because of technical issues.

On Wednesday, Toshiba said its players, which had been slated to go on sale in large consumer electronics retailers like Best Buy late this month, won't be made available for purchase until the software arrives in stores.
This delay is a smart move on Toshiba's behalf. Without any titles, there's really no reason to buy one of their HD DVD players. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
While the AACS interim licensing agreement has allowed the Blu-ray and HD DVD camps to release their products on time, initial players will ship without support for managed copy.
To accommodate Toshiba and other companies that wanted to start shipping their high-def products, the AACS Licensing Association came up with a somewhat bizarre solution: It released an interim spec that enables Hollywood studios to securely encode and distribute their content and supports playback of that content on players. But the interim version of AACS has limitations, most conspicuously the lack of support for managed copy. "Managed copy" is industry jargon for the technology that lets content providers offer legal free or fee-based ways for you to move content around on a home server, make a physical copy of content for backup purposes, or transfer it to another device such as a portable media player.

"A player that's licensed under the interim agreement will not be able to do managed copy," states Richard Doherty, spokesperson for the AACS Licensing Association. Although Doherty declined to go into detail about the outstanding issues, he did say that they concern how managed copy will be implemented (and what it will, and will not, allow), and not the actual technology. Technologically speaking, the spec is done, which means it is plausible that "a manufacturer can implement managed copy [but not turn it on], and then enable it in any number of ways down the road," says Doherty.
Let's hope that these initial players can be upgraded to support the final AACS specifications. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
According to one of Microsoft's key representatives to AACS, Blu-ray and HD DVD players will never require a dedicated internet connection to play back an AACS-protected movie. However, if you want to take advantage of features like managed copy, the player will most likely need access to the internet.
As Doherty told us, the first Toshiba HD DVD players to be made available in April, the first Sony Blu-ray players due in May, and models released thereafter under the so-called AACS interim licensing agreement, will not require any kind of Internet connection just to be operable, as some had earlier warned. Under the terms of the interim agreement, however, these manufacturers must agree to abide by whatever the final terms of the AACS specification state, particularly with regard to how they should implement managed copy. It is this provision which will enable users to make limited backups of purchased, licensed media.

"We do expect, in most scenarios, that that managed copy is going to require an Internet transaction to perform the copy," admitted Doherty. However, he added, managed copy will not be a mandatory feature of high-definition players. In other words, not only will playback of AACS-protected content not require an Internet connection, it will never require one.
If you'd like to read the entire article, head on over to TG Daily. Add a comment
Earlier today, Verbatim announced their new 16MB FlashDisc. Developed by M-Systems, the FlashDisc is a cost effective way to store and share electronic data.
Verbatim Corporation, the worldwide leader in CD and DVD media, announced today an exciting new storage solution, the Verbatim16MB FlashDisc(TM). The innovative FlashDisc is not only a brand new product, it forms the basis for an entirely new flash-based media category. Developed by M-Systems, the Verbatim FlashDisc will be available in April. With an MSRP of only $19.99 for a 3-pack, the new media is set to revolutionize the way consumers, students and office workers exchange photos, music and other digital data files.

Available in rich, vibrant colors, Verbatim FlashDiscs can be used for cost-effectively exchanging data or as an alternative to leaving behind hardcopy business presentations. Depending upon the file size, each 16MB FlashDisc can hold hundreds of documents, dozens of presentations or photos or a handful of MP3 files.
Verbatim's 16MB FlashDisc will be available in April and will cost $19.99 for a pack of three. More information can be found here. Add a comment
For the past few months, Philips has been trying to get Taiwanese disc manufacturers to adopt their new Veeza licensing system. According to an article at DigiTimes, the company hasn't had much luck doing so.
Philips Intellectual Property & Standards (PIPS) has been making efforts to convince Taiwanese makers of CD-R discs to adopt Veeza, Philips' new CD-R patent licensing system, but no targeted makers have accepted yet, according to general manager James Li for the Taiwan office of PIPS at an international seminar on intellectual property held in Taipei on March 20.
Philips has made some headway in Europe where five CD-R manufacturers have agreed to support Veeza. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Plextor America sent out a press release this morning, announcing their third-generation Serial ATA drive, the PX-755SA. Along with support for Serial ATA, the PX-755SA features 16x DVD±R and 10x DVD+R DL writing speeds and Plextor's AUTOSTRATEGY technology.

Plextor Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, today announced the immediate availability of the PX-755SA DVD+/-R/RW CD-R/RW optical disc drive. The PX-755SA replaces the PX-716SA, completing Plextor's conversion to drive designs that comply with the European Union's Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation.

The multifunction internal PX-755SA drive is aimed at Value Added Resellers and System Integrators who require Serial ATA (SATA) connectivity, industry leading reliability, and premium recording features. The PX-755SA delivers recording speeds of 16X DVD+/-R on certified 16X DVD+/-R media. Users can burn up to four hours of high-quality MPEG-2/DVD video on a single 8.5 GB disc using 10X DVD+R on Double-Layer media and 6X DVD-R on Dual Layer media. The drive also supports 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW Rewriting; 16X max DVD-Reading; 48X CD-R Writing, 24X CD-RW Rewriting, and 48X max CD-Reading.
The PX-755SA is shipping now for a suggested retail price of $129.00. If you'd like to read more, Plextor's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Lite-On recently unveiled their latest EZ-DUB compatible drive, the SHM-165P6SU. Based on the SHM-165P6S, this external "Super AllWrite" drive is capable of 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+R DL, 4x DVD-R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Here are some of the SHM-165P6SU's specs:


Writing Speeds:

DVD+R: 16x CAV
DVD+RW: 8x CLV
DVD+R DL: 8x Z-CLV
DVD-R: 16x CAV
DVD-RW: 6x CLV
DVD-R DL: 4x CLV
DVD-RAM 5x P-CAV
CD-R: 48x CAV
CD-RW: 24x Z-CLV

Read Speeds:

DVD-ROM: 16x Max
CD-ROM: 48x Max

Access Times:

DVD-ROM: 160ms
CD-ROM: 160ms

Buffer Size: 2MB

Like Lite-On's other drives, the SHM-165P6SU includes features like SMART-BURN, SMART-X and VAS technologies. No word on price or availability yet. As we find out more we'll let you know. Until then, more information can be found here. Add a comment
Erik Deppe released new versions CD-DVD Speed and InfoTool earlier today. As usual, he's made a number of changes and improvements to both programs.
CD-DVD Speed v4.50 - Download
  • Added seperate Create Disc function with following improvements
    • buffer level display, both graphically and numerically
    • CPU usage display, both graphically and numerically
  • Added option to set priority
  • Added options button on main screen
  • Greatly improved image burning engine
  • Added menu shortcuts for burning image file
  • Improved erase function
  • Disc Quality Test
    • Added 1x, 2x, 4x, 6x CLV and 8x P-CAV speed settings for BenQ drives.
    • Enabled support for Pioneer drives
  • Small improvements and bug fixes

InfoTool v4.03 - Download

  • Added support for LabelFlash
More information on CD-DVD Speed and InfoTool, can be found on the CD Speed website. Please feel free to share your experiences in our forum. Add a comment
While Warner originally intended to launch their first HD DVD titles on March 28th, the company has announced that they will instead be released on April 18th.
Warner Home Video (WHV), which distributes the largest film library of any studio, today announced that it will launch its first titles on HD DVD. Clint Eastwood's four-time Academy Award winning, Best Picture of 2004, "Million Dollar Baby"; the visually stunning, four-time Oscar nominated epic, "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise and "The Phantom of the Opera," Joel Schumacher's vibrant movie adaptation of Broadway's longest running show will all be released on April 18. Each of these titles will be available for $28.99 SRP.
Unfortunately, this means that there is still a three week gap between Toshiba's HD DVD player launch and the release of the first HD DVD titles. If you'd like to read more, Warner's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment