I-O Data Japan sent out a press release this morning, announcing its new 12x Blu-ray Disc writer, the BRD-SH12B. Based on the LG BH12N, the BRD-SH12B is capable of 12x BD-R, 12x BD-R DL, 6x BD-R LTH, 2x BD-RE and 2x BD-RE DL writing speeds and a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 10x. The drive is also backwards compatible with all major CD and DVD formats and comes bundled with Corel's WinDVD BD and DVD MovieWriter 7 BD software as well as Nero Express Essentials. The BRD-SH12B is expected to ship in late March for a suggested retail price of 28,500 Yen ($315US).
