I-O DATA Japan has announced a new series of drives based on the Panasonic SW-9576. The internal DVR-AM16CV and external DVR-UM16CV 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-RAM: 5X Max
CD-R/ROM: 40x Max
CD-RW: 24x Max


The DVR-AM16CV and DVR-UM16CV will ship in late June and are priced at 12,500 Yen ($103US) and 15,700 Yen ($129US) respectively. More information can be found here and here