NEC has announced that they've developed a new DVD writer chipset offering 18x DVD±R and 16x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Here's part of their press release, translated from Japanese:
NEC Electronics developed a new product that was able to construct record type DVD drive economically by paying the function that had been distributed to two LSI to one package as a product lineup expansion of system LSI series "SCOMBO(R)" (Escombo) for record type DVD drive so far, and decided to begin the sample shipment of the name of "MC-10041" on June 1. Moreover, a new product enables the record and the reproduction by 18 X speed that becomes the highest level in the industry in two standards named DVD-R and DVD+R.
According to NEC's press release, the MC-10041 will be adopted by both Pioneer and Sony NEC Optiarc. More information can be found here.
