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Optical Storage

09 May 2007

Pioneer has announced that they will be shipping their new Blu-ray combo drive to European retailers by the end of May. The drive is expected to cost about €250.

The BCD-S02 will read both single and dual-layer Blu-ray disc formats and provide high-speed read and write compatibility for a wide range of DVD and CD discs . The drive will be available though our distribution network for around €250.

You’ll have the choice of both black and beige colour options.

The new drives provide a cost-efficient, high-performance and simple method for you to experience Blu-ray entertainment on your home PC.

More information, including a full list of specs, can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

01 May 2007

DigiTimes has reported that CMC Magnetics recently received level A certification for its single layer BD-R media. According to the article, they are the first Taiwanese manufacturer to do so.

CMC Magnetics, the largest producer of optical discs in Taiwan, on April 30 announced it has obtained level A certification for its Blu-ray Disc (BD)-R (recordable, write once) SL (single-sided single-layer) disc from an international vendor. The company stated that it is the first among makers of optical discs in Taiwan to receive this certification.

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

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Optical Storage

03 May 2007

As promised, Pioneer is bringing their new Blu-ray combo drive to the US market. The company announced this morning that the BDC-2202 will be available beginning next month for a suggested retail price of $299.

Demonstrating its continued commitment to high definition optical disc technology, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today announces the BDC-2202, a robust Blu-ray Disc computer drive, which will be available to consumers beginning next month for a suggested price of $299. When installed in a properly configured PC, the Pioneer Blu-ray Disc combination drive allows users to playback new high definition Blu-ray Disc film titles as well as read and write digital content to DVD and CD, fulfilling their storage and entertainment needs.

The drive can read BD-ROM/BD-R/BD-RE at up to 5X and can read BD-ROM (DL) and BD-R/-RE (DL) at up to 2X speed. It comes bundled with media software that ensures compatibility with commercially released Blu-ray Disc movies. It also allows users to create personal DVD movies and digital photo slideshows, securely backup personal data and media files to DVD or CD, and create and burn favorite music to CD. The software also offers a Direct-to-Disc feature allowing aspiring filmmakers to capture movies directly from the camcorder to DVD without the inconvenience of using vital hard drive space.

While the BDC-2202 is still a bit pricey, its considerably cheaper than most of the Blu-ray drives currently on the market. If you'd like to read more, Pioneer's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

30 April 2007

With media manufacturers continually raising prices, you'd think that they'd be able to turn a profit. In Ritek's case, they've been in the red the last 10 quarters. It wasn't until the first quarter of 2007 that the company was able to rebound and return a net profit.

Ritek's board of directors, at a meeting on April 27, approved the company's 2006 financial report, with net losses of NT$12.275 billion (US$368.6 million) and net losses per share of NT$5.76 both the highest annual levels ever on record, according to the company. Ritek also published its financial figures for the first quarter of this year on April 27, posting net profits of NT$101.5 million after suffering net losses consecutively for 10 quarters since the third quarter of 2004.

The return to profitability was primarily due Ritek modifying its production equipment to increase yield rates and by forming strategic alliances with OEM clients. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment