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Optical Storage

02 April 2007

Back in July, we reported that Matsushita had filed a lawsuit against CMC Magnetics, claiming that they infringed upon three of their DVD patents. According to an article at Reuters.com, Matsushita and CMC have settled their suit. As part of the settlement, the two companies have formed a cross licensing agreement, with CMC paying royalties to Matsushita for 10 years.

Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. and Taiwan's CMC Magnetics Corp. said on Monday they have reached a settlement on a DVD-related patent infringement lawsuit.

Matsushita, the world's largest consumer electronics maker, last year filed a patent suit against CMC, charging that the Taiwanese disc maker's DVD discs infringed its patents.

As part of the settlement, they have formed a patent cross licencing agreement on manufacturing and sales of DVD discs, and CMC is set to pay royalties to Matsushita, both companies said.

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

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Optical Storage

28 March 2007

I-O DATA Japan has announced a new 18X Serial ATA DVD writer, the DVR-SN18GLV. Based on the AD-7173S from Sony NEC Optiarc, the DVR-SN18GLV features 18x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds and support for Labelflash technology. Here are some of the specs:

Writing Speeds: DVD±R: 18x DVD±R DL: 8x DVD+RW: 8x DVD+R DL: 8x DVD-RW: 6x DVD-RAM: 12x CD-R: 48x CD-RW: 32x

Read Speeds: DVD-ROM (Single): 16x Max DVD-ROM (Dual): 12x Max DVD±R: 16x Max DVD±RW: 13x Max DVD±R DL: 12x Max DVD-RAM: 12X Max CD-R/ROM: 48x Max CD-RW: 40x Max

The DVR-SN18GLV should hit store shelves in the middle of March for about 8,500 Yen ($73US). More information can be found here. Add a comment

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30 March 2007

Sony has released some details on their new LightScribe capable 18x DVD writer, the DRU-835A. Along with support for LightScribe, the DRU-835A features 18x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Here are some of the drives' specs:

Writing Speeds: DVD+R: 4X CLV, 8X P-CAV, 16X, 18X CAV DVD+RW: 2.4X, 4X CLV, 6X, 8X Z-CLV DVD+R DL: 2.4X, 4X, 6X, 8X Z-CLV DVD-R: 4X CLV, 8X P-CAV, 16X CAV, 18X CAV DVD-RW: 2X, 4X, CLV, 6X Z-CLV DVD-R DL: 2X, 4X CLV, 6X, 8X Z-CLV DVD-RAM: 5X, 6X CLV, 8X, 10X, 12x P-CAV CD-R: 8X, 16X CLV, 24X, 32X, 40X P-CAV, 48X CAV CD-RW: 4X, 10X, 16X CLV, 24X, 32X Z-CLV Buffer Size: 2MB

Read Speeds: DVD-ROM: 16X Max DVD±R: 12X Max DVD±R DL : 8X Max DVD±RW: 8X Max DVD-Video: 6x Max DVD-RAM: 12x Max CD-ROM/CD-R: 48X Max CD-RW: 40X Max Access Times: CD-ROM: 130ms DVD-ROM: 140ms

The DRU-835A is most likely based on a drive from Samsung or Lite-On but at this point, I'm not even going to guess which one. No word on when the DRU-835A will ship. However, Sony's website lists the price as being $79.99. More information, including a full list of specs, can also be found here. Add a comment

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27 March 2007

Panasonic has announced a new portable Super Multi drive, the LF-P968C. Not much larger than a standard CD case, the LF-P968C can be powered from the USB bus and features 8x DVD±R, 4x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Here are some of the drive's specs:

Writing Speeds: DVD±R: 8x DVD±R DL: 8x DVD+RW: 4x DVD-RW: 6x DVD-RAM: 5x CD-R: 24x CD-RW: 16x Access Times: DVD-ROM: 180ms CD-ROM: 150ms

Read Speeds: DVD-ROM (Single): 8x Max DVD-ROM (Dual): 6x Max DVD-Video: 4x Max DVD±R: 8x Max DVD±RW: 6x Max DVD±R DL: 6x Max DVD-RAM: 5x Max CD-ROM: 24x Max Buffer Size: 2MB

The LF-P968C is expected to hit store shelves on April 13th for about 22,000 Yen ($187US). More information can be found on Panasonic's website. Add a comment