- Details
- Optical Storage
Plextor, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media and storage equipment, announces the release of their new PlexEasy External DVD/CD Burner at 2012 CES in Las Vegas. The PlexEasy is a versatile stand-alone optical storage device with a host of special features.
PlexEasy is a compact 8X DVD/CD Writer with a built-in SD/MMC card reader and a USB connector. It has the ability to connect directly to a wide variety of devices including both mass storage devices and Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) devices such cameras, smartphones, tablets, and camcorders. And no computer is required.
Now for the first time, users can burn photos directly from a camera (point-and-shoot or DSLR) or smartphone (iOS, Android, Blackberry, etc.) without going near a computer or learning a complicated software package. It's now a three-step process: 1) connect the device, 2) insert a disc, and 3) press a button to burn a backup.
- Details
- Optical Storage
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, announced today Optical SMART Hub, the SE-208BW optical disc drive (ODD) for backing up and accessing all your media files – pictures, movies, MP3s and data files.
The new Optical SMART Hub can be accessed from your tablet, smartphone, and Smart TV and up to four devices can access simultaneously. The Optical SMART Hub helps extend the storage on devices by acting as a personal cloud. The Optical SMART Hub allows CD and DVD writing function without ever turning on a desktop or notebook. With the addition of a Samsung application, users can enable their smartphone, tablet, and PC access to the Optical Smart Hub. The app for the Samsung smartphones and tablets are available now.
- Details
- Optical Storage
Millenniata today announced it received the Visionary Product Consumer Storage device award during the Storage Visions 2012 conference at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for its M-DISC permanent storage technology that etches data onto a stone like material.
M-DISC is on display today in booth #8 at Storage Visions and in the LG booth #8204 in Central Hall during CES Jan. 10-13.
“We are pleased to be recognized with this award,” said Scott Shumway, Millenniata CEO. “It recognizes the need of permanent storage across many different industries and applications, and is a true testament of the devotion and innovation displayed by our developers, employees, partners and investors.”
Millenniata received the award Sunday during the 11th Annual Storage Visions Conference. The conference features sessions on media and entertainment technology, consumer electronics, computer applications and all aspects of digital storage.
- Details
- Optical Storage
Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveiled the BDR-XD04, the world’s smallest and lightest BD/DVD/CD portable burner supporting BDXL currently available. The ultra-compact clamshell type drive can read and write to all BDXL disc formats including BD-R triple-layer 100GB media, BD-R quad-layer 128GB media, and BD-RE triple-layer 100GB media, as well as conventional Blu-ray™ discs (single-layer 25GB media and dual-layer 50GB media). The portable device, measuring only 5.2” (W) X .55” (H) X 5.2” (D) and weighing a mere 8.46 ounces, also features PowerRead, PureRead2+, Auto Quiet mode and the ability to be powered directly via USB.
The BDR-XD04 also includes CyberLink® software, enabling users to watch standard Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D titles, and author high-definition Blu-ray Disc content or standard-definition DVD content.
“As the popularity of drive-less ultrabooks continues to rise, the BDR-XD04 becomes the ideal accessory because of its compact size and portability,” said Steven Cohn, director of Optical Sales for the Home Electronics Industrial Department at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “There’s a growing need for a drive that’s highly transportable for playing CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs, as well as for storing valuable personal files on a secure, removable medium.”
- Details
- Optical Storage
ASUS today launched the SBW-06C2X-U external Blu-ray writer, a device that is capable of burning up to 128GB of data on a single Blu-ray® disc. It uses smart burn management to guarantee better and faster data backup performance at 6X Blu-ray writing, and comes with Magic Cinema technology for a complete Blu-ray 3D® multimedia solution in the home. The attractive design has already won an iF Design Award for its innovation, versatility and aesthetics.
The SBW-06C2X-U is an external Blu-ray writer that supports the new BDXL format. This format expands on Blu-ray discs’ previous maximum capacity of 50GB up to 100GB on one BD-R(TL) disc, or 128GB on a single BD-R(QL) disc. The latter gives the equivalent capacity of 27 DVDs (at 4.7GB each), giving users massive data storage capabilities. For added perspective, a single 128GB Blu-ray disc can hold up to 1000 minutes of HD video. Such a huge amount of storage on a single disc helps consumers conserve storage space and time, while encouraging easy backups for additional data protection and longevity.
- Details
- Optical Storage
The DVD6C Licensing Group (DVD6C) consisting of nine leading developers of DVD technology and formats — Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd., JVC KENWOOD Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. — today announced that it is revising its worldwide patent licensing program to offer a reduced royalty rate for DVD Read-Only Discs to licensees in good standing.
Specifically, the revised licensing program provides for a reduced rate – from US$0.04 to US$0.0375 per disc – for Read-Only Discs (DVD-Video Discs, DVD-ROM Discs, and DVD-Audio Discs) for licensees in good standing, i.e., licensees who have no overdue or incorrect royalty reports or overdue or underpaid royalties (including back royalties) and are otherwise in compliance with their license agreement with DVD6C. This reduced royalty rate will be available to such licensees for Read-Only Discs sold or otherwise transferred during any reporting period beginning on or after July 1, 2011, provided that the licensee was in good standing as of the due date for payment of royalties for the immediately preceding reporting period or, to qualify for the reduced rate for the second half of 2011, that the licensee entered into a new license agreement incorporating the revised royalty terms and was in good standing as of January 31, 2012. Licensees shall not be considered in good standing for any period for which an audit has revealed an underpayment of royalties of greater than 3%.
- Details
- Optical Storage
Plextor, a leading brand of high-performance storage and digital media solutions, announces plans to differentiate its ODD portfolio by offering a stand-alone optical storage device under the name of PlexEasy (PX-650US). With the PlexEasy, Plextor largely wants to target a new audience that is less familiar with PC but have a need to make backups of their precious data. The PlexEasy will be a compact 8x DVD writer that can be used without a PC, it will feature a built-in SD card reader and USB port which allows end users to make direct backups from data that is stored on SD Cards or on digital devices like tablets, smart phones, hard disks, flash drives, camcorders, and digital cameras.
PlexEasy is meant to provide an easy and intuitive way for lesser- or lightly skilled end users to make reliable backups of their data without having to use a PC. It will support mass storage devices and the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP), an image transfer technology integrated into many models of cameras and smartphones. For users, this means that PlexEasy can be used for burning photos directly from a camera (point-and-shoot or DSLR) or smartphone (iOS, Android, Blackberry etc.). The drive’s compatibility with mass storage devices enables the connection of MP3 players, flash drives, and external hard disks. Users are able to transfer videos, music, or other data from a device to DVD or from an SD card to an external storage device.
- Details
- Optical Storage
Three Korean Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc. (HLDS) executives have agreed to plead guilty and to serve prison time in the United States for their participation in a series of conspiracies to rig bids and fix prices for the sale of optical disk drives, the Department of Justice announced today.
According to the felony charges filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Young Keun Park, Sang Hun Kim and Sik Hur, aka Daniel Hur, conspired with co-conspirators to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids for optical disk drives sold to Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) and/or fixing prices for optical disk drives sold to Microsoft Corporation. The three HLDS executives participated in the conspiracies at various times between approximately November 2005 and September 2009. Under the plea agreement, Park and Kim each have agreed to serve eight months in prison and Hur has agreed to serve seven months in prison. Each has also agreed to pay a $25,000 criminal fine. HLDS is a joint venture between Hitachi Ltd., a Japanese corporation, and LG Electronics Inc., a Republic of Korea corporation.
“Today’s plea agreements demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s continued commitment to protect competition in the high tech industry,” said Sharis A. Pozen, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “The division will continue to pursue and prosecute those who participate in bid-rigging and price-fixing conspiracies that harm businesses and consumers in the optical disk drive industry.”
- Details
- Optical Storage
Pioneer Japan sent out a press release this morning, announcing the its new BDXL compatible Blu-ray Disc writer, the BDR-207JBK. Along with the ability to playback BDXL discs, the drive can write to triple- (100GB) and quad-layer (128GB) BD-R media at 6x and triple-layer (100GB) BD-RE media at 2x. The BDR-207JBK is also capable of 12x BD-R, 12x BD-R DL, 6x BD-R LTH, 2x BD-RE and 2x BD-RE DL writing speeds and includes features like Pioneer's PowerRead and PureRead2 technologies and a new power-saving mode. Pioneer rounds all this out with a software bundle from CyberLink that supports BDXL recording as well as Blu-ray 3D playback.
The BDR-207JBK is scheduled to ship in early January and is expected to retail for about 18,000 Yen ($231US).
Add a comment- Details
- Optical Storage
In response to frequently asked questions from users on how and which recording medium should be used to retain important data to the highest possible standard, JVC Advanced Media U.S.A. Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of optical discs, announced today the product launch of “Archival Grade DVD-R”. We are also responding to increasing demand to retain data that requires a certain period of storage or is obliged to be submitted to administrative bodies, government bodies, etc.
JVC Advanced Media has taken this issue, i.e. the retention of data for a long period of time or submission, as a social responsibility. The Company has started developing products that comply with ISO/IEC10995, which defines the test method to estimate the archival lifetime of the DVDR.
“Archival Grade DVD-R” is manufactured by exclusive production lines in Japan. Quality control is set at the highest level and inspection frequency is approximately 10 times greater compared to standard products. This allows the minimum fluctuation of the products needed to meet users’ strict storage requirements.
