According to an article at DigiTimes, quotes for 16x DVD burners have continued to fall during the 2Q of 2006 due to competition from manufacturers like Foxconn Electronics and NEC.
The quotes for 16x DVD burners have fallen 5-10% during the second quarter of 2006 amid competition from makers such as Foxconn Electronics (the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry) and NEC, according to Taiwan-based optical disc makers.

Sources said Foxconn was competing for orders by initiating a price war for the 16x DVD burner segment while other sources said NEC was strategically dumping products to clear out inventory, causing market quotes to sink to a new low.
The article also mentions that several manufacturers are shifting to "Super Multi" drives or 18x DVD burners to raise their average selling price. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Imation sent out a press release this morning, announcing the availability of its Blu-ray Disc media. Available in recordable (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) formats, these single layer discs can store up to 25 GB of data.
Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN - News) today announced the availability of its Blu-ray media to major IT and data storage channel partners at its "Blue Technology" conference. Imation designed the conference and tour of its new advanced optical manufacturing facility at Imation world headquarters in Oakdale, Minn. to educate Imation channel partners on blue-laser optical technologies, and their application for high definition media in the enterprise. These leading optical media distributors and their customers know the challenge of keeping up with today's exploding data storage requirements, which are expected to triple by the end of the decade. Now, with Imation Blu-ray media, professionals have a simple solution for managing their growing quantity of critical data storage. Available in recordable (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) formats, Imation Blu-ray discs store up to 25 GB of digital files -- five times the capacity of standard DVDs -- and are ideal for reliable business backup, including medical and government imaging, photography, videography, as well as high definition video recording.
Imation's Blu-ray recordable (BD-R) and re-writable (BD-RE) media will be available in August for a suggested retail price of $19.99 and $29.99, respectively. More information can be found here. Add a comment
TDK sent out a press release today, announcing the launch of its Snap N' Save product line. An alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cases offer greater protection and organization options.
TDK, a world leader in digital recording solutions, today announced the launch of its Snap N' Save product line, recordable DVD and CD media supplied in innovative Snap N' Save cases. Offering the ultimate combination of robust disc protection and compact media storage, Snap N' Save cases snap closed, securely protecting your discs by sealing out dirt, dust and other contaminants that can have a negative impact on media performance. A new alternative to disc spindles, Snap N' Save cuts down on case clutter, enables keeping multiple disc sets together for superior organization, and seamlessly integrates with your home media library. TDK is offering DVD and CD media in Snap N' Save cases in a variety of colors and pack sizes.

"We're pleased to offer our customers ultimate performance DVD and CD media packaged in Snap N' Save cases," commented Bruce Youmans, TDK Vice President of Marketing. "Snap N' Save offers the same bulk storage capabilities of a spindle, but is designed to provide stronger disc protection. What's more, with a variety of colors and pack configurations, Snap N' Save offers seamless storage and organization options alongside CD jewel cases and DVD movie boxes in our customers' home media libraries."
Media using TDK's Snap N' Save cases are available now. More information, including prices, can be found here. Add a comment
I-O DATA Japan has announced a new series of drives based on Sony NEC Optiarc's upcoming 18x "Super-Multi" drive, the AD-7173A. Along with 18x DVD±R and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds, these internal and external drives feature 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-AN18GL and DVR-UN18GL should hit store shelves in early August for ¥9,300 ($80US) and ¥13,600 ($117US) respectively. More information can be found here and here. Add a comment
A scientist at the Harvard Medical School is reportedly developing a new DVD coated in proteins from a genetically altered microbes. Developed as a hard disk replacement, these protein-based DVDs will be able to store at least 20x more than the Blu-ray and eventually even up to 50TB of information.
An Indian born scientist in the US is working on developing DVD's which can be coated with a light -sensitive protein and can store up to 50 terabytes (about 50,000 gigabytes) of data.

Professor V Renugopalakrishnan of the Harvard Medical School in Boston has claimed to have developed a layer of protein made from tiny genetically altered microbe proteins which could store enough data to make computer hard disks almost obsolete.
If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment