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Plextor LLC (www.plextor.com), a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, announces the PX-880SA internal SATA and PX-880U external drives. With writing speeds up to 24X and a newly-designed chassis, the drives are the fastest-writing in the Plextor lineup and also include a new noise-reduction design.
Both drives feature innovative technologies to reduce noise and improve reliability. At the 24X speed, air flow can cause bothersome acoustic noise. A unique pattern is now included on the drive chassis of both drives to regulate this air flow, reducing the amount of noise created, so users can experience excellent performance in a quiet environment.
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Imation Corp. today announced that it has entered into a confidential settlement agreement ending all legal disputes with Philips Electronics N.V., U.S. Philips Corporation and North American Philips Corporation (collectively “Philips”). The companies had been previously involved in a complex series of disputes in multiple jurisdictions regarding cross-licensing and patent infringement related to recordable optical media. The settlement provides resolution of all claims and counterclaims filed by the parties without any finding or admission of liability or wrongdoing by any party.
As a term of the settlement, Imation will pay Philips $53 million over a period of three years. Other terms of the settlement were not disclosed. As a result of the settlement, Imation expects to record a charge, based on the present value of these payments, of approximately $49 million or $0.81 per share in the second quarter of 2009. The pre-tax cash impact for 2009 will be approximately $16.5 million, occurring during the second half of this year.
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Sony today debuted its next-generation multi-function DVDirect™ DVD recorder, which can transfer both high-definition and standard-definition home videos and digital photos to DVD discs without using a computer.
The new VRD-MC6 model has a 2.7-inch color LCD screen for previewing video or up to six digital photos at a time, and its overall size is almost 60 percent smaller than its predecessor.
“Many customers still have their old home movies on tapes and are looking for an easy solution to archive their personal digital imaging content on DVD discs. With the larger built-in LCD color screen in a smaller body, the new DVDirect model makes it easier for customers to transfer the content to DVD discs for archiving, enjoying and sharing with family and friends,” said Shige Nakayama, manger of the DVDirect business at Sony.
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Lite-On (www.liteonit.com), a global leader of optical storage solutions, announces the new eTDU108 external slim DVD-ROM drive. The eTDU108 lets users play back content, access data and install software from CD or DVD discs. Its top-load design and two color options make it stylish, convenient and space-saving.
A great travel companion for any notebook or netbook without a built-in optical drive, the eTDU108 is powered directly from the notebook through the enclosed USB cable, so there is no need for an AC adapter or nearby outlet. Weighing less than 0.7 lbs, the lightweight device is ideal for travelers, busy professionals and students.
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Pioneer announced today that its new slim, portable DVD writer, the DVR-XD08, is now available across Europe. This USB bus powered drive is capable of 8x DVD±R, 6x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 8x. The DVR-XD08 also features a highly efficient Optical Pick-Up (OPU) unit, multi-effect Liquid Crystal Tilt Compensator and performance adjusting firmware as well as a software bundle from CyberLink.
Our new slim, portable DVD and CD writer, the DVR-XD08 is now available across Europe. Big on performance, it features a a sleek, high-gloss black casing and writes at speeds of up to 8X on DVD-R/+R and 6X on Dual/Double Layer (DL) DVDs and 24X to CD.
And with DL media offering 8.5GB storage capacity and technologies to reduce power consumption, the easily-connected (through USB 2.0) portable writer is ideal for users of laptops and compact netbook PCs that typically don’t include optical drives.
The DVR-XD08 supports “bus-powered” reading and writing and operates efficiently to extend the battery life of notebooks when not connected to a mains supply. It also includes a range of proprietary Pioneer technologies to reduce noise, cut vibration and ensure robust operation which advance performance over comparable products.
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Lite-On (www.liteonit.com), a global leader of optical storage solutions, announces the iHOS104, a new low-cost 4X Internal BD-ROM drive that comes standard with CyberLink’s TrueTheater™ HD software.
Providing users the latest in high-quality movie playback, CyberLink’s TrueTheater™ HD technology turns standard content into HD-quality images. At a cost significantly under $100, the iHOS104 is an affordable and convenient way for consumers to enhance their movie viewing.
“We’re dedicated to staying on the cutting-edge of technology while offering the latest advances to consumers at an affordable price,” said Christine Hsing, Marketing Manager at PLDS. “Having Cyberlink’s TrueTheater™ HD technology included in the new iHOS104 will make it easy for consumers to upgrade their system and enjoy high-definition content playback within their budgets.”
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Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, reported record sales for its slim external WriteMaster DVD writers amid a global economic recession. The monthly sales volume of slim external DVD writers, which has tripled from last October, is linked to the rise in netbook sales.
“The netbook is a streamlined economical PC with limited storage capability, designed for mobility and Internet access,” said Jin-soo Lee, vice president of Samsung’s Optical Disk Drive (ODD) marketing division. “Netbook consumers often need an external disk drive, such as a Samsung external DVD writer, for disc booting and installation of application software from CDs or DVDs.”
Samsung has two different types of slim external DVD writers: the SE-S084, which is a slot-in DVD writer and the SE-T084, a tray-type DVD writer.
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Reinforcing their commitment to accelerating the development of LTH (low to high in-groove recording) technology, Verbatim® Americas, LLC and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Verbatim/MKM) announced today the industry’s first 6X BD-R LTH Type media. Test center certified, the new 6X media, which is equivalent to approximately 10x with DVD-R media, enables users to record an entire 25GB disc much faster than the current 2X BD-R LTH Type media. The higher speed makes Verbatim/MKM BD-R LTH Type media ideal for recording personal high-definition video, for backing up computer data, archiving photo collections and business applications. The new media is scheduled for mass production this summer to ensure availability when drives and recorders that support 6X BD-R LTH Type are released in the Fall.
The high-speed LTH media builds on the research and development of MKM, which is credited for the development of the LTH organic dye recording material. The use of organic dye in the recording layer causes the reflectance of the disc to change after recording from low to high (LTH). To achieve 6X recording, MKM leveraged its many years of success in developing organic AZO recording layers for CD-R and DVD-R media. The patented AZO dye, which has been optimized for Verbatim/MKM’s LTH media, features the same proven reliability, stability and longevity that have made the Verbatim/MKM brand a trusted name in CD-R and DVD-/+R media around the globe.
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Toshiba announced this morning that they've filed a lawsuit against Imation as well as several other manufacturers and distributors of recordable DVD media. According to Toshiba's press release, these companies do not have license agreements with Toshiba or the DVD6C Licensing Group. Toshiba is seeking damages for past infringement and has asked the court to ban the sale, manufacture and importation of recordable DVD media from companies named in the lawsuit.
Toshiba Corporation announced today that on May 14, 2009, Toshiba filed suit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin against Imation Corp. (“Imation”), several manufacturers and several distributors of recordable DVD media, as a means to prohibit infringement of Toshiba’s DVD patents. Toshiba’s complaint seeks damages for past infringement and requests that the court enjoin the sale, manufacture, and importation into the United States of recordable DVD media by the defendant companies named in the complaint. The infringing recordable DVD media is sold in the United States under at least the Imation® and Memorex® brand names.
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Buffalo Japan has announced a new 24x DVD writer based on what appears to be a drive design from LG (GH24N?). The Serial ATA equipped DVSM-U24FBS is capable of 24x DVD±R, 12x DVD-RAM, 8x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW and 6x DVD-RW writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. The drive can also upscale standard DVDs to 1080/60p using the bundled CyberLink PowerDVD 8 software. The DVSM-U24FBS will hit store shelves at the end of May for about 5,800 Yen ($60US).
