Optiarc Europe announced a new external slimline DVD burner this week. The DRX-S70U-R is capable of 8x DVD±R, 4x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 8x. It also sports a stylish black and silver design and is both Windows and Mac compatible.

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At less than two centimetres in height and weighing only 440 grams, the DRX-S70U-R easily fits into any item of hand luggage without making it difficult to carry. This aesthetic DVD burner in a stylishly subtle black and silver design looks good on any table top and blends perfectly into any environment. The DRX-S70U-R is also a versatile piece of equipment. It is Mac and Windows compatible and can process all standard DVD and CD formats. With comprehensive software and NERO 8 express software for Microsoft Windows as standard, the burner is also ideal for multimedia applications.
The DRX-S70U-R writes to DVD±R and DVD+RW blanks at 8x speed. It achieves 6x speed writing to DVD-RW media and 5x speed writing to DVD-RAMs, 4x speed writing to DVD-R DLs and DVD+R9s and 24x speed writing to CDs. The drive reads DVD-ROMs at 8x speed and CD-ROMs at 24x speed.

Optiarc Europe announced today that it will be distributing the retail version of Sony's new 8x Blu-ray Disc writer. The BWU-300S offers 8x BD-R, 8x BD-R DL and 2x BD-RE writing speeds as well as a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 8x.

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The new BWU-300S model burns single and dual layer BD-R media at up to 8X speed, recording a full 25GB disc in about 15 minutes and a full 50GB disc in about 30 minutes. The 8X recording speed is achieved using 6X compatible BD-R media. The drive also records DVDs at up to 16X, CDs up to 48X, and supports DVD-RAM recording, with an eye towards data backup, making it an excellent replacement burner for a standard DVD drive while offering all the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology. Also included with the drive is CyberLink’s software suite for capturing, authoring, editing, burning, and viewing high-definition personal content.
“The BWU-300S provides consumers with the opportunity to experience high-definition movie playback and to output high-definition video on a Blu-ray Disc,” said Thomas Nedder, Managing Director of Optiarc. “The new Blu-ray Disc writer achieves a new level of performance and we are providing also the industry’s most complete software bundle to finish high-definition personal content.”

Plextor Europe sent out a press release earlier today, announcing its new external 20x DVD writer. Along with support for both FireWire and USB 2.0, the PX-830UF features 20x DVD±R, 12x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds.

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Plextor launches the latest update to its external DVD Rewriter family – the high end Plextor PX-830UF. This fast 20x drive is ideal for all users looking for the latest optical speeds and with both USB2.0 and FireWire connectivity, it is compatible with both Mac and PC systems.

Rudy De Meirsman, Sales & Marketing Manager at Plextor, says: “Fast external drives, such as the 20x Plextor PX-830UF, are particularly useful for laptop users without optical drives, for example the latest small form-factor ultra-portable PCs and the MacBook Air. Plus anyone looking for a reliable drive in their home or office setup.”

Building on the success of the external PX-810UF 18x DVD ReWriter, the PX-830UF offers the latest burning speeds for professional and enthusiast users, through to anyone looking for a stylish addition or upgrade to their home/office set-up. Simply connect the unit using a USB or FireWire cable supplied, and you’re off!

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Pioneer Electronics sent out a press release this morning, announcing its first Qflix-enabled DVD writers. With the DVR-2920Q and DVR-X162Q, consumers can purchase and download movies directly from the Internet and then create a permanent copy that can be played back on standard DVD players. The two drives also offer 20x DVD±R writing speeds as well as support for features like Pioneer's Optimal Write Speed function.

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Advancing the current state of digital downloading for entertainment fans everywhere, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today introduces two DVD/CD computer writers featuring Qflix™ DVD Download & Burn technology, enabling users to download their favorite movies directly from the Internet to DVD. As personal computers become media centers for many consumers, the new Pioneer® internal DVR-2920Q and external DVR-X162Q DVD/CD writers allow users to take advantage of this exciting technology while expanding their entertainment collections with a tangible, familiar media that will maintain into the future.

Jointly developed by Pioneer and Sonic Solutions®, Qflix is an emerging DVD technology that gives consumers the opportunity to purchase licensed Hollywood films, and eventually TV shows, from CinemaNow, some of which have previously been unavailable at retail.

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Lite-On announced today that its new 6x Blu-ray Disc Combo drive will ship to the U.S. market in late October. Along with support for LightScribe, the iHES206 reads single layer Blu-ray discs at 6x and is capable of 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds.

Lite-On proudly introduces its 6X internal Blu-ray Disc Combo, iHES206. The new Blu-ray Disc Reader plus DVD writer provides consumers an innovative way to playback high definition content, while maintaining the capability of archiving personal data files onto CD or DVD.

The iHES206 is a great solution for enthusiasts who wish to enjoy the advanced technologies of Blu-ray in home entertainment. It will not only allow them to play high-definition content such as Blu-ray movies, it will also provide users the ability to share with family & friends personal creations of data files, presentations, home videos and other image files on DVDs or CDs.

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Verbatim sent out a press release this morning, announcing the world's first LightScribe 8x DVD+R Double Layer (DL) discs. Available in the U.S. in November, these new discs are produced with LightScribe Media Version 1.2 coating technology and are fully compatible with LightScribe-enabled drives and software.

lightscribe logo square.jpgLeveraging many of the same technologies that set the standard for high-speed DVD+R Double Layer (DL) disc performance, reliability and compatibility, Verbatim® Americas, LLC, announced today the worlds first LightScribe® 8X DVD+R Double Layer (DL) discs. At 8X speed, the industrys fastest DVD DL burning speed, an entire 8.5GB single-sided disc can be filled to capacity in 15 minutes¹ or less. Verbatim will begin shipping LightScribe 8X DVD+R DL discs in November.

Verbatim and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM), have consistently been at the forefront in developing DVD+R DL technologies and LightScribe media coating. Verbatim was also the first company to release DVD+R DL discs and LightScribe media worldwide.

LightScribe certified, Verbatims new double layer media is fully compatible with LightScribe-enabled drives, duplicators and the latest software licensed by Hewlett-Packard Company (HP). When combined, the same drive that burns content to the data side of the disc can be used to burn silkscreen-quality monochrome labels directly on the label side of the discs. The discs are produced with LightScribe Media Version 1.2 coating technology on the label side to provide enhanced contrast for photos, graphics, images and text. Verbatims new DVD+R DL discs deliver LightScribe direct-to-disc labeling quality and convenience without requiring any software or firmware upgrades.

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Buffalo Japan has announced yet another 8x Blu-ray Disc writer. Based on the LG BH08NS20, the BR-H816FBS features 8x BD-R, 8x BD-R DL, 2.3x BD-RE and 2x BD-RE DL writing speeds and a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 8x. The drive will ship in mid-October and is priced at 39,100 Yen ($390US). Here are some of the BR-H816FBS's specs:

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Writing Speeds:
BD-R: 8x
BD-R DL: 8x
BD-R LTH: 2x
BD-RE: 2.3x
BD-RE DL: 2x
DVD±R: 16x
DVD±R DL: 4x
DVD+RW: 8x
DVD-RW: 6x
DVD-RAM: 5x
CD-R: 48x
CD-RW: 24x

Buffer: 4MB
Read Speeds:
BD-ROM: 8x
BD-R: 8x
BD-R DL: 8x
BD-R LTH: 2x
BD-RE: 4.8x
DVD-ROM (Single): 16x Max
DVD-ROM (Dual): 12x Max
DVD±R: 16x Max
DVD±RW: 8x Max
DVD±R DL: 10x Max
DVD-RAM: 5x Max
CD-R/ROM: 48x Max
CD-RW: 40x Max
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Samsung anounced today that it has added three new models to its Super-WriteMaster DVD burner lineup. Along with the SATA equipped SH-S223Q, the company has begun to ship two new PATA drives, the SH-S222A and SH-S222L. The three drives feature 22X DVD±R, 16x DVD+R DL, 12x DVD-R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds and, according to Samsung, are capable of burning an entire 4.7GB DVD in four minutes and 26 seconds.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the worldwide digital consumer electronics and information technology leader, today announced shipment of three new DVD burners in the Super-WriteMaster SH-S223 series. In addition to the SH-S223F DVD burner announced earlier this year, Samsung is now shipping the SH-S223Q SATA drive and the SH-S222A and SH-S222L PATA drives. The three drives share the same industry-best 22X writing speeds of approximately 29.7 megabytes per second.

The SH-S223Q is a SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) drive with embedded LightScribe technology that lets users easily engrave labels, photos, and designs directly onto DVDs and CDs. LightScribe engraving produces a professional look without the cost and hassle of printing labels. The label-making software is pre-loaded on the drive and offers a variety of designs and label layouts.

The new SH-S222A and SH-S222L drives are optimized for the PC upgrade market since they have a PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment) interface. Although a majority of new computers are shipped with a SATA interface, a significant portion of consumers with older computer models are looking to upgrade their slower drives. These new PATA drives offer the speed of a leading-edge drive with the compatibility required for mature PC models. Similar to the SH-S223Q, the SH-S222L drive is equipped with LightScribe technology.

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Lite-On Europe sent out a press release this morning, announcing its new Blu-ray combo drive. The iHES206 reads single layer Blu-ray discs at 6x and is capable of 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds. The drive is scheduled to ship in November for an estimated retail price of 139 euro.

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Lite-On proudly introduces its 6X internal Blu-ray Disc Combo, iHES206. The new Blu-ray Disc Reader plus DVD Writer provides consumers an all-in-one solution to playback high definition content, while maintaining the capability of archiving data onto CD or DVD.

The Lite-On iHES206 with Serial ATA interface is a great solution for enthusiasts who wish to enjoy the advanced technologies of Blu-ray in home entertainment. It will not only allow them to play high-definition content such as Blu-ray movies, it will also provide users all the advantages of a DVD Writer.

The iHES206 is capable of recording on today’s most popular DVD and CD media in the market, and playback from media such as Blu-ray Discs, DVD, and CD. The drive can read BD-R/RE/ROM discs at 6X (Double Layer at 4X). It can write DVD±R at 16X, DVD±R DL and DVD+RW at 8X, DVD-RW at 6X and DVD-RAM at 12X.

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Sanyo announced today that it has developed a blue-violet semiconductor laser capable of outputting 450mW. According to the company's press release, the laser is capable of recording four layer Blu-ray Discs at speeds up to 12x. Sanyo also claims that a device equipped with the laser would be able to dub an entire two hour program in as little as ten minutes. Sadly, Sanyo's doesn't plan to put its new laser into mass production for another 2-3 years.

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