- Details
- Optical Storage
If you'd like to read more, Verbatim's entire press release can be found here. Add a commentVerbatim, the storage media specialist, introduces recordable and rewritable Mini Blu-ray media (BD-R/BD-RE) to the European market. The 8 cm Blu-ray media will be available in specialist stores from November and will cost between €12,99 and €17,99 (RRP).
Measuring 8 cm in diameter, the new 7.5 GB discs provide approximately one hour of continuous video capture time on a single side when high definition (1920×1080) is used, and approximately two hours of video capture time with images recorded at 1440×1080. The new Mini BD media have been launched in Japan simultaneously with the new Hitachi BD-compatible camcorder in August. In Europe, the Verbatim Mini Blu-ray media will be available at the beginning of November. The recordable Mini BD-R costs €12.99, the rewritable Mini BD-R costs €17.99 (recommended retail prices).
- Details
- Optical Storage
The BWU-200S will be available directly from Sony at sonystyle.com next month for about $600. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
Sony Electronics today announced its second generation internal Blu-ray Disc (BD) writer drive for the computer aftermarket, which boasts 4X BD-R and 16X DVD+R recording speeds.
The new BWU-200S model cuts BD-R burning time by half compared to the first generation model, allowing for a full 50GB BD-R disc to be recorded in about 45 minutes. It also features improved DVD burning speeds, making it a multi-format combo burner that eliminates the need for more than one drive in a system.
The drive comes with CyberLink BD Solution software that provides a comprehensive application for capturing, authoring, editing, burning and viewing high-definition personal content captured in the native HDV 1080i format from an HDV camcorder. In addition, the software supports recording on DVDs and CDs, as well as playback of DVDs recorded in the AVCHD format.
- Details
- Optical Storage
Fastmac today announced the first & only 2X Blu-Ray optical drive upgrade for Apple's PowerBook, iBook & MacBook Pro computers. The new slimline, slot loading drive uses the fastest & most compatible Blu-ray mechanism available to provide up to 50 GB of storage on 1 disk, without sacrificing compatibility with standard DVD & CD recordable media...While Fastmac's 2x Blu-Ray optical drive upgrade won't ship for another month or so, you can pre-order it from www.fastmac.com for a special introductory price of $999.95. More information can be found here. Add a comment
...Fastmac's slimline Blu-ray slot loading optical drive supports reading, writing and re-writing to single and dual layer Blu-ray media at up to 2x speeds. The drive is also compatible with standard DVD and CD media and can write to DVD-R and DVD+R media at 8x speed in single layer and up to 2.4x speed in dual/ double layer mode. It can rewrite to DVD-R and DVD+R media at 4x speeds. The drive also supports DVD-RAM reading and writing at up to 5x speeds and standard CD-R and CD-RW burning at 8x speeds.
- Details
- Optical Storage
In light of better than expected sales of Halo 3, Microsoft has decided to strongly promote sales of Xbox 360 consoles during the traditional peak period prior to Christmas and therefore has placed additional OEM orders, the sources explained.If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
To meet Microsoft's urgent demand, Lite-On IT has allocated production capacity solely for turning out one million Xbox 360 DVD-ROM drives a month, the sources pointed out. But the capacity is still not enough, and thus Lite-On IT has dedicated additional capacity, the sources indicated. However, the situation has conflicted with Lite-On IT's production of PC-use ODDs, the sources noted.
- Details
- Optical Storage
Hitachi is also working on an 8 layer disc that can hold 200GB of data. However, they've had problems with reflections decreasing the signal strength across the eight layers. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
Hitachi has developed a prototype four layer Blu-Ray disc capable of holding 100GB of data.
While companies such as TDK and Panasonic have previously mooted 100GB discs, they have always needed a specially developed optical head in the player to read the disc.
Hitachi, however, claims to have used a standard Blu-Ray drive optical head that's only slightly modified to allow it to read and write data across the four 25GB layers. It's believed this will only require a firmware update to make existing drives compatible.
- Details
- Optical Storage
PioneerCorporation, a leading global manufacturer of consumer and business-useelectronics products, and Sonic Solutions(R), the leader in digital mediasoftware, have begun a worldwide joint licensing program of patents andother related IP for the encryption and burning of video content torecordable DVD media for playback on DVD players. To respond to consumerand industry interest in "electronic sell-through" of video content and tofacilitate the adoption of secure download and burn applications inaccordance with the approved industry specifications for recordingdownloads set by the DVD Forum and the DVD Copy Control Association,Pioneer and Sonic have established a royalty-bearing licensing program thatwill be administered by Sonic under the Qflix(TM) name. The program willbroadly license the companies' combined intellectual property that allowsDVD recording technologies to use CSS (Content Scramble System), which isthe same content protection found on commercially released DVD movies.If you'd like to read more, the entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
- Details
- Optical Storage
CMC Magnetics and Ritek, the top two Taiwan-based producers of optical discs, as well as Prodisc Technology, a second-tier maker, are unwilling to invest in large-scale production of either Blu-ray Disc (BD) or HD DVD discs, according to industry sources in Taiwan.The article also points out that CMC and Ritek are producing HD DVD and Blu-ray media. However, in very limited amounts. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
The disc manufacturers are reluctant to invest in blue-laser disc production because royalty fees are high and there is the possibility that the cost of production equipment may drastically drop in the future, noted the sources, adding that it is still uncertain which standard will become mainstream.
- Details
- Optical Storage
According to DataPlay's website, the MovieWriter burns CSS protected DVD's at only 2x. However, speeds will eventually increase to 8x. No word on pricing pricing or availability yet. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, DataPlay's entire press release can be found here.
DPHI, Inc. / DataPlay, a leader in advanced optical storage solutions,announced today the world’s first DVD burner capable of writing Content Scramble System (CSS) encryptedcontent for playback on standard DVD players. This has been made possible by the recent amendment to theCSS specification, which now allows consumers and retailers to download digital video content and createprotected DVD discs. To incorporate CSS recording capabilities into their burners, DataPlay is participating in theQflix technology and lP licensing program administered by Sonic Solutions. For consumers, DataPlay hasreleased an External USB 2.0 DVD Burner called MovieWriter which will allow them to legally and securelydownload and burn movies to DVD at home. An I/T version of the MovieWriter will be available shortly for PCOEMsto integrate into PC systems and home multi-media centers. In addition, DataPlay is making available aspecialized CSS-MR/Qflix Pre-Key Writing System for media manufacturers and replicators.
Update: DataPlay informed us that the MovieWriter should be available in the December timeframe with a MSRP of around $99. Add a comment
- Details
- Optical Storage
CMC Magnetics, Ritek, Prodisc Technology and Gigastorage, Taiwan-based producers of optical discs, have seen a significant increase in OEM orders for blank DVD+R/-R discs since the beginning of September with their production capacities being fully booked for the entire fourth quarter of 2007 or until January 2008, according to the companies. However, since they are uncertain how long the demand will last the companies have not raised OEM quotes.The article also points out that OEM quotes will stay the same for the time being. However, OEM quotes are likely to go up if demand continues to grow. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
The amount of orders has increased because international brands and large retail channels in the US and Europe have been replenishing their inventories, CMC and Ritek indicated, adding that the demand stems from the summer season as well as the from the traditional peak period prior to the Christmas and New Year holidays.
- Details
- Optical Storage
While Pioneer did not specify a price, the BDC-202 is already available online and can be picked up for less than $280. If you'd like to read more, Pioneer's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
The newly designed drive offers playback of high definition Hollywood Blu-ray Disc movie titles on a properly configured PC. The BDC-202 internal Blu-ray Disc/DVD/CD combo drive also allows users to access and transfer data files onto DVD and CD. It reads BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-RE single layer discs up to 5x speed and dual layer BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-RE discs up to 2x speed. It will also read and write to most DVD and CD formats. The BDC-202 features a Serial ATA (SATA) Interface and ships with an optional, full-featured Corel media software suite. The software suite includes Blu-ray Disc playback software as well as enhanced functionality to design personalized DVD movies, create digital photo slideshows, burn music files to CD, backup files to DVD and CD, and more.
