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Optical Storage
Sony NEC Optiarc Europe recently announced that they have started distributing Sony branded burners to retail outlets. Along with the BWU-200S Blu-ray Disc writer, the company will distribute two new 20x DVD writers, the DRU-190S and DRU-190A.
The BWU-200S burns single and double-layer Blu-ray discs at up to 4x speed, and DVD media at up to 16x speed. It needs around 45 minutes to write a 50 GB BD-R - which is only half the time required by the predecessor model, the BWU-100A. Up to 230 minutes of video film in HD quality can be recorded on a 50 GB Blu-ray disc.

BD-REs are processed by the BWU-200S at double speed. It processes DVD+R blanks at 16x speed and DVD+RW media at 8x speed, DVD-RAMs at 5x speed and DVD+R discs in double-layer versions at 8x write speed. The BWU-200S has a SATA interface and is supplied with CyberLink BD authoring software for Windows, which inputs video recordings in 1080i and provides editing functions. The software also supports video playback, including DVDs in AVCHD format.

In addition to the BWU-200S, Optiarc starts to distribute two new multi-write DVD burners in retail outlets. The DRU-190S and the DRU-190A achieve up to 20x write speed on single-layer DVD blanks. They burn rewritable and double-layer DVDs at up to 8x DVD speed, and DVD-RAMs at a maximum of 12x speed. The DRU-190S is connected up via a SATA interface which enables even faster data transfer. The DRU-190A has an E-IDE interface.
The BWU-200S, DRU-190S and DRU-190A are now available from retail outlets. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

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Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 Case @HardwareLogic andInsideHW.com
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Inno3D GeForce 8800GT OC 512MB @TweakTown
Leadtek WinFast 8500 & 8600GT With HDMI @TweakTown
Nexus Caterpillar Silent ATX Case @Madshrimps
Rosewill RX81-CW-US Hard Drive Enclosure @ThinkComputers.org
Thermaltake iXoft Notebook Cooling Pad @Virtual-Hideout
Thermaltake Xaser VI Case @DV Hardware
Ultra m998 Aluminum Mid-Tower ATX Case ULT40069 @Benchmark Reviews
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Home Entertainment
LG sent out a press release earlier today, announcing that their second-generation Super Blu Player is now available through leading electronics retailers. The BH200 is capable of playing current Blu-ray and HD DVD discs and is ready for "BD Profile 1.1" when titles with this new profile become available in 2008.
LG Electronics'second-generation LG Super Blu(TM) Player (model BH200) is now availablenationally at leading consumer electronics dealers. This advancedmulti-format disc player (suggested retail price $999) lets consumerschoose from the widest variety of high-def video content as it is the onlyplayer capable of playing both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.

"LG introduced the BH200 to focus on consumer needs by ending theconfusion caused by the current format war," said Allan Jason, vicepresident of consumer electronics marketing at LG Electronics USA, Inc."This second generation, dual-format player allows consumers to enjoy theirfavorite movies, features and extras, regardless of format, on thebest-in-class high-definition media player."
If you'd like to read more, LG's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage
According to Reuters, Taiyo Yuden has filed lawsuits against Prodisc and Ritek, claiming that the two companies infringed upon three patents related to the manufacturing of DVD-R discs and had refused to pay patent fees.
Japan's Taiyo Yuden Co Ltd said on Monday it has filed a patent suit in the United States against two Taiwanese makers of DVD discs for violation of manufacturing technology for DVD-R discs.

Taiyo Yuden, an electronic parts maker, filed a suit at a California district court against Prodisc Technology Inc on Oct. 30 and Ritek Corp on Nov. 21, Taiyo Yuden spokeswoman Rieko Kimoto said.
If you'd like to read more, the entire report can be found here. Add a comment

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Other
CDRLabs kicks off the week with a review of LG's second generation Super Multi Blue drive, the GGW-H20L. This all in one solution combines a Blu-ray Disc writer and HD DVD-ROM drive, giving users the ability to enjoy movies in both formats. The GGW-H20L is also capable of 4x BD-R DL and 2x BD-RE writing speeds, and is the first drive with the ability to write to BD-R media at 6x.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the GGW-H20L and see how it compares to some of the Blu-ray Disc writers from the competition. Are 6x BD-R writing speeds enough to put the GGW-H20L on top? You'll have to read the review to find out.


LG GGW-H20L Super Multi Blue
If you have any comments or questions about this review or the LG GGW-H20L, please post them in the forum. Add a comment

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Flash Memory
Toshiba has announced their entry into the NAND-flash-based solid state drive (SSD) market. The company's first drives will be available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities and will feature an original MLC controller that supports fast read-write speeds, parallel data transfers and wear leveling.

Moving NAND-based storage architecture forward, Toshiba's first solid state drives offer three densities: 32 gigabytes (GB), 64GB and 128GB. SSD realize low power consumption, a fast boot time, and lightweight, but market penetration has been held back by low densities and high prices. Toshiba's new SSD integrate an original MLC controller supporting fast read-write speeds, parallel data transfers and wear leveling, and achieve performance levels comparable to those of single-level NAND flash SSD. By applying MLC technology, Toshiba has realized a 128GB density in a 1.8 inch form factor. Toshiba expects the launch of its SSD line-up to speed up acceptance of solid state memory in laptops and digital consumer products, and to widen the horizons of the NAND flash market.
Toshiba's new SSD's will be showcased at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Samples and mass production will follow from the first quarter of next year. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

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ASUS P5E3 Deluxe WiFi-AP Motherboard @Virtual-Hideout
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Flash Memory
Transcend recently announced its latest USB flash drive, the JetFlash V33. This simple and cute flash drive sports a curved, ultra-compact body and weighs in at only 7g.

Transcend, a leading manufacturer of flash memory products, today introduced its latest tiny USB flash drive - JetFlash V33. The JetFlash V33 has a curved, ultra-compact body (60mm x 16.5mm x 8.1mm) and only weighs 7g. Its pure white color scheme is simple and cute, with a splash of color around its cap. With renowned Transcend build quality at down-to-earth prices, the JetFlash V33 represents a new standard in value. The JetFlash V33 allows you store a whole lot more of your personal files, documents from work or school, digital photos, movies and music on a flash drive smaller than your finger. Never worry about running out of space again!
The JetFlash V33 is available now in 8GB, 4GB, 2GB, and 1GB capacities. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment
ClearPlay sent out a press release today, announcing that their content-filtering DVD player is now being sold at Best Buy stores across the United States. This new player gives parents the ability to filter out objectionablecontent during DVD playback.
ClearPlay, the leader inadvanced parental control technologies for consumer electronic products,today announced that the company's content-filtering DVD player is nowbeing sold in Best Buy stores throughout the United States.

The award-winning ClearPlay DVD player empowers parents and otherindividuals with the ability to edit out content they find objectionablefor themselves or their children -- such as profanity, graphic violence,sex and nudity -- during DVD playback. This is done by creating filteringinformation on a movie-by-movie basis, and then loading these "filters"into the DVD player using a USB "filter stick." This way, filters for thelatest DVD releases can be constantly updated, providing parents and otheradults with control over what they and their children watch. Analogous toairline or TV movie versions, it also makes many DVDs accessible to abroader audience.
The ClearPlay DVD player being sold at Best Buy comes preloaded with 2500 filters and includes twelve months of unlimited updates. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment
While HD DVD was reportedly a no show at the High-Def 2.0 conference, Blu-ray backers like Sony were there in full force. At the conference, Sony VP of advanced technologies Don Eklund confirmed that a new firmware should be available later this month that would upgrade the PlayStation 3's Blu-ray capabilities to the new Profile 1.1 spec. With this upgrade PlayStation 3 owners will be able to take advantage of interactive features like picture-in-picture playback.
The long-awaited Profile 1.1 firmware upgrade for the PlayStation 3 should be available later this month. It was confirmed by Don Eklund, EVP of advanced technologies for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, at the High-Def 2.0 conference Dec. 4 in Los Angeles.

With several studios lining up 1.1-enabled Blu-ray Discs during the first quarter, the upgrade will allow those discs with picture-in-picture features to be used on the PS3.
If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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