While the price of PC-based Blu-ray Disc drives have come down some, they're still aren't exactly cheap. Fortunately, more price cuts are on the way. According to DigiTimes, Sony NEC Optiarc's general manager expects the price of Blu-ray Disc drives to drop 50% by 2008.
By 2008, prices for Blu-ray Disc (BD) drives will drop 50% from current levels amid aggressive development by various related brands and makers, according to Shuji Minami, general manager, product business group of Sony NEC Optiarc. Minami also said the maker is not ruling out seeking new partners in Taiwan or placing more orders with existing Taiwan-based partners.

Demand for BD drives are expected to be driven by full high-definition (HD) demand for 19-inch-and-above LCD monitors and the new Vista operating system (OS) from Microsoft in 2007, Minami indicated.
Even if prices drop by 50%, we're still looking at drives costing $300-$500. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Sonic Solutions has announced that they've filed a patent infringement complaint against Nero, claiming that Nero's video editing software infringes upon a patent related to certain techniques for "digital multimedia composition."
Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced that it has filed suit against German software manufacturer Nero AG and its U.S. affiliate, Nero Inc., for infringement of one of Sonic's video editing patents. The complaint, filed in the United States district court in Marshall, Texas, alleges that Nero's video editing software infringes Sonic's U.S. Patent No. 6,204,840.

Sonic's patent, filed in 1998, relates to certain techniques for "digital multimedia composition." Among other applications, the patent covers improved ways to create digital videos using a graphical "storyline" to sequence individual video segments.
It will be interesting to see how Nero responds. If you'd like to read more, Sonic's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of AOpen's new 18x DVD writer, the DSW1812P. Sporting some pretty impressive specs, the DSW1812P is capable of 18x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. The drive also includes features like 48x CD reading and writing speeds, 32x rewriting speeds, Super Link buffer underrun protection and an impressive software bundle from Nero.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the DSW1812P and see how it compares to some of the 16x and 18x DVD±RW drives from the competition. Does AOpen's new drive have what it takes? You'll have to read the review to find out.


AOpen DSW1812P 18x DVD±RW/RAM
If you have any comments or questions about this review or the AOpen DSW1812P , please post them in the forum using the link provided below. Add a comment
The Japanese company, Elecom, has announced a new portable CD/DVD destroyer, the SCR-CD001. Powered by the USB bus, the SCR-CD001 will make a disc unreadable in as little as 5 seconds. Here's part of their press release, translated from Japanese:

After the enforcing of the private information protective method, data outflow problem from the personal computer to be good becomes topic, but data outflow is not from just the personal computer. After the using when it cancels that way carelessly, there is a possibility of reading the data with the third party even from the media of CD-R/RW and DVD±R/RW etc which are used for exchanging the data frequently. The fact that data outflow from this kind of disk which is cancelled is prevented is "SCR-CD001". By the fact that damage is done to the data logging aspect of the CD DVD media, reading of the data with CD/DVD drive of marketing is made impossible, outflow of the data is prevented.
Elecom is quick to point out that the SCR-CD001 only makes the disc unreadable and doesn't actually destroy the data. The SCR-CD001 is scheduled to ship at the end of November for 3,150 Yen ($27US). More information can be found here. Add a comment

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Toshiba has announced the launch of their second generation HD DVD players in the Japanese market. The company plans to introduce two new players, the HD-XF2 and HD-XA2, in late December.
Toshiba Corporation today announced the launch of its second generation HD DVD players in the Japanese market. The company will roll out two new players, HD-XF2 and HD-XA2, from late December.

The new HD DVD players are smaller and offer improved speed in loading and response times over the HD-XA1, the world's first HD DVD player, brought to market by Toshiba in March 2006. The new high-end HD-XA2 supports Deep Color technology, an optional standard under HDMI that improves representation of color tones and achieves finer color gradation. HD-XA2 also provides support for the superior high-definition images of 1080p output.
While Toshiba has not announced prices, the Japanese website AV Watch expects the HD-XF2 and HD-XA2 to cost about 110,000 Yen ($846US) and 49,800 Yen ($422US) respectively. More information can be found on Toshiba's website. Add a comment
Acoustica sent out a press release this morning, announcing that version 3.x of their Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker software now supports LightScribe.
Acoustica Inc. has released Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker Version 3.x, which now supports LightScribe Direct Disk Technology. LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling is a new technology that offers user a simple, no-hassle way to burn professional, silkscreen-quality labels on their CDs and DVDs. Using the same laser that burns data in their disc drives, users burn their data as always, flip the disc over, reinsert it into the drive and burn a precise, iridescent label with their desired text and graphics using the same laser that burns the data - no printer, permanent marker or adhesive labeling is required.

Acoustica CD Label Maker can automatically import track information directly from iTunes playlists or from dozens of playlist file types, can import track information from CD-Text, FreeDB, and MusicBrainz, and can directly read track/file information from MP3 or data CDs and DVDs. Auto-tracks formatting allows you to format your tracks layout in a variety of styles, including circular and spiral text, with a single click. You can also hide and show specific tracks fields (title, artist, genre, etc.) or hide/show tracks listings altogether with a single button click or menu selection. Prints on over 500 stock sticker labels and CD jewel case templates. Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker also supports direct-to-CD printing on more than 70 printers.
Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker 3.x is available now for $21.95. More information can be found here. Add a comment
Quanta Storage has reportedly licensed a number of slim-type DVD burner patents from Sony and is expected to become an OEM manufacturer of these products for Sony NEC Optiarc.
Quanta Storage, the largest maker of slim-type optical disc drives (ODDs) in Taiwan, has reportedly secured the licensed use of slim-type DVD burner patents from Sony and thereby is expected to become an OEM maker of such products for Sony NEC Optiarc, a joint venture between Sony and NEC, according to industry sources...

...Quanta Storage originally used slim-type ODD patents from Philips, but the licensing contract expired in mid-October of this year and Quanta Storage did not renew the contract with Philips BenQ Digital Storage (PBDS), a joint venture of Philips and BenQ, which is in charge of licensing Philips' ODD patents in Taiwan, the sources indicated. PBDS president Alpha Tsai confirmed that Quanta Storage has not signed another licensing contract to date.
If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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