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Although opinions vary on how to preserve data on digital storage media, such as optical CDs and DVDs, Kurt Gerecke, a physicist and storage expert at IBM Deutschland GmbH, takes this view: If you want to avoid having to burn new CDs every few years, use magnetic tapes to store all your pictures, videos and songs for a lifetime.As frequent CDRLabs readers, this information shouldn't really surprise you. If you'd like to read more though, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
"Unlike pressed original CDs, burned CDs have a relatively short life span of between two to five years, depending on the quality of the CD," Gerecke said in an interview this week. "There are a few things you can do to extend the life of a burned CD, like keeping the disc in a cool, dark space, but not a whole lot more."
The problem is material degradation. Optical discs commonly used for burning, such as CD-R and CD-RW, have a recording surface consisting of a layer of dye that can be modified by heat to store data. The degradation process can result in the data "shifting" on the surface and thus becoming unreadable to the laser beam.
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The PX-755SA will hit store shelves some time in February for a suggested retail price of € 90. If you'd like to read more, Plextor's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Plextor today announces a new high-end Serial-ATA DVD-ReWriter drive - the internal PX-755SA capable of 16x DVD+/-R and 10x DVD+R DL burning speeds. The Premium PX-755SA takes advantage of the latest motherboard SATA connectivity and comes with a comprehensive package of powerful features to give the professional user full recording control.
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At the CES ,NEC has confirmed its plans to market its HR-1100A HD DVD-ROM drive in Europe starting in March. Canal Plus of France will be supplying the HD DVD videos. There is no word yet which movies will be released in this format. The only thing we do know is that 30 movies will be available from day 1. According to NEC, a combination device that writes CDs and DVDs will be sold starting in May. The Japanese company has also announced its first HD DVD-/DVD-/CD burner for July. The first list price for the HD-DVD drive will probably be far below the original target of 500 euros.We have not heard when the HR-1100A will be available in the US. However, it will probably be only a matter of time before it makes its way over here. If you'd like to read more, head on over to heise.de. Add a comment
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Microsoft plans to place OEM orders with leading makers of optical disc drives (ODDs) in Taiwan for external HD-DVD players for use with its Xbox 360, according to industry sources. Microsoft Taiwan, however, declined to indicate whether Microsoft will offer such external HD-DVD players and leading Taiwanese ODD makers, including BenQ, Lite-On IT and Quanta Storage, said they have not heard of such news.I would not be surprised if they placed an order with BenQ as they're already producing the DVD-ROM drive modules in the Xbox 360. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
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Judging by the naming scheme and specs, the DRE16-B is based on the DQ60 from BenQ. For more information on the DRE16-B, head on over to MSI's website. Add a comment
Writing Speeds: DVD+R: 16x
DVD+RW: 8x
DVD+R DL: 8x
DVD-R: 16x
DVD-RW: 6x
DVD-R DL: 4x
DVD-RAM: 5x
CD-R: 40x
CD-RW: 24xRead Speeds: DVD-ROM: 16x Max
Buffer Size: 2MB
CD-ROM: 40x Max
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Primera Technology, Inc., the world's leading developer and manufacturer of CD/DVD duplication and printing equipment, today announced its new TuffCoat with AquaGuard surface by Imation water-resistant media.Primera's new TuffCoat with AquaGuard media will be available at the end of January. More information can be found here. Add a commentTuffCoat with AquaGuard surface is the world's first water-resistant and smear-resistant inkjet-printable CD-R and DVD-R media. The AquaGuard surface, developed by Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) and incorporated into Primera's TuffCoat media, offers many benefits, including:
- Water and smear resistance. Leveraging a proprietary surface that utilizes nanoparticle technology to grip and hold ink, printed images are locked in place exactly where originally applied. The discs are highly resistant to smearing and color bleed when exposed to water and humidity.
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Ritek and CMC Magnetics, the top two makers of optical discs in Taiwan, exhibited Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD-DVD discs at the recent 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the US, with each company planning to start volume production of the discs next quarter at the earliest, according to the two companies.The article also mentions that CMC plans to ship 15GB HD-DVD discs when Toshiba launches their HD DVD players in the US and Japan. The company is also developing a double-layer HD-DVD disc with a capacity of 30GB. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
Ritek showcased 25GB BD-R (recordable, write once), 15GB HD-DVD-R, 15GB HD-DVD-RW (rewritable) and 20GB HD-DVD-RAM (also rewritable) discs, all single-sided single-layer, at CES, company spokesman Eric Ai pointed out. The production of HD-DVD discs will come earlier than BD discs, Ai indicated.
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According to Arima's company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE), Arima Devices will take over Philips' R&D centers in Holland and Singapore and a manufacturing site in Shanghai, China, with 780 Philips staff to remain in employment. Under the deal, Arima Devices will obtain all of Philip's patented PHU-technology, including Blu-ray-Disc-related technologies, and is looking to be a major global manufacturer of PC-use DVD drives and high-end optical PUHs.Pick-up head (PUH) shortages have been plaguing Taiwanese drive manufacturers for a number of years. With Japanese manufacturers holding the patents, they've had to import these key components. Hopefully, this will change with Arima's purchase of Philips' optical pick-up business. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
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A major addition to LG's Super-Multi line of drives is the GSA-H10N, one of the world's first optical storage drives that can write DVD-RAM at a 12x speed. The Super-Multi GSA-H10N is designed for anyone with storage needs where consistency and the ability to re-write data and video is a must. Whether to back-up MP3s, videos, digital pictures or any large files, this drive can handle it all at speeds only a few have ever experienced. In addition to the 12x DVD-RAM write speed, this unit features write speeds of 16x for both DVD+R and DVD-R, write speeds of DVD+RW to 8x, DVD-RW to 6x, DVD+R DL at 10x and DVD-R DL at 8x.No word on pricing or availability yet. However, the GSA-H10N should be shipping soon as Buffalo and I-O DATA have already announced their own versions of the drive. Both companies are expecting to start shipments by the end of this month. If you'd like to read more, LG's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
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BenQ, a leading manufacturer of digital lifestyle devices, today announced the expansion of its storage product line with two new external drives that feature a double-layer recording capability. Both the slim-line TW200D DVD+/-RW drive and EW16GA 16x DVD re-writer are designed for portability for on-the-go professionals.The TW200D and EW16GA are expected to ship in March and will cost $299 and $249 respectively. More information on both drives can be found here. Add a comment
To maximize convenience, the TW200D's slim and lightweight design enables easy portability, and provides the space-saving flexibility of being placed or stored either vertically or horizontally. The TW200D offers 24x CD-ROM and 8x DVD-ROM read speeds as well as 2.4x DVD+R double layer, 8x/4x DVD+R/RW, 8x/4x DVD-R/RW and 24x CD-R/RW write speeds. The unit weighs approximately 14.5 ounces (410 grams), and the casing dimensions are 5.5" (wide) x 0.85" (height) x 6.2" (deep).
The EW16GA provides 48x CD-ROM and 16x DVD-ROM read speeds as well as 8x/4x DVD+R/-R double layer, 16x/8x DVD+R/RW, 16x/6x DVD-R/RW and 48x/32x CD-R/RW write speeds. The unit weighs approximately 3.35 lbs. (1.52 kilograms), and the casing dimensions are 6.7" (wide) x 2.4" (height) x 9.5" (deep).
