Pioneer Japan sent out a press release this morning, announcing its latest 20x DVD writer, the DVR-S17J. Along with support for LabelFlash and Pioneer's PowerRead and PureRead2 technologies, the drive features 20x DVD±R, 12x DVD±R DL, 12x DVD-RAM, 8x DVD+RW and 6x DVD-RW writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. To improve the recording accuracy, Pioneer has also developed a new servo actuator and spindle motor. The DVR-S17J is scheduled to ship in mid-December and is expected to cost about 9,000 Yen ($101US).

pioneer dvr-s17j.jpg