DigiTimes has reported that Sony NEC Optiarc will be manufacturing its own drives at first. However, in the future, they are expected to place orders for its ODD products at Lite-On IT.
Sony NEC Optiarc, a joint venture (JV) that combines Sony's and NEC's optical disc drive (ODD) businesses, will launch its first product, a 18x DVD burner (called the AD-7170A), next month, and the company will manufacture it at its own plant in Malaysia, according to industry sources in Taiwan. The sources also expect that in the future, the company will place OEM/ODM orders for its ODD products at Lite-On IT.
The Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7173A and AD-7170A have already started to show up in some parts of the world. Unfortunately, the US isn't one of them. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here.
