CDRLabs finishes up the week with a review of Lite-On's new EZ-DUB enabled DVD writer, the DX-20A4PU. While affordably priced, this external drive sports some pretty impressive specs including 20x 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 DX-20A4PU  also features many of the technologies we've come to expect from Lite-On including more advanced ones like SmartWrite and OverSpeed. More importantly, its EZ-DUB technology makes copying discs and backing up data a quick and easy process.

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OCZ Technology recently announced its new OCZ Core Series SATA II 2.5” Solid State Drives (SSDs). The OCZ Core Series SSDs are available in capacities up to 128GB and is capable of 120-143 MB/s read and 80-93 MB/s write speeds. Best of all, they are priced 50% less than comparable high performance SSDs.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and computer components, today unveiled the OCZ Core Series SATA II 2.5” Solid State Drives (SSDs). OCZ has gained momentum in this pioneering technology, which uses NAND flash instead of rotating platters as the storage medium, and is a high-performance, highly reliable and energy-efficient alternative to conventional hard disc drives.

The OCZ Core Series delivers the performance and reliability of the latest SSDs at a 50% less price per gigabyte than other high speed offerings currently on the market. For the first time, OCZ is putting SSD technology within reach of the average consumer, and delivering on the promise of SSDs as an alternative to traditional hard drives in consumer targeted mobile applications.
OCZ has not announced when then the Core Series will ship. However, they have stated that the 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions will be priced at $169, $259 and $479, respectively, at the time of launch. If you'd like to read more, OCZ's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

With 6x Blu-ray Disc writers hitting the market, media manufacturers have begun to produce BD-R discs capable of these speeds. DigiTimes is reporting that both CMC and Ritek are in the process of getting their 6x BD-R media certfied and plan to begin volume production later this year.
CMC Magnetics and Ritek have 6x Blu-ray Disc (BD)-R discs in the process of certification by potential clients and plan to kick off volume production in August and some time in the third quarter, respectively, according to the two companies.

Japan-based Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) last week became the world's first vendor to unveil 6x BD-R discs and will launch single- and double-layer versions for sale in Japan next month, according to industry sources in Taiwan. The BD Association approved the 6x BD-R specification in March defining a maximum write speed of 216Mbps, 20-25% faster than that of 16x DVD+R/-R, the sources noted.
The article also points out that 6x BD-R discs are expected to be relatively expensive and that discs rated at 2x and 4x will remain the mainstream standard. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

ONKYO announced today that it will be shipping its first Blu-ray Disc Player in late 2008. While there aren't a lot of details, ONKYO has stated that the player is designed to work with their high-definition A/V receivers and will offer Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.
ONKYO Corporation has announced that it will release its first Blu-ray Disc Player for the international market in late 2008. This player is designed to partner Onkyo’s high-definition A/V receivers equipped with full HDMI processing of 1080p video and decoding of Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD™ Master Audio surround sound formats.

Onkyo was among the first home theater manufacturers to offer full audio and video processing capabilities for HD formats such as Blu-ray Disc. The company’s A/V receivers deliver a complete high-definition experience with onboard decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs. The release of this Blu-ray Disc player will be timely given that the second-generation of high-definition-capable Onkyo A/V receivers is now available.
No word yet on price but knowing ONKYO, their new Blu-ray Disc player won't be cheap. If you'd like to read more, ONKYO's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

At a recent Tokyo news conference, Sony CEO, Howard Stringer, unveiled the company's new corporate strategy. Sony plans to raise its return on equity to 10 percent in three years which would bring its profitability closer to levels at Samsung. To do so, the company will improve the operations of its TV business and expand its PC, Blu-ray Disc-related products and component/semiconductor businesses. Sony also expects its game division to become profitable by the end of the fiscal year and will be launching a video distribution service on its PlayStation Network this summer.
Sony today presented a series of new initiatives designed to build on its previous three-year revitalization plan and to position the company as the leading global provider of networked consumer electronics and entertainment. In particular, the company will focus on strengthening core businesses, enhancing network initiatives and leveraging international growth opportunities to build for the future and drive further growth and profits. In addition, Sony announced the following key mid-term goals:
  • Expand our PC, Blu-ray Disc-related products and component/semiconductor businesses into “trillion yen businesses,” joining LCD TVs, digital imaging (digital cameras and camcorders), game and mobile phones and raising the total number of “trillion yen businesses” to seven.
  • Ensure that 90% of our electronics product categories are network-enabled and wireless-capable by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011 (“FY2010”).
  • Roll out video services across key Sony products by FY2010, starting with the summer 2008 launch on the PLAYSTATION®Network.
  • Double annual revenue from BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries to 2 trillion yen by FY2010.
It will be interesting to see if Sony can pull all of this off. If you'd like to read more, Sony's entire announcement can be found here. Add a comment

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