BenQ reveals price, release window for BW1000 Blu-ray burner

So we finally got some solid release deets on BenQ's anticipated BW1000 3-in-1 Blu-ray burner (also known as the "Trio): it'll be coming out in late August, and set you back 799 euros, or a little over $1,000. As you'll recall, that grand is buying you an internal drive that writes to BD-R discs at 2x speed, to DVDs between 4x and 12x, and to CDs at 32x speed, while obviously playing back Blu-ray content at full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution as well. You're also getting the usual suite of features designed to dampen vibration and ensure data integrity, which will come in especially handy for folks who can't afford to be wasting those initially-expensive next-gen discs. Keep in mind, though, that this model won't be the only option available to you by the time it hits stores, so make sure to check out the supported formats and features on competing units from Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic and Philips before you lay down all that cash.

[Via Yahoo]

[Kamalot @ Jul 3rd 2006 3:25PM]

Bluray burners seem totally pointless. I'd rather buy another hard drive or backup tapes for my backup solution instead of this. It does not offer that much space for archives and the cost of entry is too high.

Silly Bluray.

[Bootes @ Jul 3rd 2006 3:32PM]

Yes but it will get cheaper. DVD burners didn't make any sense when they first came out either.

[KawF @ Jul 3rd 2006 3:34PM]

"€799,00 including VAT." -Pressrelease

Just so there's no confusion.

[** Hello Moto ** @ Jul 3rd 2006 3:37PM]

I don't think there is a lot of use right now, but I think its a good thing for the industry. First of all it help bring at least some competition, so prices might fall faster, or at least keep profit margins down (and thus overall prices).

Other then that they don't have much personal use other then backing up huge amounts of data. Business who want to adopt early and get older copies onto Blu-Ray as well as DVD it could be useful so there isn't a sudden issue of only being able to retreave Blu-Ray and then needing to get something off a DVD.

Finnaly I think Blu-Ray is doing this to hurt HD-DVD. Having more drives avalible will be yet antoher way to try and win the format war. Right now they are getting close to HD-DVD in many ways, and beating them in speed/nubmers of players. After a few months whne all the Blu-Ray disks are out, they have a very good chance of winning it all.

[James @ Jul 3rd 2006 3:40PM]

Where's the damn Blu-ray ROM drives? What if I just want to play back content on my computer and not burn anything with it?

[hmurchison @ Jul 3rd 2006 3:47PM]

Funny....aren't having MORE vendors supposed to spur competitive pricing? It's like I have a million options for BD recorders and they're all $1000 or more.

This format is looking to be too expensive.

[gr33n @ Jul 3rd 2006 3:55PM]

benq needs new photoshop artist...

[dudeInAmerica @ Jul 3rd 2006 4:02PM]

I bet it'll be $79 in a year. Any takers?

[thumbs @ Jul 3rd 2006 4:23PM]

I just wish it had more logos on the front.

[D @ Jul 3rd 2006 6:29PM]

Don't forget this is inflated European pricing. €800 usually means US$800. This seems to be the cheapest Blu-Ray recorder so far.

[BillyBob @ Jul 3rd 2006 6:49PM]

Thanks, but I'll wait for the version of AnyDVD/CloneDVD that supports Blu-Ray...

[Rob T. @ Jul 3rd 2006 7:01PM]

Since I paid almost $5,000 for my 1x Pioneer DVD-R in 1999, I'd say this is a bargain. Like my Pioneer, the drive should pay for itself pretty quick if you're buying it for a business purpose.

[Guruboy @ Jul 3rd 2006 7:18PM]

I can't believe that people think these prices are going to stay. DVD players were insane amounts of money too! This is almost the same, except there are two formats plain and simple. Who's going to win? The one that's used the most. Which one is being used the most? Well seeing how Blu-Ray is ahead in the three keys: capacity and quality, content, and hardware support.

Capacity is a no-brainer.

Quality? BR has a faster bit rate, a physical hard coating, and a WAY better A/V transfer rate (153% that of HD DVD). With a data transfer rate just .55 Mbps under HD DVD. You think BR is being marketed for PS3? Think again. Where is data transfer most crucial? In video games. Who has the slightly higher data transfer speed? HD DVD, not Blu-Ray. The video game aspect is in PS3 ONLY.

Content? 7/8 movie studios support verses 3 for HD DVD. you decide.

Hardware support? BR's got Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Sharp, JVC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, TDK, Thomson, LG, Apple, HP, BenQ and Dell.

So that's my take. Btw don't refer to BR and HD DVD as companies, like saying "silly Blu-Ray". That's a no-no, because I can guarentee you there is no one out there who "represents" a disc format. It's those close-minded people who automaticlly attribute BR to Sony and PS3.

[TurtleJP @ Jul 3rd 2006 9:29PM]

"obviously playing back Blu-ray content at full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution as well."

If you have an HDCP enabled video card and montior that is. Otherwise you get to go back to DVD ghetto with the rest of the world.

[Tony Rayo @ Jul 4th 2006 12:27AM]

"obviously playing back Blu-ray content at full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution as well."

If you have an HDCP enabled video card and montior that is. Otherwise you get to go back to DVD ghetto with the rest of the world.

^Where have you been man? Check out other info on the site, first-gen players are NOT going to require HDCP and while Image Constraint Token (which cuts the resolution in half... well technically 1/4) has always been optional and it's not likely to be used by any studio until HDCP use is widespread. This of course has not been offically announced but it's what is happening. Of course they always knew this wouldn't work with so few people owning HDCP-capable sets, but they will have to admit it when the products get released.

If you don't believe me, just think about the PS3 and Xbox 360... with one PS3 model not having an HDMI port and the 360 not offering this at all, yet they both will have Blu-ray/HD-DVD players that claim to play at full resolution? It's as simple as that, so just relax and njoi the ride (and wait a year or two to buy a blu-ray burner when it will be more useful, cheaper and be a real solution... or go for HD-DVD if that is your bag; assuming they won't come together [it's so late and talks always fail even though they know this is stupid] I'm stick with BD myself and just hope it wins out or at least can stay popular).

[Scott @ Jul 4th 2006 4:30AM]

I'm missing one key piece of information about this product. Is it SATA or not?

[antaeus @ Jul 4th 2006 2:39PM]

Yo Momma is a SATA!, ha in yo face didn't see that one coming eh?

[Mack Swift @ Jul 5th 2006 8:27AM]

Why is this Next-Gen, High-Tech, High-Def piece of technology connected to the motherboard by means of an ancient IDE port?

Why not SATA or SATA II for that matter?

And to answer the question above asked by Scott. All the Next-Gen Blu-Ray and HD-DVD drives are connected via IDE.

[jazjaz @ Sep 11th 2007 9:15AM]

It is freaking SATA!.... Gosh... :)
http://benq.com/products/Storage/?product=825&page=specifications

There are BD-Disk Players only for PC btw, Phillips released one for $275 bucks. But to me thats like buying a Porsche with a Honda Engine... Rather wait another year and see what happens... they'll drop their prices (soon I hope)... The PS3 is pretty much the most affordable Blu-ray player by now... Better grab one U wont be dissapointed :)