Pioneer unveils world's smallest and lightest external Blu-ray burner
When describing the current fleet of BD burners on the market, one word that certainly doesn't come to mind -- sleek. Pioneer is aiming to change all that, though, with the BDR-XD04. What it lacks in a catchy name it makes up for with a slim and light clamshell design that doesn't make too many sacrifices in the features department. At just under 8.5oz and 0.55 inches thick, it puts most of its competitors to shame. Now, it settles for just a 6x write speed and skips USB 3.0 in favor of the more common (and slower) 2.0, but it is capable of drawing power entirely from your machines peripheral ports. (Though, you'll have the option of hooking up an AC adapter if you wish.) And don't worry about format support -- the BDR-XD04 will handle everything from quad-layer 128GB BD-Rs to old-school CDs with aplomb. The slim new burner will start shipping in the middle of this month for $150. Full PR is after the break.
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PIONEER OFFERS SMALLEST AND LIGHTEST PORTABLE BDXL BD/DVD/CD BURNER
BDR-XD04 Reads and Writes Discs, PC Bundle Allows Users to Watch Blu-ray 3D Discs
LONG BEACH, Calif. – (January 5, 2012) – Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveiled the BDR-XD04, the world's smallest and lightest BD/DVD/CD portable burner supporting BDXL™1 currently available. The ultra-compact clamshell type drive can read and write to all BDXL disc formats including BD-R triple-layer 100GB media, BD-R quad-layer 128GB media, and BD-RE triple-layer 100GB media, as well as conventional Blu-ray™ discs (single-layer 25GB media and dual-layer 50GB media). The portable device, measuring only 5.2" (W) X .55" (H) X 5.2" (D) and weighing a mere 8.46 ounces, also features PowerRead, PureRead2+, Auto Quiet mode and the ability to be powered directly via USB.
The BDR-XD04 also includes CyberLink® software, enabling users to watch standard Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D titles, and author high-definition Blu-ray Disc content or standard-definition DVD content.
"As the popularity of drive-less ultrabooks continues to rise, the BDR-XD04 becomes the ideal accessory because of its compact size and portability," said Steven Cohn, director of Optical Sales for the Home Electronics Industrial Department at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "There's a growing need for a drive that's highly transportable for playing CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs, as well as for storing valuable personal files on a secure, removable medium."
BDR-XD04 Advantages
PowerRead – The BDR-XD04 can provide smoother movie playback when a disc has fingerprints or minor surface scratches through the use of its PowerRead feature. When the drive is not able to read through these obstructed areas of a disc, it will quickly move forward to the next available data point, resulting in smoother Blu-ray and DVD movie playback.
· PureRead2+ –Click or pop sounds that might normally occur due to minor scratches and fingerprints on CDs can be prevented on some discs with the drive's PureRead2+ technology, which allows the drive to dynamically adjust its optical playback settings through the use of a unique algorithm.²
· Auto Quiet Mode – The drive also features an Auto Quiet mode that minimizes its operating noise based on how it is being used. The rotation speed changes to a quieter (slower) speed when watching Blu-ray and DVD titles or listening to conventional audio CDs.
· Direct USB Power – Designed for simple and easy integration, the BDR-XD04 can be powered directly through most USB PC connections without AC power. For additional convenience, when a host computer's USB port does not supply enough current, the BDR-XD04 provides an AC adapter terminal (optional DCA-001 AC power supply required). In addition, the device supports USB boot startup for reading bootable recovery CDs3.
Manual Eject Lever – The BDR-XD04 incorporates a manual eject lever which lets the user eject a loaded disc when power to the device is not available.
Bundled Software – The BDR-XD04 is bundled with the following CyberLink software: PowerDVD™ 10 BD3D, PowerDirector® 9 and Power2Go® 7.
The Pioneer BDR-XD04 will be available mid January with a suggested retail price of $149.99
More details can be found at www.pioneerelectronics.com/drives.
1 As a portable BD writer （As of 12/14/2011 surveyed by Pioneer）
2 Not guaranteed to read all disc conditions. Not guaranteed to read under all PC environments.
3 Only when the PC supports start up by USB and DVD/CD.
