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Plextor's PX-B900A Blu-ray burner reviewed
We've seen the first wave of Blu-ray burners receive their appropriate testing, and while most were deemed satisfactory, all demanded a mighty (and most likely unworthy) pricetag for such sluggish write speeds. Plextor's PX-B900A sports the same ultraslow 2x write speeds for both single and dual-layer BD-R / BD-RE discs, but offered decent burning speeds for the "other formats." PC World was most impressed with this particular drive's ease of installation -- something other drives haven't exactly provided -- and the fleshed-out bundle of software that comes packed in. Reviewers were thoroughly pleased with the inclusion of Blu-ray movie playback software, as well as the video editing / authoring and packet writing programs. While they were none too pleased with the $999 price, they did feel that the cost was somewhat more justified thanks to the smattering of great software that came along with it, and crowned it "a solid value" if you just can't wait another day to pick up an internal Blu-ray burner.
Blu-ray vs. HD DVD on hold for blue laser shortage?
As much as we like to talk about the ongoing format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD and our readers comment on it, the simple fact is that very few of us actually own either format yet. This is definitely related to the high prices and growing pains early adopters are subject to but the fact is neither one is available in significant quantities yet. As more manufacturers prepare to jump in to the battle this holiday season they may not be able to because of their shared reliance on blue lasers. Only a few companies worldwide produce them and none have been able to get very good yields. Even Sony, who produces blue lasers for themselves and others, has predicted a shortage as they seek to roll out the Playstation 3 and BDP-S1 and according to this article, have suspended shipments to others. For manufacturers who have to rely on someone else for a supply, this could mean a delay until 2007 before many players and drives are launched.
Plextor announces PX-B900A Blu-ray PC drive, Blu-ray movie playback included
Plextor has officially announced their first Blu-ray drive, the PX-B900A, including 2x reading and recording speeds for BD-R and -RE discs, 8MB buffer, and compatibility with the assorted DVD and CD formats. The price is set at $999.99, which may seem a bit high compared to Sony's recently announced $750 Blu-ray PC drive, until you consider that unlike the BWU-100A Plextor plans to bundle this with Intervideo's WinDVD BD Blu-ray movie playback software. Other software included is Ulead's VideoStudio10 Plus for Blu-ray authoring, BD DiscRecorder for direct camcorder-to-Blu-ray recording and others for DVD playback and standard file management capabilities. No word on if HDCP support will be required to get Blu-ray playback at all, but we should know for sure in October when it is released. [Via Engadget]
Plextor Blu-ray PX-B900A burner to cost $1000
As we promised last month, we've finally got the price deets and specs on the new Plextor Blu-ray PX-B900A burner. A wad of 10 Benjamins (or 100 Hamiltons, take your pick) will get you this spankin' new drive -- compatible with 25 GB and 50 GB Blu-ray discs and it'll burn BD-R/RE media at 9 MBps, or 2X. For DVDs, it does an 8X burn for DVD-Rs, 4X DVD±R on dual-layer (DL) media, and 5X on DVD-RAM. You've also got support in there for 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW, 6X max DVD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, and 32X CD-ROM. Also, it comes with a package of software: Ulead's Video Studio 10 and Intervideo's WinDVD BD, a Blu-ray media application. Jeez, that's a mouthful. We still think that Blu-ray and HD DVD need to duke it out in a round or two of Street Fighter to settle this debacle.[Via TG Daily]
Plextor preps 'world's smallest' external DVD burner
It looks like Plextor's going in for a piece of that "world's smallest" marketing action, with the launch of what it claims to be the most diminutive DVD writer currently on the market. Aimed at owners of ultraportable laptops that tend to feature bulky external drives (if they feature any at all), the latch-loading, 2/3-inch thick PX-608CU supports dual-layer DVD burning at up to 4x, single-layer DVD burning at up to 8x, and CD-R/RW burning at 24x speed only. The function that prospective light traveling, laptop-toting buyers will be most happy about is the USB 2.0-bus powered capabilities of the drive, which will save you from carrying around a bulky AC adapter. Apparently the drive will only consume 4.8 Watts of power when burning a DVD at 8x, which shouldn't put too much of a strain on your battery. No word on pricing yet, although we will say that the "world's smallest" tag generally doesn't come with a pricetag to match.[Via Reg Hardware]
Plextor announces Plexeraser destruct-o-drive
Plextor has announced a new CD/DVD drive that you'll want to keep safely out of reach of unsuspecting friends and family members, 'cause its sole purpose is to destroy whatever optical media you feed it. The Plexeraser appears to use the same technology that's been available in some previous Plextor drives, but this looks to be the first standalone model, and also the only one to come in a stylish orange color scheme -- no doubt intended to further emphasize the danger. Unfortunately, the Plexeraser takes a full six minutes to permanently wipe out all the data on a disc, making it about five minutes and fifty seconds slower than some other data destruction methods we can think of, and a lot less fun.[Thanks, Benjamin]
Plextor's Blu-ray burner, the PX-B900A
Nothing we haven't seen before, but Plextor is getting into the Blu-ray burner game with their new PX-B900A. It's all like usual, with 2x speed, BD-R and BD-RE (rewritable) compatibility, and capacities of 25GB and 50GB. The drive also does the DVD-RAM and DVD±R/RW thing, including dual layer. You can even burn CDs, like the Philips version -- something Pioneer failed to included in their BRD-101A. The drive should be available around September or October of this year, but no word on pricing yet.
Plextor PX-SP "shock-proof" external drives
We're always a little suspicious when a company releases a line of products labeled with terms like "ruggedized" or "shock-proof," especially when those items are packed into tiny packages. So, we're a little wary of Plextor's claims that the company's new PX-SP USB hard drives, which weigh in at less than 8 ounces, are shock-proof. However, according to the company, the drives -- which are available in capacities of 80GB and 120GB -- are protected by a "silicon jacket bumper," which allow users to carry them "anytime, anywhere." We'll reserve judgment for now, though we're eager to hear how these survive some real world "anytime, anywhere" tests involving drops, falls and the wheels of large military vehicles.
