Sony unveils BWU-100A Blu-ray burner

This thing has been around for quite a while in prototype form, but Sony has finally gotten around to joining the pack and unveiling a PC drive for their own format. The BWU-100A Blu-ray burner doesn't have a whole lot of surprises -- other than that purple faceplate which will most likely totally clash with your PC case -- but the $750 pricetag is a nice move. It also manages all three lasers types, allowing it to read and write single layer 4.7GB DVD+R/+RW/RAM discs, 8.5GB DVD+R Double/Dual Layer Discs, and CDs. With 2x burning speeds for BD-R or BD-RE media, you can fill a 25GB Blu-ray disc in 50 minutes, and we're guessing 50GB discs should fill at a similar rate. Sony also touts the ability to move 1080i HDV camcorder footage natively to the BD-AV format for home playback, with a whole four hours fitting on one 50GB disc. The drive should be out in August, and is available for pre-order now.