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Imation brings first 6x Blu-ray recordable discs to US
We had a dream back in June that America would one day be able to buy 6x BD-Rs for these 6x Blu-ray burners without relying on a Japanese importer, and today, that dream has been realized. Imation is bringing TDK Life on Record media to US soil, marking the first time 6x Blu-ray recordable (BD-R) and Blu-ray recordable double layer (BD-R DL) media has been available here. Unfortunately, this stuff is still absurdly expensive -- expect to hand over $13.99 for a single BD-R in October, while a BD-R DL 1-pack will ring up at a staggering $32.99.
Buffalo's Blu-ray burner hits 8x, BDA says wha?
For what it's worth, Buffalo just announced the world's fastest Blu-ray recorder capable of burning through your data at an 8x clip. The only problem is that BDA-approved media maxes out at 6x, assuming you can even find it. Available in Japan starting next month, the external USB 2.0 and eSATA BR-816SU2 and internal SATA BR-816FBS models hit that 8x recording speed on single-layer BD-R media only -- 2x for dual-layer BD-R, BD-RE, and LTH BD-R. CDs and DVDs are supported too naturally, with a max 16x burn to DVD±R or 48x/24x for CD-R/RW. Each drive comes bundled with Cyberlink's PowerDVD 7 suite and are priced at ¥46,700 (about $435) for the external drive or ¥41,000 (about $380) for the internal optical spinner.[Via BIOS and CDRinf]
Pioneer to launch Blu-ray recorders by year's end
Blu-ray recorders have been on the scene for a while now, but now that the format war's over, it looks like more companies are starting to commit to BD-R devices -- like Pioneer, which announced today that it'll have a Blu-ray recorder out in Japan by the end of the year. The company didn't say what model it would be or what price point it was aiming for, but the tech is being jointly developed with Sharp, so hopefully it's have a family resemblance to units like the 1TB AQUOS BD-HDW20 in everything but the $2,611 pricetag.
ILY Enterprise unveils "world's first" 6x SATA Blu-ray duplicator
ILY Enterprise is totally playing word games here with its "world's first" 6x SATA Blu-ray duplicator, but we suspect it actually is a tad quicker than Vinpower Digital's comparable unit. As the company states, this unit boasts a controller that is "specifically designed and built for a SATA connection to reduce the cost and work more reliably than IDE-converted-SATA units," though we can't say if you'll actually notice the difference in speed without a stopwatch. Whatever the case, those interested in firing up their own piracy farm movie production company can acquire one now (from 1 to 11 targets) for a presumably lofty price. Oh, and judging by those logos, we reckon these drives could be used to play back some of your old HD DVDs during off-hours -- talk about a nice perk.
MCE offers 6x Blu-ray burner for Mac Pro and Power Mac G5
MCE is at it again providing the wares that Apple simply won't. After offering up a 2x Blu-ray burner for the Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 last year, the company is keeping up with the industry by introducing a 6x variant for the very same machines. You'll also find compatibility with BD-RE (2x), DVD±R (16x), DVD±RW (6x - 8x), DVD±RW DL (4x), CD-R (40x) and CD-RW (24x). The drive itself is available as we speak for $499, while a bundle with Roxio Toast 9 Titanium goes for $599 and an external version runs $749.[Via The Mac Observer]
NEC ships samples of SoC for 8x Blu-ray recording
Yesterday, Panasonic announced that it would be bringing 6x BD-R media to Japan. Today, we've got NEC leap-frogging said announcement by trumpeting the shipment of its newest SoC (system on chip). Sure enough, samples of the SCOMBO/UM2A, a "SoC chip designed for use in Blu-ray Disc systems that support 8x recording and playback," have begun to ship out to undisclosed recipients. We're told that the chip is being aimed at the PC and AV markets (obviously), but there's no telling how long we'll have to wait until 8x Blu-ray burners (and 8x BD-R / BD-RE media, for that matter) hit the streets.
Japan gets 6x BD-R media, US has 6x burners: someday the two shall meet
So, you picked up a 6x Blu-ray burner earlier this month did you? Too bad there isn't any media available to cope with that write speed. Oh sure, TDK has been kicking a 6x disc around trade shows for years, but Panasonic will apparently be the first to market when its 25GB and 50GB 6x BD-R discs hit Japan on July 10th. Unfortunately for our Japanese brethren, Panasonic says that, "Blu-ray disc drives compatible with 6X write-once Blu-ray discs are planned to be commercialized in Japan by the end of September 2008." Funny, with those 6x BD-R burners from LG already released in the US, could it be that US (and Korean) Blu-ray interests have finally jumped ahead of Japan's -- the birthplace of Blu? Perhaps, but Panasonic hasn't provided a date for its Stateside 6x media release... yet.
Delkin's 25GB Archival Gold BD-Rs will be around longer than you
Archive master Delkin has stepped up to the plate once more, this time aiming to please those with way more horror films than a typical CD-R can hold. The Archival Gold Blu-ray recordable media is the first of its kind "guaranteed to preserve data safely for over 200 years." The 4x discs feature the outfit's proprietary ScratchArmor technology, which is designed to fend off the terrifying effects of UV light, heat, humidity and careless fingernails. The units are available now in 1/5/10/25 packs for an undisclosed price.
Corel's WinDVD nabs BD-R 1.1 and BD-RE 2.1 playback certification
Corel's not satisfied with simply snagging DTS-HD Master Audio certification for WinDVD 8; it's also trumpeting the ability of WinDVD to fully support BD-R 1.1 and BD-RE 2.1 recordable / re-recordable media. Reportedly, this certification proves that said application "has passed the stringent standards and guidelines set by the Blu-ray Disc Association to ensure the best possible user experience," but it's not like that spill really means anything to you. You can, however, now rest assured that WinDVD will be all BFF like with discs that use H.264 and VC-1 for encoding. Availability? OEMs can get it now, retail consumers will see it in early 2009.
Sony slips LTH Blu-ray recordable disc support in 2.20 PS3 update
While BD-Live got the majority of the attention in the PlayStation 3's 2.20 firmware update, it appears Sony has made another important addition by implementing support for cheaper organic dye-based LTH (Low to High) Blu-ray recordable discs. These version 1.2 BD-R's, announced back in September, are manufactured with a different process that allows plants to upgrade CD and DVD equipment more easily. Existing Blu-ray players can't read the discs, which debuted in Japan last month, without a firmware update. Sony Japan's upgrade web site notes the new support, confirmed by AV Watch; although it went unmentioned in U.S. press materials, we'd assume the upgrade made it over here for any of those looking to burn (slightly) cheaper Blu discs.[Via Engadget Japanese]
Plextor's Blu-ray / HD DVD combo drives still on the way
Oh, how things have changed since Plextor originally announced its combo HD DVD / Blu-ray drives would ship in February. Probably due to the end of the format war, the PX-B920SA and PX-300SA slipped a bit but should hit store shelves by the end of this month. The cost of hanging on to HD DVD compatibility? The all-HD media playing, 4x BD-R / 2x BD-RE / 16x DVD±R burning PX-B920SA will cost $599, while the PX-B300SA (hold the BD-R/BD-RE, please, we're on a diet) is $499.
Mitsubishi ramps up Blu-ray recordable disc manufacturing
Add Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Mitsubishi, Verbatim) to the list of manufacturers expanding Blu-ray support in the pending absence of HD DVD. The manufacturer, which has been releasing recordable media for both sides, is adding a Blu-ray production line to its Singapore plant that will expand companywide production from 200,000 to 700,000 units a month when it comes online in July or August, along with production outsourced to other manufacturers. Nothing is set in stone, but hopefully those of us recording movies and data 50GB at a time have more plentiful (and cheaper) discs to look forward to.
Apple "actively courting" Sony for slot-loading Blu-ray drives?
We know, we're getting tired of Apple Blu-ray rumors as well -- they're right up there with refreshed Cinema Displays in terms of rumor persistence -- but until Steve and the gang actually shove a drive into a machine we're stuck with them. The latest says that Apple is actively pressing Sony for slot-loading BD-R drives but quality control issues are gumming up the plan. Reportedly, this latest ho-hum MacBook Pro refresh was to feature BD-R drives, but all Sony could muster up were Blu-ray / DVD±RW drives, which Apple refused. That seems a little odd, frankly -- now that the format war is over and the competition's already shipping mid-range laptops with slot-load BD-R drives, you'd think Apple would want to cash in that Blu-ray Disc Association membership card with whoever can supply the drives. As always, we'll see when we see -- it's gotta happen sometime, right?[Image courtesy of dadako.com]
Plextor releases two Blu-ray / HD DVD combo drives
Although we have hope that the format war is shuddering to a close, it's probably still wise to hedge your bets just a little -- and Plextor's got you covered with two new SATA Blu-ray / HD DVD combo drives. The new PX-B920SA writes to BD-R at 4x speeds, DVDs at 16x, and CD-Rs at 40x, and reads HD DVD, while the lower-end PX-B300SA drops the BD-R capabilities and just writes to DVD and CD. Plextor says both drives will be available at the end of the month, but sadly we don't have any pricing information.[Via NordicHardware]Read - PX-B920SARead - PX-B300SA
Verbatim introduces new lineup of Blu-ray media
We've already seen Verbatim crank out a few new pieces of HD DVD media, so it's only fair that red's rival gets a little updating, too. Among the newcomers are 4x BD-R, single-sided double-layer 2x BD-R / BD-RE, Mini BD-R / BD-RE and 1 - 2x BD-R LTH discs. Not a lot to say beyond that -- you know, considering the dearth of pricing information -- but you can expect 'em all to ship sometime during the first half of 2008.
Panasonic's internal LF-PB271JD drive burns Blu-ray at 4x
Nah, Panasonic's LF-PB271JD couldn't hold a candle to Sony's BWU-200S in a runway competition, but when it comes to performance, we'd say the two are practically neck and neck. This unit fits snuggly within any Windows-based machine lookin' for a 5.25-inch optical drive, and it has no problems burning dual-layer BD-Rs at a furious (ahem) 4x pace. Additionally, you'll find a SATA interface along with backup software bundled in, and just in case you're not working exclusively with BD-R, it can also toast BD-RE at 2x, DVD±R at 16x, DVD±R DL at 8x, DVD-RW at 6x, CD-R at 40x and CD-RW at 24x. Of course, you'll be paying through the nose for the luxuries presented when it lands on November 10th, but the ¥55,000 ($468) asking price is still a good bit lower than what Sony's demanding.[Via Impress]
Sony's BWU-200S Blu-ray burner reaches 4x speeds
We know, 4x still isn't all that speedy in the grand scheme of things, but the BWU-200S can still toast BD-R discs twice as fast as last year's BWU-100A. Aside from filling a 50GB BD-R in around 45 minutes, the new drive can also burn to BD-RE at 2x, DVD±R at 16x, dual-layer DVD±R at 8x, CD-R at 40x and CD-RW at 24x. Furthermore, the unit boasts a SATA interface and comes bundled with the CyberLink BD Solution software that "provides a comprehensive application for capturing, authoring, editing, burning and viewing high-definition personal content." If all this looks good to you, get set to pony up around $600 when it ships out next month.
Pioneer, Mitsubishi develop LTH BD-R discs
While the HD DVD camp is busy with its 51GB disc, the Blu-ray side has a new creature of its own to talk about. Co-developed by Pioneer and Mitsubishi, the LTH (Low to High) BD-R reportedly utilizes an "organic dye recording layer," and is said to be a recognized format within the Blu-ray Disc Recordable Format v1.2 standard. Additionally, the two companies boast that this disc won't require "large-scale plant investments" to manufacture, which is music to the ears of anyone who enjoys lower costs. Regrettably, it sounds like existing Blu-ray drives won't play nice with the LTH BD-Rs as-is, but here's to hoping that firmware updates could fix that. Click on for a shot of a prototype drive gettin' cozy with one of the new discs.[Via CDRInfo]
Panasonic prepares 4x DL BD-R burner: 50GB in 46 minutes
Panasonic is set to join LG with the introduction of their own 4x speed BD-R recorder. However, while LG's GBW-H10N Blu-ray recorder burns are limited to single-layer media, Panny is boasting of a 4x burn to a dual-layer BD-R platter. That's 50GB in 46 minutes in case you're keeping track. No pictures or price but you can expect Panny to go big-and-fast with product sometime later this year. [Via Impress]
Lite-On's LH-2B1S 2x Blu-ray burner gets reviewed
The list of internal Blu-ray burners hitting the test bench just keeps on growing, and if you've been holding off on picking one up as prices begin to sink, here's yet another to mull over. Lite-On's LH-2B1S Blu-ray writer doesn't deviate too much from its major competitors, sports a 2x maximum write speed to BD-R and BR-RE single-layer discs, and toasts up to 8x on certain formats of writable DVDs. The unit was tested using Nero CD/DVD Speed v4.70, and was primarily pitted against Sony's own BWU-100A. During traditional transfer rate testing, the Lite-On lagged behind in average transfer speeds, random seek times, and full stroke times, while actually using more CPU power all the while. Interestingly, the LH-2B1S' write performance was better on vanilla DVD+Rs, marginally slower on DVD+R dual-layer, and a wee bit less quick than the Sony burning to BD-RE. As expected, reviewers weren't mauling crowds at their local retail shop in order to grab on of their own as the ho hum performance really wasn't groundbreaking, but if you've got to have such a unit this very moment in time, the comparatively cheap $499 pricetag still makes the LH-2B1S a viable option.
