DvdBurner
Latest
Samsung slot-loading DVD burner supports 8cm discs
A huge problem with the all those sweet DVD camcorders is that any machine with a slot-loading DVD drive (cough, Apple) totally chokes on 8-centimeter discs. Well, Samsung's got you covered with its new SE-T084L external burner, which it's touting as the world's only slot-loader to accept the format in addition to standard 12-centimeter discs. The bus-powered USB 2.0 burner features a seek time of 130 milliseconds, and record speeds of 8X DVD±R, 6X DVD+R DL, 4X DVD-R DL, 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW, and 5X DVD-RAM. For some reason, Sammy only announced this thing today, but they've been shipping since April for $150 -- maybe it wanted us to focus on those snazzy Blu-Ray burners instead?
DTR's PDR DVD writer heaps on DRM when burning
Sure, there's been more than a few attempts to offer up DRM-laced burns, and while the overall success level is certainly debatable, DTR is giving the whole secure writing thing a go anyway. The company, which specializes in making sure that content guardians rest easy, has announced a two-faced DVD burner that can write both normal, non-protected discs or "burn secure downloaded content." Apparently, the Protected Disk Recorder (PDR) will arrive in an external flavor that can connect to "PCs, game consoles, and more" via USB, and while it can reportedly add-in whatever flavor of protection the manufacturer wants, DTR also states that its new device can "provide additional access control functions which further enhance the security of downloaded media." Currently, we've seen no details in regard to price or the actual target market, but if history continues to repeat itself, this is just another layer of DRM waiting to be cracked. [Warning: PDF read link]
Gibson goes wild, unveils new consumer electronics lineup
While a company not typically associated with consumer electronics can make the leap at any point, it's usually a relatively modest entrance, but Gibson has apparently had a bit too much fun at NAMM, and has thrown its logo on just about every device it could think of in the process. You won't find much of anything new in Gibson's lineup of consumer electronics, but if you're a Gibson purist and live life one riff at a time, these goods are for you. The company announced its own line of USB 2.0 Gibson Signature Series Les Paul flash drives, which currently come in a 1GB flavor and mimics a 1959 Les Paul Standard, and the firm plans to roll out more collectible drives shaped like other classic instruments in the future. Additionally, a 500GB external HDD was released, boasting USB 2.0 and a glowing Gibson logo on the side, and it seems that the firm is looking to snag a bit of that high-end interconnect market by offering up "premium gold" versions of optical audio, USB, and HDMI cables. Also on tap was a 7.1 AV receiver with a built-in guitar input, XM capability, and HDMI 1.3 video switching, various forms of recordable media, a dual-layer DVD recorder, surge protectors, and a few home theater speakers to boot. Although pricing is still up in the air at this point, it looks like you'll have the opportunity to get your external storage, surround sound gear, and a few spare E-strings all at the same place here soon.[Via Macworld]
Samsung announces three new multiformat DVD recorders
It seems that product releases come in sets of threes for Samsung, in addition to the three new up-converters just revealed, it is also announcing three new multi format DVD recorders: the DVD-R157, DVD-VR357, and DVD-AVR950 (pictured above). All three share a similar feature set: EZ Record which allows for one-step recording to a DVD RAM/-R/-RW/+R/+RW, HDMI 1.3, the ability to upconvert video up to 1080i, and progressive scan. The main differences are that the R157 adds control for a cable box, while the R357 has a built-in 4 head HI-FI VCR and supports DivX playback. if you don't want to compromise, the AVR950 combines all the features of the both those models and adds both an ATSC tuner (for watching OTA HDTV broadcasts) and HDMI port. All are slated for release in Q1.
Logitec's portable burner slot loads 8cm discs: an industry first?
If you've been tempted by Panasonic's new HDC-DX1 AVCHD camcorder seen heading our way, then check this DVD drive from Japan's Logitec (no, not Logitech). The LDR-PMC8U2 is said to be "an industry first" to slot load those 8-cm mini-DVDs used by Panny's 3CCD recorder. It also supports standard format CDs and DVDs with an on-the-go bonus Y-USB cable for drawing power off 2x USB ports when 5V 500mA just ain't enough to support the unit's max read/write data rates: 8x DVD±R/+RW, 5x DVD-RAM, 6x DVD-RW, 4x DVD+R DL/-R DL, 24x CD-R/-RW 24, and 8x DVD-ROM and 24x CD-ROM. It also touts Labelflash support for burning custom motifs or images onto compatible media. All in a slim, portable drive measuring just 17.5-mm (0.69-inches) thick. Hitting Japan at the end of December for ¥22,050 or about $188 should they ever come this way. [Via Impress]
Pioneer unveils DVR-A12J 10x dual-layer DVD burner
Similar to the height / width race that's always going on in the land of HDTV, the write speed race is also one that never seems to cease. While you can toast a blank DVD at 20x, the dual-layer variety demands a bit more patience, but thanks to Pioneer's latest, the waiting game is getting ever shorter. The DVR-A12J lineup comes in piano black, silver, and white color schemes, claims Windows XP compatibility, and offers up 10x write speeds on dual-layer DVD+/-R media. Additionally, it touts Labelflash technology (similar to LightScribe), writes to single-layer DVD media at 18x, and takes care of DVD-RAM at 12x. Moreover, it boasts a 2MB cache and a rather stout Cyberlink software bundle, including PowerDVD6, PowerProducer, and Power2Go. So if you're still holding out on those pricey (and sluggish) Blu-ray burners, you can snap this sucka up for just ¥10,000 ($86) later this month.[Via Impress]
DosPara's Merom-powered, 13-inch Prime Note Chronos NW2
Last time we saw Japanese PC manufacturer DosPara it was hawking its new small-footprint, Core 2 Duo-powered Super Mini 2 HTPC, and now the company has gone and crammed a Merom CPU into yet another tight space, the 13-inch Prime Note Chronos NW2. In its base configuration, this 4.2-pound notebook sports a 1.66GHz T5500 processor, 1,280 x 800 resolution, 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, multi-format DVD burner, three-flavor WiFi, and a 4-in-1 card reader. If you're willing to pay more than the ¥129,950 ($1,086) that this setup will run, another 20,000 yen ($167) will get you a 2.0GHz T7200 chip and a full 1GB of RAM. Both versions of the NW2 should be available immediately, but as usual with these machines, it's unlikely you'll find one at your local big box retailer anytime soon.[Via Akihabara News]
How to supersize your Mac Pro's SuperDrive
Oh, those tricky engineers over at Apple; how they love to slip little treats inside their boxes. Recently we found out that Cupertino had surreptitiously included 802.11n chips from Broadcom into its latest lineup of all-in-one iMacs, and now we've learned that many of the SuperDrives in the Mac Pro are even more super than their spec sheets or current functionality would have led us to believe. The good folks over at HardMac decided to find out the real deal behind Sony's DW-D150A DVD burner that ships with most Mac Pros (the others sport a Pioneer DVR-111D), and after disassembling the drive and doing a little research, discovered that this previously-unknown model is actually just a rebadged NEC ND-4570A. Normally such a revelation wouldn't be very interesting, except for the fact that NEC's version of the burner touts superior performance and more features than Apple endowed the Sony with, and a fairly simple firmware tweak is all it takes to make your SuperDrive even more powerful. We won't go into the specifics of the hack here, but after you've successfully followed the instructions laid out in the Read link, your drive will suddenly be able to burn DVD-RAMs and dual layer DVD-Rs, write CD-R discs at 48x (as is, these SuperDrives max out at 32x), and perhaps best of all, read DVDs from around the world (i.e. the new firmware is region-free). Next up for Team HardMac? Getting ahold of some LabelFlash-compatible discs and attempting a firmware update to the ND-4571 -- soon, your Mac Pro may be able to get its label on as well.[Via TUAW]
Lite-On announces 18x Lightscribe DVD burner
We're still waiting for Lite-On's 20x DVD burner, but if you're looking for speed and laser-etched disc labeling to boot, the company's got just the fix for ya. Lite-On's just-announced LH-18A1H Lightscribe drive will give you a still-respectable 18x burning speed for DVD+R and DVD-R discs, although it'll still take decidedly longer to label the disc than it does to actually burn it. Other disc burning speeds are about what you'd expect, with 48x for CD-R, 32x for CD-RW, and between 6x and 12x for the remaining writable DVD formats. This one's being offered to OEMs right now, with a Lite-On branded model set to go on sale in Taiwan for about $64. According to Lite-On, Lightscribe-enabled drives account for just 10% of the company's optical disc drive business, something that HP (purveyor of all things Lightscribe) looks to be doing its best to increase, recently announcing that it's lowering its royalty charge for manufactures by between 40 and 50%, depending on volume. Guess it takes some drastic measures when you're taking on the powerhouse of the optical disc labeling industry: the Sharpie.[Via TG Daily]
Sharp announces 16x dual-layer laptop DVD burning laser
Sharp is doing its part in the fight for ever-faster DVD burning speeds, likely to continue until discs start flying out of their drives and someone really gets hurt. The company's latest development is a new red laser semiconductor with a maximum throughput of 350mW, sufficient to burn dual-layer +/- DVDs at 16x speeds. What's more, the laser's designed for use in laptop DVD drives, though Sharp says the drives will have low power consumption and high heat dissipation, so you shouldn't have to worry about it further fanning the flames -- well, not any more than usual. Laptops packing the speedy new drives look like they're still be a little ways off yet though, with samples of the laser just shipping to manufacturers later this month.[Via Akihabara News]
I-O Data releases external 18x DVD burner
It's not the smallest external DVD burner, but I-O Data's new external drive does look to be among the top of the heap (for now) when it comes to speed, burning both DVD+R and DVD-R discs at a satisfying 18x. Other write speeds clock in at 10x for dual-layer DVD+R, 8x for DVD+RW and dual-layer DVD-R, 6x for DVD-RW, with CD-R and CD-RW speeds coming in at 48x and 32x respectively. Unfortunately, it isn't USB-powered, so you'll still need to settle for slower speeds if you need stay completely mobile at all times. You'll also have to do the importing thing to get you hands on one these, of course, with it setting you back a not-too-unreasonable 12,500 Yen, or just slightly over a hundred bucks.[Via Akihabara News]
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]
Sony NEC Optiarc joint venture set to release 18x DVD burner
The optical drive industry has been dominated by joint ventures lately, ranging from the Hitachi-LG partnership to the Toshiba-Samsung mashup, so both Sony and NEC knew that they'd better get in bed together if each wanted to remain competitive in the marketplace. The first product resulting from the new Sony NEC Optiarc, an 18x DVD burner called the AD-7170A, is set to hit the market next month -- but competition will still be fierce, as 20x burners are just beginning to see the light of day. Sources quoted by DigiTimes indicate that soon the actual drive manufacturing will be outsourced to Lite-On IT, whose prowess in volume production should complement Sony's skill at developing optical pick-up heads and NEC's chipset design capabilities to allow the JV to produce attractive products at higher margins. Or something like that -- either way, we'll bring you more on this inaugural product (including pics) when it becomes available.[Via TG Daily]
Daewoo Lucoms' Core Duo-powered Solo M410 notebook
We recently brought you the Solo M1 UMPC from Daewoo-spinoff Daewoo Lucoms, and now the company is back with another member of the Solo family, but this one is a regular old Core Duo-powered notebook. The 5-pound, 14-inch M410 sports a 1.83GHz T2400 processor, WXGA display, 512MB of DDR2 RAM (maxed out at 1GB), and an 80GB hard drive. Also on board are a DVD Super Multi Drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam, 4-in-1 card reader (which is a bit misleading -- it really has just 2 slots for SD / MMC and MemoryStick / MS Pro), an Intel wireless card supporting 802.11a/b/g, and as you'd expect, Intel integrated graphics. As far as ports go, you're getting four USB 2.0 jacks, and one each of FireWire, Ethernet, VGA, Parallel, and S-Video -- though obviously no DVI or HDMI. Pricing seems to range from 1,490,000 to 1,590,000 won ($1,543 to $1,646) depending on configuration, and as the currency indicates, this model will only be hanging out in Korea for the time being.
20x DVD burners by Lite-On soon, so soon
When a massive installed base of a particular product holds the potential to save the collective world literally, um, minutes per day, that's when you know you're on to something. The 20x DVD burner is coming people, and Lite-On is preparing the charge to make these puppies shoot right past today's 16x drives (and tomorrow's 18x drives) so you can burn a DVD in about five minutes and thirty seconds compared to the six-some-odd minutes it takes today. Oh, and no, that's not one of the drives off to the right, that's some laggard's burner that doesn't record at 26 megs per second -- what a loser.
Samsung's SH-S182D 18x DVD burner
If there's one thing that's far beyond diminishing returns at this point, it's insanely fast DVD writers -- but we do know how much Samsung loves to label something "World's blank," which is why we assume they spent the R&D dollars to create the (ahem) world's first 18x DVD burner. And being that we here at Engadget burn DVDs once every, dunno, couple of months, we can see this shaving literally minutes off our burns over of the next couple of years. It also does do DVD±RW, DVD-RAM, and features Tilt Actuator Compensation (TAC -- whatever that is), Double Optimum Power Control (DOPC -- whatever that is), and a $70 US price tag.Update: Zing! Samsung -- and we -- apparently stand corrected. See: Plextor's PX 760A.
MSI releases 12.1-inch, dual-core S271 laptop
MSI has just released another 12.1-inch dual-core laptop, and the specs seem very similar to their S262 ultraportable that we spotted earlier this year, except that the Core Duo processor has been replaced with an AMD Turion 64 X2. Like the S262, the S271 ships with integrated graphics, 256MB or 512MB of RAM (expandable to 2GB), 4-in-1 memory card reader (really just 2-in-1, as it accepts only SD/MMC and MemoryStick/MS Pro formats -- where's the xD love?), and a "Super Multi DVD" drive, but manages to shed a few ounces and add a 200GB HDD option. Available immediately, this model will set you back around $1,500.
ASUS launches Core Duo-powered W7J ultraportable
Even though everyone and his/her mom are releasing Core Duo-powered ultraportables these days, there are very few that you can actually play decent games on because of the integrated graphics. Not so with the just-released 13.3-inch, 4.2-pound W7J from ASUS, a model we first spotted back in March -- and incorrectly called the W7V -- which features a nVidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card sporting 256MB of RAM along with that T2600 processor running at 2.16GHz. Other nice touches which you don't always see on a lightweight notebook are a built-in dual-layer DVD burner, 1GB of RAM standard, 100GB HDD running at 5,400 RPM, and all three flavors of 802.11 plus Bluetooth 2.0. Oh yeah, and these models will start at less than $2.000 ($1,935, to be exact) -- um, where do we sign up?
LG's dual-core, super-slim 14-inch XNOTE T1 laptop
Here's another dual-core ultraportable to add to your drool-list (probably just due to its looks): LG's latest superslim XNOTE laptop, the 14.1-inch T1. Unfortunately you'll probably never see this piano black, 21.5-millimeter thick notebook over here in the States, which is a shame considering how many features they managed to cram into just a 4.2-pound package, most notably a dual-layer DVD burner, 5-in-1 media card reader, plus Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g. Performance, though, is nothing to write home about, with the low end L2300 1.5GHz Centrino Duo processor, integrated graphics, and pokey 4200RPM 60GB or 80GB PATA drives probably making this model a non-starter for gamers or serious multitaskers. For simple web browsing, emailing, or DVD watching on-the-go, however, the 512MB to 2GB of RAM and optional 1,440 x 900 WXGA+ screen should prove more than adequate.[Via Core Duo News]
My "head-slap" moment from Steve's Keynote
The January keynote is usually a doozy, and today's was no exception...not by a long shot. For me, there's always that one moment that causes me to smack my hand against my forehead and just say, "Wow." This year, it wasn't the flash of iLife '06, the shiny new Mactels or even the .Mac enhancements. No, this year I was blow away to see that iDVD now supports third party DVD burners! Holy cow! *smack*How long have we Mac users clamored for this, and how long has Apple used their non-compliance as a means to sell Macs? Finally, Apple. Thank you.So, what was your "head-slap" moment? I know you all had one.
