ComboDrive
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Ao-LAB's eSATA SSD flash drive conveniently includes USB port
We're still baffled that traditional eSATA flash drives require power from the USB port in order to operate (at least until that Power Over eSATA initiative starts bearing fruit), but it seems that Ao-LAB has found a nice, practical workaround for the time being. The outfit's eSATA / USB Combo Drive arrives in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavors and provides dual interfaces along with a convenient way to power it if you're dead-set on using eSATA for transfers. And given that speeds over eSATA absolutely obliterate those over USB 2.0, you're going to want to. Shame there's no pricing / availability information, but we suspect you can get a few hundred of 'em sans issue should you contact the company seeking a bulk contract.[Via EverythingUSB]
Pioneer lowers Blu-ray combo drive price in China, Sony unit to hit Taiwan
Take all of this with a grain of salt for the time being, but word on the street has it that Pioneer has lowered the retail price of its BDC-S02BKZ Blu-ray Disc Combo drive in China by just over 41%. The new sticker shows 999 yuan ($145), while just last week it was marked 1,699 yuan ($247). We're also hearing that Pioneer will soon be lowering the retail price of its BDC-S02 optical drive in the Taiwan market, and if that wasn't enough, (hopefully believable) sources have stated that Sony will launch a Blu-ray Disc Combo drive in this very region for around $230 next month. We can't say that BD prices are where they need to be for mass adoption, but it's good to see them finally headed in the right direction.Read - Price dropsRead - New Sony drive
Shuttle's AMD-powered XPC G5 6801M loves Blu-ray and HD DVD
While Shuttle's KPC most certainly wasn't aimed at the enthusiast in the crowd, its newest XPC definitely is. The XPC G5 6801M gets going with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, LG's GGC-H20L Blu-ray / HD DVD combo drive, ATI's 256MB HD 3450 graphics card, a DVB-T tuner, 25-in-1 multicard reader and 7.1-channel audio output. Moreover, you'll find gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, a slew of USB / eSATA ports, DVI / VGA out (DVI-HDMI adapter thrown in) and a bundled remote to make your life even easier. If you're digging where this is going, you can latch on to one of these boxes for €1,091 ($1,727), and if you've turned a cold shoulder to HD DVD, a BD-only unit can be had for €167 ($264) less. [Via Bios Magazine]
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.
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
HP's Pavilion Slimline s3330f PC does Blu-ray and HD DVD
A slim PC destined to handle both of the major high-definition movie formats? Say it ain't so! Turns out, HP is indeed doling out such a machine, and it's so eloquently dubbed the Pavilion Slimline s3330f PC. Here's a look at what this mighty mini-tower will be packin': 2.8GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor 2GB of DDR2 RAM 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA drive HP Pocket Media Drive Bay Single LightScribe-enabled optical drive that reads Blu-ray / HD DVD and writes to dual-layer DVDs NVIDIA's 256MB GeForce 8500 GT 802.11b/g WiFi Built-in NTSC / ATSC TV tuners Front-mounted 15-in-1 multicard reader Furthermore, you'll find 6 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, audio in / out, DVI / HDMI ports and a wireless keyboard / mouse bundled in along with a whole suite of software. Intrigued? Be on the lookout for this one to land later this month starting at $949.
Addonics offers peace with external HD DVD / Blu-ray drive
Combo drives made specifically with computers in mind aren't unheard of or anything, but they're still a long ways from being a dime a dozen, so we figured it was worth the time to check out Addonics' latest. This peace maker plays back HD DVD, Blu-ray, DVD and CD, but it will only burn to the latter two; also, it's available with eSATA or eSATA / USB 2.0 interfaces, and it should play nice with Windows, OS X and Linux-based rigs. If you're wondering about speed, it can reportedly toast CD-Rs at 48x, CD-RWx at 32x, DVD±R at 16x, DVD±RW at 8x and DVD±R DL at 2.4x. Both of these suckas are available now for $409 / $429 depending on your choice of interface, and trust us, you never know when having something like this around will totally save the night.
HP offers up HD DVD / Blu-ray drives on select Pavilion desktops
Just last month, we heard rumblings that HP may begin offering up two-faced optical drives in its desktops, and sure enough, a variety of select Pavilions are now being served up with HD DVD and / or Blu-ray compatibility. The d4995t, m9000t and m9000z all give users the option of purchasing a vanilla dual-layer DVD burner, an HD DVD / Blu-ray combo player (that also burns DVDs), or a drive that burns Blu-ray / DVD and reads HD DVD. Additionally, a number of lesser-spec'd rigs also provide users the option of picking up an HD combo drive of some sort, and you can even snap up ATI's TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner on the d4995t and m9000t (among others).[Thanks, Ryan]
HP to launch desktops with Blu-ray / HD DVD combo writers?
Regrettably, there's not a lot to go on just yet, but DigiTimes has it that HP will soon be launching "next-generation PCs with a Blu-ray / HD DVD dual-format burner." The announcement was reportedly issued at a product presentation held in Singapore, and while no model numbers were doled out, we can purportedly expect the two-faced machines to land in Europe and America sometime next month. Notably, HP has hemmed and hawed between formats in the past, but we're all for a rig that burns (and reads) both.[Via TG Daily]
Buffalo offers up external HD DVD / Blu-ray combo drive in Japan
Nah, Buffalo isn't manufacturing the HD DVD / Blu-ray drive that sits comfortably within its new external enclosure, but those parked in Japan can reportedly get ahold of this peace maker for just ¥51,000 ($440). Apparently, Buffalo chose the GGC-H20N optical drive to read both high-definition formats in its BHC-6316U2, and CyberLink's PowerDVD7.3 Ultra will also be thrown in for good measure. Next month, Buffalo will be loosing the BRHC-6316U2, which will utilize the GGW-H20N Blu-ray burner / HD DVD reader and will run customers a respectable ¥74,800 ($644).[Via EverythingUSB]
Inteset stuffs HD DVD / Blu-ray combo drive in media PCs
Currently, there's just not a whole lot of options when you're scouting a pre-fabricated rig that does both HD DVD and Blu-ray on a single optical drive, but adding one more to mix certainly helps. Enter Inteset, which has just announced that an HD DVD / Blu-ray combo drive will be an option in the firm's Maximus and Denzel media server systems. The machines will reportedly come loaded with CyberLink's PowerDVD Ultra software, support 7.1-channel surround sound, and sport an array of ports including audio in / out, DVI / VGA / component / S-Video, USB, FireWire, and antenna inputs for the TV tuners. 'Course, since the company recommends that you "contact a dealer for pricing," you should assume that this here HTPC won't run you cheap.
VidaBox Magnum HTPC gets priced out of our league
Hey, we all knew good and well VidaBox was sparing no luxury when crafting the CableCARD-ready, HD DVD / Blu-ray supporting HTPC it affectionately dubs the Magnum, but even the well prepared may be a tad taken aback by the price. While the vendor's website still requests that you swallow a chill pill and calmly call for any pricing inquiries, AudioJunkies has apparently done us all the favor. Wrapped up in what appears to be OrigenAE's oh-so-sexy aluminum chassis, the VidaBox Magnum reportedly starts at a dollar under eight grand, and while we're sure the base configuration is more than plenty, why not throw in an extra stick of RAM and a few terabytes of HDD space to ensure your next media PC costs more than a new Kia Rio?
Hitachi showcases internal GGW-H20N Blu-ray burner / HD DVD reader
Ah, the sweet aroma of competition in the air. That's what we've gotten a whiff of after catching an (admittedly grainy) shot of what appears to be an internal Blu-ray writing / HD DVD reading combo drive from Hitachi. The GGW-H20N should have no issues playing your favorite high-definition films on either format, and it can also burn 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray discs, BD-R, BD-RW, and the typical flavors of writable DVDs and CDs. Reportedly, the drive will also boast a speedy SATA interface and will posses a read rate of up to 6x and burn rate of 4x, but the most important detail (read: worldwide release details) was unsurprisingly omitted. Bring on the price drops.[Via FormatWarCentral]
Okoro's BX100 and BX300 HTPCs pack HD DVD / Blu-ray combo drive
Okoro Media Systems has been Blu-ray savvy for some time now, but apparently it's looking to bring the peace with a dual-format combo drive in its BX series of HTPCs. The BX100 resides in a fairly slim 4.13-inch tall enclosure and includes an Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 350-watt power supply, optional seven-inch touchscreen, your choice of operating system and media center software, 500GB of hard drive space, NVIDIA's 256MB 8500 GT graphics card, a total of three TV tuners, and a smorgasbord of ports including PS/2, FireWire, serial, optical / coaxial digital audio outputs, two DVI ports, VGA, component, S-Video, composite, Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 connectors. The beefier BX300 steps up to a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 CPU, 1TB of storage spanning two 500GB drives, NVIDIA's 256MB GeForce 8600 GTS graphics card, and a 7.1-channel sound card. Both systems look to be available as we speak with a built-in HD DVD / Blu-ray combo drive, and while the BX100 can be yours for $2,995, the base BX300 will run you an extra $600.[Via PCJoint]
Samsung announces BD-P1000 release for Europe
Much like Pioneer, Samsung is still bumming us out by not whipping up a combo Blu-ray and HD DVD player. But good ol' Sammy is announcing its first Blu-ray player, the BD-P1000, to be released in Europe in October 2006, with price estimates reaching €1,400. It's due to go head-to-head with Toshiba's HD-E1 and HD-XE1, which ares due to come out the following month. Guys, can't we bury this hatchet already and just settle this war? It's obvious that building a hybrid player is entirely possible, and to motivate you to get on it we're officially going to sulk and go on hunger strike. Go on, try us.
Pioneer planning BDR-103 HD DVD/Blu-ray combo drive
Samsung got our hopes up and then dashed them. Same with LG. But ever since Ricoh announced its "smart" blue laser diode that can recognize what type of disc has been inserted and adjust the beam accordingly, we've been cautiously optimistic that someone, somewhere would release a drive and / or player that reads / writes both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, effectively mooting the so-called format war. Well, folks, it seem that glorious day may be close at hand, as Pioneer announced plans at Berlin's IFA to manufacture the BDR-103 combo drive (followup to its BDR-101 and upcoming, CD-writing BDR-102 Blu-ray-only burners). So far the company has released little information beyond this product's model number and its hybrid capabilities, but frankly, that glimmer of hope is all we really need to sustain us. We salute you, dear Pioneer, for attempting what so many others have tried and failed to do before; and if in fact you succeed, you will be remembered forever as the savior of HD lovers worldwide.[Via cdfreaks]
LG's GBW-H10N Blu-ray burner headed to Taiwan
Watch out BenQ, because your fellow manufacturers over at LG also have a 3-in-1 Blu-ray burner poised for release, and not only does it write to BD-R discs at a blistering 4x speed, it's coming to market several weeks before you're getting your BW1000 out the door. In fact, LG's Taiwanese subsidiary is claiming that the GBW-H10N internal drive will hit Chinese shores in the next few days, and at only $923, it's something of a steal compared to dedicated players going for $1000 and up. Of course the BenQ model still holds a few key advantages over this unit, most significantly its ability to burn 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray discs as well as its faster write speeds for most recordable DVD and CD formats. So for now it looks like you'll have to decide whether speed or capacity is the more important attribute, but as HDBeat alludes to, more competition in the market means that at least a few next-generation devices will probably have all the features you're looking for.[Via HDBeat]
Apple Introduces $899 Education Configuration for 17-inch iMac
Apple has decided to show the EDU market even more love and has unveiled a slimmed-down 17-inch iMac for all y'all eating reheated Ramen noodles for breakfast in your dorm room right now. This model sells for a mere $899 (down from $1199 for the next model up) and includes a 1.83 Intel Core Duo CPU, as well as the typica 1440 x 900 resolution. However, the main specs that took a step down from the base retail version are a Combo drive, an 80GB Serial ATA hard drive and an Intel GMA 950 graphics with 64MB of shared memory, instead of the Radeon X1600 in the other retail versions.Students and EDU sys admins who have been pinching pennies can rejoice, for this model is shipping within 1-3 business days.
