14 DAY TRIAL // The format war is over and the victorious Blu-Ray drive is expected to become a mainstream component of any personal PC this year, so the most important technology providers are gearing up for a true offensive.
The DVD format has already reached its topmost recording speed of 20x, and the manufacturers of optical disc drives are expected to release new and improved models to support higher recording speeds when it comes to DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media. The big guns have been pulled by the Korea-based Samsung Electronics that will manufacture its Super-WriteMaster SH-S223 optical recorder later this year. The drive is special because it will offer improved DVD-R recording speeds, that will reach speeds of 22x.
Pioneer will also release some interesting models, such as the DVR-116/116D (PATA) and DVR-216/216D (SATA) series of DVD burners, slated to arrive on the market in June or early July this year. They will be built with the same feature set as the company's older DVD-115/115D and DVR-215/215D series, except for the fact that they will reach 12x speeds for DVD-/+R DL media.
Blu-Ray will storm the PC front with a wide offering of BD-ROM drives, since they are significantly cheaper than Blu-Ray recorders. However, they will mark a milestone in the smooth transition to the Blu-Ray standard, that is expected to become mainstream until the end of the year. That is, of course if there will be no major competitor to emerge on the market until then.
The Sony-Nec-Optiarc joint venture will release its BDU-X10S internal BD-ROM drive that will hit the shelves with an estimative price tag of $240. The new drive will allow 2x playback speeds for the BD media, with 8x playback capabilities for the DVD-ROM and 24x for CD-ROM discs.
Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions joint venture (PLDS) will start offering their HD-401S drive that will be launched in early April at an estimative price tag of $240. There are few technical specifications available for the model, but it is expected to be as competitive as Sony's offering.
Pioneer will invade the market with its own BD products in the second half of the year. The company has slated for release both combo and writers models that will have improved recording speeds for both BD and DVD media. Pioneer's drives will come with support for the new LTH (Low-to High) Blu-ray media, but the drives will need a firmware update before allowing LTH writing.
CeBIT officially starts tomorrow, March the 4th 2008, and Softpedia will be there to bring you live pics and exclusive details, including more info about the new Blu-Ray offerings for the PC market.