Huge Step Toward Digital Standardization

Hitachi introduces new new optical disc drive that can record on all types of recordable DVD and CD:

The drive is different from some of the multiformat DVD drives that have been announced recently by companies such as Sony because it also handles DVD-RAM discs.

These are used in several DVD video recorders and DVD camcorders, and adding support for the format to the drive will allow home-recorded video to be transferred more easily into a computer.

Reading and Recording

The GSA-4040B can record to DVD-R and DVD+R discs at 4X speed, DVD-RW discs at 2X, DVD+RW at 2.4X, and DVD-RAM at 3X. It is also capable of recording to CD-R discs at 24X and CD-RW discs at 16X, according to the manufacturer.

Read speeds are 12X for DVD-ROM, 3X for DVD-RAM, 10X for other writable and rewritable DVD formats, and 32X for CD-ROM.

The drive is designed to be used as an internal drive in desktop PCs, and has an ATAPI connector. It is expected to be available from June and will be sold to other electronics companies for inclusion in their products. Hitachi LG is anticipating strong demand and plans to produce 500,000 units per month, it said. [IDG]