Sony Drives Double and Dual Layer DVD Recording Market

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SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 16 -- Sony Electronics has once again raised the bar on the DVD recording speed front with the introduction of its tenth generation of DVD burners.

The internal DRU-810A and external DRX-810UL models support the industry's fastest 8X DVD+R Double Layer (DL) recording speed, and can burn up to 8.5GB of video, data, music or images on compatible media in about fifteen minutes.

The 810 series of DVD burners also features 4X DVD-R DL, 16X DVD+/-R, 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R and 32X CD-RW recording.

The drives come bundled with a feature-rich software package suite from Nero(R) for burning, authoring and editing home movies, creating digital scrapbooks, and backing up critical data.

"Sony continues to hold the leadership position for retail market share of the industry's double layer DVD drives, and our 810 series is further testament to our commitment to innovate where our users value it the most -- in the drive's performance," said Robert DeMoulin, marketing manager for branded storage products in Sony Electronics' IT Products Division. "In addition, users want the ability to select from a host of options when it comes to DVD burning and by providing both dual and double layer recording, we enable them to choose what media will best address their needs."

Sony's 810 series of DVD burners is designed at the optimum price/performance for consumers wanting to store and share home movies, digital photos, and music; businesses deploying DVD video-based training and sharing large files; and filmmakers creating prototypes on recordable/rewritable DVD discs before proceeding with mass replication.

The internal DRU-810A drive comes with an ATAPI interface for easy installation inside a PC and includes a black replacement bezel for those with black-colored PC cases. The external DRX-810UL drive features an award-winning, space-efficient vertical design and offers connectivity with both i.LINK(R) (IEEE 1394) and hi-speed USB (USB 2.0) digital interfaces for simple set-up and maximum flexibility.

Double Layer vs. Dual Layer :

There are currently two formats on the market that support recording to two layers of a DVD disc. The first was presented by the DVD+RW Alliance for the plus ("+") format and given the formal name "Double Layer." The DVD Forum followed with its own standard for the dash format ("-"), which it dubbed "Dual Layer." For now, drives are only available in write-once formats called DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL.

"Sony has a rich history with double layer and dual layer formats for our DVD burners," added DeMoulin. "As a pioneer of the dual format DVD burners that support both plus and dash standards coupled with our experience in introducing Double Layer recorders for the PC, we continue to drive this market by offering burners that address a plethora of user requirements."

DVD and CD Software Suite :

The burners come bundled with award-winning Nero DVD video authoring software, as well as with DVD/CD burning software for creation of data, music, and video DVDs and CDs. The comprehensive software suite also includes packet-writing software for users to easily record files and folders by dragging to the icon of a DVD+RW/CD-RW disc. All tasks and applications are accessible via the Nero StartSmart launcher, which serves as a command center and gives the user one-click access to all programs in the package. The software suite includes:

• Nero Burning ROM 6 SE and Nero Express 6 CD/DVD mastering software for data, audio and CD/DVD writing and copying;
• Nero VisionExpress 3 VCD/SVCD and DVD authoring software for advanced video capturing, authoring, full video editing and photo slideshow creation. Users can crop, clean up, add special effects to photos and then add transitions and a soundtrack, as well as cut, edit, dub, and turn videos into Hollywood-style masterpieces;
• Nero InCD 4 packet writing software for formatting rewritable discs so they can be used like large floppy disks with drag-and-drop capability;
• Nero ShowTime DVD-Video playing software for viewing DVD movies and personal video projects, along with MPEG-4 compatibility;
• Nero PhotoSnap/PhotoSnap Viewer captures digital photos right from a digital camera or scanner and provides basic image editing as well as a viewer utility;
• Nero MediaHome streaming media server allows sharing of media files over a home network;
• Nero Recode2 DVD-Video converter makes backup copies of unprotected DVDs -- ideal for making copies of home movie DVDs to share with friends and family. Can also compile multiple DVD discs into a single DVD;
• Nero BackItUp backup software for complete PC backup, with an easy-to-use wizard interface for multiple backup modes, automatically scheduled backups, and backups spanning several CDs or DVDs;
• Nero MediaPlayer / Wave Editor management/jukebox software and audio editing software for audio file creation with various filters and effects;
• Nero Cover Designer disc label creation software for creating individual CD/DVD covers and labels; and
• Nero Toolkit drive tool software for critical media and drive analysis used by drive manufacturers worldwide.

Availability and Pricing :

The internal DRU-810A will be available next month for about $100, while the external DRX-810UL is expected to ship in October for around $150. Sony DVD/CD rewritable drives are sold through SonyStyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail) and at Sony Electronics authorized resellers and retailers nationwide, mail order catalogs, and select online shopping sites.

Sony supports what it calls "worry-free" installation, along with easy operation in addition to toll-free customer and technical service, Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT. The company also provides a one-year limited warranty from the original date of purchase.

For more information, please visit: Sonystyle.com