Maxell has announced that they will be releasing their new 25GB BD-R and BD-RE media to the Japanese market on December 8th. Here's part of their press release, translated from Japanese:

It is BD-R/BD-RE disk (one one side layer 25GB) for recording that Maxell puts on the market this time where it answers needs of the high-definition television recording to such removable mass storage. A large capacity and a steady record and the reproduction characteristic are achieved by inorganic/use of the achievement of BD Stampa and the high recording density that processes the narrowness track pitch ditch shape for a blue purple laser precisely and smoothly of the aspect change recording layer and 0.1mm cover layer making technology, etc.The digital Hi-Vision broadcasting can be recorded for 130 minutes like the high-definition television image quality corresponding to five mass times or more record the memory capacity 25GB(one one side layer) and DVD. Moreover, this product adopted the hard court where the record side was defended from Kiz by the type of the cartridge none to which the disk record side was exposed.
According to AV Watch, Maxell's BD-R and BD-RE media is expected to cost about 1,800 Yen and 2,500 Yen respectively. More information can be found here. Add a comment
According to an article at DigiTimes, Ritek has signed an ODM contract with Hitachi Maxell for the exclusive production of DVD and CD-R discs.
Ritek, the second largest producer of optical discs in Taiwan, has signed an ODM contract with Japan-based Hitachi Maxell for the exclusive production of DVD and CD-R discs, with an annual order value estimated at NT$8.0 billion (US$244 million) and shipments to begin next quarter, according to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN).
The article also points out that Ritek will not need to pay royalty feesfor discs shipped under the Maxell brand, as Hitachi Maxell and Philips have a cross licensing agreement. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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CyberLink sent out a press release this morning, announcing the launch of PowerProducer 4 Next-Gen. This new version adds a number of features including the ability to capture high-def video and author Blu-ray Discs and HD DVD's.
CyberLink Corp. (5203.TWO), a world leader and pioneer in providing integrated solutions for the Digital Home, announced today the release of PowerProducer 4 Next-Gen, an enhanced version featuring high-definition video capturing and production, widescreen support and advanced Magic Video Editing tools.

The new features combine CyberLink's intelligent DVD authoring technologies with the newest generation of disc technology, offering authoring and burning on HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs.
PowerProducer 4 Next-Gen is available now for US$69.95 and can be purchased directly from CyberLink via their online store. More information can be found here. Add a comment
Sonic has announced that CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator has been chosen by Nintendo to provide DVD playback in a future version of the Wii console.
Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced that Nintendo, the worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, has chosen Sonic CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator to bring high-quality DVD movie viewing to a future version of the company's Wii gaming console. Nintendo plans to release this version of Wii in the latter half of 2007.

Based on the same technology trusted by Hollywood studios, CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator is a robust, software-based DVD playback engine that delivers broad playback compatibility on a variety of platforms. The proven technology offers exceptional picture quality and supports all standard video and audio formats offered in the DVD specification, as well as advanced functions such as anamorphic widescreen video, motion menus, and multiple video angles. "To be involved in Nintendo's ground-breaking gaming console is extremely gratifying and a testament to the efficiency, flexibility and dependability of Sonic's technology," said Jim Taylor, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic's Advanced Technology Group. "Game consoles represent a fresh market and platform where we can introduce a new audience of potentially millions to the quality of our brand and the power of our digital media applications."
Sadly, Nintendo is not planning to offer this new version of the Wii outside of Japan. If you'd like to read more, Sonic's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Moser Baer recently announced their Platinum range of CD-R media. These new discs use a hardcoat technology to resist scraches and dust as well as a patented dye technology to ensure data protection for 200 years.
Moser Baer expands its commitment to 'New Breed' of data backup technology with the introduction of the ‘Moser Baer Platinum' range of CD-Rs. The optical media with Hardcoat technology is more scratch and dust resistant and uses a ‘Patented Dye Technology' to ensure data protection for 200 years under standard operation and storage conditions.

According to Ratul Puri, Executive Director, Moser Baer India Ltd, "This is another major breakthrough from our R&D labs. The media will help the Indian users with an efficient and low cost backup solution and bridge a key gap in archiving critical and sensitive data."

With the launch of the Moser Baer Platinum range, the company hopes to tackle the key problems in optical media data storage - scratches, scruffs, smudges and grime. With the unique patented coat, CD-R will largely be scratch resistant by ordinary handling builds and will prevent smudges on the discs.
No word on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, Moser Baer's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Believe it or not, its been more than four years since Philips filed their patent infringement suit against Gigastorage and Princo. Since then, the three companies have been in and out of court, with the decision eventually being made in favor of Philips. DigiTimes has reported that a US District Court recently upheld this decision and that a hearing will scheduled to determine damages.
The US District Court in the Southern District of New York State has upheld a patent infringement charge made by Royal Philips Electronics against Taiwan optical disc makers Gigastorage and Princo concerning six Philips CD-R patents. A hearing will now be scheduled to determine damages, according to Philips Taiwan.

Philips filed the complaint in early 2002, with the court delivering a summary judgment in favor of Philips in March 2005, which granted an injunction forbidding further sales of CD-R/RW discs produced by the two makers in the US market.
It will be good to see this court case come to an end. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Lite-On has officially announced their new 20x 'Super AllWrite' drive, the LH-20A1P. Along with 20x DVD±R writing speeds, LH-20A1P can write to DVD-RAM media at 12x.

LITE-ON IT CORP., the professional ODD manufacturer of DVD & Ultra-Speed CD-RW / Combo Writers, releases the fastest ATAPI / E-IDE DVD Writer in the world: 20X Super AllWrite Drive LH-20A1P. It only takes around 5 minutes to backup 4.7 GB data on an excellent single layer 16X DVD+R or DVD-R media at 20X maximum. LH-20A1P also has innovative SMART-WRITE technology: Through this drive's self-learning function, LH-20A1P will automatically detect and decide the optimal write strategy of DVD recordable media ( DVD+R & DVD-R ) for the best write quality. It can save you a lot of time and trouble for data storage & blank media selection. This Super AllWrite Drive can support all of DVD formats: DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, DVD-RAM. LH-20A1P is able to rewrite certified DVD-RAM media at 12X maximum, write DVD+R DL ( Double Layer ) media & DVD-R DL ( Dual Layer ) media at 8X maximum, rewrite High-Speed DVD+RW at 8X maximum, rewrite High-Speed DVD-RW at 6X maximum, and read DVD-ROM media at 16X maximum.
According to sources at Lite-On, the LH-20A1P should be available in a matter of weeks. If you'd like to read more, Lite-On's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Lite-On Europe has announced that they will be launching a LightScribe enabled version of their 18x 'Super AllWrite' drive, the LH-18A1P. Along with support for the latest version of LightScribe, the LH-18A1H features 18x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds.

Besides the previously announced LH-18A1P, Lite-On IT has announced it will also launch a LightScribe version of this 18x drive, the LH-18A1H. The LH-18A1H is expected to be available from November 2006.

With the release of the LH-18A1H, Lite-On IT continues to increase its DVD burning speeds from 16x to 18x. With the addition of LightScribe the LH-18A1H offers a lot of versatile options to appeal to the most creative users. The drive writes DVD+R and DVD-R at 18X, thanks to SmartWrite technology. Double and Dual layer discs can be written at 8X. Besides DVD±R(W) compatibility, this drive also incorporates Super AllWrite technology and therefore rewrites DVD-RAM discs at 12X.
The LH-18A1H also support's Lite-On's new WriteSmart technology. Similar to HyperTuning and SolidBurn, WriteSmart automatically detects and decides the optimal write strategy for DVD±R media. More information can be found on Lite-On's website. Add a comment