Plextor LLC updated its website this morning to include information on a number of new DVD writers. Along with the Qflix enabled PX-806SA and PX-Q840U, the company unveiled two new 22x DVD writers, the PX-850A and PX-850SA. The two drives support Plextor's new PlexUTILITIES software and are capable of 22x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds. The only real difference is that the PX-850SA sports an SATA interface. No word yet on pricing or availability but I'd expect to see an official announcement from Plextor very soon.

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Here is some information on Plextor's new PlexUTILITIES software:

Take control of several powerful features of Plextor drives. With the power of PlexUTILITIES for Windows® you now have extra support for your Plextor hardware. PlexUTILITIES allows you to view basic and advance drive information as well as offering high quality audio and multimedia capabilities. By allowing you to measure and control the burn quality of every disc on a Windows® platform, PlexUTILITIES makes coasters a thing of the past. The distinctive design in PlexUTILITIES allows ease of use for newcomers without compromising on the powerful features that experienced burners demand.

PlexUTILITIES also features:

Viewing Basic and Advanced Drive Information which lists the drive’s hardware, including serial number, firmware version and jumper settings, and shows the capabilities of the drive. Concurrently, it reveals extensive information about the inserted disc— like format, sessions and tracks, manufacturer, and CD TEXT.

Permitting Drive Identification and Control which allows you to control different features of your Plextor drive.

Measure Disc Burning Quality which tests the quality of a written or pressed disc by counting the number of errors, measures the mechanical characteristics of blank media, shows the write quality by checking the jitter rate and the beta value of written media, and measures the quality of the written DVD media by checking the pits and lands for compliance with the DVD specifications.

Automatic software and firmware updates immediately notifies you of pending updates to your Plextor drive so that you always have the most current applications.