2-layer Blu-Ray recorder from BenQ/Philips at CeBIT

[MediumRare]

The German news site heise has an item about the coming 2-layer Blu-Ray recorder from BenQ/Philips. They showed a prototype at the CeBIT. The OPU apparently has a single lens for all 3 required lasers. It will read and write Blu-Ray (up to 50 GiB), DVDs and CDs. The hardware is supposedly ready and the drives are expected before Christmas. Estimated price: ca. 500 Euros. The main open point is apparently which copy protection will be implemented.

Further CeBIT news at heise re. optical drives and media:
TDK scratch-proof Blu-Ray discs
Toshiba planning slim-line player for HD DVD (single lens, 2005/2006)
8x +RW and +RDL from Ricoh and MCC (with even higher +RW speeds at the end of the year)
Sony with prototype Blu-Ray recorder (2 lenses, late this year, price unknown)

[edit]
It seems to happen every year- I get all worked up about the CeBIT reports at heise and forget to double check the news right here (see Monday). I'm going to shut up on this for the rest of the CeBIT.

G

[vinnie97]

Thats about $674 USD; high but not as bad as others have been predicting.