New entertainment products from ASUS to be shown at CeBIT 2011 include Blu-ray drives with advanced media format compatibility, 3D playback, smartphone remote control functionality and USB 3.0-based high speed write performance. Also on display at the show are all-new active noise cancelling headphones, designed to provide high quality portable personal audio.

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The new ASUS O!Play BDS-700 Blu-ray player uses Qdeo video post-processing to deliver clear, vivid images in native high definition and upscaling of 480p DVD content. It supports Blu-ray 3D playback on compatible screens for immersive movie-watching experiences, delivering 7.1-channel surround sound mastered in Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. An independent audio-only HDMI port on the BDS-700 guarantees improved high definition audio performance through a dedicated channel.

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According to Futuresource research, worldwide pre-recorded Blu-ray video disc production exceeded 400m units in 2010, an increase of nearly 60% compared with 2009. Factoring in PS3 titles, overall BD production volumes were significantly higher, and the longer-term outlook shows production volumes will continue to expand, with annual global output on track to reach two billion discs by 2014.

“The BD replication industry saw capacity utilisation improve markedly during 2010, with replicators working flat-out during the final months of the year to get product on the shelves in time,” says Jim Bottoms, Director and Co-founder, Futuresource Consulting. “With the growing demand for titles on the high definition format, Q4 2011 BD capacity utilisation will average more than 80% in North America and more than 75% in Europe. Taking into consideration production spikes during that period, the figure is dangerously close to the industry’s operating limit, and given the high level of market expansion expected over the next few years – driven by growing player ownership and falling title retail prices – substantial additional investment is required this year to prevent peak quarter capacity shortages.”

These shortages could result in order backlogs and compromised street dates. The problem will be further compounded by the increasing use of combo packs, featuring more than one BD, as well as collectors’ box set promotions involving some of the leading film franchises of recent years, which will put pressure on both replication capacity and hand pack capabilities.

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verbatim bd-re dl disc.jpgVerbatim, an industry pioneer and the world’s number one brand leader in optical media, is now shipping its Blu-ray Re-Writable Double Layer (BD-RE DL) discs nationwide.

Compatible with standard Blu-ray players and recorders from leading manufactuers, these BD-RE DL discs are re-writable up to 1,000 times and can support up to 1080p resolution videos and multiple audio formats.

Designed specifically for high definition video and audio data, these double-layer discs can support storage capacities of up to 50GB – twice that of a single-layer disc. Plus, Verbatim treats these discs with its own proprietary HardCoat™ technology to protect against scratches, fingerprints and dust build-up, reducing playback and recording errors.

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Verbatim’s new BD-RE DL 2X offers 50GB capacity, making it ideal for day-to-day backup, beta-testing for video and software applications or short-term recording for home video and and video content for professional broadcast.  The Hardcoat Scratch Guard protects against scratches  fingerprints, dust,  oil and water, and the proven SERL technology (Super Eutectic Recording Layer) ensures excellent  recording compatibility and excellent rewritability up to 1000 times.  With this additional new BD-RE DL 50GB 2X, Verbatim is now offering all Blu-ray formats available on the market. The new Blu-ray disc is available in stores now in a 5 Pack Jewel Case.

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Blu-ray media is getting more and more attractive to consumers - both for home and professional use - to record and archive data. Verbatim meets this demand with its new Blu-ray disc BD-RE DL 50GB 2X which offers up to 10 times the capacity of a DVD-R, guaranteeing reliable and safe short-term-backup of files, from home photos and videos to office documents. It offers excellent playback performance and thanks to its Hard Coat protective layer it can be rewritten up to 1000 times without loss of quality due to its proven Verbatim SERL Technology.

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Plextor have expanded their high-performance optical storage portfolio with the addition of the PX-LB950UE – their first external Blu-ray Writer. The PX-LB950UE boasts a combination of an incredibly fast 12x writing speed with USB 3.0 technology, advanced software applications and a stylish external chassis designed to offer reliability, accuracy and low noise.

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Every facet of the PX-B950UE has been designed to provide home and business users with a high performance, easy to use and versatile solution for backing-up large quantities of data or enjoying their favourite Blu-ray movies.

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Vinpower Digital announced the roll out of their USB 3.0 external Blu-ray writer drive, which is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0. This product is one of the first of its kind on the market and with a USB 3.0 connection, the transfer rate to burn a full length Blu-ray disc will be reduced dramatically.

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With its initial launch at the 2011 CES trade show, the Vinpower USB 3.0 external Blu-ray burner offers up to 12X BD-R & 16x DVD±R write speed for specific models. In addition, some models offer LightScribe creativity for easy and inexpensive labeling as well. The drive connects to a computer via USB 2.0/3.0 cables, and is capable of reading and writing all optical disc formats including recordable Blu-ray, DVD, and CD! No matter what media you need to work with, you will have the right tools to get the job done quickly and accurately.

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I-O DATA Japan sent out a press release this morning, announcing its new DVRP-U8C series of portable DVD writers. Available in five colors - white, black, red, blue and brown, the DVRP-U8C series is capable of 8x DVD±R, 6x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 8x. These new drives are also USB bus powered and come bundled with Nero 9 Express Essentials as well as I-O DATA's QuickDrive LE management software.

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The DVRP-U8C series is scheduled to ship in early February and is expected to cost about 6,300 Yen ($76US).

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Plextor, a leading brand of high-performance digital media solutions, announces a new external slim DVD writer in Europe. The PX-L611U is an external DVD writer offering the convenience of a dependable DVD and CD burner in a highly portable package. It writes DVD±R at 8X, DVD±R DL at 6X, DVD+RW at 8X and DVD-RW at 6X. And with LightScribe direct disc labeling, users can burn customized labels on any LightScribe compatible discs.

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This highly-compact drive is light and slender. It weighs a mere 350 grams (0.77 pounds), and its dimensions are only 137mm (5.39 inch) long by 137mm (5.39 inch) wide, and just 22mm (0.86 inch) thick. Its size makes the drive ideal for business professionals and students needing transportable but reliable media burning and DVD movie playback. Further convenience is provided through the use of a unique single USB port and battery combination to power the unit eliminating the need to carry an AC adapter for the drive.

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plextor m2s ssd small.jpgPhilips & Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS), the US distributor for Plextor and Lite-On optical disc drives, announces new products from both Plextor and Lite-On to be featured at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in the PLDS Suite at the Bellagio.

Plextor introduces its next generation of Solid-State Drives supporting the new high-speed SATA 6Gb/s interface with read speeds of up to 400MB/s, making it one of the fastest 2.5-inch SSD in the market today. This high performance SSD is a perfect data storage solution for power users, gamers, system integrators and industrial applications such as medical or government sectors. The Plextor SSD 6Gb/s will be available in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB, and will be shipped to the nearest e-tailers and retailers during the first quarter of 2011.

“We’re glad to see Plextor continues to expand its presence in the storage industry with the new SSDs,” said Kathy Huynh at Plextor.

Also highlighted is the Plextor’s newly-improved 12X external Blu-ray writer, PX-LB950UE. The PX-LB950UE has been redesigned to improve user’s experience and performance with additional added media compatibility. This drive features the all-new Superspeed USB 3.0 and eSATA connections in one drive, providing bandwidth for blazing fast data transfer rate and shorten burn time. The drive is backward compatible with USB 2.0, which provides more flexibility to users. The PX-LB950UE will be available in the first quarter of 2011.

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LG Electronics announced its 2011 product lineup of Optical Disc Drives (ODD) and Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices today at the International Consumer Electronics Show.

Leading LG's 2011 ODD lineup is the company's first portable Blu-ray Rewriter, the BP06LU10. Encased in a slim and stylish frame, the BP06LU10 boasts 3D Playback functionality that provides top-notch videos and sound and spectacular live-action stereoscopic 3D.

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Unlike existing external Blu-ray Rewriters, the AC Power Adapter Free BP06LU10 allows for Blu-ray disc writing and title playing experiences for mini and slim laptop users with no optical disc drive. 3D Blu-ray content that used to be played through Blu-ray players and TVs can now be played on the PC with the BP06LU10 external Blu-ray Rewriter.  Thanks to the BP06LU10’s Power DVD 3D bundle software, it not only plays 3D titles, but also converts conventional 2D DVD titles to provide a 3D effect.

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