Samsung anounced today that it has added three new models to its Super-WriteMaster DVD burner lineup. Along with the SATA equipped SH-S223Q, the company has begun to ship two new PATA drives, the SH-S222A and SH-S222L. The three drives feature 22X DVD±R, 16x DVD+R DL, 12x DVD-R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds and, according to Samsung, are capable of burning an entire 4.7GB DVD in four minutes and 26 seconds.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the worldwide digital consumer electronics and information technology leader, today announced shipment of three new DVD burners in the Super-WriteMaster SH-S223 series. In addition to the SH-S223F DVD burner announced earlier this year, Samsung is now shipping the SH-S223Q SATA drive and the SH-S222A and SH-S222L PATA drives. The three drives share the same industry-best 22X writing speeds of approximately 29.7 megabytes per second.

The SH-S223Q is a SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) drive with embedded LightScribe technology that lets users easily engrave labels, photos, and designs directly onto DVDs and CDs. LightScribe engraving produces a professional look without the cost and hassle of printing labels. The label-making software is pre-loaded on the drive and offers a variety of designs and label layouts.

The new SH-S222A and SH-S222L drives are optimized for the PC upgrade market since they have a PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment) interface. Although a majority of new computers are shipped with a SATA interface, a significant portion of consumers with older computer models are looking to upgrade their slower drives. These new PATA drives offer the speed of a leading-edge drive with the compatibility required for mature PC models. Similar to the SH-S223Q, the SH-S222L drive is equipped with LightScribe technology.

The SH-S222 and SH-S223 product lines deliver powerful over-speed recording, enabling consumers to burn data at high speeds even faster than the speed indicated on a disc. With this technology, users can write at 22X speeds on 16X media and 12X speeds on 8X media. Since lower-speed media is more cost effective, the over-speed recording allows the consumer to save money while burning discs at faster speeds.

The SH-S223 drives provide industry-leading recording speeds across a wide range of data media types including:

  • 22X DVD±R recording
  • 12X DVD-RAM recording
  • 16X DVD+R Dual Layer recording
  • 12X DVD-R Dual Layer recording
  • 8X DVD+RW recording
  • 6X DVD-RW recording

Consumers can burn 4.7 gigabytes on a DVD±R disc in approximately four minutes and 26 seconds, a 6 percent increase in speed compared to a 20X DVD writer. It also takes less than 12 minutes to burn 4.7 gigabytes in DVD-RAM format, which is a 30 percent increase in speed over a 20X DVD drive.

Samsungs high-performance DVD writers are built on an aerodynamic frame design that reduces air-borne noise by preventing pressure concentration in any specific area of the drive. Their sound level ranges from 28 decibels (idle, at 3,400 rpm) to 53 decibels (22X, at 12,700 rpm), which is well within the general sound levels in the average home or office of 40 decibels to 65 decibels.

The acoustic noise level has become an important factor that consumers consider when buying a PC or its peripherals, said Richard Aguilera, national sales manager for Samsungs Optical Disk Drive Business. Samsungs DVD writers operate quietly with normal noise levels, even at the worlds fastest speed of 22X. Samsung plans to continue developing its proprietary technology to lower noise levels.

As with the SH-S223F and the rest of Samsung's WriteMaster optical disc drive line, the three new drives feature technology that optimizes drive performance including SAT (Speed Adjustment Technology), TAC (Tilt Actuator Compensation) and Double OPC (Optimum Power Control). Buffer Under Run Free technology supports stable writing under high speed, and Magic Speed5 and ABS (Automatic Ball Balancing System) technologies reduce vibration and noise. All of the SH-S222 and SH-S223 drives are RoHS compliant.