Sony Optiarc has beaten Lite-On to the punch, releasing the world's first 24x DVD writer, the AD-7240S. Available now through various online retailers, including Newegg and Buy.com, the Serial ATA equipped AD-7240S offers 24x DVD±R, 12x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds as well as features like Optiarc's Auto Strategy and Adaptive Self Tuning technologies.
Thanks to the fine folks at Optiarc America, we were able to get our hands on the AD-7240S and run some tests. So far things look very promising. When writing to DVD-R and DVD+R media at 24x, it took the drive about four minutes to burn an entire 4.7GB DVD, beating most 22x DVD writers by 20-30 seconds. It's writing quality was also surprisingly good, considering the speeds.
A full review of the AD-7240S is currently in the works. In the mean time, please post any comments or questions you may have in our forum.