AfterDawn: News

Pioneer offers Blu-ray ROM & DVD writer combo

Pioneer has introduced its new Blu-ray ROM / DVD recordable combo drive, the BDC-202. It reads Blu-ray Disc at a maximum of 5 x and allows a maximum burn speed of 12x for DVD media. The company offers the combo unit to offer consumers the ability to watch pristine quality high-definition (HD) movies on PCs.

"Blu-ray is in pole position to capture demand for HD movies: it’s supported by seven out of the eight major Hollywood studios. We’ve ensured that BDC-202 is price competitive to existing next generation drives so systems builders can enable consumers to access this extensive catalogue of Blu-ray titles in stunning quality," says Chris Tampsett, Director of Pioneer Europe Multimedia Division.



He added: "And with DVD and CD read/write compatibility, the drive provides a compelling mix of high-quality entertainment and practicality. We anticipate that it will lead the emergence of the Blu-ray format for both professional and personal use on computers."

Source:
BitBurners

Written by: James Delahunty @ 30 Jan 2007 18:44

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• 11 comments

• eatsushi

  I guess the next question is: How much will it cost?

  31.1.2007 07:00 #1

• solarf

  I had no idea that bluray was backed by so many studios. Are they only supporting bluray? But the combo drive sounds very interesting does anyone know how much it costs?

  31.1.2007 07:01 #2

• hughjars

  Without taking this off-topic and seeing as you mentioned it, solarf, it's not quite as impressive when you take acvcount of who is backing HD-DVD.
  
  There are some big studios producing for both formats too.
  
  HD-DVD has -
  - Warner
  - Universal
  - Paramount
  - New Line/HBO
  - Weinstein
  - Magnolia
  - Brentwood Home Video
  - BCI
  - DVD International
  - Eagle Rock Entertainment
  - Concert Hot Spot
  - Image Entertainment
  - Interscope
  - Entertainment In Video
  - Goldhil Home Media
  - HDNet
  - Razor Digital Entertainment
  - Rhino Entertainment
  - Discovery Channel
  - Tartan Video
  - MTI Home Video
  - Studio Canal
  - 2Entertain/BBC
  - Pathe
  - Momentum Pictures
  - Manga Films
  
  ...13 of them exclusive.
  
  Studio Canal, New Line, Pathe and the BBC aren't exactly small nobodies.
  
  One of the really nice parts about the whole HD-DVD deal is that, unlike Blu-ray, it isn't region coded.
  It's also not likely to be for a long long time, if ever.
  
  (it has only recently been discussed again but they put it off again without any changes being made.)
  
  That means that retail movie discs that are supposedly exclusive to Blu-ray in the USA (and therefore get claimed to be 'Blu-ray exclusive') often turn out not to be, globally, thanks to the host of differing publishing and distribution rights owned by various and different groups around the world.
  
  For instance the latest product of this happy set of circumstances is 'Underworld Evolution'.
  
  http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=63931
  
  .........and yes, the really interesting part of this we're all waiting on is whether this turns out to be yet another piece of grossly over-priced Blu-ray hardware (just like all the rest).
  
  Does it even meet all 4 of the differing Blu-ray specs?

  31.1.2007 07:20 #3

• ZippyDSM

  hughjars
  don't forget they are applying with the BR people to use the same region codeing,and they will enforce regions once they start using HDCP,don't think if they wont adopt some form of regioning rule to control money losses better.

  31.1.2007 07:49 #4

• hughjars

  Well that's true in theory zippy but it's also absolutely true and a fact that not one of the HD-DVD discs on sale now have it; they're all region-free and it is not even being planned to be introduced at the moment.
  
  Like I said, they recently had a meeting where it was raised as a possiblity for introduction but they (again) put off deciding to change anything.
  
  You're right that it might come in future but for now there is no sign of it at all.
  
  With a little luck all the 600 HD-DVD titles due to be available this year will come without it.
  
  (just like, with any luck, all the 250 Blu-ray titles promised for this year - in addition to the 120 or so already out - will come without BD+ switched on)
  
  That's a heck of a library of high def movies that will be available if you , *cough*, know where to look.

  31.1.2007 08:27 #5

• Pop_Smith

  Interesting, it can burn DVDs but not Blu-ray disks. A Blu-ray burner from Plextor is $816 before shipping at the 'egg. I would say a "ROM" would be around $500 but that is just a guess.
  
  I don't care right now on Blu-Ray/HD DVD. It seems pointless to argue about and I would rather just wait until one format dominates and the other withers away. If this happens then I will adopt the winner once HD movies come out instead of the current "HD DVD/Blu-Ray" movies that are DVD quality (for the most part) but have the disk filled with, in my opinion, pointless extras.
  
  Peace

  31.1.2007 10:42 #6

• borhan9

  I like this but am a but confused as to what it does. I know it says ROM so it reads and backs up everything else but has it got the capability to back up HD or not??

  1.2.2007 15:38 #7

• ZippyDSM

  it is not a Blu ray burner.

  1.2.2007 15:52 #8

• borhan9

  @Zippy
  Thanxs for the clarification.

  1.2.2007 19:45 #9

• ZippyDSM

  basically its a 500$ DVD burner that can play BR 0-o

  1.2.2007 23:34 #10

• variousf

  I signed up for an account simply to respond to hughjars, and his tripe:
  
  That is off-topic, as this is for blu-ray.
  
  Lets start by breaking it way down. DVDs use lasers, which is an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation." IE DVD's use light. They store data which is read by light. Because blu-ray uses BLUE, instead of RED, it is using a smaller beam of light. Because it is a smaller beam of light, the data can be printed smaller, WHICH MEANS MORE DATA PER DISC.
  
  THE ONLY REASON HD-DVD exists is because microsoft was SMART and didn't blue laser technology, but Sony did, and they succeeded. I say risk because the crystals needed for blu-ray are difficult to grow properly, and are often imperfect and can't be used. Sony worked on the growing of the crystals, and got it to a point where it could be used for the production of a product--as science and industry generally go, they will further perfect it over the years, and blu-ray will come down in price.
  
  HD-DVD is an electric typewriter. It's an in between tech. Even if it does when this infamous Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD battle, eventually the market will move to blue laser technology. Anyone who has taken any sort of physics understands why. Blue being smaller, will always be able to read more precisely.
  
  The question is, will people support HD-DVD because of the features of the encoding and such? Despite the fact that HD-DVDs have theoretical peak storage of 60gb, when the tech is fully developed, while Blu-ray has a 200gb predicted peak. It already holds more even.
  
  
  I'm not a fanboy, I don't get generally don't get involved in hyped up stuff, because hype, by definition, lacks substance. I only care about this, because I don't want Blu-ray to go away just because Microsoft wont admit that Sony bested them, and happens to have a larger budget and list of buddies. I want to use Blu-ray because it is better. Even if the tech was crappy right now and held half of HD, I would want it, because it has greater potential. Why introduce ANOTHER format to be outdated?
  
  VHS, DVD, and now HD formats. Do you really want to have to have to buy a Blu-ray player in 10 years, if Microsoft wins today?
  
  Anyways, don't take my word, check out, http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/19/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-state-of-the-s-union-s-division/
  Microsoft WONT pull out without a fight, simply because they want a return on their investment, and if they can use HD-DVD to make money, they will. Anyways, I've spent enough time on the Microsoft Redmond Campus to witness their innate ability to genuinely believe that even their sh!t is made of solid gold.
  
  Don't let uber-geeks with their misguided fanboy-neophilia ruin what any common nerd would know is a good thing. Stupid fanboy-geeks misguiding the general public under the guise of being a nerd--tell 'em to do their homework.
  
  Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. I will not be held liable for anything directly or indirectly related to this post. Also, I am highly dyslexic, as was the beloved Einstein, and I refuse to proof-read this pointless post on principal--so, tough luck if it makes no sense.

  22.1.2008 02:17 #11