Sony NEC Optiarc Europe debuts 8X Blu-ray Disc writer drive

Optiarc Europe to distribute Sony branded BD writer drive retail package
Sony NEC Optiarc Europe debuts 8X Blu-ray Disc writer drive
Ismaning, Germany, October 2008 – Sony NEC Optiarc Europe GmbH (Optiarc)
today announced its third generation internal Blu-ray Disc (BD) writer. The retail
package which achieves a new level of affordability for BD enthusiasts will be
distributed under the Sony brand.
The new BWU-300S model burns single and dual layer BD-R media at up to 8X speed,
recording a full 25GB disc in about 15 minutes and a full 50GB disc in about 30 minutes.
The 8X recording speed is achieved using 6X compatible BD-R media. The drive also
records DVDs at up to 16X, CDs up to 48X, and supports DVD-RAM recording, with an
eye towards data backup, making it an excellent replacement burner for a standard DVD
drive while offering all the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology. Also included with the
drive is CyberLink’s software suite for capturing, authoring, editing, burning, and viewing
high-definition personal content.
“The BWU-300S provides consumers with the opportunity to experience high-definition
movie playback and to output high-definition video on a Blu-ray Disc,” said Thomas
Nedder, Managing Director of Optiarc. “The new Blu-ray Disc writer achieves a new level
of performance and we are providing also the industry’s most complete software bundle
to finish high-definition personal content.”
“Sony's new 8X Blu-ray Disc writable drive significantly improves the BD recording
speed, a key feature in the optical storage technology,” said Wolfgang Schlichting,
research director for removable storage at IDC. “The explosion of digital media usage by
consumers, whether it be high-definition video, music or data, continues to grow at
exponential rates. Innovative products such as this next-generation drive from Sony will
help fuel the acceleration of Blu-ray adoption in the years ahead with more than 100
million Blu-ray drives shipping worldwide by 2011.”
The BWU-300S drive can record up to 50GB of data for random access storage and
backup on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE (rewritable) discs, or up to 230 minutes of high-
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definition HDV 1080i video on a BD-R/RE 50GB disc. It also supports recording on
standard single layer 4.7GB DVD+R/+RW/-RAM discs, 8.5GB DVD+R double/dual layer
discs, and CDs.
The internal drive features a Serial ATA (SATA) interface and standard 5.25-inch formfactor
for easy installation inside a desktop PC with Microsoft® Windows XP or Windows
Vista® operating systems.
The BWU-300S is fully supported by Adobe® Encore® CS3 software, now included with
Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3, and Sony’s Vegas Pro 8 and DVD Architect Pro 5 software,
providing video production professionals with another option for outputting high-definition
video on a Blu-ray Disc with MPEG-2 or H.264 compression.
The BWU-300S is available from October onwards. Sony NEC Optiarc Europe offers a
24-month warranty on the drive.
Overview of technical features
BWU-300S
Writing speed Formats Reading speed Formats
BD 8x BD-R (DL) 8x BD-R (DL)
BD-ROM
DVD
CD
2x BD-RE (DL) 2x BD RE (DL)
16x DVD+R 16x
DVD+R
DVD-R
DVD-R
6x DVD-RW 8x DVD-RW
5x DVD-RAM 5x DVD-RAM
8x DVD+R9 8x DVD+R9
DVD-R DL
DVD-R DL
DVD+RW
DVD+RW
48x CD-R 48x CD-R
24x CD-RW 32x CD-RW
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About Sony NEC Optiarc Inc./Sony NEC Optiarc Europe GmbH
Sony NEC Optiarc Inc. serves the global optical disc drive market with its innovative and
high quality products. It was established as a joint venture company by Sony Corporation
(55%) and NEC Corporation (45%) in 2006, with approximately 415 employees and its
headquarter located in Tokyo, Japan. The European headquarter of Sony NEC Optiarc Inc.
is Sony NEC Optiarc Europe GmbH located in Ismaning, nearby Munich, Germany.
Press contact and test product coordinator:
Contact: Ralf Wolf
Sony NEC Optiarc Europe GmbH
Reichenbachstr.1, D-85737 Ismaning
Tel.: +49-(0) 89-999 818 260
Fax: +49-(0) 89-999 818 140
Email: Ralf.Wolf@eu.sonynec-optiarc.com
www.sonynec-optiarc.eu
Info-Hotline 0180 5 96 96 99
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