Chicago (IL) – If you thought Blu-ray is the way to go for data storage these days, think again. Sony Optiarc Europe just announced a new 24x DVD burner, which writes DVDs at a 50% faster speed than what manufacturers thought would be possible just three years ago. From that view, the latest crop of DVD players isn’t outdated technology, but could be considered a bargain to efficiently store your data.
Ok, so I would not go as far as calling Sony Optiarc’s new AD-7240S a “:high speed miracle”, but if you have been following the development of DVD burners, the fact that we are now at 24x is certainly worth noting. About three years ago, it was generally believed that a rotation speed of 11,000 RPM and a read/write speed of 16x would be the physical limit for DVDs. Back then, manufacturers said that a faster rotation speed would create forces that could crack the polycarbonate material of a DVD.
Sony’s new burner can write to DVD-R and DVD+R media at 24x speeds, translating into a maximum data transfer speed of 31.68 MB/s. The device replaces the AD-7220S as the firm’s flagship model, which topped out at 22x or 29.04 MB/s. The SATA drive can hit burst transfer rates of 150 MB/s, the manufacturer said. Sony remained mum on the rotation speed, but we know that recent 22x burners are exceeding speeds of 12,000 RPM.
Supported media include DVD-ROM, DVD-R (DL), DVD-RW (DL), DVD-RAM, DVD+R (DL), DVD+RW, CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW with 80 mm and 120 mm diameter. DVD writing speeds vary from 6x (DVD-RW), 8x (DVD+RW), 12x (DVD+R9, DVD-R (DL), DVD-RAM) and 24x (DVD+/-R, single layer only).
At this time, teh drive is available only in Europe, but should make its way across the ocean shortly. There was mention of price, but we expect street prices to be below $40 when the drive hits U.S. retail shelves. The current 22x version can be purchased for about $25 through online stores.
Ok, so I would not go as far as calling Sony Optiarc’s new AD-7240S a “:high speed miracle”, but if you have been following the development of DVD burners, the fact that we are now at 24x is certainly worth noting. About three years ago, it was generally believed that a rotation speed of 11,000 RPM and a read/write speed of 16x would be the physical limit for DVDs. Back then, manufacturers said that a faster rotation speed would create forces that could crack the polycarbonate material of a DVD.
Sony’s new burner can write to DVD-R and DVD+R media at 24x speeds, translating into a maximum data transfer speed of 31.68 MB/s. The device replaces the AD-7220S as the firm’s flagship model, which topped out at 22x or 29.04 MB/s. The SATA drive can hit burst transfer rates of 150 MB/s, the manufacturer said. Sony remained mum on the rotation speed, but we know that recent 22x burners are exceeding speeds of 12,000 RPM.
Supported media include DVD-ROM, DVD-R (DL), DVD-RW (DL), DVD-RAM, DVD+R (DL), DVD+RW, CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW with 80 mm and 120 mm diameter. DVD writing speeds vary from 6x (DVD-RW), 8x (DVD+RW), 12x (DVD+R9, DVD-R (DL), DVD-RAM) and 24x (DVD+/-R, single layer only).
At this time, teh drive is available only in Europe, but should make its way across the ocean shortly. There was mention of price, but we expect street prices to be below $40 when the drive hits U.S. retail shelves. The current 22x version can be purchased for about $25 through online stores.