Maxell Corporation of America introduced the first 5X DVD-RAM disc, the fastest rewritable, high-capacity DVD media currently available. Maxell's latest DVD-RAM media is based on its newly-developed Bismuth Coupling Material (BCM) recording layer, which improves signal to noise ratio for higher reliability during high-speed recording. The new media has a capacity of 4.7GB, which equates to up to six hours of video in extended play mode. It is also backward compatible, supporting recording at 2X and 3X in addition to its 5X speed. The single-sided disc is compatible with all DVD-RAM drives and recorders and RAM readable DVD-ROM devices and DVD players.

Maxell DVD-RAM discs are backed by a limited lifetime warranty, satisfaction guarantee and toll-free technical support. The 5X DVD RAM media will be available in June 2004 and will be shown by Maxell at a RAM Promotion Group event in conjunction with CeBIT America in New York City.