NEC

NEC demonstrated the latest ND-1300A multi-format DVD Recorder. The drive supports 4x DVD-R and DVD+R writing, 2x DVD-RW and 2.4x DVD+RW recording, and 12x DVD reading. The drive also behaves as a 16x/10x/40x CD-RW recorder. The cache memory of the drive is set to 2MB.

NEC designed and manufactured both the pickup and basic chipset for the ND-1300A. The drive uses two different laser beams for writing on DVD and CD media, while for reading the laser beam is focused on the same lens for all formats.

NEC also demonstrated a single format DVD+R/RW drive. The ND-1100A supports 4x DVD+R and 2.4x DVD+RW writing, and 12x DVD reading. As in the case of the ND-1300A, the drive is also a 16x/10x/40x CD-RW recorder. The ND-1100A is illustrated in the picture below:

The top NEC CD burner is the NR-9300. This supports 48x CD-R and 24x CD-RW writing, and 48x CD-ROM reading.

In the following picture you can see the CD-3002A 52x CD-ROM and the DV-5800C which is a 16x DVD-ROM and 48x CD-ROM.

NEC is among the first companies which launched a DVD+R/RW recorder for notebooks. The ND-5100 supports 4x DVD+R and 2.4x DVD+RW writing, and 8x DVD-ROM reading. For the CD format, the drive offers 24x CD-R writing, 10x rewriting and 24x CD-ROM reading. The supported burst transfer rate is PIO mode 4/Ultra DMA 33 and the average access times for the DVD and CD discs is 150ms and 130ms, respectively.

For sure, the next product is the most exciting demonstrated by NEC this year. This is the first Blue Laser DVD recorder. The technology is being developed jointly by Toshiba and NEC. The capacities that can be archived reach approximately 20GB.

It is not clear when the drive will hit the market. What is sure is that we will have to wait a couple of more years. More information about the new technology will be available soon.

In the following picture you can see the internals of the new (prototype) drive.