Leading manufacturers of optical discs and optical disc drives in Taiwan, in an attempt to promote the Taiwan-developed DVD format FVD (forward versatile disc), are developing PC-use FVD burners and FVD-R (write once) discs. This is being achieved in cooperation with fellow makers in China, with volume production to begin next quarter at the earliest, according to Taiwan industry sources. Taiwan makers have offered FVD players and recorders (for movies mainly), and the next step to boost FVD is to offer PC-use burners and corresponding recordable discs, said chairman Der-ray Huang for the Taiwan Information Storage Association. Although many Taiwan makers are interested in production of FVD-R discs, they hold a low-key attitude in order to avoid conflict with Philips' promotion of its new CD-R patent licensing scheme Veeza, the sources pointed out. For Taiwan makers of optical disc drives, there are actually no technological barriers to making FVD burners, but the success of boosting the product hinges considerably on the adoption of the FVD standard by international PC brands, the sources indicated.

From DigiTimes