Falling OEM prices for slim-type Super Multi DVD burners may create competitive pressure for slim-type 8x DVD Dual drives, which have become the mainstream specification for burners used by international notebook PC vendors, according to Taiwan makers of optical drives.

DVD Dual burners support both the DVD+RW and DVD-RW formats.

Leading international brands, including Hewlett-Packard (HP), Dell and Sony, have adopted 8x slim-type DVD Dual burners for most of their burner-equipped notebook PCs launched in the second half of this year, with only a few entry-level business notebook models coming equipped with the DVD+RW standard only, the makers indicated.

Since Super Multi is also compatible with DVD-RAM, OEM quotations for 4x slim-type Super Multi drives are generally US$10-15 higher than 8x slim-type DVD Dual drives. However, Hitachi-LG Data Storage (HLDS) and Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) have recently reduced their OEM quotations for slim-type 4x Multi Super drives by US$5-10, the makers pointed out.

If HLDS and Matsushita offer slim-type 8x Super Multi drives at more competitive prices as well, Super Multi may be able to compete with DVD Dual for the mainstream slim-type burner format in 2005, the makers noted.

The emergence of slim-type Super Multi as an alternative mainstream drive format will force companies such as Lite-On IT, BenQ and Quanta Storage, which all produce DVD Dual drives, to maintain strict cost controls for their production of slim-type DVD Dual burners next year, the makers predicted.