Quantcast
PCWorld.com is upgrading some back-end systems. Some site features, such as user registration, may be temporarily unavailable.
Subscribe to magazine

Sony Unveils After-Market Blu-ray Disc Drive

Device is the first of its kind that can be added to existing desktop computers.

Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No

Sony will begin selling an after-market Blu-ray Disc drive next month that can be added to existing desktop computers.

The BWU-100A drive supports burning to single and dual-layer BD-R (single use) or BD-RE (rewriteable) discs. A single-layer disc can store up to 25GB of data or about 2 hours of high-definition video and the dual-layer disc can accommodate double these amounts.

Sony will ship the drive with CyberLink's CyberLink BD Solution burning software. The drive can write at 2X Blu-ray Disc speed, so burning a full 25GB disc takes about 50 minutes, Sony said.

Additionally the drive can burn single layer 4.7GB DVD+/-R/+/-RW/RAM discs, 8.5GB DVD+R Double/Dual Layer Discs, and CDs.

Desktop Drive

The drive has an ATAPI interface and fits into the standard half-height drive bay that exists in most desktop PCs.

Sony recommends minimum computing power of a Pentium III 800 MHz or faster processor for data burning. For real-time video authoring and editing, a Pentium IV 1.6 GHz or faster is recommended.

Sony cautions that additional software and hardware is required for playback of commercial movies on Blu-ray Disc (BD-ROM) but the company didn't specify exactly what is required.

The drive will cost $750 in North America. Sony has not announced pricing or availability for other markets.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No

"Sony Unveils After-Market Blu-ray Disc Drive" Comments

  • Great year-end deals for small business!

  • Get 24/7 live remote AT&T Tech Support 360* service along with select Lenovo* PCs (with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors and save up to 200!

    Learn more

  • HP EliteBook* 6930p Notebook with Intel® vPro™ technology and a free HP Basic Docking Station - $641 instant savings!

    Learn more

  • *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. ©2009 Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, vPro and Core trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. All rights reserved.

People who read this also read:

  • 15 Minutes to a Secure Business Get the Secure in 15 toolkit starting with the "15 Minutes Month-at-a-Glance" calendar. McAfee will send you additional tools and tricks to stay protected around the clock.
  • A Buyer's Guide to Data Protection Implementing data protection products and processes can be daunting. Make the right decisions by exploring what is available and what makes sense for your organization. Use this simple guide to evaluate different vendor offerings.

Sponsored Links