Sony Hits Sweet 16X With New DVD Burners

The 710 series marks Sony's seventh generation of Dual RW drives, and can also support 16X DVD+R, 8X DVD-R, 4X DVD+/-RW, 48X CD-R and 24X CD-RW recording speeds.

With 2.4X DVD+R DL recording, users can burn up to four hours of high-quality MPEG-2 video or up to 8.5 GB of data, music and/or images on compatible DVD+R DL media. This is equivalent to about seven days of music without a commercial break.

In addition, the latest duo of high-speed burners feature an unmatched software bundle from Nero, providing users with a comprehensive suite of tools for burning and authoring home movies, creating digital scrapbooks, and backing up crucial data.

"As we reach the physical limitations of DVD recording speeds and the price of drives continue to drop, now is a great time for consumers who have been waiting on the sidelines to take the DVD burner plunge," said Robert DeMoulin, marketing manager for branded storage products in Sony Electronics' IT Products Division. "Sony's DVD burners stand out as a solid and reliable choice for first-time buyers and DVD burning veterans alike."

The internal DRU-710A drive comes with an ATAPI interface for easy installation inside a PC and includes a black replacement bezel for those with black-colored PC cases. The external DRX-710UL drive features a radical, stylish and space-efficient design, and offers connectivity with both i.LINK(R) (IEEE 1394) and hi-speed USB (USB 2.0) digital interfaces for simple set-up and maximum flexibility.

DVD and CD Software Suite

Both of Sony's Double Layer drives come bundled with award-winning Nero(R) DVD video authoring software, as well as with DVD/CD burning software for creation of data, music, and video DVDs and CDs. The full-featured software suite also includes packet-writing software for users to easily record files and folders by dragging to the icon of a DVD+RW/CD-RW disc. All tasks and applications are accessible via the unique Nero StartSmart launcher, which serves as the ultimate command center, giving the user one-click access to all programs in the package. The software suite includes:

-- AHEAD Nero(R) Burning ROM 6 SE and Nero Express(R) 6 CD/DVD mastering
software for data, audio and CD/DVD writing and copying;
-- AHEAD Nero VisionExpress 2 VCD/SVCD and DVD authoring software for
advanced video capturing, authoring, full video editing and photo
slideshow creation; users can crop, clean up, add special effects to
photos and then add transitions and a soundtrack, as well as cut, edit,
dub, and turn videos into Hollywood-style masterpieces;
-- AHEAD InCD(R) 4 packet writing software for formatting rewritable discs
so they can be used like large floppy disks with drag-and-drop
capability;
-- AHEAD Nero ShowTime(TM) DVD-Video playing software for viewing DVD
movies and personal video projects, along with MPEG-4 compatibility;
-- AHEAD Nero BackItUp backup software for complete PC backup, with an
easy-to-use wizard interface for multiple backup modes, automatically
scheduled backups, and backups spanning several CDs or DVDs;
-- AHEAD Nero MediaPlayer / Wave Editor management/jukebox software and
audio editing software for audio file creation with various filters and
effects;
-- AHEAD Nero Cover Designer disc label creation software for creating
individual CD/DVD covers and labels; and
-- AHEAD Nero Toolkit drive tool software for critical media and drive
analysis used by drive manufacturers worldwide.

Availability and Pricing

The internal DRU-710A is currently shipping to retailers for an estimated selling price of under $180, while the external DRX-710UL is expected to ship in October for an estimated selling price of under $280. Sony DVD/CD rewritable drives are sold through resellers and retailers nationwide, mail order catalogs, and select online shopping sites, including sonystyle.com.

Sony supports what it calls "worry-free" installation, along with easy operation in addition to toll-free customer and technical service, Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT. The company also provides a one-year limited warranty from the original date of purchase. Specifications for Sony's New 710 Series of Dual RW Drives

Sony DRU-710A DVD/CD Rewritable Drive

-- ATAPI (EIDE) internal interface
-- DVD+R DL: 2.4X CLV (max.) writing
DVD+R: 16X CAV (max.) writing
DVD+RW: 4X CLV (max.) rewriting
DVD-R: 8X Z-CLV (max.) writing
DVD-RW: 4X CLV (max.) rewriting
DVD-ROM reading (single layer): 16X CAV (max.)
DVD-ROM reading (dual layer): 8X CAV (max.)
CD-R: 48X CAV (max.) writing
CD-RW: 24X Z-CLV (max.) rewriting
CD-ROM: 48X CAV (max) reading
-- Dimensions: 145.8 x 41.3 x 165 mm -- excluding bezel (W x H x L)1"
shorter depth than standard form factor
-- Compatible with Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 2000 / Windows XP
-- Burst data transfer rate: 66.6 MB/s max. Ultra DMA66
-- Random access time: 140 ms (CD-ROM), 135 ms (DVD-ROM)
-- Buffer memory: 2 MB
-- Buffer under-run error protection technology: Sony Power-Burn(TM)
conformed
-- Recording method (CD): Disc at Once, Track at Once, Session at Once,
Packet Writing(DVD): Random Access Write (DVD+RW/DVD-RW/CD-RW),
Sequential Write (DVD+R/+R DL/+RW, DVD-R/-RW/CD-R/RW)
-- Compatible disc format: DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, DVD+R,
DVD-RW, DVD-R, CD-ROM, CD-DA, Video CD, Photo CD (multi-session),
CD TEXT, CD Extra, and others

Sony DRX-710UL DVD/CD Rewritable Drive

-- Hi-Speed USB (USB2.0) and i.LINK(R) external interfaces
-- Full Speed USB (USB1.1) compatible with lower write/read performance
-- DVD+R DL: 2.4X CLV (max.) writing
DVD+R: 16X CAV (max.) writing
DVD+RW: 4X CLV (max.) rewriting
DVD-R: 8X Z-CLV (max.) writing
DVD-RW: 4X CLV (max.) rewriting
DVD-ROM reading (single layer): 16X CAV (max.)
DVD-ROM reading (dual layer): 8X CAV (max.)
CD-R: 48X CAV (max.) writing
CD-RW: 24X Z-CLV (max.) rewriting
CD-ROM: 48X CAV (max) reading
-- Dimensions: 52 x 164 x 234 mm (W x H x L)
-- Compatible with Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 2000 / Windows XP
-- Burst data transfer rate: USB: 480 Mbit/s max; i.LINK interface:
400 Mbit/s max
-- Random access time: 140 ms (CD-ROM), 135 ms (DVD-ROM)
-- Buffer memory: 2 MB
-- Buffer under-run error protection technology: Sony Power-Burn
conformed
-- Recording method (CD): Disc at Once, Track at Once, Session at Once,
Packet Writing(DVD): Random Access Write (DVD+RW/DVD-RW/CD-RW),
Sequential Write (DVD+R/+R DL/+RW, DVD-R/-RW/CD-R/RW)
-- Compatible disc format: DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, DVD+R,
DVD-RW, DVD-R, CD-ROM, CD-DA, Video CD, Photo CD (multi-session),
CD TEXT, CD Extra, and others

Source: Sony