Pioneer Unveils Blu-ray Drive

[McBain]

http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070418PD202.html

[Ascended_Saiyan]

I would be all over this $300 BD burner if it hit the US! This story just hit Engadget HD about an hour ago.

[HDTV1080P]

This is awesome news Pioneer is going to release a read only BLU-RAY drive that reads BLU-RAY, DVD, and CD discs for only $299. I always wanted a low cost read only drive and later on I will purchase a recordable drive.
At least my interpretation of the press release is that it will be a read only. Some one correct me if I am wrong.
QUOTE:
“The BDC-S02 can playback high-definition movies on BD-ROM, BD-R (recordable), BD-R DL (single-sided double-layer), BD-RE (rewritable) and BD-RE DL discs as well as common DVD and CD discs, according to Pioneer's Optical Disc Drive Sales general manager Shannon Yu for the Asia-Pacific region.”

I HOPE THIS WILL BE RELEASED IN THE US ONE DAY.

[McBain]

I believe this is the same unit Pioneer announced at CES. It's a "combo" so it reads BD and reads/writes DVD and CD.

Press release:

Next Generation Blu-ray Disc Combo Computer Drive from Pioneer Brings Improved Features for Emerging Technology

LAS VEGAS, CES Booth #9827 January 7, 2007

At the International Consumer Electronics Show today, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. announced the new BDC-202 combination Blu-ray Disc® BD-ROM computer drive with enhanced DVD and CD writing and reading capabilities. The newly designed Pioneer drive offers playback of BD-ROM discs allowing users to view Blu-ray Disc high definition programs directly on a properly configured computer. The Pioneer BDC-202 can play multiple Blu-ray Disc formats, as well as provide high-speed reading and writing of DVD and CD formats.

With a focus on BD-ROM playback, the new Pioneer combination computer drive will be a significant contributor in the emergence of the Blu-ray Disc format for both professional and consumer use on computers. In addition to BD-ROM playback, the BDC-202 allows users to access and transfer A/V and data files rapidly to DVD and CD.

“Pioneer believes in the continued growth of the Blu-ray Disc high definition video format, so the primary focus of the BDC-202 combo drive is to enable Blu-ray content playback on personal computers. With seven of the eight major Hollywood studios now supporting Blu-ray Disc, users should soon have hundreds of film titles to choose from, all in spectacular high definition,” said Andy Parsons, senior vice president at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

With up to 50GB of storage capacity, the Blu-ray Disc format allows for copious amounts of high definition video and audio content on a single disc, including advanced interactive features and extensive bonus materials. The BDC-202 drive allows computer system builders to provide a cost effective playback solution for advanced Blu-ray content as well as DVD and CD recording and playback.

The Pioneer BDC-202 combines fast DVD and CD recording speeds with enhanced BD-ROM playback to the delight of audio video enthusiasts who now have the capability to view recently released film titles directly on a computer for times when they are not in a home theater environment.

The internal BDC-202 combination Blu-ray Disc computer drive offers the following read and write speeds:

Read Write
BD-ROM 5x -
BD-R/-RE 5x -
BD-R DL/-RE DL 2x -
DVD-ROM 12x -
DVD-RAM 5x 5x
DVD-R/+R 12x 12x
DVD-RW/+RW 8x 6x
DVD-RDL/+RDL 8x 4x
CD-ROM 32x -
CD-R 32x 24x
CD-RW 24x 24x

The BDC-202 is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2007, and is targeted at computer OEMs and system builders.

Pioneer has been an innovator of optical disc technology since it brought LaserDisc, the precursor to DVD, to market in 1980. Pioneer went on to introduce the first DVD writer for computer use in 1997, the first DVD recorder as a VCR replacement in 1999, the first DVD/CD writer for home computer users in 2001 and the first Blu-ray Disc writer in 2006. Pioneer Corporation is one of the Blu-ray Disc Founders.

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and its U.S. Web address is www.pioneerelectronics.com. Its parent company, Pioneer Corporation, is a leader in optical disc technology and a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio, video and computer equipment for the home, car and business markets. The company focuses on four core business domains including Blu-ray Disc and DVD, display technologies, navigation and Digital Network Entertainment™.

[Blackraven]

I want a Blu-ray optical drive from ASUS

[Dave]

Its not the first drive from Pioneer but its so far the cheapest.

[McBain]

Follow on interview:
http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070419PD200.html