Toshiba preps first notebook HD DVD rewriter
updated 09:55 am EDT, Mon June 4, 2007
Toshiba SD-L912A
In advance of the Computex trade expo, Toshiba on Monday unveiled the SD-L912A, the company's first notebook drive fully capable of burning rewritable HD DVDs. The advancement currently lets the drive write many times to the new discs at a 1X speed, equating roughly to two hours of recording for a dual-layer 30GB disc or half as long for standard 15GB versions. Universal support also exists for write-once HD DVDs as well as most CD and DVD writable and rewritable formats. A 12.7mm-high body lets the tray-loading drive fit in most slimmer notebooks and should help bring the new standard to smaller PCs than the 17-inch Qosmio portable.
Considered an OEM drive that will be built into future systems, pricing hasn't been publicly announced for the L912A in its current form. Toshiba expects the drive to sample for itself and its partners sometime in July, with full-scale production taking place later as companies ship finished notebooks.
