Pioneer Europe intros first 8X Blu-ray writer
updated 04:40 pm EST, Wed February 25, 2009
Pioneer shows 8X BD writer
Pioneer Europe on Wednesday announced it is shipping its BDR-203BK Blu-ray disc writer that is capable of recording single- and dual-layer BD-R discs at up to 8X speeds. The burner can also record to BD-RE discs at 2X speeds, as well as DVD-Rs at 16X speeds. Dual-layer DVD-Rs can be written at 8X speeds, with CD-Rs at 32X. Pioneer integrated a few of its technologies into the burner, including Ultra DRA vibration-suppressing tech borrowed from the company's DVD burners.
A Limited Equalizer chip is claimed to significantly improve reading reliability, while a Multi-Effect Liquid Crystal Tilt Compensator corrects the laser beam for compensating for disc impurities and labeled discs of various thickness.
The BDR-203BK is available in February in Europe, with pricing expected to be set at the equivalent of about $318. There is no information for a North American launch.
