As a result of a price war triggered by Japanese manufacturers such as Pioneer and NEC, OEM quotations for 16x DVD burners have dropped to US$95-100 (£52-£55), and will continue dropping according to Taiwanese OEM manufacturers.
On 4x and 8x DVD burners, Japanese OEM makers started volume production a couple of months prior to their Taiwanese competitors and were able to enjoy higher OEM prices during the “honeymoon” period. However, Taiwanese makers including Lite-On IT and BenQ began volume production of 16x DVD burners right after their Japanese competitors.
Japanese manufacturers responded by initiating lower prices, with the Taiwanese immediately following the trend.
Currently, OEM prices are US$95-100 (£52-£55) for 16x DVD+RW burners, with Dual (+RW/–RW) model prices US$5-10 (£3-£6) higher and Dual DL (8.5GB single-sided double-layer) models topping the list at between US$5-10 (£3-£6) above that.
