Several major European brands are preparing for the launch of 16x DVD media. Releases of DVD+Rs, capable of recording data at 21 MByte/s, are planned within a few weeks.
Datasafe is the latest company to announce a new speed for its media. The company said it used its "AZO dye" to achieve a higher level of thermal and optical properties to enable a wider power margin and increased sensitivity to laser light for high-speed recording.
Reliability is enhanced by controlling the heat interference between recording marks, which reduces degradation of the recording marks, the company said. The media also will be backwards compatible with previous DVD burner generations, according to Datasafe.
Production of the 4.7 GByte media started in September with a worldwide availability of the media from next week. Datasafe did not disclose the identity of the manufacturer but we are sure our resident DVD guru Flash will be putting them through his rigourous test procedure and writing a
review
Bulkpaq and
Ridisc have also announced upcoming 16x DVD+R discs, which are scheduled to arrive in the UK by early November.
16x DVD drives so far have been announced by BenQ, Pioneer, and Sony. 16x spinning discs at about 10,000 rpm, has been discussed for some time as the likely speed limit for DVD recording. Experts say that higher speeds will crack the polycarbonate material of the DVD.
