Sony Hits Sweet 16X With New DVD Burners

Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sony Electronics is upping the ante for DVD recording with its second generation of DVD+R Double Layer (DL) burners that support 16X DVD+R recording.

Burning a full write-once single layer disc in approximately six minutes, the Sony internal DRU-710A and external DRX-710UL drives make great options for consumers interested in high-speed burning and substantial storage capacity at an attractive price.

The 710 series marks Sony's seventh generation of Dual RW drives, and can also support 16X DVD+R, 8X DVD-R, 4X DVD+/-RW, 48X CD-R and 24X CD-RW recording speeds.

With 2.4X DVD+R DL recording, users can burn up to four hours of high-quality MPEG-2 video or up to 8.5 GB of data, music and/or images on compatible DVD+R DL media. This is equivalent to about seven days of music without a commercial break.

In addition, the latest duo of high-speed burners feature an unmatched software bundle from Nero, providing users with a comprehensive suite of tools for burning and authoring home movies, creating digital scrapbooks, and backing up crucial data.

"As we reach the physical limitations of DVD recording speeds and the price of drives continue to drop, now is a great time for consumers who have been waiting on the sidelines to take the DVD burner plunge," said Robert DeMoulin, marketing manager for branded storage products in Sony Electronics' IT Products Division. "Sony's DVD burners stand out as a solid and reliable choice for first-time buyers and DVD burning veterans alike."

The internal DRU-710A drive comes with an ATAPI interface for easy installation inside a PC and includes a black replacement bezel for those with black-colored PC cases. The external DRX-710UL drive features a radical, stylish and space-efficient design, and offers connectivity with both i.LINK (IEEE 1394) and hi-speed USB (USB 2.0) digital interfaces for simple set-up and maximum flexibility.

DVD and CD Software Suite
Both of Sony's Double Layer drives come bundled with award-winning Nero DVD video authoring software, as well as with DVD/CD burning software for creation of data, music, and video DVDs and CDs. The full-featured software suite also includes packet-writing software for users to easily record files and folders by dragging to the icon of a DVD+RW/CD-RW disc. All tasks and applications are accessible via the unique Nero StartSmart launcher, which serves as the ultimate command center, giving the user one-click access to all programs in the package. The software suite includes:

-- AHEAD Nero Burning ROM 6 SE and Nero Express 6 CD/DVD mastering
software for data, audio and CD/DVD writing and copying; -- AHEAD Nero VisionExpress 2 VCD/SVCD and DVD authoring software for advanced video capturing, authoring, full video editing and photo slideshow creation; users can crop, clean up, add special effects to photos and then add transitions and a soundtrack, as well as cut, edit, dub, and turn videos into Hollywood-style masterpieces;
-- AHEAD InCD 4 packet writing software for formatting rewritable discs so they can be used like large floppy disks with drag-and-drop capability;
-- AHEAD Nero ShowTime DVD-Video playing software for viewing DVD movies and personal video projects, along with MPEG-4 compatibility;
-- AHEAD Nero BackItUp backup software for complete PC backup, with an easy-to-use wizard interface for multiple backup modes, automatically scheduled backups, and backups spanning several CDs or DVDs;
-- AHEAD Nero MediaPlayer / Wave Editor management/jukebox software and audio editing software for audio file creation with various filters and effects;
-- AHEAD Nero Cover Designer disc label creation software for creating individual CD/DVD covers and labels; and
-- AHEAD Nero Toolkit drive tool software for critical media and drive analysis used by drive manufacturers worldwide.

Availability and Pricing
The internal DRU-710A is currently shipping to retailers for an estimated selling price of under $180, while the external DRX-710UL is expected to ship in October for an estimated selling price of under $280. Sony DVD/CD rewritable drives are sold through resellers and retailers nationwide, mail order catalogs, and select online shopping sites, including www.sonystyle.com.

Sony supports what it calls "worry-free" installation, along with easy operation in addition to toll-free customer and technical service, Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT. The company also provides a one-year limited warranty from the original date of purchase.

Source: Sony Electronics Inc.