Pioneer announces 4X DVD-R/2X DVD-RW drive

Pioneer Electronics Inc.’s Business Solutions Division has announced its new DVR-A05 DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW combination drive. It’s the successor to Pioneer’s DVR-A04, the basis for Apple’s SuperDrive.

The SuperDrive is a combination CD-RW/DVD-R drive that can read and write CDs as well as DVDs that can be played in consumer DVD players. Pioneer manufactures the units for Apple in an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] deal.

Pioneer claims the fifth generation drive doubles writing performance across the board with 4X DVD-R, 2X DVD-RW, 16X CD-R and 8X CD-RW capabilities. The new 4X DVD-R recording speed purportedly reduces writing time from one hour to just 15 minutes to record a high-speed 4.7 GB DVD-R disc. The drive is due next month at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of US$299.

“The new DVR-A05 offers a substantial recording speed increase for DVD-R and DVD-RW, which means a lot less time spent waiting for video and other data to be recorded,” said Andy Parsons, senior vice president of industrial video & mass storage sales and marketing, Pioneer Electronics, Business Solutions Division.

Using data writing software bundled with the drive, the DVR-A05 also offers two-minute quick formatting for DVD-RW data discs and allows finished DVD-RW discs to be “unfinalized” for writing additional data files, Parsons said. A DVD authoring tool and DVD/CD data recording application are also included with the drive, as well as blank 4X DVD-R and 2X DVD-RW discs.

The drive features a new high-speed writing pickup, implemented by new laser driver technology that ensures stable writing performance at high speeds, Parsons said. A new liquid crystal tilt mechanism has also been included to improve operation with discs that have uneven curvature or thickness. The DVR-A05 also doubles the CD-R and CD-RW write speed of earlier models at 16X and 8X, respectively and can be used as a DVD-ROM and CD-ROM drive as well, according to Pioneer.