A week after Panasonic introduced the Blu-ray disc reader LF-MB121JD (expected to hit the market on June 10), Pioneer has also launched its first Blu-ray writer named BDR-101A.
The new product from Pioneer looks similar to conventional optical drives (though its length is about half that of a regular disc drive – see image). The optical sensor of the BDR-101A can read both Blu-ray formats (using a blue laser) and DVDs (using a red laser).
Tests conducted by PC World Test Lab show that the BDR-101A performs well with both single-layer and dual-layer Blu-ray discs (both having a capacity of 25GB). Additionally, the drive also supports writing various DVD formats (DVD-R/+R and DVD-RW/+RW) but does not support CD writing.
The product will be sold at a price of $1,000, which is not cheap (but also not overly expensive compared to Panasonic’s LF-MB121JD Blu-ray at $850). However, tech enthusiasts seem to be less excited about the BDR-101A. Nonetheless, this is a clear sign that the race for the “next-generation format” has begun.
NGUYEN HOANG MINH (Compiled)
