LG To Produce 4x DVD Writers And DVD+RW-compatible DVD-Multi

[Kennyshin]

Source: South Korean Digital Times

LG Electronics (http://www.lge.com) in Seoul told various reporters on 13 that it will expand the domestic South Korean DVD writer market and keep its leadership in the worldwide optical storage market by becoming No. 1 in DVD writer market as well. According to the press conference, LG Electronics will be able to bring the price of DVD-Multi drives down to the level of current CD writers in 2003 by component integration and volume production. During the second half of 2003, LG will also produce 4x DVD writers and DVD-Multi drives that can write to DVD+R and DVD+RW discs. For now, LG is supplying its DVD-Multi drives through HLDS (Hitachi-LG Data Storage) to seven PC vendors including NEC, Apple, IBM, and Fujitsu.

[Eug]

Interesting. I just ordered an Apple laptop with DVD burner, and it seems it will be coming with a slot load DVD-Multi drive in the form of the Matshita UJ-815.

I wonder when the Lucky Goldstar DVD burners will be in shipping Apple towers (if not already).

[Kennyshin]

I haven't heard of any LG or Hitachi or HLDS DVD-Multi drive for notebooks.

It was one year ago that I was highly interested in this LG DVD-Multi drives to come... as was many times explained, the South Korean, Taiwanese, and several Japanese makers have been waiting for the market to grow so that they could enter the mature market without any great risk.

Also according to the press conference, the world's DVD writer market for 2002 is estimated at around 5.5 million units produced which is about one tenth of that of CD writers.

[Kennyshin]

http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=7499

Ian at CDRlabs.com said he's also heard of similar rumors about LG drives with DVD+R/+RW support.

[Eug]

I haven't heard of any LG or Hitachi or HLDS DVD-Multi drive for notebooks.

I'm not sure if you understood my post, but I was just wondering in general when Apple will be releasing the LG DVD-Multi drives in their PowerMac desktop series. From the article it seems that LG is already shipping DVD-Multi drives to Apple, but AFAIK up to now all of the desktop DVD burners have been Pioneers (or Panasonic DVD-RAM in the distant past).

Also, Kenny have you seen any other slot load laptop DVD-R burners? The only one I've seen so far is that Matshita UJ-815. There are several tray load burners however (Toshiba, Sony, Pioneer?).

[Kennyshin]

I haven't heard of any LG or Hitachi or HLDS DVD-Multi drive for notebooks.

I'm not sure if you understood my post, but I was just wondering in general when Apple will be releasing the LG DVD-Multi drives in their PowerMac desktop series. From the article it seems that LG is already shipping DVD-Multi drives to Apple, but AFAIK up to now all of the desktop DVD burners have been Pioneers (or Panasonic DVD-RAM in the distant past).

Also, Kenny have you seen any other slot load laptop DVD-R burners? The only one I've seen so far is that Matshita UJ-815. There are several tray load burners however (Toshiba, Sony, Pioneer?).

I posted it understanding what you meant (towers meaning big towers or middle towers).

No, I don't know any slot loading one. I visited the Matsushita page linked in your previous post yesterday. Nice looking. BTW, I always thought it was Matsushita in English spelling.

[Edited] The first time I've read any such news article anywhere was yesterday. When LG or Samsung ships a large number of computer or electronics products internationally, it just cannot go unnoticed. So I guess LG only recently started volume production of those drives in earnest and sending them to IBM, Apple, and so on. Several months ago, LG announced it would produce at least as many DVD writers as Pioneer which never happened until now.

[Kennyshin]

Another South Korean IT-related newspaper, eTimes (Electronic Times News) reported on DVD writer market on the same day:

http://www.etimesi.com/news/detail.html?cla=70&id=200211140144 (In the original Korean language)

A brief English translation serviced by eTimes:

http://www.etienglish.com/news/detailservice.html?id=200211150008

Recording DVD Market Is to Blossom

By Kim Tae-hun
Friday, November 15, 2002

With a series of releases of recording DVDs less-than-500-a-month market is expected to grow at the turn of year.
According to the industry LG Electronics, leading company in optical storage in the world, releases recording DVD multi drive trigger a series of entries into the market by importers such as MIS Machine, HCL, OROMIMEX, Pioneer, Aopen and Rico.

LG electronics recently rolled out DVD multi drive (model name GMA-4020B) that can record and play DVD RAM, DVD-R/RW and CD R/....

The full English translation is available only to paying members of which I am not. The translation is quite poor anyway.

The original report says something about Samsung: Samsung Electronics has also already developed and is preparing for the release of its own DVD writers.

[Eug]

I always thought it was Matsushita in English spelling

It is "Matsushita", but often the drives are listed as "Matshita", or just "Panasonic".

If that LG report is true, I suspect we'll see the LG drives in PowerMacs early 2003, but Apple may not advertise it since they usually just support DVD-R. All the other formats (incl. +R, -RW, +RW, -RAM) are just a bonus to them.