Macintosh computer owners will soon be able to enjoy all the benefits of Sony's award-winning double layer, dual format DVD burning technology with the introduction of the new Mac compatible DRX-710UL-T model.

Sony's latest external double layer DVD drive will begin shipping next month with Roxio's Toast 6 Lite for Mac compatibility.

With Sony's new DVD drive and Toast 6 Lite software, Mac users can take their favorite projects to a whole new level with double layer DVD recording. The drive will allow them to record 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 for advanced audio/visual projects and backups, among other useful applications.

Toast 6 Lite also includes the capability to create one-click copies of CDs, DVDs and disc images, as well as standard audio CDs with CD-TEXT from nearly any QuickTime audio file.

In addition to the Toast application, the drive will come bundled with a full-featured software suite from Nero for Microsoft? Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

The drive supports 2.4X DVD+R DL, 16X DVD+R, 8X DVD-R, 4X DVD±RW, 48X CD-R and 24X CD-RW recording speeds. It also features a unique vertical design for easy placement and portability, 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.

Sony's new DVD burner is geared toward Mac users who want high-speed burning and substantial storage capacity at an affordable price.

The DRX-710UL-T model will be available in December for about $230. Sony DVD/CD rewritable drives are sold through resellers nationwide, mail order catalogs, and select online shopping sites, including sonystyle.com.