"..Pioneer announced today the availability of the industry's first 10X DVD-ROM drive. The fastest DVD-ROM drive on the market, Pioneer's DVD-114/104S offers speeds that are 10 times (max.) faster than first generation DVD-ROM technology. The 10X DVD-ROM is compatible with single and dual layer DVD, DVD-R, CD-ROM and CD-R media, preserving compatibility with conventional CD formats. It offers random seek times of less than 90 msec for DVD-ROM (70 msec for CD-ROM) and access times less than 100 msec (80 msec for CD-ROM).

Current versions feature an ATAPI interface, which supports PIO mode 4, DMA multi-word mode 2 and Ultra DMA 33. Both slot-load (DVD-104S) and tray-load (DVD-114) options are available. Ultra SCSI drives will be available in late 1999. Pioneer's DVD-ROM drives feature a 512 KB buffer memory, audio output, a front panel headphone jack and volume control knob. Compatible with the Windows 9X Plug and Play standard, the drive is easy to install and use.

The 5.25-inch half-height drives measure 148x207.5x42.3mm (WxDxH) and weigh 1.0 kg. The drive is available now through OEM and distribution channels. The estimated street price is $125 (ATAPI).."

There is conflicting report about the new Pioneer DVD-114. Some drive look like to not have the RPC pins, other have it (and can be made region free). Currently, many DVD-ROM drives have no region codes because they are manufactured based on RPC(Regional Playback Control) Phase1. Based on the RPC-1 system, MPEG decoders must have region codes, while drives do not have to have it.

Based on RPC-2 system, drives must also have region codes protection. Any DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM drives must be manufactured and shipped based on RPC-2 from January 1st, 2000. This is mandatory for manufacturer. This year is a transition period..Also check this page for more info…