Philips is to introduce at CeBIT 2004 the first PC drives and media to support the recently announced double-layer DVD+R format as well as PC drives that can burn recordable media at the ultimate speed of 16x.

8x double layer recordable DVD drive and media

The upcoming Philips 8x DVDRW885K is the first recordable PC drive capable of doubling a DVD’s effective storage capacity to up to 8.5GB on a double-layer, single-sided DVD+R disc. These double-layer DVD+R discs can contain about four hours of DVD-quality video or 13 CD-ROMs worth of data, which can be accessed without the need to turn over the disc. Another key advantage of double layer DVD+R is its compatibility with existing DVD Video players and DVD ROM drives. In addition to the PC drive, Philips will be among the first to introduce a double layer, 8.5GB disc.

The DVDRW885K drive offers the highest recording speed available in the market today, and includes the acclaimed Nero 6™ software suite for DVD and CD burning, authoring and editing.

Philips will introduce the DVDRW885K as a complete kit, in Europe in April 2004 with an expected retail price of Euro 169 (incl. VAT)*. The double layer DVD+R media will be included in the kit and will be available in retail in the same time frame.

16x DVD drive and media

Philips will be first to market with the fastest ‘double-layer’ recordable DVD drive, the DVDR1640K. This internal PC drive will offer the fastest achievable DVD recording speed – sixteen-speed (16x) on a DVD+R disc- as well as the largest capacity of 8.5GB on a single sided, double layered DVD+R disc.

The DVDR1640K will provide PC users with the ultimate platform to create their own multimedia content, transfer video from camcorders to DVD or archive data, video or audio content quickly to disc.

The new Philips DVDR1640K recordable DVD drive will offer 16x write capabilities on DVD+R discs and 4x on DVD+RW media, which can then be played back on existing DVD Video players and DVD-ROM drives. The drive will also be supplied with a complete software suite for DVD and CD burning, editing and authoring, as well as archiving.

Philips will introduce the DVDR1640K and 16x media, as a complete kit, in Europe by July 2004 with an expected retail price of Euro 199 (incl. VAT).

DVD+RW shows highest innovation rate of recordable DVD formats

The introduction of the Philips high speed DVDRW885K and DVDR1640K PC drives, and the arrival of double-layer and 16x DVD recording, further underlines how the well-established DVD+RW format consistently delivers the industry’s highest rate of innovation.

The format also boasts the highest levels of playback compatibility. Manufacturers of other formats have included DVD+RW into their product concepts, and the market clearly shows an increasing and significantly bigger share of DVD+R/+RW discs. Nevertheless, to remove any confusion a customer may have concerning what kind of disc to use with their recordable DVD PC drives, Philips will enable its PC-based rewritable DVD drive to not only read, but also write on all available rewritable (+/- RW) and write-once (+/-R) discs.

Owners of the existing Philips DVDRW824 8x single-layer drive will be able to download a firmware upgrade in the second half of March. Details of the upgrade will be posted on the website www.Philips.com/pcstuff in due course. The new 8x DVDRW885K will be prepared to include this feature, with a download to become available in the autumn. The new 16x DVDR1640K will include this feature as its introduction date onwards.

The DVD+R/+RW format is embraced throughout the industry and offers the highest level of convenience and widest scala of possibilities for the end user. Philips is fully committed to continue developing the DVD+RW format offering the consumer the maximum DVD recording experience.