December 27, 2005, Tokyo, Japan - Pioneer Corporation announced today that the company's first internal BD/DVD writer with ATAPI connection for Windows PCs has recently been developed. The new Pioneer BDR-101A complies with the latest specifications for the BD-R (Blu-ray Disc recordable), BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc rewritable), and the BD-ROM (Blu-ray Disc read-only memory). It is expected to start shipping at the end of January, 2006*1.

Single-layer BD-R and BD-RE discs can store up to 25 gigabytes*2 of data, about five times more than a conventional DVD disc, supporting a high-speed data transfer rate of a maximum of 72Mbps (2x) for both reading and writing. It is possible to record over two hours of a high-definition (HD) video (at 24Mbps transfer rate) on a single disc. This level of storage capacity and transfer speed is expected to make possible a wide range of applications, such as server data backup and video storage.

For BD-ROM discs, a wide variety of Blu-ray Disc titles, including films, music, and games, will be released in the future.

The BDR-101A Blu-ray Disc writer will write and read single-layer BD-R and BD-RE discs (without cartridge), and read single-layer and double-layer BD-ROM discs (without cartridge). Also, featuring proprietary Pioneer optical technology, such as the Ultra Dynamic Resonance Absorber and the Multi-Effect Liquid Crystal Tilt Compensator, the new writer will ensure high reliability in high-density recording and playback with Blu-ray Discs as well as DVD discs.

With the release of the BDR-101A offering the industry's highest level of performance and reliability, Pioneer is responding to users requiring greater storage capacity, as well as contributing to the expansion of the Blu-ray writer market. Pioneer will continue to actively develop the Blu-ray disc format and promote its use as one of the Blu-ray Disc Founders.

Pioneer will be exhibiting the BDR-101A at the 2006 International CES being held from January 5, 2006, in Las Vegas, USA. Visitors will be able to see the BDR-101A at both the Pioneer booth and the BDA*3 booth.

*1 Shipment schedules may change depending on the start date for the Blu-ray Disc format logo license and the copyright protection technology license.
*2 Double-layer BD-R/BD-RE discs can store up to 50 gigabytes of data.
*3 Blu-ray Disc Association. The BDA is a worldwide organization made up of enterprises and organizations engaged in the research and development or the manufacture of Blu-ray products, and of software and hardware manufacturers and other members dedicated to developing and promoting Blu-ray disc standards. The BDA establishes and promotes Blu-ray standards.

Main features

(1) Newly-developed BD/DVD compatible lens
The pickup equipped with the Pioneer's newly-developed BD/DVD compatible lens realizes high-speed recording at a maximum of 2x for BD-R/BD-RE 2x media. This will also play BD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs, and play or record on DVD-R/DVD+R, DVD-RW/ DVD+RW, Dual Layer DVD-R, and DVD+R Double Layer discs*4.

*4 Please use Pioneer-designated disc media and appropriate application software.

(2) Various proprietary high-quality recording technologies for both Blu-ray and DVD discs

Ultra DRA to suppress vibration, a technology developed based on know-how that
Pioneer has been cultivating in the development of DVD writers
Limited Equalizer LSI to dramatically improve reading reliability
Multi-Effect Liquid Crystal Tilt Compensator to improve the recording and playback characteristics by adding astigmatism correction to the existing tilt correction and spherical aberration correction.