Dell today is bringing the first DVD drive on the market that supports burning of downlodable CSS-protected movies on DVDs, the Qflix DVD burner.
The Qflix drive provides the ability to legally download and burn DVDs of movies and top TV hits for playback on standard and high-definition DVD players.
Qflix tecnology has been developed and announced by Sonic Solutions. The technology provides the tools for media companies and retailers to take advantage of the "DVD Download" format. Announced by the DVD Forum and the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA) last year, the new "DVD Download" format features the CSS (Content Scramble System) copyright-protection software that will allow stores to burn movies on to special DVD discs.
Dell will offer movie downloads from CinemaNow, which
partnered with Sonic last November to use Sonic?s Roxio Venue application for burning with CSS.
CinemaNow will initially offer 100 new releases and library titles for CSS burning from Warner Home Video, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment and Lionsgate. These movies will be available for less than $10.
The drive ships with the Roxio Venue software that allows users to to connect directly to CinemaNow for purchase and download, organization, and burning of movies and TV shows to DVD.
Note that special blank DVD media (Qflix) are required in order to burn the downloaded content. Taiwanese Ritek is currently offering such media, which are also bundled with the drive. Sonic Solutions has licenced the Qflix technology in order to create compatible DVDs last January. Verbatim and CMC Magnetsics have also licenced the technology to offer Qflix DVD media this year.
Note that the recorded discs are intended for playback in DVD-Video play-only devices and may not play in other DVD devices including recorders and PC drives that are not marked with the Qflix logo.
Dell's Qflix external drive also offers standard DVD functions (16x DVD-ROM Drive + 16x DVD+/-RW with double layer write capable).
The Qflix drive is currently sold at Dell's online shop for$120 as an add-on for most of its Inspiron, Studio and XPS laptops and desktops.