Afreey in Cebit 2001

TrueX Technology

Afreey in Cebit 2001 presented their latest DVD-ROM "9025E" which supports 25x DVD-ROM/100x CD-ROM reading and uses "Raptor" chipset from Infineon:

"...Raptor, is Infineon Technology's first single-chip, high-performance DVD-ROM controller. It uses Zen Research's MultiBeam "TrueX" single-beam DVD, and CD drives. Raptor sets an industry speed record of 25x DVD, and 100x CD read rates, when deployed with a MultiBeam optical pickup (from Sanyo). The MultiBeam technology allows DVD and CD drives to achieve peak performance across the entire face of the disk, and not just when reading from the outer disk edge. Disk spindle rates are correspondingly lower than on single-beam drives, reducing vibration, noise, power consumption and heat dissipation.."

Key features:

- MultiBeam 25x/100x CD single chip solution
- Integrated ATAPI interface (supports all data transfer modes up to UltraDMA 66)
- DVD/CD decoder including CSS, ECC
- Support of system configurations of: DVD-ROM, DVD-combo (with external CD-RW controller)
- Disc-read support of: Dual-layer DVD, DVD-R/ROM/RW, CD, CD-R/RW/ROM/Enhanced
- DVD Audio support

Most of you must have heard "TrueX" technology. With this technology Kenwood made the first 72x CD-ROM, which had many problems especially with dark CDR media (Verbatim). We asked Infineon about this hot issue and here is the answer we got: "...The pickup is manufactured from Sanyo. This time we believe that we will archive full compatibility with all CDR media.."

As you understand this time Zen Research passed the knowledge of the TrueX technology at Sanyo and Infineon and both companies now working to make the first real 25x DVD-ROM. Since Sanyo is manufacturing the pickup we hope that all problems that Kenwood 72x CD-Rom had to over passed. But what are the interesting news about the new Afreey drive? We are recording maniacs...Yes you are right. There are very exciting news about the Afreey drive.

Infineon ,which produces the IC chipsets, said that their design is very open and could easily with an addition of chipset to adopt CD/DVD recording features. We asked " Which DVD recording features you mean exactly? (DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW)". Infineon reply was that for them it's all the same :). That means guys that Sanyo will enter in the DVD recording area using Infineon design and Zen Research technologies knowledge. When that happens DVD recording will have become as cheap as CD recording is now days.

But when the drive comes? Is it working? Infineon said that they didn't have an actual drive to demonstrate. They are preparing to show the new technology in June 2001 at Japan (the DVD-ROM drive). Last Infineon said that they have licensed at least 9 other companies (didn't mentioned names) to make similar DVD-ROMs drives.