CeBIT 2002 - The Background Info

CD Format - Page 1

What about the ML implementation in the CD format? Already "too late" was the answer we heard many times. If the technology was ready like 2 years ago, things would be much different today. Remember that Multi-Level discs are not backward compatible with the normal DVD/CD-ROMs. To write to the 2.3GB discs, you will need new CD-RW and of course ML compatible discs. This format seems to offer increased capacity in a slightly higher cost than the existing CD-R media, but the issue here is again what is always: "Backwards compatibility". You may remember "Double Density" (DD) format from Sony/Philips that could fit up to 1.3GB to a 12cm disc. We do wonder if Sony has sold even one of those drives in public…

In the last year's CeBIT we were assured that ML recorders would be out in September of 2001. It's already March of 2002 and there is no sign of them. Actually we did witness a working unit of TDK's ML recorder (with the PLEXTOR PX-ML3630) with the latest Sanyo's latest IC chipset. So when will a ML (Multi-Level) recorder come from TDK (actual manufacturer Plextor)? Never.

TDK's marketing manager said "…TDK has decided NOT to introduce a CD-based ML writer. We used CeBIT to demonstrate the technology progress we made with ML and we are now 'shifting gears' to implement ML in future optical storage platforms such as DVD or blue laser recording. However, the Sanyo produced chips are now available to other drive vendors for implementation…"

On the recording speed, as it seems the 48x recording speed will be the upper limit as most manufacturers agreed. There is no need for higher recording speeds, since there are already problems with the produced level noise and of course the already known media problems. You should expect to see new 48x (Zone-CLV) drives around May-June from the well-known companies.

There might be a pleasant surprise from Yamaha, the only manufacturer that uses CAV recording technology, for their next generation recorder. As we "heard" there will be either a full CAV or a P-CAV recorder that will be faster than the current and possibly the upcoming 48x recorders.

Yamaha's new generation recorders will support the new "printing" technology, which can print logos, text in the unused space of CDs. Yamaha may have another few new features for their new recorder, but we will have to wait until May to find out.

Other manufacturers are trying to push more the re-writing speed limit, up to 16x. CyberDrive will be the first one that will support such a high re-writing speed with the use of new media. Such speeds are not supported from the HS-RW standard, so we may experience compatibility issues with CD/DVD-ROMs.

The good news is that Philips and other companies are already talking about a new specification that will support up to 32x re-writing speeds, with backwards compatibility. When this standard will be finalized, we may see recorders like 48x/32x/48x available.