Sony, NEC to Merge Optical Drive Teams 92
illeism writes to tell us The Register is reporting that Sony and NEC are planning on merging their optical drive divisions. From the article: "Sony will be the bigger of the two stakeholders in the joint venture. It will own 55 per cent of Sony NEC Optiarc, to NEC's 45 per cent. Indeed, the JV will be run by Sony staffer Shinichi Yamamura, currently deputy president of Sony's Video Business Group."
HD vs Blu (Score:4, Informative)
I guess that means that Sony has learned since the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betamax [wikipedia.org]Betamax Fiasco
Although, in this case, I would tend to think that Sony buying their standards competitor, would mean that their Blu-Ray will win. Unless someone else wants to take up the HD DVD cause...
Re:HD vs Blu (Score:1)
Re:Yeah, I bet (Score:1)
This TROLL is getting old... (Score:2)
Re:HD vs Blu (Score:2)
It's true, however, that it would only have been 10% less accurate--and about that much less inflammatory--to have said "NEC May Sell Blu-Rays."
Sony Lessons Learned (Score:1)
Re:Sony Lessons Learned (Score:1)
Obviously buying MGM Studios in 1990, and expanding their movies division worked out pretty well if it coughed up $5 billion to buy MGM within 14 years.
Um. (Score:1)
Stop the presses! I'm going to take a leak.
Re:Um. (Score:2)
This is Recycled Old News from 2005 (Score:2)
Apparently its just hitting the register now . . .
Merged format or multi format? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Merged format or multi format? (Score:2)
Re:Merged format or multi format? (Score:3, Informative)
Both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD use 405nm blue light. The lasers are identical. You will need a different focussing lens for each disk, since they have different data densities (15GB Vs 25GB per platter). Most of the optical system, however, can be shared between the two drives. Both types of drive are expected to read DVDs and CDs as well, however, which requires a 650nm red laser as well.
If both sides are planning on manufacturing dual-laser sy
Re:Merged format or multi format? (Score:2)
Not necessecarily. The distance between the lens and the data is the key, because you really want to focus your laser as tightly as possible regardless of format. It's the physical media that distorts the beam and reduces the density in HD-DVD, not the lens. BluRay gets around this by placing the data layer much closer to the surface, making the disc more expensive and holding more data without making the drive more expensive.
Re:Merged format or multi format? (Score:2)
7-in-1? How old school. A quick browse through my fav webshop shows 8-in-1 to 10-in-1 and rising. Top claim goes to a 29-in-1 reader which supports the following:
Secure Digital (SD) Card
Multi Media Card (MMC) Card
Multi Media Card (MMC 4.0)
Reduced-Sized Multi Media Card (RS-MMC) Card
Reduced-Sized Multi Media Card (RS-MMC 4.0)
Secure Digital (SD)Ultra II
Secure Digital (SD) Extreme
Memory Stick (MS) Card
MS-DUO Card
MS-PRO Card
MS-PRO DUO Card
MS-Magic Gate Card
MS-PRO Magic Gate Card
MS-DUO
Re:Merged format or multi format? (Score:2)
*Love* the .sig.
Re:Merged format or multi format? (Score:2)
Extra features (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Extra features (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Extra features (Score:2)
Re:Extra features (Score:1)
You think BD-ROM will work on Linux? (Score:2)
people that keep bashing sony for a rootkit that only runs on microsoft OSes
BD-ROM drives will probably have fully working drivers only for Microsoft operating systems.
I say instead of boycotting sony, boycott the u.s.
How do you suggest that I find a decent job and learn another language (I'm past the so-called critical period) so that I can emigrate?
Re:get to Canada (Score:2)
Wait, what?
Re:You think BD-ROM will work on Linux? (Score:2)
Besides (and correct me if I'm wrong), won't the PS3 be using the linux kernel in some form?
Re:You think BD-ROM will work on Linux? (Score:1)
You must be new here! (Score:2)
They're called "trolls". By the way, welcome
Re:Rootkit = not buying SONY optical drives (Score:2)
Like Sony's optical drive division has anything to do with the DRM Rootkit...
Re:Rootkit = not buying SONY optical drives (Score:1)
Re:Rootkit = not buying SONY optical drives (Score:2)
*shrug* I see no reason to hate a company for various stumbles and fuckups.
Re:Rootkit = not buying SONY optical drives (Score:1)
Re:Rootkit = not buying SONY optical drives (Score:2)
Well I guess (Score:2)
Universal Disc player (Score:1)
Re:Universal Disc player (Score:2)
Re:Universal Disc player (Score:2)
Yes. Really, all you need is different lasers to read the surface - all the rest of the hardware is there to spin the disc, and manage communication on the bus, etc. Once you've got to the point of "I read these 0s and 1s from the disc", drives are identical. (Probably an oversimplification, but valid in principle.)
We currently have DVD+R and DVD-R combo drives, and IIRC these formats are as distinct as HD-DVD an
Re:Universal Disc player (Score:2)
That's old info.
BluRay and HD-DVD are almost identical on the drive side now. BluRay ditched the caddy, and HD-DVD went to a blue laser. Both format use the same laser now. The big differences are all in the construction of the media.
lovely (Score:2)
Re:lovely (Score:1)
In fact, I just did a pricecheck on Newegg.com and found a Sony for $38.99 while an NEC was almost one dollar more $39.75
Lite-On (Score:2)
Looks like CDFreaks will have to rename their Lite-On/Sony Drive Forum [cdfreaks.com] soon.
Re:Lite-On (Score:2)
Anyway, so the forum is still named that? Renaming the forum was seriously discussed a long ago when Sony started using BenQ and again when Sony-NEC was announced, so I'm a bit surprised that it still hasn't changed. Wow. Hehe.
Re:Lite-On (Score:2)
What I should have done, of course, was simply declare my assertion withou
Re:Lite-On (Score:2)
My comment about CDF was just an expression of surprise at their slowness. I hadn't visited there in months.
Re:Lite-On (Score:2)
Oh well. I guess it just serves to demonstrate Edna St. Vincent Millay's classic observation, "It's not true that life is one damn thing after another; it's one damn thing over and over." [quotationspage.com]
HVD (Score:1)
Re:HVD (Score:2)
the media costs are because they're being produced at very low production runs. how fast the price of media comes down with mass production is anyones guess. paying 50 cents per gigabyte is pretty spendy compared to DVDs, but they only
Why does everything have to be abbreviated? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why does everything have to be abbreviated? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Why does everything have to be abbreviated? (Score:1)
Re:Why does everything have to be abbreviated? (Score:1)
Damn!! (Score:1)
Isn't this kind of merging... (Score:1)
Great! (Score:1)
P.S. An RCA rep I know usually says "Sony, just another 4 letter word begining with S"
Optiarc? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Optiarc? (Score:2)
Geez... (Score:1)
Re:Geez... (Score:2)
Two words: Region Coding.
This line placed here to defeat the lameness filter.
Wake the hell up! This was announced in November! (Score:1, Informative)
http://www.necus.com/companies/11/NECCORP_NEC_SON
Thanks Scuttle Monkey! With some work, you will eventually find a calendar and learn it's now 2006.
Sony optical drives? (Score:2)
Not about blu-ray (Score:1)
Lacking a major technological breakthrough that would make optical storage more attractive than other solutions like hard disks, flash memory and network systems, there will be no successor for Blu-ray and/or HD-DVD.
When CD-ROMs came out, one CD had 10 times the storage capacity of a typical
Re:Not about blu-ray (Score:2)
Yes, HDs have far more capacity. They are also fragile, expensive and usually fairly large for decent size. Carrying a portable HD around (other than in something like an iPod) is a royal pain, and last I checked iPod sized drives don't store that much more than Blu-ray.
As far as streaming, until FIOS shows up everywhere get real. It might work for office programs, but not games or high-def video. I've got 1.5Mbps DSL at home and decided to try out the Everquest2
Well that's just great (Score:3, Informative)
Could make life difficult for other vendors who rebadge NEC drives.
Of course, this does mean that we can't buy NEC anymore because it's giving money to Big Bad, so better head off and grab a few ND-4551's before the takeover.
Ugh. (Score:3, Funny)
Sony? Optical? (Score:2)
I suppose they've been making Blu-ray drives on their own, but I'm sure they'll just be re-branding OEM drives in a short while, when the price on next-gen drives drops to reasonable prices.
I get the feeling Sony is just finding a creative way of cutting their losses in the PC market.
end of an era (Score:2)
Does this mean that I'll have to upgrade by TurboGrafx-16 system to a Sony Playstation?
Oh Great (Score:1)
Anyone, Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? (Score:2)
Aha! (Score:2)
The end of the $40 DVD burner at NewEgg ?!?! (Score:1)
If I'm gonna pay more for a drive, give me Plextor before Sony !!
Learn to read then open your mouths (Score:1)
Re:Learn to read then open your mouths (Score:2)
Because they were caught installing spyware and rootkits on their customers' PCs.
In addition, they tried to lie and deny, but the evidence was overwhelming, and they responded by basically going "if people don't know that there's spyware on their computers it won't hurt them".
They screwed up big time, and the consequences are that I and many others will point out Sony's spyware fiasco as