Released by Verbatim:

Data Storage specialist Verbatim launches 4x DVD+R drive

As sales of data storage specialist Verbatim's 4x DVD recordable media continue to rise, the company has risen to the 4x DVD challenge and launched the 4x Omnia DVD+R/ReWritable drive.

Verbatim has adopted a flexible approach to this high-speed drive solution as Omnia can write not only to 4x DVD+R and DVD+RW media but can also write to CD-R, CD-RW and high-speed CD-RW.

This new higher-speed version of an already popular product allows consumers, who have reacted more than positively to the ongoing flexibility allowed by DVD+RW storage media, even greater opportunities when it comes to the editing and storage of large files like video clips from digital camcorders. This new drive allows even more efficient storage of up to 4.7GB of data. This is key as toying with the moving image becomes a home-based PC activity.

In order to prevent those dreaded playback errors, both DVD+RW and DVD+R disks that are recorded in the Omnia drive can be played back on a wide variety of DVD players. This also applies to DVD-ROM drives. It can also read DVD Video, DVD-ROM, CD Audio and CD-ROM.

A suite of software is supplied as standard with the Omnia drive. This includes Ahead's Nero 5 Burning ROM for drag 'n' drop CD authoring and Sonic My DVD Video Suite and Cine Player with Arcsoft's Showbiz. This allows the easy creation of home videos and business presentations in a fully integrated video production centre.

Omnia 4x also features buffer under runs protection so there is no wasted recordable media. It works by writing data onto the disk in small increments. In order to prevent consumers having to undertake unnecessary tasks, and to save time, DVD+RW media are formatted in the background so users do not have to format them.

Omnia is supplied with 4x DVD+R and +RW media with the drive, allowing users to be up and running as soon as possible. The drive is expected to have a street price of approx. €260. Kevin Jefcoate, Director Marketing and Product Development, says, "With sales of our 4x media increasing at a strong rate, the launch of the 4x Omnia DVD+R/ReWritable drive allows consumers to fully capitalise on new creative possibilities. It is important that speed increases continue all the way along the chain and with file sizes forever on the rise, speed is, as always, of the essence."

www.verbatim-europe.com