Press Release
Melsele, Belgium – 8 May 2007: HD movies are here. And consumers can now enjoy this new ultra clear, high-performance film experience at a low cost with Pioneer’s new Blu-ray ‘Combo’ Drive for PCs. It comes in two versions (with black and beige colour options): the BDC-202 will be included by PC companies and systems integrators in their machines; consumers can also buy and fit the BDC-S02 to their computers by purchasing the retail version of the drive that includes bundled software. To entertainment, add practicality; the drives read single and dual-layer Blu-ray disc formats and provide high-speed read/write compatibility with a wide range of DVD and CD media.The launch of PlayStation®3 with a Blu-ray player and the availability of a growing library of Blu-ray film titles have enhanced consumer awareness of the stunning quality of HD movies. And the new drives provide a cost-efficient, high-performance and simple method for consumers to experience this new entertainment format. Multimedia PCs are increasingly designed to complement home environments and are geared for movie playback with powerful processors, graphics and sound cards complemented by contemporary flat screen displays. The systems are also easily connected to living room entertainment set-ups so users can enjoy the ultimate movie experience on their HD-ready flat screen TVs.
‘Blu-ray has an unstoppable momentum. The format is included in PlayStation®3 and is supported by seven out of the eight major Hollywood studios,’ says Chris Tampsett, Sales Director, Pioneer Europe Multimedia Division. ‘We’ve ensured that BDC-202 and BDC-S02 are price competitive to existing next generation drives so end-users – whether buying a PC fitted with the drive or installing a unit themselves – can access the extensive catalogue of Blu-ray titles in stunning quality without paying a premium. With DVD and CD read/write compatibility, the drive is a smart mix of next generation technology and practicality.’
Among next generation storage formats, the movie experience is advanced furthest by Blu-ray. As well as the exceptional clarity of HD images, it enables up to 50GB of high-definition video and audio content to be stored on a single disc including the most innovative interactive features seen to date alongside extensive bonus materials.
The drive also supports high-speed DVD read/write. Write speeds include 12X to DVD-R and +R, 6X to DVD-RW and +RW, 4X to DVD-R Dual Layer and +R Dual Layer media and 5X to DVD-RAM. Performance that’s ideally suited to manage general-purpose data-intensive file transfer and archiving: from creating image libraries and MP3 catalogues, to home movies and system back-ups.
The models include:
•• The BDC-S02 Combo drive in beige
•• The BDC-S02BK Combo drive in black
•• The BDC-202 ‘bulk’ model for OEM and systems integrators in beige
•• The BDC-202BK ‘bulk’ model for OEM and systems integrators in black
Retail package
The retail package includes bundled software to enable the playback of BD movies and the creation and playback of DVD and CDs.
Availability
The BDC-202 will be sold to OEMs and systems builders. It will be available from the end of May 2007 as will the retail model, the BDC-S02.
