Conductor reports
to us that Taiwanese optical drive manufacturers Lite-On and BTC may skip the
production of 12x dual format DVD recorders and jump straight to 16x burners
instead. According to DigiTimes this decision is based on the fact that 12x burners
are expected to be released in April of this year while 16x burners are
expected to be released in the second half of this year. This tight timing
schedule would cause a too short product lifecycle for 12x
burners.
 Lite-On IT estimates the life cycle of 12x DVD-Dual drives would
be shorter than one quarter and will concentrate its R&D on developing
16x models, with production slated for May at the earliest, the company
said.
Considering the high risk of price drops due to intense
competition, BTC plans to skip production of 12x DVD-Dual drives and offer
a 16x model in the second half of this year, according to company chairman
Steel Su. But if demand picks up, BTC will be ready to offer 12x DVD-Dual
burners, Su added.
Other Taiwanese makers are planning to make 12x models. BenQ
plans to begin production of 12x DVD-Dual burners in March or April and
then 16x models in May. Accesstek, based on its experience of offering 40x
CD-RW drives and 48x models, expects considerable market demand for 12x
DVD-Dual burners. Other makers plan to produce downgraded 16x DVD-Dual
burners to satisfy orders for 12x
models. |
Source: DigiTimes
