Sharp plans 8x+ Blu-ray burners by 2010
By Richard Lawler 
posted Mar 25th 2008 7:39PM
posted Mar 25th 2008 7:39PM
Sharp is continuing to move the bar in blue laser technology, recently unveiling a higher power (250mW) 6x Blu-ray recording laser, but more importantly tipped its hand regarding plans for 8x blue laser diodes by 2009. Those lasers will be able to output 300mW, followed by 400mW varieties capable of up to 12x speeds by 2010. Looks like blue laser shortages are a thing of the past, now we'll see how quickly speed -- and possibly multilayer discs -- can ramp up.[Via afterdawn]
Give me a 2x for under $100 and I'd buy it. 2010 is too long to wait for a burner.
I mean seriously.. who burns stuff these days? I've stopped burning like 2-3 years back.. it's just completely ridiculous, slow and impractical.
By 2010 nobody is going to need an optical drive, little less a burner. Just look at Apple Air. Just like floppy got completely phased out from recent machines so it will be the fate of optical media.
Right now, I just buy a DVD drive to read an occasional game or install software (less software cause I download everything online anyways - most software companies have download distribution anyways). I have a bunch of external HDDs for like $100 for 320gb to 500gb hdds (rewritable, lightning fast).
I think they are just waisting time and money and by 2010, whoohoooo, who knows where we'll be.
@ Nfinity
do you ever shut up? if hd dvd came out on top i'm sure you'd be talking about how they'd make a great cheap hd capacity optical medium. my pops just bought a new laptop and he wants solidworks 2008, which he said costs over 3 grand for the program (CAD design) if he has the stupid MBA how the hell would he install it? optical drives are still needed no matter how much dummies like you say they aren't. Another great instance, i have all 18 seasons of the simpsons on my computer right now. about 46 gigs, guess what i'm going to do when i get a dvd burner. Yes, burn all 18 seasons of the simpsons onto one disc. Then i can take that to any PS3 or comp that has a bd rom. People like you and truth teller need to get your heads out of your asses
Notice this is Sharp, not Sony.
Your title is wrong, it says 8x by 2010, but it should say 8x by 2009, and x12 by 2010.
8x by 2009. for $1000. yay!
Woops never mind I didnt see the plus sign.
lol 1000$ bucks....thats Sony for ya
are you blind? Sony?!?!? :/
Just sad dude. Some day develop a way to think for yourself.
I have a burner, I just can't afford the media! Let's see some $2 single layer discs :)
Anyone prepared to tell the truth about how long the supposedly 'decent' X4 speed drives take with 25gb & 50gb, hmmmm?
'Excruciatingly slow', is the correct answer, by all accounts
(and that's even when the anti-corruption/coaster software is turned off).
Then you have sh!tty authoring issues and standalones which won't play BD -R & BD -RE media.
Not forgetting the laughable expense of the drives & the media.
No thanks.
No need for Blu-ray.
TT, whatever you think about Blu Ray, nobody cares :)
Not sure you have realized that yet.
Blu Ray has done 1/3rd of its since inception sales in only 11 weeks this year. Sales are booming, wether you like it or not.
Now take a chill pill and go cry in your corner.
As far as the prices go, you can already burn 4x for $429 and 2x for only $359. The new generations will take advantage of the new blue laser diodes, less expensive.
So actually, even with speed inceasing, prices will continue going down...
I have to agree, somewhat, with Nfinity. I think optical drives should be phased out. Think of the possibilities if movies/music/software were distributed via some sort of flash drive.
So many people act like optical drives are on their way out. Maybe they are but I LIKE to be able to keep my important data on non-magnetic media. I agree that prices need to come down, but they will. Honestly though, I look forward to bigger and faster optical drives such as holographic.