Lite-On IT reveals BD (Blu-ray Disc) plans

June 6th 2006 - Eindhoven, The Netherlands '“ Lite-On IT, one of the world's biggest optical disc drive manufacturers, is ready for the next generation of optical disc formats. Lite-On IT announces to start producing BD (Blu-ray Disc) compatible drives in Q3 2006 and to introduce Lite-On branded Blu-ray drives to the market in August 2006.

The LH-2B1S will be the first Lite-On drive with Blu-ray Disc technology. Thanks to the use of the blue-violet laser, it enables users to record, rewrite and playback high-definition video (HD) as well as storing large amounts of data. The Blu-ray Disc format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 50GB of data on a double layer BD disc and up to 25GB on a single layer BD disc. Naturally, the drive will also be compatible with DVD±R(W) (DL) media and CD-R(W) media.

Besides high storage capacity, also data transfer speeds will increase on this drive, as it will feature Serial ATA (SATA) interface.

Lite-On IT is capable of producing optical disc drives in high volume and with high quality standards. In their Guangzhou Science Park (China), Lite-On IT has a current production capacity of over five million optical drives per month.

About Lite-On IT:
Lite-On IT Corporation is part of the Taiwanese Lite-On Group, which consists of nine consolidated companies. Lite-On Group is a world leading company in digital convergence (3C: Computer, Communications, and Consumer electronics) employing 35,000 people worldwide. Lite-On Group has 45 factories, 29 branch offices, and 4 R&D centers worldwide and generated total revenue of 5.2 Billion USD in 2005.

Lite-On IT was founded in 1995 and has grown since to become the World's 2nd largest optical disc drive manufacturer. In 2002, recognizing the convergence between the computer and consumer worlds, Lite-On expanded its portfolio and formed a Consumer Electronics Division, focusing on the development of Digital Audio-Video Appliances.

Check www.liteonit.com for further information.