20x DVD-ROM read speeds coming up - ALi starts shipping chips
Posted on 15/11/02 18:01 by Jan Willem                             
20x DVD-ROM read speeds coming up - ALi starts shipping chips

ALI has announced it will start shipping a 20x DVD-ROM chip, named the M5721. Currently most DVD-ROM players read at 16 speed and ALi is the first company to increase the read speed. Besides the DVD-ROM chips the company has also started shipping a small volume of CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive combo chipsets.


The M5721 features 20x read speed and integrates a servo chip and RF amplifier, allowing DVD drive makers to add only external DRAM, flash ROM and a power controller, significantly reducing the circuit design complexity and cutting production costs.

ALi said shipments of its combo chipsets, supporting 48x and 24x CD-RW write and 16x DVD-ROM read speeds, are small, between 3,000 and 5,000 units a month. The company expects monthly shipments to grow to 30,000 and 50,000 units a month beginning at the end of the year. According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics is using ALi's chipsets in its latest combo optical storage drives.

ALi said it has priced its chips and chipsets according to the market standard. It reiterated that it will not slash prices to be more competitive. Currently, 16x DVD-ROM chips cost US$7-8 and combo drive chipsets US$12-15.

ALi is one the competitors of MediaTek, which makes chips for companies such as Lite-On and Asus. Discuss DVD Hardware here.

Source: Digitimes.com

Reactions
Discuss this article with your fellow community members! We appreciate your valuable input, but please keep the reaction policy in mind and make sure your reaction is constructive.
By vishtaspa, Fri 15 Nov 2002 19:04
  • reply
vishtaspawow
By Raymongo, Fri 15 Nov 2002 20:04
  • reply
Whats the benefit of it? I'm sorry but i don't get it. 20x only means it is theoraticaly able to copy Data-DVD. All other disc types will have lower transferates. And these Data-DVD are almost not available. Because most games, software, etc. are produced on CD. So this is IMHO another commercial stunt to sell more!
By Guest, Fri 15 Nov 2002 21:25
  • reply
20x speeds will help anybody that owns a DVD burner like myself. Not only will it improve the read speed of the backups of my hdd that I put on DVD, but it will also make ripping DVD movies go that much quicker.
By c44, Fri 15 Nov 2002 22:49
  • reply
I was beginning to wonder why they had been sitting there at 16x for as long as they had. I don't think that I will be upgrading to al least 32x, that will be twice as fast as what I have now (LiteON 16x)
By nider, Sat 16 Nov 2002 02:10
  • reply
niderI'm sure you probably be able to flash the lite on 16 with a lite on 20x drive when they put them out. Seems to work for the burners, so hey, why not the dvd drives? =)
By ViperInc, Sat 16 Nov 2002 04:29
  • reply
doubt it, different chipset and dvd-rom laser...
By Mgz, Sat 16 Nov 2002 06:47
  • reply
20X Frown I wait it for a whole year Frown
By nEXusJ, Sat 16 Nov 2002 16:24
  • reply
nEXusJhmm, now my Pioneer 16x DVD is finally outdated. it was king of the hill for a year... :9
By Seán, Sat 16 Nov 2002 21:04
  • reply
SeánDVD-ROMs are going really cheap now. I bought a non-name brand 12x for €35 while in the US. I got the actual name of it (STAR2000), downloaded firmware for it to overclock it to 16x and make it region free. Wink The easiest way for manufacturers to double the DVD-ROM speed is to use dual laser pickup. I seen dual laser 72x CD-ROM drives a while back priced just a little more than 40x CD-ROM drives!
By d42, Sun 17 Nov 2002 11:00
  • reply
A 20x DVD-ROM is about as useful as a 56x CD-RW.
By Guest, Tue 19 Nov 2002 02:31
  • reply
seanbyrne. I have the same drive, Star2000 and would like to make it region free. Do you have a link to where you got the firmware. Would be greatly appreciated.

Name: Email:



Your comment:

Receive notification on new comments?