Press Releases - PX-716AL

PLEXTOR LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE NEW PRODUCTS FOR
CEBIT 2005

CeBIT, Hall 21, Stand C65 - Plextor today announces two new products, both of which will be on show at CeBIT 2005. The PX-716AL is Plextor's first internal dual layer slot-loading DVD/CD drive designed for use with customer-facing, high output optical applications, where reliability and high quality is essential.

The second product is Plextor's new Design Platform, which automatically transfers live analogue CCTV footage into digital MPEG format and saves it directly to a network. Plextor will also demonstrate several other new products at the show, all of which will extend its storage device range and provide new functionality (details of this product yet to be released).

Plextor PX-716AL
The PX-716AL can be used in photo kiosks for transferring and archiving photographs and videos onto optical media such as DVD's and CD's. The 16x speed drive burns at 6x DVD+R DL and 6x DVD-R DL writing speeds and its double layer capability will deliver increased storage for users (up to 8.5 GB capacity). Plextor has made the drive without incorporating rollers - this will protect the media from damage and scratches and increase the quality of the customers' DVD or CD.

The slot loading facility of the PX-716AL provides a longer life span and increased durability, as there is no risk of a tray being broken by users. Less downtime will enable retailers to maximise their ROI whilst delivering a safe and reliable service to customers. Furthermore, the PX-716AL has been engineered to a high number of loading and ejecting repetitions (up to 20,000 times) - this will enable twice as many discs to be burnt compared to some competitive drives.

For manufacturers, the PX-716AL drive can be installed either horizontally or vertically, helping to overcome many space or design issues. The drive will also be available for integration by 'white box' PC assemblers, increasing both the functionality and style of generic systems that don't carry a particular brand name.

The new drive accepts discs as small as 8cm, which will deliver increased operability across a range of PC's and notebooks, making it ideal for home enthusiasts looking for a stylish drive.

The PX-716AL will be available to industrial users, system builders, and PC assemblers from May. For consumers, a bundle package, will also be available from the network of Plextor dealers. The package will be covered by Plextor's Fast Warranty Service (2-year Collect & Return guarantee in EU, Norway and Switzerland; 1 year in other countries).

Plextor Design Platform
The Plextor Design Platform enables live analogue security CCTV footage to be automatically converted into high quality MPEG video and stored onto a server. This compresses the data and reduces file sizes, allowing increased amounts of data to either be stored on the system or burnt to DVD or HDD. The stored data (such as files and photos) is then ready to be easily transmitted via the network

The Design Platform is also capable of fast transcoding the MPEG video to adjust the size and quality required for mobile use, low throughput network line or for transmission to other devices.

This design concept is ideal for security firms and police, who deal with high quantities of footage or the medical profession who use cameras during operations. Plextor will offer tailor-made solutions to fit with industrial customer requirements.

Summary of Features:
4 Channel Full-D1 encoding and transmitting
High-speed transcoding (bit-rate and resolution reduction)
Trick Play (seamless play at -3X to +3X, Fast Forward/Reverse)
Supports variety of interfaces including LAN, USB 2.0, IEEE1394, RS-232C
2 ATA ports for HDD and DVD drives
Remote control

Additional information:
The new PX-716AL drive boasts the same features as Plextor's recently launched PX-716A drive. For increased flexibility, 8x writing on DVD+RW media and additional support for 16x writing on DVD +/-R is also available. It integrates Plextor's 'Intelligent Recording' Technology, to ensure the quality of reading and writing functions:

• 'AutoStrategy' is a self-learning writing technology to optimise the writing quality on any type of media
• 'IntelligentTilt' controls the laser in three dimensions, to ensure high quality writing and reading if the disc surface has imperfections
• Finally, 'PoweRec', is a complex piece of writing intelligence ensuring superior recording quality at high speeds on certified media

For more information or photo material contact:
Inge Spoelders (International Marketing Responsible Plextor - on +32 2 725 55 22)

This press release is also available on the Plextor website at
https://plextor-europe.com/press/all/releases.asp?choice=Releases
High resolution photographs can also be seen at
https://plextor-europe.com/press/all/pictures.asp?choice=Pictures

About Plextor
Plextor is a leading international manufacturer of extremely reliable, high quality recording equipment and is also one of the pioneers in the field of CD technology. From its parent company, Shinano Kenshi Co. Japan, Plextor has a built up tradition in the development and manufacture of advanced hardware and electronic precision equipment going back to 1918. With head offices in Japan, Europe and the United States the company mainly sells its products through a network of specialised computer dealers. Plextor Europe, established in Brussels, takes responsibility for sales, marketing and technical support in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Since opening its Brussels office in 1994, Plextor has introduced a number of award winning products, including CD/DVD-ROM drives, CD/DVD recordable drives, CD/DVD media and USB Flash Memory Drives (PlexFlash). In addition, Plextor has recently launched an analogue to digital video converter, ConvertX, which uses MPEG 1,2,4 and DivX formats.