Sony Unveils New High Speed CD-ROM Drive With Up to 16X Speed and New CD-Recordable Drive

Business Wire, Nov 18, 1996

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 1996--Sony Electronics today announced its new CDU511 16X (maximum performance) CD-ROM drive that delivers fluid multimedia playback and the extra speed and performance demanded by today's computer users.

Sony also announced its new CDU926S CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive that will give mainstream computer users fast and flexible desktop storage. The new CD-R drive features Sony's proven 2X recording capabilities with higher performance 6X reading. The higher read speed means that accessing archived data from a CD-R disc is 50 percent faster than with a 4X drive.

"Sony's ability to be the first to market with leading-edge CD-ROM technology is a result of years of experience in developing and manufacturing optical storage products," said Dirk Peters, marketing manager of data storage products for Sony Electronics' Computer Components and Peripherals Group.

According to Peters, Sony's 16X (maximum performance) CD-ROM drive is one of the industry's fastest, with a targeted 100 millisecond or less access time. It allows unparalleled multimedia performance due to its ability to quickly access data from a CD-ROM disc.

The drive reads approximately two-thirds of the disc using Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) tracking technology at 8.6X to 16X speed and reads the remaining one-third of the disc at 16X speed using Constant Linear Velocity (CLV) technology. The average speed of the drive is 13.6X, delivering a high data transfer rate that enables quick retrieval of reference material, clip art and other types of information from a disc.

Constant Angular Velocity = Reliability

One of the key advantages of using CAV in conjunction with CLV in a CD-ROM drive is higher drive reliability. When the CD-ROM drive is in CAV mode the disc is spun at a constant rate, which eliminates the need for the spindle motor to change speeds during operation.

Car owners know that freeway miles are much easier on their engine than stop and go traffic miles, and the same holds true for a CD-ROM drive. Fluctuating speeds generate more heat, vibration and wear on the spindle motor than a constant operation speed. At 8X speed these problems are manageable while at higher speeds they interfere with the operation and reliability of the drive, as well as other components in the computer.

Constant Angular Velocity = Performance

Another reason Sony has incorporated CAV technology is to achieve significantly lower access times. While the drive is operating in CAV mode, it spins at a constant rate and requires no waiting time for the disc to speed up or slow down. Just as a car can get from point A to point B much faster if it does not need to slow down for curves in the road, a CD-ROM drive performs better when the disc's RPMs are steady.

Reading a disc that is spinning at a constant rate brings the average access time down below 100 milliseconds which allows CD-ROM titles to perform up to their full potential. CD-ROMs are becoming more useful as a medium for storing a variety of data, including computer applications, reference materials, multimedia presentations and computer games.

"A drive utilizing CAV technology performs significantly better than conventional drives and takes full advantage of these proliferating applications," Peters added.

16X Maximum Performance Defined

When a CD-ROM disc spins at a constant speed, the rate of reading the data varies depending on the location of the optical pickup on the disc. Tracks of data are passing by the CD-ROM drive's laser much faster at the outside of the disc than at the inside. This is analogous to a person running faster on the outside lane of a track than the person on the inside lane in order to cross the finish line at the same time. Spinning at a constant speed increases reliability and significantly improves access time and the data transfer rate.

Sony will continue to introduce advanced CD-ROM products with features like a SCSI interface and slot load technology, which is an advanced loading mechanism similar to the ones used in car audio CD players.

Availability

The CDU511 16X (maximum performance) CD-ROM drive and CDU926S 2X/6X CD-R drive will begin shipping in the first quarter of 1997.

Based in San Jose, the Data Storage Products Division of Sony Electronics' Computer Components and Peripherals Group markets CD-ROM and CD-Recordable drives through industrial distribution, reseller and OEM channels. For additional information about Sony computer products, call 800/352-7669, or visit Sony's World Wide Web site at: http://www.sony.com/technology

CONTACT: Sony Electronics

Tracey Tenerelli, 408/955-5673

tracey_tenerelli@mail.sel.sony.com

or

Technology Solutions

Thomas Richardson, 408/280-6000 ext. 203

trichardson@ca.tsipr.com