Industry First Multi Writable Drive Launched; All Writable DVDs Approved by DVD Forum & CDs Supported

Business Wire, Nov 5, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 2001

Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc. (CEO: Mun-Hwa Park) today announced that the company has developed the industry's first drive which can burn all writable DVDs approved by DVD Forum and writable CDs, model GMA-4020B with ATAPI interface (note 1). The shipment will start in January 2002. This half-height size drive was designed mainly for PC use and can read/write DVD writable format discs approved by DVD Forum, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM. The drive can also read/write CD-R/RW discs.

      -- Multi Writable Drive GMA-4020B


  Product         Model         Shipment      Projected    Suggested
   Name                         Schedule       Volume     Retail Price
----------       -------        --------      ---------   -----------
PC Built In
 type Multi
 Writable       GMA-4020B         From        100 kilo    Open (Set by
 DVD Drive  (ATAPI-Interface) January, 2002  units/month   retailers)

GMA-4020B can read/write DVD-R discs which has good compatibility with DVD player and are suitable for the picture distribution, and can read/write DVD-RAM discs and DVD-RW discs which are used on DVD Recorder. It can also store/retrieve the large size data in PC on DVD-RAM discs. And GMA-4020B can burn CD-R and CD-RW that have been already widely spreaded. This enables the users to choose the appropriate discs depending on the contents to be stored. Full support of writable DVDs and writable CDs was realized by newly developed Optical Head and DSPs (Note2). This Optical Head is highly integrated and has high efficiency of light. These DSPs can execute advanced Signal Process, which enable the control of various writable format discs. Digital Media Systems R&D Division, Digital Media Group, Hitachi, Ltd. cooperated in the development of these DSPs.

(Note 1) ATAPI interface: Standard Interface of Data Transfer for CD and DVD drives installed on PC.

(Note 2) Digital Signal Processor: Digital LSI to control read and write.

Hitachi-LG Data Storage is planning to exhibit GMA-4020B at Recordable DVD Pavilion (L5555) in COMDEX starting on coming November 12 in Las Vegas, USA.

Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc. is the joint venture company of Hitachi, Ltd. and LG Electronics, which started in January 2001. The company is developing and selling optical disc drives, CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, and Writable DVD. They have been widely shipped as OEM products under the Hitachi Brand and LG Brand.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501, NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 2000 (ended March 31, 2001) consolidated sales of 8,417 billion yen ($67.9 billion(a)). The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi's Web site at http://global.hitachi.com.

(a) At an exchange rate of 124 yen to the dollar.

About LG Electronics

LG Electronics is a major global player in electronics & telecommunications, operating 60 subsidiaries in 34 countries with 54,000 employees worldwide. LGE focuses on Digital TV, CD-RW, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM Drives, PCs, Monitors, Mobile Handsets and PDPs. LGE is strengthening core competencies even more to further its reputation as the "Digital Leader" in electronic products and equipment in the digital era. LGE is headquartered in Seoul, Korea, and was founded in 1958. Additional information is available at www.lge.com.

      -- Main Specifications


1. INTERFACE                  ATAPI(Enhanced IDE I/F)

2. BUFFER MEMORY SIZE         2Mbytes

3. READ DISC TYPE       CD    CD-ROM data disc (Mode-1, Mode-2),
                                                 CD-DA, CD-I,
                              CD-ROM XA, CD-Extra, Photo-CD
                              CD-R/RW, CD-TEXT
                      DVD     DVD-ROM (SL 4.7GB), (DL 8.5GB)
                              DVD-R (3.95GB/4.7GB), DVD-RW (4.7GB)
                              DVD-RAM (8cm Disc: 1.46GB,
                                      12cm Disc: 2.6GB / 4.7GB)

4. WRITING DISC         CD    CD-R (12cm Disc: Type 74, Type 80)
                              CD-RW (12cm Disc: Normal, High Speed)
                      DVD     DVD-RAM (8cm Disc: 1.46GB, 12cm
                                           Disc: 4.7GB)
                              DVD-R (4.7GB Ver.2.0 for General)
                              DVD-RW (4.7GB)

5. WRITING FORM               CD-R/RW: Disc-At-Once, Track-At-Once,
                                      Session-At-Once, Packet Write
                              DVD-R: Disc-At-Once, Incremental
                                      Recording
                              DVD-RW: Disc-At-Once, Incremental
                                       Recording Restricted Overwrite

6. INSTALLATION               Horizontal, Vertical

7. POWER REQUIREMENT VOLTAGE  DC  5V,  12V


8. DIMENSIONS                 146(W) x 180(D) x 41.3(H) mm (w/o bezel)

9. MASS (WEIGHT)              Approx. 1kg