Red vs Blue

No, I'm not talking about a machinima series based on a popular Xbox game title. In my early-March cover story, I pointed out that I-O Data Device was one of a small group of companies who, in partnership with Sigma Designs, was selling EM8620L-based systems that enabled high-def video playback from legacy red laser DVDs using advanced codecs such as MPEG-4/DivX and WMV9. However, I-O Data Device also has an eye on the future; the company just unveiled $899 internal (ATAPI) and $999 external (USB2) Blu-ray computer drives. Based on the Matsushita/Panasonic SW-5582 and scheduled to begin shipping on June 1st, they support reading and writing dual-layer Blu-ray media, as well as single- and dual-layer DVD+R(W), DVD-R(W) and DVD-RAM discs. Also, unlike Pioneer's earlier-announced (and format-deficient) BDR-101A drive, they can both read and write CD-R(W) discs.

Does this mean I-O Data Device has placed its bets (can you tell I'm in Las Vegas right now?) in the Blu-ray camp; i.e. do they disagree with Microsoft's assessment that Blu-ray is the next Betamax? I doubt it. The company has a long history of being format-agnostic, such as its parallel support of '-' and '+' DVD media until the advent of universal drives made that past format scuffle a moot point. I won't be at all surprised if, in the near future, I get a heads-up from I-O Data Device on its HD DVD plans, once the company's secured sufficient drive supply from a technology development partner.

In other I-O Data Device news, the company's red laser-based AVLP2/DVDLA (AVeL LinkPlayer2) just received Nero Digital Cinema certification. This means, per Nero's website, that the player is capable of decoding and playing up-to-720 line 30fps MPEG-4 Part 2 (aka Advanced Simple Profile) video and AAC audio. While not a big surprise (the player already supported HD DivX, which also employs MPEG-4 ASP video albeit partnered with MP3 audio), this accomplishment adds to the player's already-impressive HD video codec capabilities which also encompass WMV9 and 720p MPEG-2. 1080-line video and higher frame rate support, along with support for Nero's and competitors' MPEG-4 AVC (aka H.264, aka MPEG-4 Part 10) profiles, will I suspect require next-generation silicon from partner Sigma Designs.