World's First 4X/6X CD Recorder From Yamaha Shown At COMDEX '96

SAN JOSE, Calif.-- Yamaha announced today it will bring the world's fastest read/write CD Recorder to market via Comdex '96.

The new Yamaha CDR400, a CD Recorder that writes at four times normal speed and reads at six times, is built on the solid, industry-leading technology of the award-winning CDR100, and has added features demanded by the market. The 6X read function is significant because as CDR prices approach those of CD ROM drives, users can easily replace their CD ROMs with the CD Recorder.

Archiving storage, multimedia, audio, software distribution and desktop publishing markets will benefit from this new CD Recordable. "Yamaha is raising the price/performance bar in the CDR industry with the new CDR400," said Bob Starr, general manager, Sales and Marketing for Yamaha YST. "Yamaha's goal is to meet customer needs, at a price that will serve to advance this technology."

The CDR400 is a feature-laden first in the CD recorder market. The only 4X record, 6X read CD Recorder on the market today, it supports Yamaha's RapidLinked high performance variable and fixed packet writing; has a 2MB buffer to eliminate buffer underrun; and has flash ROM for downloadable firmware upgrades.

The CDR400 is available in tray or caddy loading versions and with either SCSI or ATAPI interface. This is all in addition to the features available previously in the CDR100, the original Award-Winning CDR from Yamaha.

CDR200 -- In a simultaneous announcement, Yamaha revealed the availability of the CDR200 which writes at one and 2X speeds, and reads at one, two, four and 6X. The CDR200 has the features of the CDR400 except it offers a 1MB buffer and does not write at 4X speed.

CDR400 FEATURES

The newest features of the CDR400 include:

2 MB Buffer -- The generous 2 MB data buffer on the recorder virtually eliminates buffer underrun.,

RapidLinked Packet Writing -- Yamaha's RapidLinked packet writing allows higher performance data transfer. Variable and fixed packet writing provides the user with true floppy disk ease-of-use for back up applications.

Consumer applications such as streaming internet data to disk are anticipated, with many more applications expected to evolve as well. It makes more efficient use of available storage space than multi-session products and facilitates writing files of any size to the CD.

SCSI and ATAPI Interface Options -- The user of the CDR400 can select one of these two widely accepted standard interfaces.

Flash ROM - Software and hardware integrators and OEMs will all appreciate th easier development path made possible with Flash ROM, which allows simple downloading of firmware upgrades.

Tray and Caddy Loading -- In response to market demand, tray loading has been added to caddy loading as an option.

Five Modes -- The new CDR400 offers session at once, and packet writing modes in addition to the disc-at-once, track-at-once and multisession modes offered on the CDR100.

Seven Standard Formats -- Seven standard formats are supported including CD- ROM, CD-ROMXA (both photo CD and Video CD), CD-I, CD-DIGITAL AUDIO, CD-Extra and Video CD.

Platforms Supported -- Initial support is available for Windows 95 and for Macintosh. Yamaha expects that others will soon follow. Yamaha will continue its successful policy of supporting all major platforms with the CDR400. Note: The earlier CDR100, is supported by 25 software developers with 50 separate applications for UNIX, Sun, SGI, Windows '95, Windows NT, OS2, Novell, NLS, Macintosh, HP9000, DOS, DEC, Amiga, and AIX.

Markets

"We are seeing very strong growth in archival backup, with no signs of slowing," said Dan Baca, CD Recorder Product Manager for Yamaha. "Audio applications are coming on strong and the multimedia market continues to grow, as well. We expect these markets and others to embrace this technology as it becomes increasingly accessible, both in ease of use and cost."

Price and Availability

The CDR400 will be available in production quantities beginning in January 1997. The CDR200 will be available in production quantities beginning in February 1997.

Yamaha CDR400   (4X/6X internal)   $ 849

Yamaha CDR200   (2X/6X internal)   $ 549

Yamaha CD Recorder products are available through distributors: Law Cypress Distributing Co., Optical Laser, Revelation Products Inc., Consan Storage Solutions, New Wave Technologies, Todd Enterprises, Inc., Optical Storage Distribution, VAD International and Yamaha of Canada.

Yamaha Systems Technology Inc. was founded to manufacture and market integrated circuits, board level products and complete systems to OEMs and Distributors. The product line includes multimedia audio, graphics and communications products, as well as custom and semicustom ASICs, and CD Recorder products.

[11-18-96 at 08:27 EST, Business Wire]

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