According to DigiTimes, Lite-On IT has launched LH-2B1S serial ATA Blu-ray Disc (BD) Triple Writer, in Japan at a retail price of US$600. The price is much lower than BD burners offered by other vendors (approx. US$1000). The price gap between the BD burners and HD DVD-ROM drives offered by Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard is now also much narrower.

Lite-On IT recently launched its LH-2B1S serial ATA Blu-ray Disc (BD) Triple Writer, the company's first BD burner, in Japan at a retail price of 70,000 yen (US$600), with the price significantly lower than BD burners offered by other vendors, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Although not launched in Taiwan yet, the Japanese retail price of the LH-2B1S is lower than the NT$29,900-32,990 (US$920-1,014) for BD burners currently on sale in the Taiwan market, the sources indicated.

The LH-2B1S poses a price challenge to not only other BD burners but also HD DVD drives as well because the price gap between the BD burner and HD DVD-ROM drives offered by Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard is now narrower, the sources noted.

The LH-2B1S has a dimension of 146×41.4×177.5mm and weighs less than 0.85kg and can play 1,920×1,080 high-definition BD movies, according to information on Lite-On IT's website.

Source: DigiTimes