| 03-03-00 |
CD-R, Audio & MP3 Software Releases |
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| CD/DVD-Writer & CD/DVD-ROM Firmware Releases |
The Firmware Page |
| Product |
Version |
| Caravelle RW6424DA |
1.50 |
| Toshiba SD-C2202 |
1T17 |
|
| Product |
Version |
| Yamaha CRW8424E |
1.0g |
|
| For a complete Firmware overview see the CD-Writer Firmware page. |
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| 29-02-00 |
CD-R, Audio & MP3 Software Releases |
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| 27-02-00 |
XWave Professional DVD/VCD/MP3 Player |
MP3 Hardware Players |
| The XWave Professional DVD Player is another region-free DVD/VCD/MP3 Player and it is very nice looking! It uses an onscreen menu to make selection and to configure the player.
It is currently for sale at Lightning Imports [UK] for UK£ 299.00 (US$ 475) - Thanks Pacman from Lightning Imports.
|
XWave Professional DVD Specifications:
- Region Free DVD
- Compatible with CDDA, VCD1.1/2.0/3.0, SVCD & MP3
- Dolby Digital AC-3
- PAL (720x576) / NTSC (720x480) Compatible
- Remote Control
- Compatible with ANY CD-R/CD-RW media!
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| Shinco MacroVision Copy Protection Removed |
MP3 Hardware Players |
| Added the procedure to remove the MacroVision Copy Protection from the Shinco DVD-8320 DVD/VCD/MP3 Player, it should also work for all other Shinco DVD Players. |
| 26-02-00 |
Using CD-R80 Media on HP/Sony CD-Writers |
Sony always claimed that they don't support 80 minutes CD-R media on their CD-Writers as these where outside the CD-R Redbook specifications. It was possible to use CD-R80 media but only up to about 78:30 minutes after this the CD-R became unreadable. As HP has been using the Sony drives on the inside of their own CD-Writers they had similar claims. But it seems that Sony has changed their mind resulting that the Sony CRX-100E and HP8100 are now capable in writing CD-R80 media.
Sony CRX-100E 1.0n Firmware Update
The update also works on the HP8100 but it will convert it to a Sony CRX-100E drive! Just use the HP 8100 1.0g firmware load the Sony CRX-100E 1.0n firmware. |
| CloneCD - An Elaborate Hoax - Authors Reply |
| Oliver Kastl, the author of CloneCD, replied in an E-Mail his comments on the CloneCD - An Elaborate Hoax which was written 2 days ago by IgD, the author of FireBurner. |
| SEG DVD 2000 DVD/VCD/MP3 Player |
| Today, at a Computer Fair (PC Dump) here in The Netherlands, the SEG DVD 2000 DVD/VCD/MP3 Player was being sold for NLG 699,- (US$ 309). It supports Dolby Digital AC-3, DTS, NTSC / PAL, German/English Onscreen text and has a remote control.
It is a bit of a mystery as no information can be found on the web about this player. It came in a white box with blue text and a German photocopied manual was included in the package. Any additional info is welcome! |
| [CeBit 2000] - Industry Leaders Demonstrate Real-Time DVD+RW Recording |
| Hewlett-Packard, MCC/Verbatim, Philips, Ricoh, Sony and Yamaha today, at CeBIT 2000, reinforced their commitment to 4.7 Gigabyte DVD+RW technology in the first public demonstration of both real-time recording and immediate playback on currently available DVD-Video and DVD-ROM players... More in this Press Release. |
| [CeBit 2000] - Yamaha CRW8824 CD-ReWriter |
| Yamaha is currently showing their latest CD-ReWriter the Yamaha CRW8824 - 8x CD-R Write, 8x CD-ReWrite & 24x CD-Read. it will be another writer supporting the new 8x CD-ReWrite standard and it also supports CD-Text! |
Click to Enlarge |
| CD/DVD-Writer & CD/DVD-ROM Firmware Releases |
The Firmware Page |
| Product |
Version |
| AOpen DVD 1040 - RPC2 |
1.25 |
| AOpen DVD 1040 Pro RPC2 |
1.25 |
| Kenwood 72x TrueX |
212e |
| Memorex CDRW-2216 |
1.0e |
| Memorex CDRW-4420S |
1.40 |
| Memorex CDRW-6424 |
1.50 |
|
| Product |
Version |
| Memorex CDRW-6424S |
1.50 |
| Memorex CDRW-6424DVD |
1.50 |
| Memorex Tri-Max 200 |
1.40 |
| Sony CRX-100E |
1.0n |
| Toshiba XM-6401B |
1002 |
|
| For a complete Firmware overview see the CD-Writer Firmware page. |
|
| 25-02-00 |
Sony CRX145 10x4x32 CD-ReWriter |
| Sony just released the CRX-145E-RP (ATAPI) & CRX-145S-RP (SCSI) CD-ReWriter. The biggest difference with it predecessor, the CRX140, is that it can Write at 10x speed! |
Sony CRX-145 Specifications:
- 10x CD-R Write, 4x CD-ReWrite & 32x CD-Read
- IDE/ATAPI (UDMA33) or Fast SCSI-2 Interface
- 4 MB Data Buffer
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| CD/DVD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
| Product |
Version |
| Plextor PX-W124T |
1.03 |
|
| Product |
Version |
| Toshiba XM-6401B |
1002 |
|
| For a complete Firmware overview see the CD-Writer Firmware page. |
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| CD-R, Audio & MP3 Software Releases |
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| 24-02-00 |
CloneCD - An Elaborate Hoax |
| IgD, the author of FireBurner, gives his Uncut biased opinion on CloneCD. He argues that the claims that CloneCD can make real 11 CD-Copies of protected CD's are completely false. In his article he then shows what CloneCD actually does nothing when it encounters a "Read Error". It also states that CloneCD never actually reads the sub-channel information and just uses dummy information which it writes together with the normal user data to CD-R and just inserts dummy data with an incorrect EDC/ECC to generate/simulate "Read Errors".
This is an interesting topic as lately there has been a lot of hype on making perfect 1:1 CD-Copies of protected CD's. Let's see what will be the reaction from Elaborate Bytes on these facts. |
| Teac CD-W512 (12x8x32x) CD-ReWriter |
| Teac will be showing it's new CD-ReWriter flagship, the Teac CD-W512, on the CeBIT. It will be one of 3 CD-Writers which will support 8x CD-ReWrite. The public release of the ATAPI version is scheduled for May, the SCSI version will arrive a few month later. |
| Memorex MCW6424DVD |
| Memorex released it's latest CD-RW/DVD-ROM 6x4x24x4 combination called the Memorex MCW6424DVD. If you look closely at the drive you immediately recognize that it is, like recently released Aopen DRW4624, based on the Ricoh MP9060 drive. |
Memorex MCW6424DVD Specifications:
- 6x CD-R Write, 4x CD-ReWrite, 32x CD-Read & 4x DVD-Read.
- IDE/ATAPI Interface
- 2 MB Data Buffer
|
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| Pioneer leads the DVD Industry with Introduction of "Sweet 16" |
| Pioneer is again the first to bring the fastest DVD-ROM drive to market as it officially introduces the Pioneer DVD-115 - 16X DVD-ROM/40x CD-ROM. It is compatible with single and dual layer DVD-ROM and DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, Video CD and Photo CD media.
Pioneer DVD-115 Specification:
- Random seek times of less than 85 msec for DVD-ROM (70 msec for CD-ROM)
- Access times less than 95 msec (80 msec for CD-ROM)
- ATAPI interface
- Horizontal or vertical mounting capabilities
- 512 KB Buffer Memory
The DVD-115 features a tray-load and will be available in March 2000 through OEM and distribution channels. The slot-load DVD-105S version will be available in April 2000. |
| CD/DVD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
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| The Week in Review |
CD/DVD NewsWire |
| CD News: |
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| DVD News: |
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| Misc News: |
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| 22-02-00 |
CD-R, Audio & MP3 Software Releases |
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| CD/DVD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
| Product |
<
Version |
| Acer CRW4432A |
3.IS |
| Hitachi GF-1000 (IDE) |
I004 |
| Mitsubishi CDRW4420A |
1.40 |
| Pioneer DVR-S201 |
1.10 |
|
| Product |
<
Version |
| Plextor PX-W8220T |
1.03 |
| Ricoh MP9060A |
1.50 |
| Sony CRX-100E |
1.0n |
|
| For a complete Firmware overview see the CD-Writer Firmware page. |
|
| 18-02-00 |
MP3 Player Hardware Overview |
| The last 8 months we have been featuring a lot of different Standalone & Portable DVD/VCD/MP3 Players so here you can find a complete overview of:
|
| 17-02-00 |
SubSonic Reader |
| SubSonic Reader is able to copy a CD, which contains unreadable tracks, to harddisk. For now it can only be used for PC format CD-ROM's.
The included installation does not seem to work correctly (at least overhere), if this happens just start SUBSONICREADER.EXE which is in the SUPPORT directory.
It is able to copy Flight Simulator 2000, Office 2000, Midtown Madness, Windows 2000 Professional, Expandable, Motocross Madness, Age of Empires 2, Revolt, Sega Rally Play, Half Life & Colin McRae Rally!
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| CD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
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| 16-02-00 |
CD-R, Audio & MP3 Software Releases |
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| CD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
| Product |
<
Version |
| Memorex CDRW-4420 |
1.40 |
| Plextor PX-W8220T |
1.03 |
| S&F CD ROCKET M12 |
1.14 |
|
| Product |
<
Version |
| S&F CD ROCKET M12 |
1.14 |
| S&F CD TW RW SCSI |
1.50 |
| S&F CD TW RW IDE |
1.50 |
|
| For a complete Firmware overview see the CD-Writer Firmware page. |
|
| Yo!Mp3 |
| One of the cheapest Portable MP3 Players is the Yo!Mp3 which is made by the Kaser Corporation.
The Yo!Mp3 player is currently available for US$ 149,95 |
Yo!MP3 Specifications:
- Size 91 x 70 x 16.5 mm (HxWxD)
- Memory 32MB expandable to 64MB
- Weight 3.0oz
- Output Connector Stereo Headphone Jack
- Mega Bass Enabled, 24dB (125Hz)
- Frequency Range 20Hz to 20KHz
- Battery/Power Single AA Alkaline Battery or DC 3V 500mA Adapter (Option)
- PC Connection Parallel Cable
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 |
| 11-02-00 |
CD/DVD-Writer & CD-ROM Reviews |
| If you are looking to Buy a CD-Writer of DVD-Writer then here is an overview of all available Reviews from the last 2 months: |
| CD-Writers Reviews |
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| DVD-Writers Reviews |
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| CD-R, Audio & MP3 Software Releases |
|
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| CD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
| Product |
<
Version |
| Actima ARW4420 |
1.30 |
| LG CED-8041B/8042B |
1.05 |
|
| Product |
<
Version |
| Mitsumi CR-4804T |
2.4 |
| Yamaha CRW8424S |
1.0g |
|
| For a complete Firmware overview see the CD-Writer Firmware page. |
|
| 08-02-00 |
Sony VAIO Music Clip |
| Sony released information for it's first MP3 Player, the VAIO Music Clip MC-P10. It weighs less than two ounces, is a little over 4.5 inches long and less than an inch in diameter. It has "only" 64 MB of internal RAM but still it can play 2 hours of music from a pen! |
Sony VAIO Music Clip Specifications:
- Compatible with ATRAC3 and MP3 files
- 64 MB built-in Flash Memory
- USB Interface
- Equalizer with 3 presets (Rock, Pop, Jazz)
- Backlit LCD Display
- OpenMG Security (SDMI compliant)
- Up to 5 hours of continuous music on 1 AA battery
- 4.69 (w) x .91 (H) x .88 (D) inches
- 1.68 ounces (including battery)
- 2 version MC-P10 Silver & MC-P10/B Black
|
 |
The Sony VAIO Music Clip
MC-P10 is scheduled to be
on sale this winter for an
estimated retail price of
US$ 299,99. |
| CD-Writer Modifications Update |
| The CD-Writer Modifications page has been split up in smaller pages so everything should load much faster. Also the Ricoh 7040A/S (4x Write) to Ricoh MP7060A/S (6x Write) upgrade has been added! |
| Ricoh MP7080A IDE 8x4x32x CD-ReWriter |
| Ricoh has released information on it's upcoming MP7080A & RW7080A (OEM) IDE CD-ReWriters. More in their Press Release. |
Ricoh MP7080A Specifications:
- 8x Write, 4x ReWrite & 32x Read
- IDE ATA/ATAPI-4 Interface
- 4 MB Data Buffer
- Capable of reading & writing CD-Text
|
Click for bigger view. |
| Aopen DRW4624 IDE CD-ReWriter/DVD-ROM |
| Aopen released it's latest CD-RW/DVD combination called the Aopen DRW4624. It is based on the Ricoh MP9060 drive. |
Aopen DRW4624 Specifications:
- 6x CD-R Write, 4x CD-ReWrite, 32x CD-Read & 4x DVD-Read.
- IDE/ATAPI Interface
- 2 MB Data Buffer
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| 07-02-00 |
CD-R, Audio & MP3 Software Releases |
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| CD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
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| 04-02-00 |
Sony being summonsed over failing SecuROM CD Protection |
| R&P Electronic Media, a Dutch game developer/publisher has issued a summon against Sony DADC over their failing SecuROM CD-Protection.
R&P claims that SecuROM offers practically no protection against illegal copying and holds Sony DADC liable for all damages... More in their Press Release.
Sony is still promoting SecuROM on their WebSite even though it is almost not used anymore. |
| 03-02-00 |
New CD-Protection is a Bust! |
| A few days ago the Cactus Data Shield CD-protection from Midbar Tech Ltd was introduced in Germany but it seems that it is a complete bust. The CD-protection was used by BMG Entertainment to protect the albums Razorblade Romance from Him and My Private War from Philip Boa & The Voodoo club but it seems that their claim that it works on ANY CD-Player was totally wrong (not surprisingly ;). About 3-4% of the 100.000 sold albums were returned because they failed to work on certain car CD-Players and several types of normal CD-Players... More here. |
| RaveMP3 2200/2300 Portable MP3 Player |
| Sensory Science previously developed the RaveMP 2100 Portable MP3 Player and now is planning to release two new models, the RaveMP 2200 and RaveMP 2300. More in their Press-Release. |
RaveMP 2200 Features:
- 64 MB onboard Memory
- USB Connectivity
- FM Tuner with 20 channel presets<
- Smart Media expension slot
- SDMI compliant Voice Recorder (max 4 hours)
- The unit will initially retail for about US$ 279
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RaveMP 2300 Features:
- Utilizes the 40 MB Iomega Clik! drive as removable storage media
- USB Connectivity
- Supports both the MP3 and MS Audio (WMA) formats
- Is able to automatically synch with Microsoft Outlook.
- The unit will initially retail for about US$ 299
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| The Week in Review |
CD/DVD NewsWire |
| CD News: |
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| DVD News: |
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| MP3 News: |
|
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| CD-Writer/CD-ROM Firmware Releases |
| Product |
<
Version |
| Mitsumi CR-4802TE |
2.1d DOS/WIN |
| Racer RCC-2224-CS |
1.6 |
| Racer RCC-4424-CS |
1.04 |
| Sanyo CRD-R800S |
1.24 |
|
| Product |
<
Version |
| Sanyo CRD-RW1 |
1.17 |
| Sanyo CRD-RW2 |
1.14 |
| Teac CD-R55S |
1.0R |
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| 02-02-00 |
Samsung SVM-P32 Photo Yepp Portable MP3 Player |
| The Samsung Photo Yepp is a portable MP3 player with the additional feature that it can also display still graphics and lyrics.
The Photo Yepp is scheduled to be released this March and it is priced at US$ 399.99. |
 |
Later this year Samsung will release the the following portable MP3 players:
- Yepp New E, a 'hip hop' design portable digital audio player with SmartMedia card functionality and 32 MB of built-in memory, priced at US$ 199.99.
- Yepp New D, a high-end portable digital audio player, featuring 32 MB of built-in memory and 3D sound, also with SmartMedia card option, priced at US$ 249.99.
- Motion Yepp which has the ability to store and display both still and motion pictures, such as music videos, song lyrics and singer profiles, with SmartMedia card functionality, priced at US$ 499.99.
|
| Samsung SVM-P32 Photo Yepp Features: |
| LCD |
: |
2" Colour LCD |
| Display size |
: |
Still picture: 280mm x 220mm |
| Playback format |
: |
Standard: MP3, JPEG
Multimedia format: MP3 + JPEG + TEXT
(Automatic interval display: 1-5 sec) |
| Memory |
: |
32 MD Samsung SmartMediaTM |
| Interface |
: |
Standard USB |
| Additional functions |
: |
Wired remote control: stop, play/pause, ff, rew, volume, hold
voice recording: min 2 hours (ADPCM format) |
| Battery |
: |
Rechargeable Li-ion battery |
| Time |
: |
Min. 3 hours (LCD on) / Min. 12 hours (LCD off) |
| Accessory |
: |
Driver & application S/W, USB cable, 32 MB SmartMediaTM
card, Li-ion battery, wired remote control, ear phone,
carrying case |
| Others |
: |
Docking station for battery charge and PC interface |
|
| Nero - Burning Rom Update |
| Ahead just released the Nero v4.0.8.3 - [Demo/4 MB] - [Update/3 MB]
Nero v4.0.8.3 Update:
- Support for new recorders: AOpen CRW8432, Memorex CDRW-6424, Panasonic KXL-RW10AN, Ricoh DVD/CDRW MP9060, Smart & Friendly CD Rocket Mach 12, Yamaha CRW8424S.
- Support for Windows 2000
- Several minor bug fixes
|
| BlindRead Update |
| Added BlindRead 3.0.0.17 to the CD/DVD Utilities page.
BlindRead 3.0.0.17 Update:
- Crashes at startup should be corrected now.
- Next button behavior corrected
- Support mixed CD's with any kind of 1st track
- Minor protection scheme changes. You can re-enter a code, even if you already entered one
- Preliminary support of Auto Update feature. Next auto update will download only the necessary amount of data.
- New languages added : Czech & Portuguese
|
| 01-02-00 |
Trackz! MP3 Player |
| The MP3Kit Trackz! MP3 Player allows you to play MP3 files that are stored on an internal IDE hard drive. This drive can be any size 3.5" IDE hard disk, even 37 GB drives work!
The songs are transferred onto the player via a parallel connection to a PC. A special piece of PC software allows you to format the drive, store songs, delete songs and manage your play lists. For developers it has a special serial interface available to allow other devices to control this unit.
Prices start at US$ 219 for the Trackz! LCD Player without a hard disk & US$ 500 including a 27 GB hard disk. |
 |
MP3Kit Trackz! Features:
- IDE hard disk (3.5") up to 37 GB!
- Compact size, not much bigger than the hard disk inside (6" x 1.5" x 9").
Supports MP2 & Variable Bit Rate (VBR) MP3 files with bitrates up to 224 kbps.
Random/shuffle playback.
LCD/VFD model displays song title, artist, album, time remaining, volume, bass/treble levels on screen.
Click&Hold speedy finder, instead of 100 clicks to get to 100, just press and hold high speed.
Hard disk spins down when not in use and unit enters into sleep mode.
Instant on/off (no long booting/shutdown procedure).
Parallel transfer of music through standard parallel port (DB25).
3.5mm audio jack output/headphone connector.
Runs its own proprietary Operating System (OS).
Runs on 12V @ 800ma (1-2A peak <1s startup for hard disk)
Available with LCD, VFD or four 7 segment LED's.
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| CD-Protector 3.0 -FiNAL- |
| Added CD-Protector v3.00 to the CD/DVD Utilities page - Thanks DudeZ [NRG]!
CD-Protector is a CD-R utility that helps you to create your own copy-protected CD by encrypting files in the DATA track and by using dummy AUDIO tracks.
New Features:
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CD-Protector can protect *ANY* type of Win32 executable. Now you can protect your favorite "menu.exe".
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Use a selectable KEY to encrypt the main executable file.
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Customize the message that appears when the wrong CD is inserted.
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CD-Protector is now Multi-Lingual (English/Italian).
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The Encryption/Decryption part has been totally rewritten, for more speed and protection!
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