CD-RW drive squashes in more data

NEWS Plextor has announced a new CD-RW drive that can squeeze 40 percent more data into standard blank discs. The Plextor Premium can pack in 980MB of data into a 700MB (80 minute) disc and 1.2GB into an 880MB (99 minute) disc, according to Plextor. The GigaRec option in the bundled PlexTools software, working with the drive's hardware, can accomplish this. Compression is achieved by burning smaller-than-normal pits or holes into the surface of a blank disc -- up to 40 percent smaller, thus allowing it to pack in 40 percent more data, according to enthusiast sites. Plextor did not give details on the process, and could not be reached for comment. Such "compressed" discs may not be playable on CD drives, however. Due to the special nature of the pits, a standard drive's laser may not to able to read them properly. The drives will ship in worldwide in May at an undisclosed price. The Premium line will ship as a standard internal IDE drive and as an external USB 2.0 unit. They will feature 52 times read and write-once speeds, and a 32 times speed for rewritable media. For some time now, enthusiasts have been able to squeeze in between 10 to 20 percent more data than the rated capacity of a disc by "overburning", or writing data onto portions of a discs normally left untouched. However, such discs often cannot be read by drives.

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