Sony Optiarc reveals 24x DVD burner

Claiming to be the world’s first to do so, Sony Optiarc has introduced a 24x DVD burner, calling it a "high speed miracle."

Unfortunately, it seems Lite-On beat Sony to the punch a couple weeks ago in revealing several burners with 24x write speeds.

In any case, Sony’s Optiarc AD-7240S uses "Auto Strategy Technology" to look ahead to the next section of media while burning, allowing the write head to be optimized in the meantime. Another feature, called "Adaptive Self Tuning," checks on the disc and the hardware to compensate for any fluctuations during the burning process.

About that claim of being the first to burn so fast, it’s a bit puzzling. Both the Lite-On models and the AD-7240S boast 24x speeds for "select media." Sony specifically says the 24x speed applies to DVD-R and DVD+R, while DVD-RAM, DVD+R9 format and double layer DVD-R media burn at 12x, DVD+RW at 8x and DVD-RW at 6x.

So maybe they’re talking about availability, but even that’s a toss-up. Sony’s model is "on sale from March," while the Lite-Ons launch between mid-March and May. An e-mail to the Sony rep that sent us the press release was spit back with an out-of-office vacation message.

Regardless, it’s good news to see more 24x options hitting the market. It’s not a major leap over 22x, but every little bit helps, especially for big jobs. Let’s hope that these drives can produce some quality burns at this speed as well. There’s no word yet on pricing for either brand.