Toshiba Announces DVD-ROM Bringing Significance of Next-Generation High Density Optical Disc to PCs

TOKYO -- September 26, 1996 -- Toshiba Corporation today announced marketing of the company's first DVD-ROM drive SD-M1002. This read-only memory disc drive will bring the immense storage capacity of the next-generation high-density optical disc to DVD-ready personal computers. Marketing of the SD-M1002 starts today, and samples will be available at 90,000 yen in Japan.

DVD-ROM is widely expected to have a major impact on computing. The 4.7 gigabyte single-sided capacity of a standard DVD disc exceeds the storage space of todays CD-ROM discs by a factor of seven, giving software developers greater freedom to explore advanced business, entertainment and multimedia software. DVD is also expected to promote new businesses, such as digital tour guide and multimedia catalogues on disc. Toshiba's new drive will promote development of such DVD-related business.

SD-M1002 is a 5.25-inch drive that fully conforms with the DVD-ROM format. With Toshiba's new decoder board, IPC0101A, the enhanced performance of MPEG-2 images and Dolby AC-3 sound will allow PC users to experience video and sound sources at a level far surpassing that possible with CD-ROM.

SD-M1002 integrates Toshiba's wide-ranging, state-of-the-art technologies for high density optical discs. These include a new pick-up head, system LSIs, and a newly-developed short-wave laser diode with a 650 nanometer wavelength.

The drive offers both backward and forward compatibility. A dual lens pick up assures compatibility with CD-ROM by incorporating dedicated lenses allowing the laser to read both formats. When the drive checks the inserted disc, it automatically selects the appropriate lens. The drive can also read future double-layered, double-sided discs.

The servo-control circuits designed for each DVD and CD, also the dual lens pick-up, allow the drive to achieve a fast access time of 200 millisecond and a random seek time of only 130 millisecond for DVD. The transfer mode includes both PIO (Programmed I/O) mode and DMA (Direct Memory Access) mode, which decreases CPU utilization, allowing it to support other instructions. Data transfer is at a rate of 13.3 megabyte per second in burst mode. With CD-ROM, the drive offers the performance of an 8-times rotational speed CD-ROM drive. SD-M1002 also supports the ATAPI interface, which is standard on PCs.

Toshiba has played a leading role in the development and standardization of DVD technologies and products. SD-M1002 is the company's first DVD-ROM drive in a market expected to reach 80 million units a year by 2000. The company will continue to develop innovative DVD products and technologies.