Toshiba Leads the Way with DVD Technology, Announces First DVD-ROM Drive

Toshiba Intros First DVD-ROM Drive

Announces January Ship Date

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 1996--Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Disk Products Division (TAIS DPD) today introduced Toshiba's first DVD-ROM drive, the SD-M1002, at Comdex/Fall '96.

Toshiba, the leading developer of DVD-ROM technology, will begin quantity shipments of the SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drive in the United States in January 1997.

Toshiba's DVD-ROM Drive Sets Industry Benchmark for Reliability

Toshiba's new SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drive promises to set the industry benchmark for reliability. Similarities in CD-ROM drive and DVD-ROM drive design and manufacturing processes allow Toshiba to extend to its DVD-ROM drives the same reliability attributes that have made Toshiba's CD-ROM drives the most reliable in the industry.

"As the leading developer DVD technology, Toshiba already has a clear advantage over several other manufacturers," said Scott Smith, vice president of marketing, TAIS DPD.

Toshiba's new SD-M1002 offers a 100,000 hour Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF).

DVD -- The Most Versatile Technology Ever

"DVD fulfills the promise of multimedia," said Smith. "It is the first technology to bridge the gap between the computer and consumer electronic industries through its ability to support all types of content."

DVD technology offers disc storage capacities of 4.7GB (single data layer single-sided), 8.5GB (dual data layer, single-sided), 9.4GB (single data layer, dual-sided) and 17GB (dual data layer, dual-sided) -- which is seven to 25 times the capacity of a CD.

Combined with this disc capacity is support of MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital Surround Sound AC-3 audio.

DVD Ideal for All Types of Content

"DVD will be the format of choice for full-length Hollywood or studio-produced movies, audio recording, computer and interactive games, educational applications, databases and more," said Smith. (See accompanying document titled "DVD Technology Overview" for more information on the technology.)

SD-M1002 Designed for Easy Integration

The SD-M1002 DVD-ROM was designed with an ATAPI (enhanced IDE) interface to facilitate the drive's integration into today's desktop computer systems and multimedia upgrade kits. For integration and set-up flexibility, the drives may be mounted horizontally or vertically.

Performance Specifications

The new internal SD-M1002 drive offers a fast 140ms average random seek, 220ms average random access and a sustained data transfer rate of 1,350KB/sec.

The SD-M1002 drive supports synchronous burst transfers of 13.3MB/sec under DMA multi-word Mode 1, and 11.1MB/sec under PIO Mode 3. The SD-M1002 drive features a 256KB buffer for optimized data transfer.

SD-M1002 DVD-ROM Drive Reads All DVD Discs

The SD-M1002 drive is capable of reading all capacity DVD discs -- and all types of data recorded on DVD discs -- including movies, music, games and data. The drive can also read CD-ROM titles and play audio CDs, allowing consumers to continue to enjoy their existing software and music disc libraries.

To accommodate future DVD formats, the SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drive will read DVD discs containing data recorded by write-once DVD-ROM drives.

Dimensions, Weight and Power Consumption

The SD-M1002 measures 41.5mm (h) x 146mm (w) x 192.5mm and weighs .93kg. The drive has an average power consumption of 6.6 watts.

DVD Sets New Performance Baseline

DVD sets a new baseline for performance. "The biggest performance benefits of DVD-ROM are the high capacity and its ability to maintain its 1,350KB/sec data transfer rate over the disc's entire capacity," said Smith. "This transfer extends to all types of content and all capacity DVD discs -- from the single-sided, single-layer 4.7GB disc up to the 17GB double-sided, dual-layer disc."

With this capacity, users can enjoy 135 minutes of full motion video on a 4.7GB DVD disc.

Drive Employs New Laser Technology

The SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drive evolved from CD-ROM technology and uses similar components and manufacturing processes. However, DVD-ROM differs substantially from CD-ROM in the areas of laser and head pick-up technology.

The SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drive uses a red laser with shorter wavelength to create a very small laser spot capable of precisely reading the dense data tracks and smaller data pits. The drive also incorporates an interchangeable dual-lens system to provide compatibility with existing CD discs.

The drive also supports the motion picture industry's requirement for copy protection and features an advanced error-correction technique superior to that of CD-ROM drives.

Boards and Titles Available

As TAIS DPD introduces its SD-M1002 drive, several software developers and independent hardware developers have announced DVD titles and MPEG-2/AC-3 boards in support of DVD.

Leading software developers including Activision, Electronic Arts, The Learning Company, Tsunami, Xiphias and others have already created approximately 15 to 20 interactive DVD-ROM applications, games and other software for DVD discs.

Operating System Support for DVD

Microsoft operating system support for DVD-ROM drives is planned for mid-1997. Until then, device drivers for specific DVD-ROM drive hardware will be employed for operating system compatibility concurrent with the launch of the DVD-ROM drives.

Price and Availability

Sales of Toshiba's SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drive will be primarily to OEMs and systems integrators. OEM pricing for the SD-M1002 begins at $350. Sample drives are available now with volume production beginning in January 1997.

Availability of DVD-ROM in Computer Systems

With initial OEM contracts secured, TAIS DPD expects its DVD-ROM drive will be available to end users in computer systems and in upgrade kits during Q1 1997. End-users can expect to pay approximately $400 to $500 more for a PC with a DVD-ROM drive and MPEG-2 decoder over a similar system configured with a CD-ROM drive.

Toshiba's DVD-ROM in Diamond Multimedia's Upgrade Kits

Diamond Multimedia will market Toshiba's drive to end-users in a DVD multimedia upgrade kit. A new partnership between Diamond Multimedia and TAIS DPD, announced Nov. 11, makes Toshiba's SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drives part of Diamond's DVD solution.

According to the agreement, Diamond will bundle Toshiba's SD-M1002 DVD-ROM drive in multimedia kits for distribution to resellers and retail outlets.

Along with the SD-M1002 drives, the kits will include Diamond's PCI-based adapters featuring decoders for MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital Surround Sound AC-3 audio and copy protect decryption hardware. Diamond's first retail DVD-ROM multimedia upgrade kit is expected to ship in early 1997. (For more information, contact Diamond Multimedia, Booth No. L882 or Joan Huang at 408/325-7236.)

For More Information on Toshiba

With headquarters in Irvine, Calif., with approximate annual sales of $3 billion, TAIS is composed of seven divisions that manufacture and market a wide range of business and information-oriented products in the United States.

Products include portable and desktop computers, DVD-ROM drives CD-ROM drives, disk drives, plain paper copiers, facsimile systems, digital key telephones and PBX systems, voice mail systems and toner products.

TAIS is an independent operating company, owned by Toshiba America Inc., a subsidiary of the $53.8 billion Toshiba Corp., the fifth largest computer and electronics manufacturer, and the world's 36th largest corporation in terms of sales.

Toshiba Corp. is a world leader in high-technology products with 173 major consolidated subsidiaries worldwide.

Toshiba's Disk Products Division

The TAIS Disk Products Division markets a wide range of industry-standard Winchester, CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives in the United States. For additional product information, contact Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Disk Products Division, 9740 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, Calif. 92618-1697; telephone 714/457-0777, or on the World Wide Web at: http://www.tais.com/taisdpd/ or http://www.toshiba.com.