CEBIT: HP launches edit-on-disc DVD drives

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By Gillian Law

(IDG) -- Hewlett-Packard launched a new combination rewritable DVD (digital versatile disc) and CD drives Monday, at the CeBit electronics show in Hanover, Germany. The drives allow video, music, and data to be stored on DVDs and CDs, which can be rewritten when necessary, the company said in a statement.

Edit-on-disc capabilities in both the internal DVD200i and external DVD200e allow changes to be made directly on the DVD, instead of on the customer's hard drive, said Christine Roby, HP's product manager for DVD writers.

The DVD+RW/+R (digital versatile disc rewritable, recordable) CD-RW (CD-rewritable) drives are aimed at both the consumer and business markets, Roby said.

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"Consumers will use them for creating and editing home videos from their VCR or camcorder, while business users are likely to use it for backup or archiving," Roby said.

Video editing and data-storage software is included with each drive, she said.

Each DVD drive will be able to store up to 4.7GB, and each CD drive 700MB, the company said.

Connection cables are included for both IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 connections, Roby said.

The DVD200i will be available across Europe in April at an estimated price of $568, followed by the DVD200e in May at an estimated $655.