Sony revs up speedy DVD burner

Sony on Monday introduced a device that can record a full write-once DVD+R disc in six minutes.

The new DRU-540A, an internal, dual-format DVD burner, is aimed at people who want to burn home movies, digital scrapbooks and CDs. It is bundled with video-authoring software and DVD/CD-burning software for creating data, music and video discs.

The company said the 12X DVD burner is the fastest it has yet released. The device also supports 8X DVD-R and 4X DVD+/-RW burning, as well as 40X CD-R and 24X CD-RW recording speeds.

The DRU-540A, priced at $180, can be connected to a desktop computer or server through an ATAPI connection. It will be available in July.

Boom days are apparently on the horizon for DVD recorders. One in eight Americans is in the market for such a device, according to a recent survey--and that's in spite a bewildering array of recording formats from the DVD industry.