TDK  Click to enlarge. New CD recording technology A joint venture of TDK and Calimetrics Inc, the new "MultiLevel Recording" (ML) technology enabled CD burners to pack 2 gigabytes of data onto specially formulated 120mm discs (standard CD size) or 650 megabytes onto compact 80mm discs. Not only does the new system feature a tripling of capacity, but it also records at three times the speed as well, while maintaining the same cost-per-megabyte efficiencies of conventional CD-R or CD-RW recording. The new technology is currently also supported by Sanyo, Plextor and Mitsubishi, with products being released late summer/early fall. TDK also announced a new home theater dual-tray audio CD recorder, the DA-5097, which offers 4X recording of both full CDs and individual tracks. The new model features a one-touch CD dubbing function that duplicates and finalizes blank CDs at the touch of a button. The recorder records on both music CD-R and CD-RW discs and includes a full complement of digital and analog audio inputs. A built-in sampling rate converter automatically upsamples digital sources. The model also includes recording level meters, premium D/A and A/D converters, 60-second disc finalization, sophisticated error correction circuitry and full compliance with the SCMS digital copying management system. The DA-5097 will be available in the second quarter at a suggested price of $399.

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