Samsung intros world’s thinnest optical disc drive for ultrabooks and tablets

SAN JOSE, USA: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd announced its new slim external DVD writer, the SE-218BB optical disc drive (ODD) that sets the industry standard for ultra portable drives.

Built to accompany a new generation of ultrabook and slim laptop designs, the SE-218BB features a compact size that is 18% thinner than conventional DVD writers and is the world’s thinnest external optical disc drive with a 14mm height. The drive is 8 percent lighter than Samsung’s conventional DVD writer and built to accommodate today’s mobile lifestyle.

“With its ultra small footprint, consumers will appreciate the SE-218BB sleek drive as an ideal companion for ultrabook users that quickly connects and is USB powered to access content wherever they are,” said Maverick Choi, ODD senior manager, Samsung Semiconductor Inc. “Through its AV connectivity mode, the drive is also ideal for Tablet PC users that want to view or hear content from a disc.”

Using Smart Power technology, SE-218BB connects through its single USB port to power the drive and provide AV connectivity to PCs and notebook computers. For Tablet PCs with a built-in USB port and supporting Android Honeycomb OS 3.1 or above, the SE-218BB allows users on-the-go to watch DVD content on their tablets.

The SE-218BB DVD writer is engineered to be compatible with all major operating systems, including Win7 and Mac OS. Featuring Buffer Under Run technology, the drive works to prevent errors that result from writing speeds that can exceed data transfer speeds, while also enabling PC multi-tasking.

The SE-218BB DVD writer is an eco-friendly product, manufactured with lead-free soldering technology that eliminates harmful materials such as Pb, cd, cr+6, Hg, PBBs and PBDE.

The external DVD drive is capable of reading and writing files at a variety of speeds across different data media types including: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD±R recording, 5X DVD-RAM recording, 6X DVD+R Dual Layer recording, 6X DVD-R Dual Layer recording, 8X DVD+RW recording and 6X DVD-RW recording.

The SE-218BB is available now worldwide at online retail outlets with a MSRP of $59.99.