DVDINSIDER: Sony's DVD Burners Ranked No. 1 by The NPD Group.

DVD NEWS-(C)1999-2003 DVD NEWS. Distributed for AM Newswire Inc via M2 Communications Ltd (www.m2.com).

Sony Electronics is the clear DVD recording leader according to a recent report from The NPD Group, a market information company based in Port Washington, New York, that ranks Sony

According to the latest data, Sony commands number one market share for the most unit sales in DVD burners in the U.S. retail and reseller markets. Sony has a combined 39% revenue share in dollar sales. Sony also leads the industry in the number of DVD drives shipped.

Sony's popular Dual RW DVD drives, which hit the market in October 2002, have garnered more honors than any other DVD burner to date. They were the first drives to support four of the most popular DVD-recording formats (DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD-R). They were also the first in the industry to support 4X DVD+RW recording, so you can rewrite a full disc in less than 15 minutes.

All of these firsts have given Sony's Dual RW drives a distinct performance advantage. As third-generation models, the internal DRU-510A and external DRX-510UL drives have been through the rigors of numerous tests and continuous improvements.

"We continue to see the market for multi-format DVD drives growing rapidly in the aftermarket," said Wolfgang Schlichting, research director, removable storage for IDC. "DVD burners are appealing primarily to consumers who are looking to upgrade the multimedia capabilities of their computers but also to commercial users looking to improve their backup systems."

"We've squarely focused on producing top-of-the-line DVD burners from day one, which meant introducing dual format drives early on to remove the risk from the purchase for consumers and business users alike," said Robert DeMoulin, marketing manager for branded storage products in Sony Electronics' IT Products Division. "With the multifunctional Dual RW drives, users can worry less about compatibility and instead focus on creative applications,such as converting their VHS tapes to DVD, creating slideshows from digitalstill pictures on DVD, and more. Corporate users have the benefit of up to4.7 GB of backup space -- almost seven times that of a CD."

Sony DVD/CD rewritable drives are sold through resellers and retailers nationwide, mail order catalogs, and select online shopping sites, including SonyStyle.com. The internal DRU-510A is available for an estimated retail price of under $280, and the external DRX-510UL model for less than $360. An additional $30 rebate is currently in effect until October 31, 2003.