DVD NEWS-(C)1999-2004 DVD NEWS. Distributed for AM Newswire Inc via M2 Communications Ltd (www.m2.com).

TAIYO YUDEN (U.S.A.) Inc. announces the launch of the company's new line-up of DVD-R and DVD+R media allowing writing speeds of up to 8X. The recognized quality leader in recordable optical media, the company pioneered high-speed DVD-R and DVD+R technology in late 2002 when it introduced the industry's first media to support 4X-speed writing. Today, almost all DVD-R and DVD+R manufactured by TAIYO YUDEN supports 4X-speed writing. This announcement demonstrates the company's strong commitment to its international customer base, by announcing the immediate availability of 8X-speed write DVD-R and DVD+R media for high-volume worldwide distribution.

By commercializing 8X-write DVD-R and DVD+R technology, the company is poised to meet the high demand anticipated by industry experts. The Japan Recording-Media Industries Association, for example, recently reported that worldwide demand for write-once recordable DVD--the DVD-R and DVD+R formats -- soared 500 percent in 2003, to 345 million units. Rapid growth continues this year, with annual sales projected to rise to 785 million units, or more than double last year's total.

In parallel, current PC specifications are seeing the migration of integrated TV tuners from value-added and high-priced desktop PCs to ordinary desktop PCs and into portable PCs. The wider functionality of PCs also continues to advance, through faster CPU and higher capacity hard-disk drives (HDD) -- improvements that make it possible for users to store and edit large volumes of video data. For these applications, TAIYO YUDEN is certain that 8X-speed DVD media will soon become one of its mainstream product lines.

TAIYO YUDEN defines the de facto global standard for write-once recordable media, and will continue to lead the market through the development of high quality, highly reliable products based on the company's leading-edge technologies. Over ten years' involvement in optical disk development has allowed TAIYO YUDEN to cultivate high-level core technologies. These capabilities have enabled the company to achieve significant advances in thermal design technology for disk pigmentation and substrate design, and assure the ability to mass produce stable 8x-speed media.

TAIYO YUDEN entered the optical media business in 1988 with the development of CD-R. Today, the company continues to rely on domestic production to ensure that only the highest quality optical recording media is taken to market. TAIYO YUDEN develops and manufactures its product lineup with technologies that are standardized at the highest level, and its DVD-R, DVD+R and CD-R never fail to be listed as recommended media by drive manufacturers. TAIYO YUDEN sees this reputation as evidence that the market recognizes the high performance and reliability of its optical disks.