From now on, the owners of mobile PCs will be able to record their own HD-DVD discs, thanks to the lateste device announced by Toshiba. Toshiba SD-L912A can read, write and rewrite to HD DVD-RW discs, as well as read and write to HD DVD-R discs and standard DVD and CD discs.

"High-definition broadcasting and increasing consumer interest in high-definition televisions and camcorders are spurring demand for a high-definition experience across the entire PC and consumer electronics ecosystem," said Scott Maccabe, vice president and general manager of Toshiba Storage Device Division. "HD DVD is the best solution for transitioning to a high-definition world because it is compatible with existing DVD and CD technology. Our new rewritable drive will extend the functionality of HD DVD as a tool for creating and enjoying digital content in the mobile PC environment."

With an ATAPI interface and 8 MB buffer, the drive has the following recording speeds: HD DVD-R SL 2x; HD DVD-R DL: 1x HD DVD-RW SL(a): 1x; HD DVD-RW DL(a): 1x DVD-RAM: Max. 3x; DVD-R SL(a): Max. 4x DVD-R DL(a): Max. 2x; DVD-RW: Max. 4x DVD+R SL(a): Max. 4x; DVD+R DL(a): Max. 2.4x

According to Toshiba, the sample shipments are scheduled to arrive in July.