Toshiba has launched a slimline HD DVD drive for notebook computers in a bid to boost support for the next-generation optical disc format. The drawer-mechanism unit not only reads and writes all ther usual DVD and CD formats, but also HD DVD recordable and rewriteable media.

The SD-L902A is 12.7mm high, Toshiba said, sufficiently short for all but the most ultra-portable of laptops, it claimed. Unsurprisingly, it took the opportunity to stress that this was possible because HD DVD is based on DVD's disc structure - a dig at the rival Blu-ray Disc format, which isn't.

The 170g drive connects across an ATAPI interface and contains 8MB of cache memory. It can cope with both single- and dual-layer media.

Toshiba said it plans to show off the drive in Japan this week, but it couldn't - or wouldn't - say when the drive will ship to OEMs. ®

Related stories

• Toshiba puts back UK HD DVD roll-out (15 November 2006)
• Adult movies will not decide outcome of HD DVD, Blu-ray (2 November 2006)
• Brits spend more on HD DVD than Blu-ray (24 October 2006)
• Mac OS X 10.5 to support HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc? (17 October 2006)
• DVD Forum kicks off HD DVD region-coding scheme (6 October 2006)
• AOpen touts 'speed-limit breaking' 18x DVD writer (5 October 2006)
• HP debuts HD DVD add-on drive (3 October 2006)
• Sony to patch Blu-ray burners for BD-ROM playback (2 October 2006)
• Battery recall spreads like wild, er fire (29 September 2006)
• Toshiba recalls 340,000 Sony-made batteries (19 September 2006)
• Toshiba puts Lexar royalties spat to bed (15 September 2006)
• Lite-On to ship HD DVD drive next year (15 September 2006)
• Toshiba readies revised HD DVD players (15 September 2006)
• TWIN DVD arrives (11 September 2006)
• IFA 06 Toshiba unveils Euro HD DVD player line-up (4 September 2006)