Sony NEC Optiarc, a joint venture (JV) that combines Sony’s and NEC’s optical disc drive (ODD) businesses, will launch its first product, a 18x DVD burner (called the AD-7170A), next month, and the company will manufacture it at its own plant in Malaysia, according to industry sources in Taiwan. The sources also expect that in the future, the company will place OEM/ODM orders for its ODD products at Lite-On IT.

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