Microsoft loss may be a disc makers gain? According to DigiTimes, Taiwan optical disc makers indicated bigger demand for DVD+R/-R DL discs recently, following the increased availability of a modding hack that allows for the playing of pirated games on Xbox 360 consoles. Before the hack became widely available, sales for DVD+R/-R discs had been sluggish due to its relative high retail price and limited applications.

According to various media reports, the hacked games need to be burned onto a dual-layer DVD using a special process before they can be played.

Before the hack became widely available, sales for DVD+R/-R discs had been sluggish due to its relative high retail price and limited applications. Demand is also driven from the extending penetration rate of DL-support recorders, the sources added.

Global DVD+R/-R DL disc shipments are expected to reach 100 million in 2006 and should double in 2007, according to Japan-based Fujiwara research. Taiwan players are more optimistic about shipment trends, projecting sales of more than 100 million DVD+R/-R discs for this year.

Current DVD+R/-R DL disc shipments are dominated by Taiwan makers including CMC Magnetics and Ritek, with CMC taking about a 20-30% share of the market while Ritek has 60-70%. With Japanese vendors placing more emphasis on Blu-ray Disc (BD)-R/-RW and HD DVD-R deployment, Taiwan vendors should see stronger side benefits accordingly.

Source: DigiTimes