View source for Optiarc

{{Short description|American brand of data storage drives}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox brand
| logo           = Optiarc.svg
| logo_upright   = 0.45
| image          = Sony Optiarc AD-7240S.jpg
| alt            = A standard optical drive, with a black bezel, not installed in a computer
| caption        = Sony Optiarc DVD drive AD-7240S
| currentowner   = Vinpower
| previousowners = [[Sony]], [[NEC]]
| country        = US (since 2017)
Japan (2006-2013)
| introduced     = {{start date and age|2006|4|3}}
| discontinued   = March 2013 (Sony Optiarc)
| producttype    = {{Unbulleted list|[[Optical disc drive]]s|[[Solid-state drive]]s}}
| website        = {{Official URL}}
}}

'''Optiarc''' is a brand of [[optical disc drive]]s and [[solid-state drive]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Optiarc Offers New Line of Robust SSD, Preventing Data Loss and Failures Due to Latent Flash Issues |url=https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/category/news/optiarc-offers-new-line-of-robust-ssd-preventing-data-loss-and-failures-due-to-latent-flash-issues/ |access-date=October 16, 2020 }}</ref> It is owned by a US-based Vinpower Digital, Inc.

Initially Optiarc was established on April 3, 2006 as a [[joint venture]] between [[Sony]] (55% shares) and [[NEC]] (45% shares). The company, named '''Sony NEC Optiarc''', focused on manufacturing optical disk drives primarily for the [[OEM]] desktop and [[notebook PC]] markets.

On September 11, 2008, it was announced that Sony would take over NEC's 45% share, making Optiarc a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sonynec-optiarc.com/company/index.html |title=Sony Optiarc |access-date=December 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218151311/http://www.sonynec-optiarc.com/company/index.html |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to be called '''Sony Optiarc'''. This took effect on December 5, 2008<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sonynec-optiarc.com/company/principles.html |title=Sony Optiarc <Overview> |access-date=December 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124141957/http://www.sonynec-optiarc.com/company/principles.html |archive-date=January 24, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In March 2013, Sony closed its Optiarc optical disc drive division,<ref>{{cite news|last=Crothers|first=Brooke|title=Sony to exit PC-use optical drives, say reports|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57501393-92/sony-to-exit-pc-use-optical-drives-say-reports/|access-date=May 22, 2014|newspaper=[[CNET]]|date=August 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Carter|first=White|title=Sony Optiarc closed, the subsidiary that manufactures optical drives|url=http://technewspedia.com/sony-optiarc-closed-the-subsidiary-that-manufactures-optical-drives/ |access-date=May 22, 2014 |newspaper=Technewspedia |date=August 27, 2012}}</ref> laying off about 400 employees globally.

In 2017, an American company, Vinpower Digital, whose main business is manufacturing optical disc and other media duplicators for the commercial market, acquired the rights to the Optiarc brand and product line.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.myce.com/news/u-s-company-vinpower-digital-claims-resurrecting-optiarc-cddvd-burner-brand-82160/ |title=U.S. Company VinPower Digital Claims to Be Resurrecting Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Brand |first=Jan Willem |last=Aldershoff |date=June 19, 2017 |website=Myce.com |access-date=October 16, 2018 }}</ref> The brand '''PioData''' is also owned by Vinpower Digital.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.piodata.com/about |website=PioData.com |publisher=Vinpower Digital |access-date=October 16, 2020}}</ref>

== Products ==
Products were both [[DVD±R|DVD+/-R(W)]] and [[BD-ROM]] drives. Among other things, Sony Optiarc supplied the Blu-ray drives for the [[PlayStation 3|Sony PlayStation 3]]. The naming scheme for the drives is as follows: DDU stands for DVD-ROM, AD stands for DVD-RW, BR for BD-ROM and BC for BD Combo. A combo drive is a drive that only supports the newer format in reading and the predecessor in writing. The three digits that follow indicate the generation, the design (5.25" or slimline) and the speed class. The digit after that the equipment variant and the appended letter the interface. An AD-7243S is a 5.25" DVD-RW Drive with 24x speed when writing to DVD-R and DVD+R blanks. It also supports Labelflash. For Lightscribe, a "1" would be in the fourth position. The "S" indicates SATA. An “A” stands for PATA. However, the last Optiarc drives were no longer available with this legacy interface.

==See also==

===Similar joint ventures===
* [[Hitachi-LG Data Storage]]
* [[Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
{{Sony}}
{{NEC Corporation}}
[[Category:Electronics companies established in 2006]]
[[Category:Computer storage companies]]
[[Category:Electronics companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Former NEC subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Former joint ventures]]
[[Category:Optical computer storage]]
[[Category:Former Sony subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Electronics companies disestablished in 2013]]
[[Category:Japanese companies disestablished in 2013]]
[[Category:Japanese companies established in 2006]]
[[Category:2017 mergers and acquisitions]]

{{Brand stub}}