Pioneer showed off one of the first Blu-ray disc recorders available for PCs. The $995 Pioneer BDR-101A can burn 25 gigabytes onto a single-layer Blu-ray disc, thanks to its lasers' shortened wavelengths. Makers of digital content can back up and copy more of their work using fewer discs than ever. If you have a computer with a TV tuner, this drive will let you burn seasons' of high-definition television shows. Write speeds are 2X for BD-R and BD-RE, up to 8X for DVD-R and +R, and 4X for DVD-RW. The BDR-101A is expected to ship within the first quarter of this year. Pioneer also announced the BDP-HD1, a pricey, $1,800 HDTV player.

Article discussion: Pioneer's pro-friendly Blu-ray recorder for PCs