Other World Computing (OWC) announced its latest Mercury Pro external SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Blu-ray and DVD optical disc drives.

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Unedited press release follows:

OWC Announces the OWC Mercury Pro, a High Performance Desktop Optical Drive providing DVD, CD, M-DISC and/or Blu-ray Capabilities with Sleek Aluminum Chassis and USB 3 Interface

OWC Mercury Pro is compatible with Mac and PC systems, features high-speed USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectivity and supports M-DISC for archival storage predicted as long as 1,000 years or more

WOODSTOCK, Ill., Dec. 23, 2015 — Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today the availability of the new OWC Mercury Pro, a sleek aluminum-housed USB 3.1 Gen 1 optical drive for plug and play support of CD, DVD, M-DISC and/or Blu-ray disc reading and writing with Macs and PCs.

The new OWC Mercury Pro conveniently brings optical media back to your workflow with high-speed USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectivity for playback of optical media, data transfer and archiving with bandwidth to spare. With a sleek, durable aluminum chassis, the Mercury Pro delivers looks to match its performance while running cooler, quieter and better than ever.

Available in two configurations
The Mercury Pro is available in two configurations to match your storage, transfer, and archive requirements:

• 24x DVD burner
– For rapid backup, sharing and creating, and playback of any DVD media up to 4.7GB capacity and full read, write and playback of CD media as well. .

• 16x Blu-ray disc burner
– For high quality recordings, and large project storage up to 100GB. Playback retail and personally-created Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and CDs.

M-DISC: The perfect companion for Mercury Pro
When backing up audio, video, archives or other data for the long term, M-DISC makes the perfect partner for the Mercury Pro. The revolutionary M-DISC is an archival-quality storage technology that protects your data from degradation, and is designed to last as long as 1,000 years or more.

Unlike traditional discs which use susceptible ink dye to store data, M-DISCs use a proprietary micro-thin layer made from rock-like material for virtually permanent data storage, offering protection from data rot and the extremes of light, humidity and temperature change. Because the M-DISC-ready Mercury Pro engraves the data into this layer, you’ll write once and read for generations to come.

Key features include:

• A sleek, durable aluminum chassis

• Quiet, fanless operation

• High-speed USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface

• Archive quality M-DISC compatibility

• A one-year warranty for peace of mind. OWC knows the best warranty is one that never has to be used, but should the need occur, OWC is proud to provide a superior level of support and warranty coverage.

• Accessory software including:

– Smile® DiscLabel™ software for labels and jewel case inserts

– Prosoft Engineering® Data Backup 3

– NovaStor NovaBACKUP®

“Optical drives remain crucial to millions of users who need affordable, physical means for data backup and archiving and even sharing of personal media. The OWC Mercury Pro is the premier solution for bringing optical capabilities back into your everyday workflow,” said Jennifer Soulé, President of Other World Computing.  “The Mercury Pro’s support for M-DISC creates a generations-long storage solution for everyday users or businesses that want or need to reliably store data and images for years to come.”

Availability and Pricing
The OWC Mercury Pro is available now at http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MR3USD24/ for same-day shipping in configurations starting at $75.00.

About OWC
OWC is the manufacturer and upgrade provider of choice for Apple and PC enthusiasts and has been providing OWC memory upgrades for Apple computers since 1989.  OWC has been building SSD upgrades specifically for Apple computers for more than ten years, winning multiple awards while also earning accolades for OWC external and optical drives.  Widely recognized for its exemplary customer service, OWC provides extensive U.S.-based technical support for Mac and PC users around the world. As a member of the Apple Developer Program, OWC also produces a catalog of upgrades and accessories, having served the Apple community worldwide since 1988.