It's more or less just a faster version of their same drive released earlier last year. DVD+R and DVD-R burn at 8x, which is nice.

Hitachi LG Data Storage Corporation has developed the "Super Multi GSA-4082B" multi-format DVD writer, capable of writing all DVD formats, and will begin shipping in February. Since the product is aimed at the OEM market, the price is not publicly available. Monthly production is planned to be 600,000 units.
[1]
This is DVD drive capable of writing DVD±R/RW, and DVD-RAM. It can also write CD-R/RWs (duh). The interface is ATAPI. But it does not support cartridge type DVD-RAMs. The writing speed for DVD±R is 8x, for DVD±RW 4x, and DVD-RAM 3x. The buffer size is 2MB.

The same company released the multi-format DVD burner back in June of 2003, the "GSA-4040B," but the "GSA-4082B" has increased the DVD±R burning speed from 4x to 8x, the DVD-RW burning speed from 2x to 4x, and the DVD+RW burning speed from 2.4x to 4x.
[2]
This high speed modification has been made possible by employing the newly developed "8x supporting small size light pick-up," the all-format supporting "8x supported 1 chip DSP," and the DVD-RAM LD power study system "8x write supporting high-precision LD power control study system."

Original Article:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20040109/hitachi.htm [3]