Bexlee

I am aware you would wait forever if you waited for technology to reach its zenith, but there must be a 'sensible' point for entering a certain market (which I know will be different for everyone) considering my parents did buy a Betamax video recorder- a svelte breeze block of a thing!

I would really like to start burning DVDs for home produced films- but given the current format 'war' and the projected price crashes, is the best advice to simply wait a few months before upgrading from my CD Writer?

bigsinky

go for a dual format drive like the sony or NEC
cheers

big sinky

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

You can pick up a 4 x DVD-R drive for about £150 or a +R for about £130 so I'd go for it . . . and did (-R that is)

Dual format writers are expensive at the moment and IMO not worth bothering with. Having said that we have one for work to ensure compatibility with clients readers, but for home use I'd stick with one or the other depending on the format you can read on your home player.

They will come down in price and get faster but thats computers for you.

alistair

I reckon it's time to buy, mainly due to the fact that the blank media is now down below £1 each.

Even if you buy a dual format writer, you still need decide which format disks to use so you may as well just opt for one !

Check here to see what your intended player(s) support then go for that one.

mattstant

just bought a -RW LD one for 180.00
havent copied DVD's yet but Ive archived some home videos and burnt some mp3's for the car and it is quite a good machine.
I tried to source a sony multi format one but i gave up tryin to find one and decided to gamble on -RW as i am mostly interested in archiving home video footage

south-star

Buy.....just got a -r drive meslf...Toshiba...150 quid.

Bexlee

But couldn't buying now run the risk of the equivalent of being stuck with a Betamax and Betamax tapes? Now I don't mind a bit of risk, but how soon do you forecast this all being resolved?

(I did notice a brief article in the current edition of Digital Video Made Easy that claims Microsoft, & some others, have given their support to the '-' format)

Bexlee

These were both on scan.co.uk

LN4959 Panasonic 9571 (x2)-R (x2)-RW CDR(x12) CDRW (x8) CDRead (x32) DVD (x12) £143.06 inc VAT

LN4546 Pioneer 105 (x4)-R (x2)-RW CDR(x16) CDRW (x8) CDRead (x32) DVD (x6) £151.58 inc VAT

Which is best, and Scan tell me that their Panasonic comes as a retail box, the Pioneer as OEM. What would the Pioneer be missing that I would need to get?

Bex

alistair

The OEM will come in a plain box with little or no instructions, though you may be able to find everything you need on the web.

If in doubt, buy the full version.