When is the Sampo DVE-R3 coming out?

[fsuorange]

before Christmas?

[Gil T Pleasure]

Last I heard, it "should be out well in time for Christmas."

[fsuorange]

anyone know of the exact date

[KDH]

See
http://www.area450.com/thesampozone/players/recorders.htm

It says early 2004 for USA
see

http://www.area450.com/thesampozone/players/dver3.htm

although it is on sale in Germany.

KDH

[clayts]

We were bitterly disappointed at Area 450 to learn that Sampo were not bringing it out before Christmas - they would have made an absolute killing at $299.

It seems Sampo America prevaricated just a little too long, which tied in with the fact that Sampo's new 100,000 recorders-a-month production plant facility in Kunshan only opened on 24th October 2003, and the fact they wanted to get the bugs we discovered in our road-test ironed out before they went into production (a good thing) meant the Christmas deadline just came and went without a murmur.

Sadly for Sampo America, the Liteon recorder considerably undercuts it now, although the Sampo does things the Liteon does not (and vice versa).

Having said that, if you want the guarantee of getting a cheap recorder for Christmas I'd go with the Liteon.

I suspect Sampo will parade the R3 at CES in January 2004 and hopefully it will be available some time after that.

The two words "missed" and "opportunity" spring to mind

[Gil T Pleasure]

That's too bad. I hope we'll see the Claire DVD+RW with HDD at the 2004 CES this January though.

[clayts]

Just learned that the R3 definitely won't be on sale until the Spring. This is mainly to iron out the bugs we found (so you can blame Area 450 for single-handedly delaying the production of the R3 !)

As for the R7H (Claire recorder), I doubt this will be displayed at CES, as Sampo have yet to establish the brand outside of Taiwan (indeed Sampo America know nothing about the R7H - well they probably do now !).

Sampo America have a stall, Sampo Taiwan don't - I suspect it'll be their new LCD TVs an 50 inch PDP that'll get center stage.

Are you going, Gil ? Wish I was

[Gil T Pleasure]

I wish. Maybe in 2005.

Good for Sampo for delaying the R3. It's nice to have more DVD+RW recorder models to choose from, but it doesn't do the DVD+RW camp any good if the recorder is crap like the Polariod DVD+RW recorder. I think Polariod could have used Area 450 before making its recorder available to the general public.

What's the chance of seeing the R3 for around $200 by spring time?

[clayts]

What's the chance of seeing the R3 for around $200 by spring time?

They are totally aware of the competition (esp. from Liteon - we made them aware of this as soon as we knew it had happened : we warned them it could), so they definitely will have to think long and hard about the price they set for the product. They originally said $299, but this delay will require a rethink, particularly if (against our advice and better judgment) they insist on leaving the iLink off.