DVD Writers, should we wait due to compaitbility issues?

[LanceStoltz]

I have been creating VCD's, XVCD's, SVCD's, and XSVCD's for about 6 months now (Haven't delved into the CVD arena yet, but am very interested!) I have a didigtal video camera that I use footage and subsequently edit and author to SVCD. I also have a capture card and do the same. This is done both for business and pleasure.
Because of the business I am in, it would be an added value to author and burn DVD's. I am new to the DVD Writer market, and have read a little bit about them. What I like about working with my exsisting formats is comliance with consumer DVD players. I have read that DVD Writers may have compatibility issues, and apparently 2nd generation DVD Writers will have the DVD+RW ability, plus offer broader compatibilty.

I really would love to have one, but this compatibilty issue scares me. If I go out and buy one, and find that by the end of the year DVD Writers supporting more formats are on the market, thus being more compatible, I would be upset.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

I was looking at the HP 4x writer, and the Pioneer 2x writer.
Should I wait? My XSVCD's look GREAT, but I guess the added space on a disc would be GREAT!

Thanks

[EricB]

In my opinion, you could wait forever for the standards to get sorted out and for each new feature to appear. I think you have to rationalize the cost of a writer in terms of planned obsolescence. My first CD-R was a 1X unit! Lots of CD players in those days wouldn't play the resulting disks.

The DVDs you create in either format appear to play on a wide variety of standalone players plus they look tremendous on the computer (something that VCDs and SVCDs may have trouble doing). If you are archiving video you feel is important, then its reassuring knowing that the quality is there.

If the future holds a different format, you can always copy the MPEG files off the DVDs you create now, and put them on to a new media. They should be higher quality than the other formats you are currently working with.

Bottom line, at $1,000, DVD writers were too much of a risk / investment. At $300, I think it's time to jump in.