Why do you HAVE to have +/- R burner?

[Jukka]

Just my penny's worth:

1) in the UK the cheapest I have seen getting 2 DVDs is £257 - thats for 1 x LG DVD-R/-RW/RAM and 1 x NEC DVD+R/+RW. The cheapest +- recorder is the NEC 1300 @ £190 with the Sony being £270 so I guess you pays your money and takes your choice.

As for +RW, actually (technically) this is the most compatible with DVD players in terms of nanometers and light spectrums etc. The problem is that many DVD standalones out there are 'wobbly' on their compliance with DVD-Video standards which is what causes discs not to play (same for -RW). And yes +RW was designed from the ground up (mainly) by Phillips for Video first and foremost + is actually more flexible that -RW VR Mode! I mean - who develops a 'standard' for DVD recording and then says it will only play in another machine if it is a special mode (VR) and also finalised!?!

As for who will win - I haven't a clue, personally I will either build a PC based PVR / DVD recorder (at least I can swap out the DVD drive) or I will go for the KISS DP550 when it comes out (DVD + CD/Divx recording!).

[txpharoah]

Why are the majority TV DVD recorders the + format then? I was under the impression - was not suitable for video until Pioneer applied a software fix. Where as + was designed to accomodate video from the start, maybe i am wrong.

Yeah, you're mistaken on all those facts. Look into the specs at the DVD-R and DVD+R forums where the makers wrote up all the white papers. Pioneer has a nice white paper too.

And a majority of recorders are not + format. If anything, they are -RAM and -R for the most part. Consider the world audience, not just Best Buy.

[vric]

look at it like this -

it's 1981. You can buy a Betamax or a VHS vcr... or you could buy one machine that plays both.

Some of us want to know that if one format wins the war, we're not going to be stuck wtih a useless device...

Bad comparation !
Beta can't be read on a VHS player and a VHS can't be read on a Beta player.

DVD+R can be read on the same player that DVD-R Play.

The question is, Why paying 2 time the price of a normal burner to don't have to change later IF one format win the "war". Paying 200$ now and 200$ later IF your burner is useless, or paying 400$ now and get a used drive when (if) one media won.... Personnaly if Dual format drop in price it will be ok, but as for now, it's the same price of 2 DVD recorder..

[mkelley]

Let's stop the erroneous quoting of prices.

Pricewatch.com shows the Sony A500 going for less than $300 -- you can find the OEM drive for as little as $275. But it's certainly *not* $400 -- heck, I bought mine in the store and walked out the door with it for less than $320 including taxes (and that was a couple of months ago).

Indeed, given how people burn media, the difference in price between the Sony and any other drive will cost six months or less worth of media costs, so most people will amortize that price very quickly. IOW, it's a very spurious discussion to talk about drive costs when they are so close to each other and media costs are so much more over the life of a drive (I've already spent more in media than my drive cost :>)

It's up to you *what* drive you chose, but price at this point really isn't an object, any more than it is when you buy a standard DVD player.

[Alnath]

Why are the majority TV DVD recorders the + format then? I was under the impression - was not suitable for video until Pioneer applied a software fix. Where as + was designed to accomodate video from the start, maybe i am wrong.

Yeah, you're mistaken on all those facts. Look into the specs at the DVD-R and DVD+R forums where the makers wrote up all the white papers. Pioneer has a nice white paper too.

And a majority of recorders are not + format. If anything, they are -RAM and -R for the most part. Consider the world audience, not just Best Buy.

Hmmm only Panasonic make DVD-RAM TV recorders don’t they? I have yet to see a -R TV recorder, although I have not done much looking I must be honest but the ones I have seen are made by Phillips and I would surmise they will be DVD+RW.

Best buy? In the UK it is a brand of cheap, crap tinned peas, carrots and particularly nasty bread and I would not consider buying anything from them let alone DVD related products.

Like I said I bought a DVD+RW drive as it was far cheaper than the equivalent DVD-R drive, if a DVD-R drive was cheaper I would have bought that, simple. Both formats work so I couldn’t care less if people think + is worse or in some way inferior to the – format because it has worked in everything I have tried and I am happy with it. As for media prices for decent discs in the UK at least both formats are around £30 inc P&P for 25.

[Gil T Pleasure]

Hmmm only Panasonic make DVD-RAM TV recorders don’t they? I have yet to see a -R TV recorder, although I have not done much looking I must be honest but the ones I have seen are made by Phillips and I would surmise they will be DVD+RW.

Panasonic and Toshiba make standalone DVD-RAM/-R recorders for the US market.

Until recently, Pioneer was the only maker of DVD-RW/-R standalone recorders for the US market. In April 2003, Sharp released their own DVD-RW-R standalone recorder. And schedule to be released this month is Sony's dual format DVD recorder.

[txpharoah]

Best buy? In the UK it is a brand of cheap, crap tinned peas, carrots and particularly nasty bread and I would not consider buying anything from them let alone DVD related products.

Not too much different here. Except our "Best Buy" is a seller of cheap, crap electronics. I'd also suggest not buying anything from them. Maybe they should switch to canned goods too.

I am happy with it.

And in the end, that's all that matter. Congrats.