HP DVD100i NOT to support DVD+R

[VideonDVD]

If you own an HP DVD100i writer, you will want to file a complaint case with HP's Complaint Dept. at (650) 857-7177 concerning this issue.

HEWLETT-PACKARD RENEGES ON NEW DVD TECHNOLOGY

March 11, 2002 - The company that started the promising DVD+RW alliance, the company that released its first and only DVD rewritable drive last October 2001, has already reneged on its promise to consumers. Hundreds of the DVD+RW model DVD100i have been sold to early adopters who were led to believe that the drive would be compatible with the forthcoming write-once and cheaper DVD+R discs.

In a statement from HP's technical operations, "there are no plans to offer the DVD+R compatibility for this drive. HP will release other drives that support both the DVD+RW and DVD+R formats."

However, in a May 17, 2001 press release from HP entitled "DVD+RW Alliance Adds Write-Once Capability to DVD+RW Format," John Spofford, vice president and general manager of HP's Personal Storage Solutions, states the contrary. He says, "the DVD+RW Alliance will support a write-once DVD+R capability that allows consumers to safely archive their scanned documents, presentations, home videos, and photos." The press release, issued six months prior to the DVD100i hitting the stores, goes on to say "DVD+R discs will offer seven times the storage capacity of a CD-R, (and) can be written and read by DVD+RW drives."

Thus, the thousands of consumers who took to the stores to purchase the DVD100i anticipating a software or firmware update to the drive when the cheaper DVD+R discs hit the shelves, are now stuck with a $500 DVD writer that will only write to the more expensive DVD+RW discs.

According to Jay Devine, HP's Current Products Engineer, though it was intended that the DVD100i write to both DVD+RW and DVD+R media, a hardware limitation could not be ironed out in time to make the drive compatible with the future DVD+R discs. Instead of waiting until that compatibility was in place, HP rushed the drive out on the market in order to remain competitive with other manufacturers. Unfortunately, notification about the lack of DVD+R support was never clearly stated to the customers. You can now find an appended note deep within HP's website stating that the DVD100i model will not write to DVD+R discs.

The verdict is still not in on other manufacturers of first generation DVD+RW drives who promised future compatibility with DVD+R discs.

"It appears to me that HP thinks it can bait and switch consumers like myself to purchase a new drive with the DVD+R capability. However, I already spent $500 on their product," says one angry buyer.

David Berwick, case manager for HP's Complaint Department, agreed that there has been a lot of confusion, and that HP had talked about a possible program for DVD100i buyers who purchased the drive with the intention of writing to the DVD+R discs. So far, no program is in place.

HP's Complaint Escalations department can be reached at (650) 857-7177.

[alkieman]

told you.. should have bought the slower performing but more compatible Pioneer DVD-R/RW format drives.

[loudej]

I believe Philips is going down that same road. They've announced the DVDRW228 model with +RW/+R capability, but I haven't heard of a firmware update for the DVDRW208.

It would be really nice of Philips and HP to provide an upgrade discount for the early adopters of their hardware, especially because of the confusion, but the two quotes you mentioned are still both true. They have added +R to the standard and +R can be written by +RW drives, just not those model. Are there other statements from HP and Philips stating that the +R would be supported on that hardware?

I was looking for a DVD writer in december/january and was attracted to +RW enough to wait until the +R issue panned out before deciding between a +RW or -RW/-R. If I couldn't wait I'd have gotten the first generation +RW, but I would have assumed the +R support could turn out either way.

[Kusanagi]

Hey it's VideoOnDVD from the DVDplusRW Forums

Yep, looks like ALL first-gen DVD+RW drives WILL NOT burn to DVD+R. Second gen drives are expected to be released around late April/May. But, rumor has it that DVD+R is not at all in any way more compatible than DVD-R. If they offer both the same compatibility, what does DVD+R really offer that DVD-R doesn't? It's still murky, but with the DVD Forum on the DVD-R side, I still have to side with the whole -R/W standard for now. Then again, if prices of +R(/W) media drops way lower than DVD-R(/W) then it could be a contender...

Time will tell...

Kusanagi

[alkieman]

Have to agree Kusanagi. I took the plunge and went with DVD-R/RW because it cheap and available now.

You can now buy both DVD-R and DVD-RW discs in the UK for around 2UKP each from http://www.bigpockets.co.uk.

I do still think DVD-R/RW will win the format war simply because it is so cheap.