DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW

Recordable DVD?

We all know that conflicting recordable DVD standards are keeping affordable DVD writers off the computer peripheral market, but that hasn't stopped manufacturers from entering the consumer electronics market. Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, and Samsung all have new DVD recorders, but consumers will have to decide between three different DVD rewritable technologies: DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. All three standards support 4.7GB of storage per single-layer side.

The Contenders

Of all the DVD rewritable technologies, DVD-RAM has been around the longest. Supporters include Hitachi, Toshiba, and Panasonic (Matsushita). Backwards compatibility with normal DVD players is still in question. Both Panasonic and Samsung have DVD-RAM recorders waiting in the wings. Panasonic's VDR-10000 also functions as a progressive scan DVD player and will be available in Q3/2000 (price yet to be determined). Samsung's DVR-2000 will also be available Q3/2000 with a 1,999 MSRP. The Samsung recorder features an onboard Dolby Digital decoder, but both players will only have analog outputs and inputs due to copy protection issues.

Pioneer's $2,000 DVD-RW based recorder should reach the US in Q4/2000. According to Pioneer, close to total backwards compatibility with normal DVD players will be possible after they develop a copy protection scheme.

DVD+RW is based on DVD-RW, and is supported by Philips, Sony, Ricoh, Yamaha, and HP. Philips had a prototype of its DVD+RW on display, and was demonstrating DVD+RW's backwards compatibility with normal DVD players. ETA? Q4/2000.

Personal Video Recorders

Consumer DVD recorders are still almost a year away, and those who don't want to deal the wait or the compatibility headaches might want to look into personal video recorders (PVR). A PVR is a hard disk based video recorder. It's like a VCR that uses an internal hard disk instead of cassettes. The PVR made its debut at last year's CES, and many herald it as the VCR of the future.

Users no longer have to deal with rewinding and fast-forwarding a cassette tape. With digital storage, users can instantly skip through recorded material. Skipping through commercials is a breeze! You can also watch as you record. If you get home early and a show you're recording has already started, you can watch the show from the beginning while the PVR continues to record -it's sort of like a personal time delay. With a traditional VCR, you have to wait for the recording to finish, before you can start watching it.

TiVo and ReplayTV

PVRs come in two parts, the digital recorder and the programming service. TiVo and ReplayTV are the two major programming services, and both have major manufacturers making PVR boxes. With either service you have the ability to view programming schedules and select which programs you want to record. PVRs require a phone line in order to call in and download programming information.

Currently, entry level TiVo PVRs made by Philips and Sony start at $500. More expensive models with larger storage capacity are also available. The TiVo service itself costs $9.95 a month, or $199 for a lifetime subscription. The lifetime subscription only applies to a single PVR, you'll have to purchase another subscription if you buy a new TiVo PVR. With ReplayTV, the service is free, but the ReplayTV 2020 PVR costs about $200 more than the TiVo PVRs. Basically, you'll end up paying $200 one way or the other.

Both services offer similar features. Check out www.tivo.com and www.replaytv.com for more information.