Ever since the Betamax fiasco, technology enthusiasts have been faced with the possibility that the latest entertainment must-have could lose the next standards war.
Unfortunately, you potentially face the same dilemma today if you want to buy a DVD-recordable drive. Today`s storage format of choice is in midst of a standards war that shows no signs of abating.
But, to understand what all the fuss is about, it`s important to take a few steps back. Currently we have two main camps - one group that backs the DVD + RW standard, and other that backs the DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM specifications.
"DVD-R and DVD-RWs were basically the first to hit market - rolled out in 2001 from companies such as Pioneer, Apple and Compaq," explains Reon Coetzee, marketing manager at Rectron.
"However, these two formats do differ significantly. For one, the DVD-RW`s phase-change format can be rewritten about 1 000 times, while the DVD-R`s `write-once` functionality is far less economical."
DVD-Rs are essentially more useful to organisations that do a lot of archiving - storing huge amounts of data that won`t require any future alterations. Current drives are also quite expensive at around R60 000.
On the other hand, DVD-RW offers up to six hours of recording time and will soon be compatible for playback with DVD-Video.
Looking at DVD-RAMs, this specification, according to Coetzee, is not that viable as double-sided discs come in sealed cartridges, while single-sided discs - although in open cartridges - can only be written while in the cartridge.
If we side ourselves with the other camp, we also face potential obstacles. "DVD+ RW is effectively a direct competitor to DVD-RAM. But, like its competitors it also presents some problems - the disc, for example, can not be read by DVD-Video players."
Is this confusion scaring buyers away from the market altogether? You won`t be blamed for wondering whether you should just sit back and wait until the DVD format war is over.
After all, if you burn a DVD on your work systems, will it play at home and vice versa?
"This is why some companies have started to cross over," says Coetzee. Sony, for example, has since 2001 been marketing a DVD burner that supports DVD-RW and DVD-RAM, while other companies such as Verbatim has followed suit - and more are expected to do the same."
So, which of these multi-format drives will best suit your needs? The bottom line is, there`s no simple answer - it varies from age, to product to core functionalities.
"That you must rather opt for a multi-format drive is obvious. So, speak to DVD specialist do some more homework, and then decide," he concludes.
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