Panasonic DVD-RAM? Worth getting or wait til prices drop

by **ricrat** on Mon Dec 23, 2002 5:55 pm

I was reading their site and it doesn't any capability for CDs--the recorder
not the site.
What I want is at least 32x CD-R, DVD that plays on any machine in a
"home unit" versus one for the PC.

I'm still doing reasearch but think there's lotsa room for improvement.

I need some suggestions. I want to be able to play commercial-type
DVDs too.

Thanks for input.

by **jamessampson** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 6:33 am

I've got the Panasonic LFD201 DVD RAM and it doesn't write / rewrite CDs - just DVD RAM. It works well for backing up data - takes around 10 minutes to back up a gig of mixed files. In the UK, it still costs around £350. DVD RW are cheaper than DVD RAM and will be more likely to play in set top DVD players - not all DVD ROM drives will read DVD RAM discs.
DVD R is most likely to work in a set top dvd player - although again it's not guaranteed.

If you just want a CD/RW and DVD ROM in one drive, go for the new Samsung SM-348B 48/24/48/16: -

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=164

or Sony's DRU-500 - which supports all DVD formats bar DVD RAM, so should work: -

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=154

Personally, I'd wait a few months to see which DVD format wins over and becomes mainstream, but as the Sony does the lot, thats a good bet (around £250 in UK).

Hope thats some help

by **Kennyshin** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 6:47 am

jamessampson wrote:I've got the Panasonic LFD201 DVD RAM and it doesn't write / rewrite CDs - just DVD RAM. It works well for backing up data - takes around 10 minutes to back up a gig of mixed files. In the UK, it still costs around £350.

Panasonic's latest DVD Multi writer, LFD-521JD costs 32,000 Yen or about 270 USD. (Not sure how much £350 is in USD.)

by **TheWizard** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 6:50 am

The British Pound is stronger than the US Dollar right now, so £350 is roughly US$557.

by **Kennyshin** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 7:15 am

I see. LFD201 selling for US$557 in the UK market seems so unrealistic. I have often browsed some UK-based web stores but they were generally much cheaper than South Korea and UK is rather ahead of continental Europe in DVD. Even LFD-521JD for $270 is too expensive considering 4x DVD+R drives cost now $190 - $210 in Tokyo and a little more for 4x DVD-R drives. Panasonic should release a DVD Multi writer of 3-4x DVD-RAM and 4x DVD-R soon in order to keep some decent market share.

by **VEFF** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 8:59 am

The QPS (have since traded/sold it and bought a DRU-500A with the net proceeds of selling the traded item!!) I got for $271 inc tax after $100 mail-in rebate last March was a Panasonic LF-D311SC, which WRITES to both DVD-R and DVD-RAM.
Granted that was an amazing deal at the time, but I have seen it for less now, although the advertised one might have been refurbished.

In any case, the LOWER model (DVD-RAM only) LFD-201 should not be anywhere near US$557.

DVD-RAM is expensive. With DVD-Rs under a dollar, it makes little sense to invest in DVD-RAM, especially since DVD-RAM can't even be read by 95% or more of DVD players or DVD-ROM drives.
You can go through the trouble of removing the disc from the cartridge (some newer DVD-RAM discs have such a feature), but even then I am not sure if players can read the discs, since they are physically different from other DVD recordable media.

by **Pradeep** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 10:59 am

Kenny, you must remember that the UK and most of Europe has extremely high sales tax (VAT). Currently it is 17.5% in the UK.

by **ricrat** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 11:30 am

Thanks for the input, guys. I'm going to wait awile and see what comes out.

by **Kennyshin** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 1:59 pm

Pradeep wrote:Kenny, you must remember that the UK and most of Europe has extremely high sales tax (VAT). Currently it is 17.5% in the UK.

Yep, I also considered it. Would anyone browse UK web stores frequently without understanding how much VAT and shipping cost?

10% VAT in South Korea (in reality, one has to add about 5% more when paying with credit card) and 5% VAT in Japan. VAT is tax after all that are later used for road, defense, health care, public education and job training, etc., so better disregard it when comparing product prices by country and region that are commonly available around the world.

It may take $20 to deliver a 1KG DVD writer from Tokyo to UK (and twice as much as that from Tokyo to Seoul.) Old DVD-RAM/DVD-R drives cost no more than 20,000 Yen in Tokyo or about US$150. Add all the possible tax (tariff + VAT) in both Japan and UK. Could the total cost involved be over US$250? People like myself in Seoul do not buy a DVD Multi writer made by LG in South Korea from a retailer in Seoul (more than US$400) but buy a Japan-made Panasonic's 321 or 521 DVD Multi from a Tokyo-based retailer (less than US$300).

by **Kennyshin** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 2:02 pm

Ritek DVD-RAM 9.4GB for about US$4.5 (depending on the supplier) which is three times as expensive as Ritek DVD-R 9.4GB.

by **Kennyshin** on Tue Dec 24, 2002 5:26 pm

Last week's DVD writer prices in Tokyo.

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/ho ... price.html

Panasonic OEM DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD-RAM/CD-R/CD-RW writer for 28,780 Yen (US$240.)

Sony DRU-500A OEM Buffalo's DVM-4222FB DVD+R/DVD+RW/DVD-R/DVD-RW/CD-R/CD-RW writer for 32,499 Yen (US$270.)

NEC ND-1100A OEM IO DATA's DVR-ABN4P DVD+R 4x/DVD+RW 2.4x/16x CD-R/10x CD-RW writer for 22,980 Yen (US$190.)