Pioneer Announces DVR-A10

[Ian]

Pioneer Japan finally announced the DVR-A10:

http://www.pioneer.co.jp/press/release154.html

At least the retail version (this one) will support DVD-RAM writing as I can't find anything but the DVR-110D around here.

Didn't someone say at one time that this drive was supposed to read DVD-RAM at 16x or something?

[dodecahedron]

Didn't someone say at one time that this drive was supposed to read DVD-RAM at 16x or something?

frank1 said it here:
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic. ... 784#145784

source:
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/De ... wsId=14923

Besides the traditional DVD-RAM backers LG and NEC, Pioneer will support DVD-RAM recording in its next DVD burners. Both NEC's ND-4550A and ND-4551A and the slim lINE models ND-7550A and ND-7551A are also expected to write DVD-RAM at 16X and read them at 5X. Pioneer will launch a DVD-RAM enabled version of the DVR-110 (DVR-110D) in the following weeks.

although i don't think you can infer frrom these words that the new Pioneer will do -RAM at 16x. just that it will do -RAM.

[Scour]

Pioneer Japan finally announced the DVR-A10:

http://www.pioneer.co.jp/press/release154.html

At least the retail version (this one) will support DVD-RAM writing as I can't find anything but the DVR-110D around here.

Didn't someone say at one time that this drive was supposed to read DVD-RAM at 16x or something?

I thought the 16x-RAM was announced by NEC?

But otherwise Pioneer used NEC-chipsets last time...

[dodecahedron]

that's probably why people were speculating that the new Pioneer will also have 16x DVD-RAM capability.
so far neither NEC nor Pioneer can do that

[Ian]

The more that I think about it, it was the NEC and not the Pioneer.

[dodecahedron]

well, according to that CDRInfo news item, the NEC is supposed to be 16x DVD-RAM. however there's no link there to an official press release or anything, so it could be just wishful thinking on CDRInfo's part ... ?

[Justin42]

Yay, finally! I've been asking our suppliers at work about an A10 and they keep wondering what I'm talking about. Now they'll think I'm psychic.

I hope Pioneer improves this drive quickly, I'd like to get one for home too (I love my old A07, the addition of DVD-RAM could mean I could swap out both my A07 and LG4163 for one drive. )

[Ian]

well, according to that CDRInfo news item, the NEC is supposed to be 16x DVD-RAM. however there's no link there to an official press release or anything, so it could be just wishful thinking on CDRInfo's part ... ?

No, they borrowed that info from a heise.de article:

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/63548

I'm not convinced that their translation is correct though. Maybe a German speaker could tell us what it says?

[RJW]

Yes bad translation.
Let me do a quick rough translation

Sowohl NECs ND-4550A und ND-4551A als auch die Slim-Line-Modelle ND-7550A und ND-7551A sollen DVD-RAM mit 5X beschreiben und mit 16X lesen können.

Rough Translation

NEC's ND-4550A and ND-4551A and the Slim-Line-models ND-7550A and ND-7551A should be able to write at 5x and read at 16x.

That's all it states when it comes to NEC as we can see cdrinfo screwed it up.

[frank1]

What I know from the tests published by YSS
is that all models of Pioneer 110 [including the DVD-110 D] and the NEC 4550
have the same chipset:

the new LSI (Large Scale Intergration) system
composed of "µPD63645" and "µPC3345"
For example these chips were announced here



You can see them on this photo of the inside board of the NEC 4550A:
http://dvd-r.jpn.org/ND-4550A/board.jpg


YSS says about the chips in the DVR-110D and DVR-A09:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/dvr110d/dvr110d_djou.htm
YSS says about the chips in the NEC 4550A:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/nd4550a/nd4550a_djou.htm


These chips produced by NEC are 16X DVD-RAM capable see this news
but the 16X DVD-RAM specifications for media will only be finalized towards by the end of the year
So we have to wait and seee what will happen through firmware uopgrades ...

[Gabe]

Maybe CDRInfo mix up something.

heise wrotes that the RAM Promotion Group announced 6x-16x writable RAM-media. But 16x-media and writers are avaible at the beginning of 2006

Further info: Panasonic developed a new PUH with laser-power 300mW, the media is based on a new Bismut-phase-changed-material.

But heise wrote nothing about Benq-drives with DVD-RAM, only about NEC and Pioneer.

[frank1]

The same day Pioneer Japan announced the 3 DVR-A10 models there was also this press release
from Pioneer Europe:
http://www.pioneer.de/eur/content/press ... vr110.html


Five models are available:
DVR-110: ‘SuperMulti’ drive (with RAM-write), beige front bezel
DVR-110BK: ‘SuperMulti’ drive (with RAM-write), black front bezel
DVR-110D: ‘Dual’ format drive (without RAM-write), beige front bezel
DVR-110DBK: ‘Dual’ format drive (without RAM-write), black front bezel
DVR-110DSV ‘Dual’ format drive (without RAM-write), silver front bezel

Availability:
The drives are OEM systems that will be available in PCs and also from Pioneer’s distribution network. The DVR-110D/DBK/DSV will be available from the beginning of August and the DVR-110/BK from the end of September. Specification details can be found at the end of this document.


So for the moment Pioneer did not announce that the DVR-A10 model will be sold in Europe !
The DVR-A09 has been already very hard to buy in Europe so I am asking if
at least one of these three DVR-A10 versions of the burner will be easy to get in Europe ...

[Ian]

the new LSI (Large Scale Intergration) system
composed of "µPD63645" and "µPC3345"
These chips were announced here

Actually, they were announced here.

http://www.necel.com/ja/news/archive/0506/2201.html

Some websites just don't like to name their sources.

[Ian]

NEC's ND-4550A and ND-4551A and the Slim-Line-models ND-7550A and ND-7551A should be able to write at 5x and read at 16x.

That's all it states when it comes to NEC as we can see cdrinfo screwed it up.

Thanks RJW. That makes much more sense than 16x write and 5x read.

Gabe, it's been said that BenQ has a DVD Multi drive in the works. I have not heard any concrete info on it though. The specs I've seen seem to be pure speculation.

[dodecahedron]

yeah, and it's supposed to be able to write -RAM at 16x.

well, we'll see about that.
so far all the -RAM 16x write speed rumors have turned up as nothing...

[frank1]

I think that 16X DVD-RAM writing remains a rumour mainly because the approval of the specifications needs still to be finalized by what they call the Recordable DVD Council (RDVDC),

Anyway that is what I have been able to read here:
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/12358
« This is expected to happen before the end of 2005, but availability may mean it will be an early Q1 2006 release date for the media and hardware »
So I am waiting until Xmas or so ...

[weetoots]

Translation:
Dvd RAM now with 16X-Geschwindigkeit (update)
The RAM graduation Group presented under the guidance of Panasonic and Maxell to the IFA the next speed the Dvd RAM officially. The new media can be described with speeds between 6X and 16X, whereby the gross fuel time for a complete medium sinks on approximately six minutes. Since the DVD RAM recorders make an examination of the data however automatically, one will have to wait about twelve minutes net for the completion. The new 16X-Medien and burner should be available starting from at the beginning of 2006.

In order to achieve the new speeds, the manufacturers had to develop a new phase CHANGE material which is based on bismuth. The signal tolerances were lowered opposite the 5X-Disc on a Sechstel. Of Pickup Head developed by Panasonic works with a laser energy of 300 milli Watts, in order to make possible the high write speed.

Already in the autumn the DVD RAM format gets a broader support by the burner manufacturers. Thus beside LG also NEC and Pioneer announced the support of Dvd RAM in its next DVD burners. Both NECs Nd-4550a and Nd-4551a and the Slim LINE models Nd-7550a and Nd-7551a are to describe and with 16X to read be able Dvd RAM with 5X. Pioneer wants to bring an DVD RAM able version Dvr-110 to Dvr-110d beside the new model also in the coming weeks on the market.

Update : The new High speed DVD RAM media cannot be as frequently overwritten as the older versions. Goods media for 1X, 2X and 3X still for 100.000 overwriting procedures specified, are it with the 5X and 16X-Medien "only" 10,000 overwriting procedures ( hag /c't)

[frank1]

At DVD forum’s 31st steering committee meeting the optional specifications for 16x DVD-RAM and . . . . were approved.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/12406

[Ian]

At DVD forum’s 31st steering committee meeting the optional specifications for 16x DVD-RAM and . . . . were approved.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/12406

frank1, please link to original source when possible:

http://www.dvdforum.org/31scmtg-resolution.htm

[frank1]

OK Ian I understand now what you mean
I apologize because sometimes I am unable to find the original link
and I mostly read the news on CDRinfo, cdfreaks and CDRLabs

[Ian]

I always try to give credit where its due. It can be hard to find the original though, especially when a website does nothing more than translate an article from say AV Watch or Heise and use it as their own.

[frank1]

YSS has bought his 89th burner: a so called Pioneer DVR-110 [without the letter D]:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/dvd8.htm



So it is not a DVR-A10 with the beautifull bezel
but with a 1.22 firmware it burns DVD-RAM at 5x CLV (under CD-DVD Speed)
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/dvr110/DVR-110.htm

[Justin42]

Anyone have any idea when we'll see the DVR-A10 in the US?

[frank1]

There is a review of the
Pioneer DVR-A10-JBK

published by YSS,
here:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/a10j/DVR-A10-J.htm


The sticker indicates that the drive was manufactured in China in August 2005:


This DVR-A10J has the same chipsets NEC D63645GM et NEC C3345GC
as the others Pioneer DVR-110 D ans DVR-110:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/a10j/a10j_djou.htm

The test was done with a 1.22 firmware and the drive burns
Maxell 5x DVD-RAM at 5x in CLV mode (under CD DVD Speed):
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/a10j/a10j_dl.htm