DVD-RAM: What's the point?!

[Tony]

Sure you can get a reasonably fast DVD-RAM drive now
for $40 but you can't get 12x media in the USA! DVD-RAM
has the specs/capabilities over the other formats, but what's
the point if media is unavailable or costs more than a buck a
disc?! No way I'm paying $10/disc!!! Unavailabilty of media
and high priced media are the nails in the coffin of DVD-RAM.
That group of Asians is always a day late and a dollar short.
Buh bye DVD-RAM?

Competing technology (and winning by leaps and bounds):
DVD-RW w/Mt. Ranier.

Apparently, RAMPRG is either high on their horses or
incompetent. ($10 a disc?! Get a life!).

Tony

 

[Rod Speed]

Sure you can get a reasonably fast DVD-RAM drive now
for $40 but you can't get 12x media in the USA! DVD-RAM
has the specs/capabilities over the other formats, but what's
the point if media is unavailable or costs more than a buck a disc?!

Yep, thats why I dont bother with it, even tho the drives do it.

No way I'm paying $10/disc!!! Unavailabilty of media and high priced media are the nails
in the coffin of DVD-RAM.

Its likely to hobble along for years.

That group of Asians is always a day late and a dollar short.
Buh bye DVD-RAM?

I doubt it.

Competing technology (and winning by leaps and bounds):
DVD-RW w/Mt. Ranier.

I dont even bother with Mt. Ranier. myself, just use
decent media, verify the burn and have multiple copys
which I'd have when using anything anyway.

Apparently, RAMPRG is either high on their horses or incompetent. ($10 a disc?! Get a
life!).

You claim that its headed for the coffin.

 

[Carlos]

Sure you can get a reasonably fast DVD-RAM drive now
for $40 but you can't get 12x media in the USA! DVD-RAM
has the specs/capabilities over the other formats, but what's
the point if media is unavailable or costs more than a buck a
disc?! No way I'm paying $10/disc!!! Unavailabilty of media
and high priced media are the nails in the coffin of DVD-RAM.
That group of Asians is always a day late and a dollar short.
Buh bye DVD-RAM?

Competing technology (and winning by leaps and bounds):
DVD-RW w/Mt. Ranier.

Apparently, RAMPRG is either high on their horses or
incompetent. ($10 a disc?! Get a life!).

Tony

One common use for DVD-RAM that I've seen is in stand-alone DVD
recorders that are used to record television. The DVD-RAM technology
allows you to watch a recorded show and record to the same disc at the
same time. I dont' think regular DVD media will allow you to do that.
Also, I'm not sure where you're located, but here in the US a DVD-RAM
disc costs about $2, not $10.

I've never heard of DVD-RW w/Mt. Ranier. Why would you say it's
"winning by leaps and bounds"? I would have thought if that were the
case I would have heard of it.

-Carlos

 

[Tony]

One common use for DVD-RAM that I've seen is in stand-alone DVD recorders
that are used to record television. The DVD-RAM technology allows you to
watch a recorded show and record to the same disc at the same time. I
dont' think regular DVD media will allow you to do that. Also, I'm not
sure where you're located, but here in the US a DVD-RAM disc costs about
$2, not $10.

$2 for 3x media, not 12x. Maxell was the first to announce 12x DVD-RAM
media and at around $10 per disc.

I've never heard of DVD-RW w/Mt. Ranier. Why would you say it's "winning
by leaps and bounds"? I would have thought if that were the case I would
have heard of it.

Well to those who value defect management and formatting on the fly
and want to use optical media like big floppy disks for data backup and
archiving without needing software support in the OS, it is important.
The DVD-RAM features give a little more peace of mind that the data is
safe. Those not doing anything critical with DVDs and/or CDs probably
aren't aware of Mt. Ranier standards, like yourself, and probably aren't
wishing that the DVD-RAM promoters would get their act together
already.

Tony

 

[Carlos]

$2 for 3x media, not 12x. Maxell was the first to announce 12x DVD-RAM
media and at around $10 per disc.

Oh, yes, I see.

Well to those who value defect management and formatting on the fly
and want to use optical media like big floppy disks for data backup and
archiving without needing software support in the OS, it is important.
The DVD-RAM features give a little more peace of mind that the data is
safe. Those not doing anything critical with DVDs and/or CDs probably
aren't aware of Mt. Ranier standards, like yourself, and probably aren't
wishing that the DVD-RAM promoters would get their act together
already.

Tony

That's interesting. I use DVD's to backup my family photographs and am
wondering if I shouldn't be backing up to DVD-RAM instead of regular
DVD-R since my drive supports DVD-RAM already? For infrequent backups I
think the slower media (and extra dollar or two) wouldn't be too much of
a problem.

As far as Mt. Ranier, I'll need to look into that. Is it a different
standard altogether that requires special hardware and different media,
or is it a matter of software?

Thanks,
Carlos

 

[Tony]

Oh, yes, I see.


That's interesting. I use DVD's to backup my family photographs and am
wondering if I shouldn't be backing up to DVD-RAM instead of regular DVD-R
since my drive supports DVD-RAM already? For infrequent backups I think
the slower media (and extra dollar or two) wouldn't be too much of a
problem.

The speed was the big drawback awhile ago. At least one of Plextor's drives
has support for 5x DVD-RAM but they are pricey and a 12x DVD-RAM
drive by Samsung can be had for under $40 at NewEgg (it also does 18x
DVD-R I think). Again though, I haven't found any 12x media for sale
anywhere.

From some website:

"Maxell is the first company in the world to launch the 12x DVD-RAM Media.
Maxell's 12x DVD-RAM media should ship on March 24th and it will cost
about $8.6US per disc"

I went to the Maxell website though and they only say that 3x and 5x are
available. No mention of 12x.

16x DVD-RAM drives are expected this year. I believe that DVD+-RW tops
out at 8x (?) (DVD+-R is at 18x). This means, to me, that the only use for
write-once media is for authoring. Everything else can be on rewriteable
media (just like it used to be with floppies and zip disks), but not at
$10/disc,
no no.

As far as Mt. Ranier, I'll need to look into that. Is it a different
standard altogether that requires special hardware and different media, or
is it a matter of software?

I spelled it wrong. It is Mt. Rainier.

http://www.mt-rainier.org/

Also, the following PC World article may be enlightening:

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116438,00.asp

Tony