Informaion on DVD recorder formats

A few words on DVD Recorders…

Cast your mind back 20-25 years ago and you might remember the format war which went on in the early days of the VCR.

Well, a similar war is on-going now with DVD recorders. Here are a few words on the subject (don’t expect anything too technical – it is short and simple – just like me!).

There are 3 formats vying for your hard-earned currency at the moment:

DVD-R (or DVD-RW) This is the format supported by the “DVD Forum” (a coalition of manufacturers), which pretty much means it can’t be developed further. Originally developed by Pioneer, and supported by (amongst others) Sharp and LG. It is also supported (in –R form by Panasonic – a little on them below). A disc typically holds 4.7GB, enough for up to 4 hours of your favourite tv. An example of a set-top DVD recorder of this type would be the Pioneer DVD-3100.
DVR+R (or DVD+RW). Philips is responsible for developing this one, although it is also supported by Thomson, and others. Capacity is the same as for a DVD-R disc. A DVD+RW disc (like a DVD-RW one) can be re-used up to 1000 times. This format has the highest compatibility with other DVD players, and has not been finalised which means it can (in theory) be developed further. A machine in this category would be the Philips DVDR70.
DVD-RAM. The baby of Panasonic, and also supported by Toshiba, JVC, and Samsung (DVD-RAM recorders from Panasonic will usually support the DVD-R format as well). A DVD-RAM disc usually comes inside a little caddy, and can be re-used around 100,000 times. DVD-RAM is best for editing capabilities amongst the 3 formats, but is worst for compatibility with other DVD players. DVD-RAM also has the neat little trick of “time slip” where you can begin watching a programme from the beginning, while still recording it.

A note on PVRs. Personal Video Recorders (also – more accurately – called Hard Disk Recorders) will be familiar across the Atlantic as Tivo machines, or here as $ky+ boxes. A bit like DVD-RAM, but without the eject button for the disc!!! A typical disc size (at the moment) is 80 GB. If you buy a “high end” DVD recorder, it will often come with a built in Hard Disk Recorder as well. Pioneer’s DVR-5100H combines DVD-RW with a HDR. The Thomson DTH-7500 has both DVD+RW and a HDR. Meanwhile, Panasonic’s DMR-E100HEBS and Toshiba’s RX-XS30 fly the flag for the DVD-RAM and HDR combinations.

To make things even more complicated (!!!) it is possible to buy a DVD recorder which supports 2 of the 3 formats. DVD recorders made by Sony can handle both the DVD+RW and DVD-RW formats (for example the Sony RDR-GX3). The Toshiba D-R1 and the JVC DR-M1 both combine the DVD-RAM and DVD-RW formats.

If you decide you’d like one (and personally I’m gonna wait for prices to fall and – perhaps – for a format or two to fall by the wayside) then buying it multi-region enabled is never a bad idea (and RCE capable wouldn’t hurt either).

And finally… don’t confuse a multi-region player or recorder with a universal one – they ain’t the same thing at all.