excelsior

FYI I just picked up this Panasonic recorder in store at Circuit City, Minneapolis for $266. I purchased one on Sunday and was there for some other items and got a huge refund on my card. This price puts it on par with the Liteon 5001. Trust me, this is much better and the variable bit rate puts this model ahead of any other I have seen.

I DO NOT work for Circuit City or Panasonic. I just like DVDs.

X

Let us know how it works out!

You know I'm interested, although I'd rather get a +R model due to its generally cheaper/better quality media.

excelsior

I am suprised you think that the +R is cheaper. Although I have seen a few people who think that it is a better format I have not seen anywhere a general trend to cheaper. Also I seem to read that there are more DVD players compatible with -R.

I have had the machine for 5 days, actually, and I was suprised to find it works very well with the cheap CompUSA house brand of DVD-R. I got some Sonic discs that were listed as very compatible and highly reviewed by users and they bombed. Otherwise I find that the variable bit-rate, unique to Panasonic, is worth more than any other benefit. It is as good as all the DVDRhelp.com reviews say.

X

I had been a big -R advocate due to their higher compatibility and the higher cost of the new +R media. But I'm finding that you can get better quality 4x +R discs for the same price as 4x -R discs. And very often deals on a particular brand of media will have the 4x +R discs but only offer the 2x -R for the same price.

In terms of it being a "better format", there are a few technical advantages to +R but I find them mostly irrelevant. Slightly quicker burn starting and finalizing is one of the advantages. I notice my burns start within 14 seconds on +R media but take about 40 seconds on -R media.

In addition, if the recorder does "bitsetting" where the disc is marked as a DVD-ROM as opposed to a recordable DVD there should be universal compatibility. Only DVD+R allows that bitsetting.

excelsior

Thanks for the clarification. I do know that I miss the lack of RW capability. For my purposes, the RAM capability is wasted. Interestingly I see that this is now a clearance item on the web site, albeit at a higher price. I wonder what Panasonic is bringing out now? This model is only a few months old!

X

Yeah, I just noticed that it didn't support RW. That's a dealbreaker for me. Particularly without a hard drive.

As well as being able to convert my tapes to DVD I want the unit to do some TV timeshifting. But I really don't want a permanent copy of Washington Week in Review. And I want to be able to move the media to a convenient place to play it which DVD-RAM doesn't support very well.

excelsior

Based on the past experience with cdr/rw I fully expect to own 2 more drives in the next 18 months. I look to the Panasonic unit to just copy my tapes and last for the one year warranty. I figure in 2 years I will dump it on ebay for a few bucks. In the old days I would buy based on long term use but now things progress too fast.

Hard to change the old habits, but that way I don't get disappointed when my equipment becomes obsolete. I kind of expense it over a short term and then my cost is zero just about the time it goes bye-bye. Of course I still have the $1700 1978 Sony Beta unit I paid $200 to put new heads in 20 years ago. It costs more to ship to a buyer than it is worth.