Pioneer's DVD-recorders(a C-Cube partner). One will be a PVR/DVD-R combo.....................................
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PIONEER DVD RECORDER
GETS CLOSER TO STORES
Copyright, compatibility still issues 9/19/2000
By Ethan McCarty
NEW YORK, NY, September 19, 2000 -- "Not all, but most." That's how Pioneer representatives described the range of players that will be compatible with its soon to be released home DVD recording deck. The comment was made yesterday at a demonstration in New York City. The Pioneer DVR-2000 DVD-R/RW deck will be available to consumers during the first quarter of 2001 for $2500.
While they won't work in every machine, discs recorded with the Pioneer DVR-2000 are deemed compatible with most legacy players. That's a far cry from what backers of competing recordable formats have been able to demonstrate.
According to Pioneer, compatibility problems are found primarily with first-generation DVD players. To illustrate its compatibility claims, company officials made a DVD recording from a DV camera and then played it back, not only on a portable DVD player but also on another manufacturer's home DVD deck.
Pioneer's soon-to-be-available recording DVD deck, the DVR-2000
Along with the ability to play back DVDs in the same way that non-recording decks do, the DVR-2000 will allow users to record programming from over-the-air broadcasts and to make high-quality archives of their DV camcorder home movies. The DVR-2000 has IEEE-1394 inputs, also known as iLink or FireWire.
Other complications surrounding the upcoming recorders include copyright issues, usability factors and competing formats. Pioneer and a consortium of other manufacturers support the DVD-R/RW format, which they claim to be playable in computer DVD-ROM drives as well as most standard DVD-Video players currently found in living rooms.
Both Philips and Panasonic have other plans when it comes to bringing recordable DVDs into the home. Philips touts the DVD+R/RW format, while Panasonic has already begun selling its DVD-RAM based products at select West Coast retailers.
The DVR-2000 will be unable to record from sources protected by Macrovision or Copyguard copy protection. In addition to that protection, the area on the blank discs where the CSS encryption key is normally written will be embossed. Even those using the controversial DeCSS software will be unable to copy DVDs onto these protected discs.
A user could conceivably use deCSS to copy a disc to a computer's hard drive and then make a bit-for-bit copy by using the computer's IEEE-1394 output. Considering the steep price for blank media, this complicated process just won't be worth it for most consumers.
Expensive blanks
The price of the blank media, currently up to $25 per disc for DVD-RW and $15 for DVD-R, is also expected to drop. Prices for blanks could fall to roughly the same level as blank CD-Rs, which are widely available for less than $1 when purchased in quantity.
"Once the volume picks up, there's no reason that we can't expect DVD-R media to come down to about the same price as CD-R and CD-RWs," said Andy Parsons, Pioneer Senior VP Product Development & Technical Support Division.
Though the first-generation DVD recorders offered to the American market will have fairly complex user interfaces, Pioneer stressed that it will strive to make the user experience as similar to VCR recording as possible.
Upcoming DVD-R/RW products
At yesterday's press event, the company also showed a DVD-R/RW drive for the PC. When it hits the market, the PC peripheral will allow users to record and play back both DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW formatted discs. Pioneer declined comment on the pricing or availability of this product.
Pioneer hasn't yet announced an availability date for its PC-based recording DVD drive
Representatives from the company also hinted at a combination PVR (personal video recorder) and DVD-R/RW recorder. Their best guess put this product on the shelves by 2002. |
