It's worth repeating that the drive works just fine; except
for the lack of burning software, any strikes against it are minor. But
Hewlett-Packard's DVD-writer is such a dream to use that these inconveniences
are magnified.
Hardware and software installation is just a little easier
on the DVD-writer, the only difference being that you have to run only one
setup program to install the driver and the software. Once that's done, the
drive just works.
Really, it's that easy. Just drop a formatted DVD+RW into
the drive (the included disc is ready to go) and you can drag and drop files
using the Windows Explorer without a second thought. The specs claim 2.4X/8X
rewrite/read performance, but using the same test files as before yielded a
43-minute write time and an 8-minutes read time. The mix of software--all
HP-branded, of course--is similar to the DVD Burner's: MyDVD Video for creating
DVD-Video discs, Simple Backup for offline storage, and RecordNow for copying
non-protected DVDs. As an added bonus, the DVD-writer is also a 12X/10X/32X
CD-R/RW drive.
The total package is also a little more polished. The
software-selection menu is concise and easy to follow; the manuals are
similarly streamlined, with just the right amount of information to get
started. Although MyDVD has a few less features than the already lightweight
DVDit! LE, it has two very user-friendly features: direct video-to-DVD
recording, and the ability to drag and drop AVI files to create DVD-Video
discs. (DVDit! LE requires that you first convert files to DVD-compliant MPEG-2
files, using Motion DV Studio or another program; MyDVD takes care of it behind
the scenes.) However, as the Panasonic package I received was a pre-production
version, there may be improvements by the time you read this.
In terms of features and usability, I'd say the DVD-writer
beats the DVD Burner hands down. It may be $100 more expensive, but using
rewriteable media keeps long-term costs down. (DVD+RW discs cost the same as
DVD-R, about $20; DVD-RAM is more than twice that.) That it writes discs faster
and it also happens to be a CD-RW drive doesn't hurt, either.
However, those of us who still have collections of Beta
tapes know that features alone don't determine technological survivors;
backstage wrangling and consumer convenience do. Although DVD+RW drives and
discs were designed with greater compatibility in mind, it's the only existing
standard that isn't approved by the DVD Forum. This is mentioned prominently on
the DVD Forum home page (
http://www.dvdforum.org),
and you can bet other members of the consortium will be mentioning that as
well. (The DVD Burner spec sheet does, indirectly: it reads "100% DVD
Forum Approved.") I'm not so sure that matters from a technical
standpoint, as DVD+RW discs worked just as well as DVD-R discs in any DVD-ROM
or home DVD player I tried. So if the DVD Forum's pitch works and DVD+RW falls
by the wayside, your DVD+RW discs would still work in other drives. If you just
have to buy a DVD burner now and can live with the fact that you might have to
buy a new one in a couple of years, then by all means take the DVD-writer for a
spin.
