What
is the A05? The Pioneer DVR-A05, also known as the DVR-105,
is the DVD-R/RW mechanism used inside the FireWireDirect
UltraBurn DVD-R/RW drive. Pioneer created the DVD device,
acknowledged everywhere as the out front product in DVD
burning technology, and FireWireDirect adds our FireWire
expertise in building it as an external FireWire drive device.
The A04 was in it's time the "SuperDrive"
among DVD recording devices, writing at a 2x speed. By the
same token, the new A05 is next year's leader, doubling
speeds across the board... the first drive to write DVD-R
at 4x. |
| DVD-R
and DVD-RW Media Explained
DVD-R and DVD-RW discs can store approximately
seven times the data storage capacity of a CD-ROM on a single
side. They are an optimal recording media for video or data.
They can carry roughly two hours of video at an average
image quality on a single sided disc. DVD-R is a write once
media, while DVD-RW is rewritable up to approximately 1000
times.
Lifespan and
compatibility of DVD-R/RW media?
DVD-R and DVD-RW are similar to DVD-ROM
and DVD-Video, in that they have been developed within the
DVD Forum, making them a standard recognised worldwide.
Both have been designed with the concept of ROM compatibility
from the start. Pioneer, the the maker of the DVD-R/RW drive
employeed inside the FireWireDirect UltraBURN, has been
a member of the DVD Forum from its beginning, being a chair-company
in the DVD-R and DVD-RW working groups.
DVD-R has become a widely accepted format
in the industrial sector. DVD-R for authoring specification
being an indispensable tool in the creation of commercial
DVD-Videos. The media sold by FireWireDirect is DVD-R (and
RW) for General use, which is designed for use with personal
computers.
Playback of
recorded media
The DVD-R/RW's concept is the ROM compatible
disc format. Once recorded, existing DVD-ROM drives and
DVD players can be used. With a DVD-ROM drive equipped PC,
it is possible to read a DVD-R containing PC data. Also,
if recorded in DVD-Video format, playback is possible on
a DVD-ROM equipped PC or DVD-Video player. (Some DVD-ROM
drives and DVD-Video players are not compatible with DVD-R/RW)
DVD-R vs. CD-R
DVD-R and CD-R use similar dye material,
and the production methods are also very comparable. Many
CD-R manufacturers have added DVD-R media to their product
lineup. The recording methods are the same as CD-R with
both Disc-at-Once and Incremental write methods.
Installing
It's FireWire, so it's plug and
play. This DVD-R drive can be installed as easily as a CD-R/RW
drive can be installed. It is expected that most CD-R/RW
software will include DVD-R/RW support in the future. |
Availability
of Media
Media has been difficult to find in the
past, but things are changing. You can find it at a variety
of resellers. Pioneer and other major manufacturers are
preparing media. Printable media will soon be released.
Because of the similarities in the production process of
CD and DVD media, it can be expected the price of media
will also become similar. You can buy media tested for this
drive from FireWireDirect.com. If you own a different DVD
device, and are interested in FireWireDirect media, this
chart is an extensive (and evolving) list of drives that
are known to support our type of Gernal DVD media.
Copying of commercially
available videos or DVD movies
Any media containing copy protection
cannot be copied. Please check the original packaging to
confirm whether or not the intended title has copy protection
or not.
Compatibility
between the new DVD-R/RW and other formats such as CD-ROM
Once recorded, DVD-R/RW discs can be played
back on DVD-ROM computer equipment and (if recorded within
the DVD-Video format specification) on the majority of set-top
DVD-Video players.
The two DVD-R
standards
Discs are written using 635 nanometre
laser - not copyright protected. 'General use' DVDs created
via a DVR-A03, 650 nanometre laser are copyright protected.
This drive
used as a playback device
Any disc that can be written on the FireWireDirect
DVD-R can also be played back on it, provided the host computer
has the appropriate software.
Software
Like most products FireWireDirect sells,
we save you money by not licensing software to be bundled
with this drive. A number of DVD writing programs are available
as freeware, low priced shareware or free demonstration
versions that will work for DV writing on this and most
DVD-R drives. So download something and start writing. Contact
FireWireDirect if you have any questions about software
compatibility. |