Drive makers ready 5x DVD-RAM burners
We're the fastest format, claims trade body
Posted in Storage, 25th May 2004 16:16 GMT
Free whitepaper – Cooling strategies for ultra-high density racks and blade servers
The RAM Promotion Group (RAMPRG), the organisation behind the DVD-RAM specification, today lauded 5x recording speed drives from Hitachi-LG Data Storage and Panasonic as a sign that the technology is going places.
The two drives, Hitachi's 5x Super Multi and Panasonic's SW-9573-C, ship "later this year", though suitable media will become available from Maxell and Panasonic, in June and August, respectively.
When the drives ship, the RAMPRG says, DVD-RAM will become the fastest DVD-based rewriteable format.
It already offers the most defect-resistant system, if independent tests carried out on the RAMRPG's behalf are anything to go by. Media Sciences, Inc. tested DVD-RAM, DVD-RW and DVD+RW - the three key re-writeable DVD formats - and found that RAM to offer the best protection against duff media.
That's perhaps no great surprise, since the DVD-RAM spec. builds defect management into the drive. The upshot, the RAMPRG said, is that its format is better for computer data. To be fair, DVD-RW was always geared more to media storage, but has found a role in the data space. DVD+RW is pitched more toward data storage that DVD-RW is, but it lacks a defect management system - at least until Mount Rainier support come through.
Then again, DVD+RW and DVD-RW drives tend to be rather cheaper than DVD-RAM units, so you pays your money and takes your choice. There are plenty of DVD+RW/-RW drives for £50-100 but precious few DVD-RAM drives for under £200. ®
Related stories
Sony readies Q2 dual-layer DVD+R drive debut
Blu-ray founders rename, open group to new members
Japanese boffins perfect paper Blu-ray disc
Toshiba blue laser tech chosen for HD DVD spec.

Enabling The Agile Data Center
Dell PowerEdge R710 solution with VMware ESX vs. Dell PowerEdge 2850 solution
New storage architectures make SSDs more cost-effective
Analyst Keynote: The Register Agile Data Center Summit

OpenOffice.org pushes gamers' buttons with OOMouse
Big Iron, big data, big networks, big problems
Spectra launches T-Finity, plans beyond
HP scores SMB storage hat-trick