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. ®

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