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You are probably already aware that a standard DVD
can store up to 4.7GB of data; which is 7 times as much as a normal
CD. Due to this storage capacity, DVDs are able to store high quality
video (MPEG-2)
 and audio contents. For the most part of the 90's, DVD
movie production was something attainable only by professional movie
production studios and was kept out of reach of the average person.
Yet, with the introduction of various DVD recordable drives and easy
to use video production software, times have changed and now almost
anyone can easily make DVD movies at home!
Yet, one thing has
still kept the DVD recordable market from reaching its full potential
and that is the format war between the -R/RW camp and the +R/RW camp.
This war really heated up in the beginning of 2002, when the first
DVD+RW burning device was launched from companies like HP (DVD 100i),
Philips (DVDRW208) and several others, all part of the DVD+RW
Alliance. At the same time, companies like Pioneer and Hitachi were
standing behind the DVD-RW standard and had already launched several
products onto the market for some time. With two formats available for
recording DVD, most consumers were left wondering whether to buy now
or wait for a clear winner (like in the old VHS vs. Beta format war).
Today, many of you are still probably asking, "which format is
better?". This is a question that is not so easy to answer, but no
matter which format you decide to go with, the benefits far outweigh
the disadvantages. Using either +R or -R discs (which means you can
only write once onto the disc) means that you have very good
compatibility with existing DVD drives and players. With +RW or -RW
drives the backward compatibility is not as good, but still acceptable.
If you are really in doubt over which format to choose, you can always
opt for a dual drive (like Sony's DRU-120A ) which writes both
formats.
Aside from the format war, the other stumbling block for the growth
of the DVD recordable market has been price. In 2002, whether you were
looking at a DVD-RW or DVD+RW format drive, almost all were very
expensive, and you could hardly get your hands on one without spending
around $500 US. But this situation has changed for the better as of
2003 and the average price of a DVD burning device has dropped to
around $300. This has helped to pave the way for the DVD recordable
drive to begin to replace the standard CD-R/RW drive.
In addition to the positive news of the price front, DVD video
production and burning software, like
CyberLink PowerProducer , have made it easier than ever to create
DVD movies at home. PowerProducer offers an easy to use graphical
wizard styled interface to reduce the learning curve and make DVD
movie production more easy and fun. As well, it offers more features
than conventional CD burning software, and has the flexibility to burn
movies onto disc in various formats (i.e. VCD, DVD, SVCD or MiniDVD).
The Outlook of DVD in 2003
The battle between the different standards will surely carry on
throughout 2003, but with improved backward compatibility, a drop in
the average price of a DVD recordable drive, and the advent of easy to
use DVD movie creation software, there is no reason not to enter the
exciting world of DVD production. And if you feel concerned about the
continued format war, opt for a dual drive and you surely can't go
wrong! \
Source: Shop at CyberLink,The Complete Digital Home Entertainment Center!
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