cheap dvd-ram drive now $200 shipped

[poppagene]

if you're looking for a cheap dvd ram drive here's one for $250 shipped (actually $212.50 if you buy it by Friday April 19). It's a Hitachi GF-2000. I have no clue as to whether it's any good. Comments?
link to cheap dvd drive

edit 4/30/2002 price now $200 shipped

 

[DaveSimmons]

Not a slam, just a warning that DVD-Ram is not what you want for playing discs on a home DVD player, it's a different format from DVD+RW, DVD-RW and DVD-R. DVD-Ram does offer a ton of storage (4.x GB/disc) but the discs aren't likely to drop in price at the speed that the other formats have and will.

 

[frankqfrank]

right, DVD-RAM is more just a storage format. Good deal though.

 

[TheBigCheese]

You want a drive that can also record CD-R so you can create movies that play on a DVD player. Chump USA had Que drives for $250 that did this. Maybe they will have them on sale again.

 

[wasssup]

The Que! one (which actually had a Matshita/Panasonic inside) wrote to DVD-R and DVD-RAM, but as far as I know the panasonics didn't write to CD-R....

 

[poppagene]

I think the cheap one will read dvd-r. see specs. hitachi

 

[Eug]

The Hitachi does not write to DVD-R. The Panasonic LF-D311 and LF-D321 do write to DVD-R.

 

[poppagene]

bump for lower price -- now $200 shipped

 

[erickotz]

My advice-avoid DVD-RAM. I had a DVD-RAM drive (it was Hitachi made-I think this exact one) about 6 months ago (bought it new for $70-it was a one-time thing) and I used it all of 2 times-the disks were too expensive-about $2/gb. HDD's are cheaper and FAR faster and cheaper. DVD-RAM isn't compatible with anything pretty much. Though, IIRC, the drive was RPC1 (not sure if this one is) Get something like a DVD-R/RW drive if you want to record DVD.

 

[TheBigCheese]

This drive is pretty worthless because unlike the Panasonic's it doesn't write to DVD-R. The DVD RAM disks have come down in price and are now $6-8 each.