This is the one for dvd mastering. I mean, literally.
Written: Nov 21 '00 (Updated Jan 19 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Make your own DVDs! (with a bunch of other gear)
Cons: Rather pricey.
The Bottom Line: If you are going to do single layer dvd authoring for bulk distribution, this is the drive.
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| floop's Full Review: MicroBoards Pioneer DVR-S201 DVD-R Drive |
As of fall, 2000, the pioneer DVR-S201 is the only DVD-R available for computer mastering. If you want to author interactive DVDs on your mac/pc and burn single copies to discs that can be read in most DVD-ROM endowed computers and many set-top DVD players, this is the only choice available.
The S201 is a SCSI device, and despite being advertised as an Ultra SCSI device, the unit has standard Centronix 50 external "SCSI 2" connectors.
There are three "flavors" of media available for this unit. 3.95 gig "1.0" media, which as of 11/00 runs for around $26+ a disc. 4.75 gig "1.1" media which is closer to $30/disc and cannot be used as a master for bulk duplication and 4.75 gig 2.0 media, which can. You cannot mix and match between the two flavors of 4.75 gig media as the ability to burn each is stored in the firmware of your unit. If your unit is set up to burn 1.1 media and you wish to burn 2.0 media, you must flash upgrade your firmware (easily available at pioneer.com for both mac and pc) at which point you will not be able to burn the older 1.1 4.75 gig media. (3.95 gig 1.0 media works in either firmware state).
If you are looking for a set-top device to use instead of a VCR, keep looking. The DVR-S201 is strictly a computer peripheral. In order to create your own DVDs, you will need some kind of MPEG2 encoder and an authoring package, each ranging from $500 to $10,000 depending on features/quality. If you are planning on producing hundreds of a DVD you author, you may not need this machine. After authoring a DVD, instead of burning it to DVD-R, you can deliver it to a duplication service on DLT or SCSI drive for them to create a glass master from.
The unit is solidly built and so far has performed beautifully. The only drawback is more of a functional one than design or production. DVD-R is a single layer format, and as such, the largest DVD-R available is 4.75 gigs, roughly the same as a single layer of a single side of a standard DVD-Video. This means that for any DVD-Videos you create using DVD-R, you are limited to roughly 1 hour of video at high quality encoding. In order to create a feature length DVD-R, you will have to drop your compression quality down a bit. In order to create a DVD with multiple hours of video and features, you'll need to author it then send it out via DLT or SCSI drive to a duplicator capable of making a dual layered and possibly even dual sided DVD.
The DVR-S201 is decidedly a product for a very niche market. If you want to create one-off copies of interactive content or create beautiful infinitely looping presentations for museums/galleries/displays/kiosks that do not degrade the image over time, or really high quality videos a business professional can take to a presentation instead of blurry VHS or bulky BetaSP, this unit is a critical part of an assortment of equipment required to do so. If you are looking for a stand-alone unit capable of converting home movies to dvd or recording from TV, keep looking. There are supposed to be reasonably priced stand alone consumer units already being used in Japan arriving in the U.S. any day now.
UPDATE! 1/2001
Pioneer has announced shipment of their new "general use" dvd recorder. Although it has yet to hit the market (as of 1/19/2001), the drive is reported to be an atapi drive which will retail for under $1000. This drive uses different media which will be available for around $10/disc. The "general use" drive implements digital copy protection which will prevent copies being made of dvds mastered with it. If your goal is to author dvds for duplication, the specs say that you are required to use a dvr-s201 for that purpose. However, if your goal is to pop out one-off dvds, the new drive is great. Compaq and Apple have both pre-announced bundled hardware and software solutions with dv editing and dvd authoring for less than the cost of the dvr-s201 alone. The Apple solution is particularly exciting as the imovie2 and idvd software are included which are both outstanding for allowing novices to edit and master dvd content.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
floop
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Member: Andrew Dean
Location: Dallas, Texas
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 5 members
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