recordable dvd

Does anybody know when recordable dvd is due in GB, i know Sony and Pioneer have systems already running in Japan but all i ever hear about are format wars. Do you think they will fight for format dominance in their home market before hitting europe? Also, just while i'm on the subject why the big gap between Japanese release and european surely the technolgy is the same, is it just to build up pre-release hype?

why do you really want recordable dvd?? rig up yer pc with a tv tuner/dvd drive and divx codecs and yer away making dvd (soooooo close, barely noticable) quaility mpeg4 movies that can burn onto 2 cd's. They look stunning and the chances are that you will already have all the harware. The cost of recordable dvd will be huge at first so dont bother. I quite often "back up" blockbusters dvd's for them and when they are playing you cant tell there not dvd's............honest