[Crocodile]

It's time to start archiving camcorder footage & photos off the PC. I don't have a DVD writer & my dear old Tosh 2109 doesn't even read CDRs. So, what I'm looking for is recommedations for a PC DVD writer & an MR DVD player that is good with recordable media (-R/-RW). Logic would suggest Pioneer 108 for the PC with maybe a 575 to play them on. In the real world however, I know that the low foreheaded, slack jawed morons at Pioneer are a complete waste of space when it comes to anything approaching technical support.

So, I'm thinking NEC 3500 for the PC but don't know what to go for for playback. I have a Tosh 32ZP18Q that has component but no prog scan. What can you recommend up to £150 from personal experience?

Now, where's those Paracetamols....

[Keith Hurst]

Originally Posted by crocodile

It's time to start archiving camcorder footage & photos off the PC. I don't have a DVD writer & my dear old Tosh 2109 doesn't even read CDRs. So, what I'm looking for is recommedations for a PC DVD writer & an MR DVD player that is good with recordable media (-R/-RW). Logic would suggest Pioneer 108 for the PC with maybe a 575 to play them on. In the real world however, I know that the low foreheaded, slack jawed morons at Pioneer are a complete waste of space when it comes to anything approaching technical support.

So, I'm thinking NEC 3500 for the PC but don't know what to go for for playback. I have a Tosh 32ZP18Q that has component but no prog scan. What can you recommend up to £150 from personal experience?

Now, where's those Paracetamols....

I have the earlier Pioneer 106, my standalone main player is the 565. I have no problems creating then reading DVD-r/+r discs. I burn at 4 speed and tend to use discs which have the Ritek G04 dye. The 108 will support Ritek G05 8x burning discs.

I recommend you have a look at www.svp.co.uk when you come to make your choices, however your intial thoughts on this would seem to be on the right lines.

Regards
Keith Hurst

[lynx]

I have a Pioneer 106 and it has never let me down, great burner.

[ihan]

I've owned both a pioneer 105 & a 107, and I haven't a bad word to say about either of them. Pioneer make excellent DVD writers. A friend of mine has a pioneer 108, and although he hasn't tried dual layer discs yet, he has had no problems with single layer.

[vonhosen]

Pioneer 108 here. Likewise I haven't bothered with the dual layer discs yet but single layer -R/+R playback fine.

I did have to change a .dll file in my burning program to make all the burning speeds available though.

[Crocodile]

Thanks for the replies guys. Looks like against my better judgement, the all Pioneer solution IS the one to go for.

Anyone got a 470 yet?

[Crocodile]

Thought I'd post an update for anyone else looking for similar info.

Bit the bullet & grudgingly bought a Pioneer 575 player. Just for the hell of it, I burnt a VCD of around 30 minutes footage. Didn't expect much due to all the negative posts I've read previously about jerky & blocky playback on assorted players. To my surprise, it plays back flawlessly in the 575. Capturerd footage was processed by Pinnacle Studio 7 SE & the VCD written by Roxio Easy CD Creator 5, both now superceded by later versions or two. Looks like the DVD writer can wait for now.

My Pioneer loathing threshold has been reduced to 99%!