Second-generation DVD Writers add DVD+R support
Introduction
HP, which in 2001 shipped its first-generation DVD rewritable drive, has announced newer models that add the ability to write to less expensive, write-once DVD+R media. The new media, the company says, is more compatible with most consumer DVD players. There are two new models: an internal IDE model dubbed the dvd200i, and an external unit called the dvd200e, sporting both FireWire and USB 2.0 connections. The new drives began hitting Canadian store shelves in early May and June for C$799 and $949, respectively. At this writing, in Jan. 2003, prices have declined considerably, to about $650.
Compatibility
HP has developed a utility for its DVD+RW drives that will let consumers change a disc setting to increase its compatibility with DVD-ROM drives. The utility will be included with dvd200i and dvd200e drives. Users of HP's first internal DVD+RW drive, the dvd100i, are able to download the utility from the company's Web site. (HP also offers a trade-in program, allowing dvd100i buyers to trade up to a dvd200i for US$99.)
The function of this bit-set utility is to set the "mode" for the DVD+RW disc or drive when it records a DVD (mode 1 or 2). These modes have something to do with DVD drives (set-top and PC) properly identifying the type of disc that is to be accessed.
HP has confirmed it will not support the Macintosh OS directly but adds that other DVD+RW manufacturers may choose to do so. (Roxio already supports the dvd100i with its Toast Titanium product for the Mac.) HP says it will support Win98/ME, Win2000 Professional and XP.
In an Apr. 8, 2002 article at News.com, Gartner analyst Mary Craig estimates that DVD movie discs produced using Pioneer's drive are compatible with more than 90 percent of consumer DVD players. DVD+RW is much lower, closer to 60 percent, although DVD+R compatibility is expected to be much higher. It's worth noting that these compatibility estimates are much more pessimistic than HP's own marketing efforts suggest. As noted in our review of the dvd100i, the company cites a test by Philips, which checked the 10 best selling DVD-Video player models in the US (Sep 1997 - 1999; source: Intellect) and found that nine out of the 10 could play DVD+RW.
Microsoft in April 2002 officially endorsed DVD+RW and says it will support the format in future versions of Windows -- through the "Mt. Rainier" packet writing specification that allows data to be written to discs as if they are giant floppy disks, and presumably with the DVD authoring software it licensed from Sonic Solutions in March 2002. The Mount Rainier group, including Compaq, Philips Electronics, Sony and Microsoft, finalized a DVD+RW writing specification in Mar. 2002.
DVD+RW is now the leading DVD authoring format, representing an approximate 39% share of all units sold, compared to DVD-R/RW's 37%, and smaller percentages for DVD-RAM (23%) and other, less common formats.
Supplied Software
The dvd200i and dvd200e ship with an updated version of Sonic Solutions' MyDVD (version 3.0 is discussed in our article on Creating DVDs), a simple backup utility designed to back up your data -- or your entire hard disk -- to one or more discs and a feature-reduced version of Veritas' RecordNow MAX.
Whither the dvd100?
In mid-2001, the DVD+RW Alliance website said, "DVD+RW will support the write-once capability, DVD+R... With a few simple clicks, consumers will be able to add DVD+R capabilities to their DVD+RW drives. Philips and HP will make the DVD+R software upgrade available this fall."
HP in 2001 said it planned to ship a firmware update in 2002 that would enable this feature. Unfortunately, these early promises were not kept. HP changed its website in Sept. 2001 to read: "HP has released the HP DVD100i with write-support for DVD+RW media only. Write-support for DVD+R media is neither planned nor technically feasible for the HP DVD100i model."
Buyer John Sabo told PC Buyer's Guide, "In November of 2001, I purchased the HP DVD100i DVD/CD recorder. This drive, in addition to CD-R/RW support, supports DVD+RW. Pre-release marketing information by HP and the DVD+RW Alliance posted at various websites and online interviews and reports throughout early to mid-2001 (http://www.dvdrw.org) clearly indicated that drives produced by Alliance members would at first support only the DVD+RW format and that support for DVD+R would be available by a user-applied firmware upgrade in early 2002."
Facing a rising tide of consumer frustration over this issue, the company subsequently did an about-face and began offering a US$99 upgrade option, allowing buyers of the dvd100i to upgrade to the dvd200i. While this buy-back policy was certainly better than its previous "too bad, Charley" stance, it still amounted to a broken promise, and that has left some purchasers understandably steamed. Thus, it was no surprise that a class action lawsuit was launched against the company in April 2002. Says Sabo, "I think the vast majority of people who bought this drive are happy with its performance, etc., however, our concern is the fact that HP promised (in various releases) an upgrade to support an extension to the product (DVD+R) and then decided not to pursue it. The addition of DVD+R support to the drive has advantages in lower cost of media compared to DVD+RW which makes it ideal for distributing copies of home videos or long-term archiving of material."
"My decision to purchase the HP drive was based on the advantages that the DVD+RW/R format and technology had over the DVD-RW/R format and that an easy to apply upgrade path to support DVD+R would be made available by HP for their drive. However, HP has appeared to change its mind about supporting this upgrade path and now does not plan to offer a firmware update to support DVD+R." Added Sabo, "The easiest thing for HP to do and still maintain any sort of customer 'loyalty' would be to have an exchange program for current DVD100i owners to the new DVD200 drive." (And, in Jan. 2003, that's exactly what the company did.)
The company finally offered customers a proposed class action settlement in reference to the DVD100i in 2003.
Prior to the announcement, HP had stated that it did not plan to offer a trade-in program to support those that purchased the DVD100i in spite of their decision to not offer a firmware upgrade to drives that have only been available to consumers for about 4 months at a cost of about $500 per unit. Sabo says calls and emails to HP about this problem in Feb. 2002 were unrewarding, although some users at that time were already reporting "unofficial" buy-backs by HP. Sabo reports that he personally called HP, but was told that no buy-back program was in place or was planned to be offered.
Clearly, the feeling of many other dvd100i owners who have posted to the DVD+RW user forum at http://www.dvdplusrw.org is that HP has misrepresented their product and misled consumers in an attempt to gain marketshare over their DVD-RW/R competition and that they have done this at the expense of consumers.
While HP's offer to refund the US$99 that customers paid to trade-in their dvd100i drives under the original offer is a positive step, the fact that HP did not fulfill its original commitment to purchasers of the first-release drive has led to nothing short of a public relations nightmare for the company. Mike Oreskovic, Category Business Manager of HP's iAppliances division, admitting that the initial focus was indeed to provide a migration path for existing dvd100i customers to have access to the write once technology, told PC Buyer's Guide, "we regret any issues that might have arisen as a result."
However, as Neowin notes, purchasers who already bought another DVD drive or simply do not wish to do further business with HP are effectively left without any ability to obtain a simple refund under the proposed settlement. They'll remember that the next time they are considering any HP product.
For Further Reading
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