Not just a DVD-RAM, but a DVD-RAM(BO): Rugged and Strong! (Panasonic LM HC47LE5 DVD-RAM 4.7 GB 3x)

Member Name: deelot

Product:	Panasonic LM HC47LE5 DVD-RAM 4.7 GB 3x
Date:	22/02/09 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More durable, reliable and flexible than other DVD formats

Disadvantages: Not compatible with older DVD players and computers, more expensive at the moment

OK first of all, please forgive me for the corny title of this review. My justification is that I have to make a review about DVD-RAM as interesting as it is humanly possible, so that was my attempt. Apologies. You might be asking why am I even bothering to write a review on Dooyoo about DVD-RAM in the first place, when I could be writing about Emmerdale or something. Well the reason for this is because DVD-RAM has genuinely become a revelation to me, because I have learned that they are far superior to any other recordable DVD format.

I needed to buy a few blank recordable DVDs to archive certain films and programmes on my new Panasonic DMR-EX78EB-K Freeview+ 250GB HDD DVD Recorder, so I assumed I would buy DVD±RW, until I unintentionally discovered that Amazon were selling a 5 pack of Panasonic DVD-RAM for over £7. It is more expensive than other recordable DVD formats, but I bought this product for following reasons:

1. DVD-RAM is more reliable and durable than other DVD formats

This aspect is vital for me, because I want to minimise the risk of potentially losing any archived programmes stored on disc. This is why the well-documented statistics surrounding DVD-RAM appealed to me. Firstly, if the disc is not physically damaged, then any data on the disc will be stored for at least 30 years. Secondly, it is estimated that DVD-RAM can be rewritten over 100,000 times, compared to 1,000 for DVD±RW. While I have not personally put any of these impressive statistics to the test to verify their claims, I suppose it does give me some peace of mind that there is a product like this on the market that clearly addresses the issues concerning durability and reliability.

2. DVD-RAM is more flexible for recording and editing programmes than other DVD formats

Unlike the other DVD formats, DVD-RAM operates in a way that is similar to a hard disc drive on a computer. This consequently offers greater advantages over its rival formats. For instance, DVD-RAM does not need to undergo finalisation for playback. In other words, you can watch a programme that is still in the middle of recording onto a DVD-RAM from the very beginning. Another benefit of DVD-RAM is that you do not need to format the disc, if you want to delete or add particular programmes. This is because the DVD-RAM uses up all of the available disc space wherever it is on the disc. After you have recorded programmes onto this type of disc, you may also have the option of editing the programmes. This may depend on the type of recorder you have. I certainly have this option on my HDD DVD recorder and I love it, because I love to delete all the annoying adverts that interrupt a good film for example. Using DVD-RAM on my machine also means that I can create chapters and playlists directly on the DVD-RAM disc. The quality of the recordings on DVD-RAM are great too. So far, I have recorded in Standard Play and Long Play on this disc, and I am happy with the quality in both cases.

3. Good for archiving data on your laptop or PC (if it is compatible with DVD-RAM!)

I will now use DVD-RAM discs to archive my data on my home computer on a regular basis, because it is quicker and easier than using DVD±RW.

With that said, while DVD-RAM can be played on all Panasonic DVD recorders and all DVD-RAM compatible DVD players, it may not be likely to be playable on older DVD players and computers. This maybe something to bear in mind.

© This is entirely my own work. I have also published this review under the user name dnl05 on Ciao UK.

Summary: DVD-RAM is more superior to other recordable DVD format

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