Comments

vonhosen wrote on 9/8/2002, 7:03 PM
AO4 & 104 are the same burner.
The AO4 is the retail version so you get the full works burning software, documentation etc.
The 104 is OEM which basically means that any support for the drive should come from who you bought it from, not Pioneer & it won't be as nicely wrapped. What is included with it depends who you bought it from but you could just get a bare drive with minimal instructions.
sonicboom wrote on 9/8/2002, 8:09 PM
thnx
i think i'll buy the a04 then
i'm still deciding on ulead movie factory and dazzle
plus, i have no clue as to if i should buy generic dvd's or name brand
$1.59 vs $5 per...it can add up
but quality is king!!
thnx
sb
vonhosen wrote on 9/8/2002, 8:38 PM
I've used both & prefer Dazzle.
Remeber though that the only compressed audio supported is MPEG-1 layer II which isn't supported by NTSC spec. Your NTSC player may support it but if you are distributing NTSC you would have to use PCM or Dolby Audio. (Cheapest Dolby audio is DVDit PE I think at about $600)
That said if your projects are upto about 75mins you should get good enough quality from the 6.4Mbs average bitrate that would be allowed for your video encode.
With Dazzle I would reccomend that you choose best quality & just change the average bitrate to suit the size of your project. If you then load your .avi & let the built in encoder do it's bit you should be pleasantly surpirised with the output.

I had my share of coasters with cheaper discs but now pretty much stick to Apple DVD-R (as I've had no coasters with them) & the seem to be a little cheaper than the other big name brands.
DGates wrote on 9/8/2002, 9:39 PM
As far a DVD-R media, stay away from the ultra-cheap variety (Meritline, etc). Their quality control is either less or non-existent. While you may get the occasional good disc or two, you'll end up with more problems in the long run.
I 've been buying Verbatim 15 count spindles from Best Buy for $59 (so $4 a disc), and they're very reliable.
sonicboom wrote on 9/8/2002, 10:00 PM
now i'm really confused??!!
remember, i'm just a hypnotist from joisey :)
i don't know about bitrate?
ntsc spec's?
compressed audio?
the list goes on and on
i am clueless x 100,000
i am planning on buying the pioneer drive A04
then i will buy verbatum dvd's
how do i render? i thought just mpeg2?
if anyone is really bored, and has mercy on my poor soul
i would appreciate the steps for dazzle or ulead
i thought i just rendered--mpeg2
created chapters and then burned a dvd
cheers
:)
my hypnosis powers are stronger than my video powers
sb
stepfour wrote on 9/9/2002, 12:40 AM
Naah, you're not clueless. You're just entering the exciting world of DVD making and it can feel overwhelming at times.

As for DVD audio, I do agree that PCM and AC3 are the recommended NTSC formats, however, I haven't had a bit of trouble with MPEG Layer II (MP2 audio). Compress the audio stream seperately from the video. That way your authoring program won't have to reencode the entire clip. It will simply adjust audio to MP2 224kbps.

Dazzle DVD Complete is as easy as pie and works perfectly with the A04/104. Very nice feature set for the money, including motion menus and label preparation. They cost a bit more, but Pioneer DVD-R discs are also a good choice.

Get your burner and jump on into DVD making! By the way, get at least one DVD-RW disc so you can try out your creations without wasting those write-once DVD-R discs.
Luxo wrote on 9/9/2002, 4:07 AM
Yes, DEFINITELY get at least one DVD-RW. It will save you tons of cash. Also, if you're curious about media compatibility, buy a sampler pack from a site like meritline.com. They're currently offering a sampler of 6 brands (2 of each = 12 DVD-Rs) for $19.99. That doesn't include a pioneer branded set though, which are reputed to be the most reliable. Apple brand is also recommended.

Luxo
TLT wrote on 9/9/2002, 12:05 PM
I have purchased the Meirtline DVD-r's and have burn around 10 of them so far with no problems. I bought a bundle of 25. They cost me $1.19 each.
HeeHee wrote on 9/10/2002, 12:56 AM
If you are planning to use either the Ulead or Dazzle DVD authoring apps, then you should buy the OEM DVR-104 version to save money. With the DVR-A04 version, you get another Authoring tool. I think its MyDVD.
riredale wrote on 9/10/2002, 2:11 PM
I bought the -04 burner last spring. It's the OEM version, and it came without any fancy software or documentation. Works great, and I already have Nero and other software anyway. Only difference I can tell is that the case doesn't have a phone jack and volume control over on the left side--big deal.

Go over to the DV Magazine web site, where they have an extensive article on media compatibility. Their conclusion, I recall, is that there was a big difference between the cheap and more-expensive DVD-R media. www.dv.com
RCW wrote on 9/10/2002, 11:39 PM
In case anybody's interested, my DVR-104 from esbuy.com has the phone jack & volume control on the left side and it came with Pioneer operation - installation documentation.