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Buffalo brings some HD DVD lovin' to desktops

Buffalo has laid claim to the world's first HD DVD drive made specifically for desktops computers. The HDV-ROM2.4FB can play back HD DVD-ROM, HD DVD-R, DVD±R/RW, CD-ROM and CD-R/RW media and will be available later this month.

While this may be the first 5.25" HD DVD drive for desktops machines, it's by no means the first HD DVD drive compatible with PCs. Earlier this year, Toshiba launched its Qosmio G30 Core Duo laptop with an integrated HD DVD drive while Acer offered up the Aspire 9800. Also worthy of mention is the Xbox 360's HD DVD drive add-on which works in Windows XP with some driver trickery and has native support in Windows Vista.

Buffalo's HDV-ROM2.4FB will have an estimated MSRP of 37,000 Yen or $320 USD. For comparison, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 HD DVD USB 2.0 drive retails for just $199. The HDV-ROM2.4FB will come bundled with a copy of Cyberlink’s  PowerDVD HD DVD Edition software.

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So... PATA or SATA?
By therealnickdanger on 12/6/2006 12:01:06 PM , Rating: 2
It would be nice to know, Mr. DailyTech! :D

I'm so sick of PATA optical drives. It would nice if a "next generation" drive would actually support the current generation connectivity.

Given that most users can't comprehend the idea that the Xbox360 drive can be used on a PC, I think this will probably be successful. I'm glad it comes with the software, at least!




RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By TomZ on 12/6/2006 12:30:11 PM , Rating: 3
I agree - PATA sucks - bring on SATA!


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By Scorpion on 12/6/2006 12:50:21 PM , Rating: 3
There are a few SATA optical drives on the market. Unfortunately they are still extremely expensive compared with their PATA equivalents. I have a PX-755A (Plextor) and it cost me a lot more than an equivalent PATA drive. You probably ask why I bought it and I wonder the same things sometimes. :) I just got so fed up with PATA cables in my computers, I refused to put one in.

I'm not sure how true this is, I haven't looked into it myself, but a friend of mine told me that SATA was not very beneficial to the high interuptiveness(I think I just made that word up) of optical drives. Don't quote me on that though.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By TomZ on 12/6/2006 12:58:20 PM , Rating: 2
I think the other benefits of SATA are more important, especially the cabling (as you said), no need to set any jumpers (common source of configuration problems), and that most motherboards support more SATA devices than were typically supported for PATA.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By Scorpion on 12/6/2006 1:02:05 PM , Rating: 2
I rather agree. I'd just like to see everything moving away from PATA so we can leave it in the past, for all of those reasons.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By Scorpion on 12/6/2006 1:10:03 PM , Rating: 3
Oh... I just thought of something else. When building my new computer I have to "temporarily" install a PATA Optical Drive to install windows from. Apparently most motherboards don't support booting from Optical SATA drives? Not to mention that the XP discs don't support SATA drivers to begin with... Yeah I just feel like we've got a few people with their head stuck in the sand about moving away from PATA. It's like they've been using it for so long they can't fathom it's non-existence.

Read this for a good rant:
http://theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32808


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By sviola on 12/6/2006 2:19:55 PM , Rating: 2
Well, That's not accurate. If it was, you wouldn't be able to install windows on SATA drives, would you? The issue with windows xp installation is other.
Also, I think windows vista will allow you to install from sata drives.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 12/6/2006 2:48:23 PM , Rating: 2
XP Does if you load the SATA driver like you would a third party Raid.

Vista does natively.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By TomZ on 12/6/2006 2:58:16 PM , Rating: 3
Booting a SATA HDD is not the same as booting SATA optical drives. I am sure that all motherboards with SATA support booting SATA HDDs, but I am less sure that all motherboards support booting SATA optical drives.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By timmiser on 12/6/2006 3:25:07 PM , Rating: 2
The only problem I have with SATA is the dang motherboards are only putting SATA plugs on a MB. I've got 2 SATA hard drives in RAID and another 2 SATA drives for backup and have no more connectors for the optical drives. I'd like to see at least 8 SATA plugs being standard on motherboards before doing away with PATA.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By TomZ on 12/6/2006 8:52:26 PM , Rating: 2
There are lots of boards with 8 SATA ports - I guess that is something to shop for.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By timmiser on 12/8/2006 2:01:13 PM , Rating: 2
I'd like to see 8 SATA ports on "most" boards.


RE: So... PATA or SATA?
By timmiser on 12/8/2006 2:03:32 PM , Rating: 2
Further to my comment, with the prices the way they are, it is cheaper for me to buy a few 400 GB drives for $100 each than it is to buy a 750 GB drive at $350. Gimme more SATA ports!


Awesome
By BioRebel on 12/6/06, Rating: 0
RE: Awesome
By sotti on 12/6/2006 11:48:23 AM , Rating: 2
Um don't pretty much all new video cards output HD?

you probably need HDCP


RE: Awesome
By CascadingDarkness on 12/6/2006 1:05:59 PM , Rating: 2
From everything I've read DVI should pass basically same graphic information as a native HDMI out would (except no sound obviously). Which is my I just got a DVI to HDMI cable to hook my PC up to my new HD LCD TV.

Have yet to test it out to see if those claims are true.


RE: Awesome
By deeznuts on 12/6/2006 1:13:05 PM , Rating: 2
DVI and HDMI signal are identical except for sound. That's why you can buy cheaply DVI/HDMI cables very easily.

HDCP is another matter.


RE: Awesome
By inthell on 12/6/2006 2:00:53 PM , Rating: 2
ok but how do you get sound from your PC to TV using DVI?


RE: Awesome
By darkpaw on 12/6/2006 2:58:11 PM , Rating: 1
Audio cable from the sound card


RE: Awesome
By Aikouka on 12/6/2006 3:15:34 PM , Rating: 2
Yup, my TV has a VGA input (would be similar to having a DVI input) meant for a PC. So right beside the VGA port, it has a standard 3/8" audio jack for input from the PC. Works just fine :).


RE: Awesome
By inthell on 12/6/2006 4:05:57 PM , Rating: 2
i have read that you need a special gfx card that has HDMI? http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=325&type=expe...

is that correct or just regular DVI is fine??


RE: Awesome
By Clienthes on 12/7/2006 10:58:49 AM , Rating: 2
It depends on the TV. Some TV manufacturers have gimped their products so that HDMI->DVI from a PC won't work, others say they have to avoid compatability complaints (Samsung), others work just fine.



i get the feeling...
By cubby1223 on 12/6/2006 11:34:55 AM , Rating: 4
that people are going to pass on this and wait for an hd-dvd burner, or at the very least a combo drive with hd-dvd read capabilities, and your standard set of dvd & cd burning capabilities.




RE: i get the feeling...
By sotti on 12/6/2006 11:51:11 AM , Rating: 2
Some may, the people that will buy this will be buying it for HD-DVD movies.

People with computers in their home theater are waiting for a solution, but if this cost $320 here, I guarantee people will just buy the xbox360 drive since it can be used on the PC as well.


RE: i get the feeling...
By TomZ on 12/6/2006 12:38:33 PM , Rating: 3
There is always value to many people to have an internal SATA/PATA drive, instead of an external USB drive. Most people don't purchase based on cost alone.


RE: i get the feeling...
By sviola on 12/6/2006 2:22:54 PM , Rating: 2
You know there are internal USB ports, don't you?


RE: i get the feeling...
By TomZ on 12/6/2006 3:03:32 PM , Rating: 2
Are you suggesting that folks would buy an XBOX HD-DVD drive and mount it internally in their PC? That seems less than convenient.


By this time next year...
By GTaudiophile on 12/6/2006 2:25:39 PM , Rating: 2
By this time next year you'll be able to buy a HD/BR Reader/Writer with SATA connection for under $500.

At least I am not jumping onto the next-gen DVD bandwagon until such a drive does become available.




By Master Kenobi (blog) on 12/6/2006 2:50:52 PM , Rating: 2
Just hit me with a <200$ HD-DVD Burner and I'll be sold. I didn't get a DVD drive for my computer until I could get a burner. No sense buying a HD Movie if I cant burn it like any other movie :D


RE: By this time next year...
By XtremeM3 on 12/7/2006 12:42:27 AM , Rating: 2
Oh did you talk to Sony and get them to drop their exclusivity clause for BR? Thanks, that was cool of you.


How about a burner?
By timmiser on 12/6/2006 3:31:18 PM , Rating: 2
I've had my Sony HD video camera for over a year now. I've got all these HD video tapes that are stacking up waiting for a burner that I can make into HD-DVD movies. I have my Studio 10+ software that is capable of burning HD-DVD content onto HD-DVDs. Heck with the player, I want a burner and I want it now. (Burners should have been out a year ago.)




Hybrid
By Trisped on 12/6/2006 3:31:19 PM , Rating: 2
I am still going to wait for a hybrid drive. It isn't that hard to add a second laser and a few more chips and then I can play everything.




Another win for HD-DVD
By DangerIsGo on 12/7/2006 1:52:43 AM , Rating: 2
Another win for the HD-DVD format and another blow to sony. Think that the BD drives cost approximately $800 while this one goes for $320 and the xbox drive goes for more than $100 less? BD is not definitely not doing well. :/




SATA on optical drives next year?
By probedb on 12/7/2006 6:20:44 AM , Rating: 2
Wasn't there an article either here or somewhere else that most major optical drive manufacturers will be rolling out SATA as the main connector sometime over next year?

Would be nice :)




3.5 inch drive
By djcameron on 12/6/06, Rating: -1
RE: 3.5 inch drive
By sdsdv10 on 12/6/2006 11:54:51 AM , Rating: 2
Are there currently any 3.5" optical drives (DVD or CD) out there? I have never seen one.


RE: 3.5 inch drive
By psenechal on 12/6/2006 12:31:38 PM , Rating: 2
Pretty much every CD/DVD drive supports 3.5" discs. If you open up your tray, you'll notice a smaller circle inside the 5.25" one. This will hold a 3.5" disc.

They make writeable 3.5" CDs that can be used as Business Cards of all things. I'm sure there is probably someone out there making 3.5" writeable DVDs as well.


RE: 3.5 inch drive
By aliasfox on 12/6/2006 12:32:20 PM , Rating: 3
Short answer: They exist. See below.

Long answer: The market for them is too small for anybody to push it as a viable medium. All tray loading 5.25" drives have the indentation to use smaller disks, and the vast majority of laptops are designed to accomodate a slim 5.25" drive. Most consumers and manufacturers probably think that the marginal size and weight decrease isn't worth creating an entire new line of drives.

That said, Apple's ill-received PowerBook 5300 of 1996 (featured in Independence Day) had an optional 3.5" CD-ROM mainly because Apple apparently got caught flat footed early in the design process and didn't design the chassis to accept a larger 5.25" drive. As you can probably imagine, a $6,000 laptop with an optical drive that couldn't read normal CDs (or 99% of CD-ROM media at the time) wasn't very popular.


RE: 3.5 inch drive
By djcameron on 12/6/2006 12:49:35 PM , Rating: 2
I meant 3.5 inch HD-DVD drives. The idea is that the smaller disk would still hold more than a standard DVD, but it would fit in a pocket.


RE: 3.5 inch drive
By SoCalBoomer on 12/6/2006 12:32:41 PM , Rating: 3
Yep, didn't someone actually TRY smaller discs. . .oh yeah, the PSP. . .those went over well. . .other ones. . .small CD-Roms have been around for years. . .never really caught on. . .yeah, let's stick with the 5.25. . .ellipsis overload. . .


RE: 3.5 inch drive
By Scorpion on 12/6/2006 12:43:07 PM , Rating: 2
I wouldn't say that the size of the physical disc had anything to do with the failture of UMD.

See Mini-Disc .


RE: 3.5 inch drive
By Aikouka on 12/6/2006 2:31:23 PM , Rating: 2
In my opinion, UMD failed outright because the main player for them was the PSP and while UMD works well with the PSP on the go... if you're at home with a UMD (I mean, with UMD's being the same price or higher than a DVD, who wants to buy the same movie twice?), there's no way other than those goofy cover optical things to get output onto your TV. Essentially, the PSP needed a Video Output jack on it somewhere or even an adapter via the mini-USB on top.

But if we want to get into reasons why the PSP didn't fair as well, you could also get into things like the lack of game demos. Some may not agree, but since the PSP featured expansion memory, why not use it and allow people to download lots of assorted game demos. But no, Sony only made about 8 game demos available throughout the PSP's lifespan so far. To find these demos, I also had to use an expansive googly search.

I know some people also kind of wanted to see something other than MediaStick, which isn't the biggest gripe, but it would've been nice. MediaSticks are usually twice as expensive as a same-size SD card, so getting more media for your buck would've been a nice incentive.

Some others complained about the price, but I never honestly found it too expensive. I went with the core version when I purchased mine and spent the extra $50 that I saved on a larger media stick and a game, so that worked out well for me :).

Also, smaller opticals tend to be a bane in slot-loading media players, which is one reason why people prefer not to use them. Anyone remember the Mac debacle with the home-made business card cd-roms that got stuck in the mac slot-loading optical drive? :P Also, these discs were typically expensive compared to their counterpart which held significantly more data. I believe a mini-HD-DVD or a mini-Blu-Ray would be a bit more accepted if the price was right, because I don't think people really desire 15Gb+ of storage. I know that a DVD size is great for me right now as most of my needs easily fit on a DVD.


RE: 3.5 inch drive
By jonnybradley on 12/7/2006 4:48:30 AM , Rating: 2
I think you'll find you lose at lot of data by making the disk smaller.

Try this, draw a small circual on a bit of paper (or in paint) now draw a larger one about 1' around the small one, which is larger.

The further to the outside of the disk you get the longer the data track is for one revolution. So if you reduce the size of the disk you are losing the longest data tracks.


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