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Ready or not, better be prepared to confront DVD the
next time you go to purchase a new PC or upgrade your CD-ROM drive. You'll
find DVD-ROM upgrade kits side-by-side with the latest CD-ROM drives,
and you'll find DVD-ROM drives preinstalled in new home systems. The question:
Should you choose a DVD-ROM drive over a CD-ROM drive? The answer depends
on how optimistic you feel.
Only a handful of DVD-ROM applications are currently
available for PCs. Meanwhile, hundreds of DVD-ROM movies, better suited
for set-top players, fill store shelves.
It's a chicken-and-egg problem: Software developers
won't create expensive PC DVD-ROM titles until the installed base of DVD-ROM
drives grows. But users are reluctant to buy drives until titles arrive.
If you buy a DVD-ROM drive, you're gambling that the format will take
hold on the PC. It's a pretty safe bet, but it may take several years
for that to happen.
In the end, it's a personal choice, so here are some
factors to consider.
Extra Costs
A DVD-ROM drive adds about $100 to $150 to the price
of a new PC. Most PC manufacturers offer DVD-ROM only for home systems
because the format is still very entertainment-oriented. All PC makers
let you customize your new system, so you can pick a 32X CD-ROM over a
DVD-ROM drive and save the money. Upgrade kits run from $150 to $210 for
so-called third-generation DVD-ROM drives (more on this shortly).
Software Decoding vs. Hardware
Decoding
DVD movies and PC titles require MPEG-2 video decoding.
This can be done by software or a hardware add-in board. Software decoding
works well on systems running at 266 MHz and faster but places a greater
burden on your PC's CPU. If you plan to surf the Internet (or do anything
else) while playing a DVD title, your overall system performance will
suffer with software decoding.
Hardware decoding allows for perfect playback and
puts very little burden on the CPU. Most PC makers let you choose either
software or hardware decoding when you customize a new system--software
decoding will save you $70 to $90. Most upgrade kits include a hardware
decoder board.
DVD Speed
The latest drives mark the third generation of DVD-ROM--each
generation either added features or improved performance. These drives
play DVD titles at 5X DVD-ROM speed and CD-ROMs at 14X to 32X CD-ROM drive
speed. In reality, these speed ratings won't mean much to you. DVD and
CD titles are optimized for slow drives, so that they will work on average
PCs as well as the latest and greatest systems. You'll only notice improved
performance when you install software from a disc or when you copy files
from a disc to your hard drive.
In general, third-generation DVD-ROM drives are perfectly
adequate as replacements for CD-ROM drives in home PCs. Just be careful
when you shop--you'll still find slower second- and even first-generation
DVD-ROM drives out there. These older drives are less suited for replacing
your CD-ROM drive.
Rewritable DVD
Trouble is brewing over a rewritable DVD format.
Toshiba, Hitachi, and Panasonic tout their new (2.6GB per side) DVD-RAM
formats, while Sony, HP, Ricoh, and Philips hype their upcoming (3GB per
side) DVD+RW formats. These drives let you record as well as play new
high-capacity discs.
Unfortunately, neither DVD-RAM media nor DVD+RW media
are compatible only with fourth-generation DVD-ROM drives, which are just
starting to ship. And then, only with the format that the drive manufacturer
has adopted. Therefore, Panasonic's fourth generation DVD-ROM drive will
support DVD-RAM media but not DVD+RW. Sony's fourth generation DVD-ROM
drive will support DVD+RW but not DVD-RAM. And so on.
Still with me? The bottom line: Don't buy a DVD-ROM
drive for its rewritable qualities--those first DVD-ROM drives will be
expensive and it's too early to tell which format will win out.
For now, the CD-ROM market is alive and well. If cost
is your primary concern, you might opt for a CD-ROM drive and consider
DVD-ROM for your next upgrade. On the other hand, buying a DVD-ROM drive
now is a pretty safe investment. All indications point toward its success.
And you should find more PC DVD titles in the coming year.
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