[MacDV] Re: Pioneer DVR-105 for $170

[Frank Wiewandt]

Hey Thubten (can I call you Thubten? :-),

> Yes Frank. Cendyne is just a marketing company. They buy other
> manufacturer's drives and put them in boxes for resale. It's a
Pioneer
> DVR-105 in the box.

That's basically what I was hoping, but I've yet to see anything
(besides your above statement) other than anecdotal references
directly connecting the Cendyne to Pioneer. The Cendyne website lists
both their DVD-RW & Pioneer's. The specs read exactly the same (when
both units list the same specs) except for the physical dimensions
which list the Pioneer as slightly longer. Go figure! I've read
nothing that catagorically states the Cendyne unit is really the
Pioneer under a different label. Don't get me wrong, I believe that
this is probably the case & I was able to find one at Office Max which
I did snatch up so I hope so! I just want to be as certain as possible
before I open the box.

> It even says DVR-105 on the box.

Yes it does. It doesn't say *Pioneer* DVD-105, though, & no, I really
don't expect it to. :-)

I'm really not trying to be a jerk about this. It's just that I have
been around long enough to see cheap knock-offs successfully
masquerading as brand name products. As the BBB says, if it seems too
good to be true, it probably is. ;-) While I don't believe this to be
the case here, I'd be much more comfortable opening up this box if I
had some info that this drive is, in fact, a Pioneer DVD-105 marketed
under a different brand name.

I intend to get a firewire enclosure for it & use it with my 800MHz
TiG4. I know I'll need to get DVDSP to burn my FCP projects & not
iDVD2, but hey, if I can get the drive for about $175, I can put the
extra $s into that.

Thanks for your reply!

Happy New Year!

Frank Wiewandt