InstantWrite makes DVD-RAM usage easier than ever

Panasonic and VOB Information Systems, Inc. announced today that VOB’s InstantWrite UDF file system supports Panasonic’s 2.6 and 4.7GB DVD-RAM drives in Windows® 95/98/ME/NT4/W2000 environments. With InstantWrite, users access the drives by clicking on a single drive letter; files can be moved by simply dragging and dropping them. By combining these features with the rewritable DVD drives’ random access and direct overwrite capabilities, Windows users have the high-capacity, low-cost storage they need with the look and feel of a standard hard drive.

Fully integrated into the Windows OS, VOB InstantWrite provides users with familiar tools to create new files or directories and to save all types of data files directly to the Panasonic rewritable DVD drive from any application. Files can be recorded using the industry standard UDF format or the traditional Windows FAT format. With the UDF format and InstantWrite’s ISO finalizing, files can be ported between Windows and Linux, Macintosh® or UNIX® computers equipped with a DVD-RAM drive or compatible DVD-ROM drive.

With InstantWrite, data is written to a DVD-RAM disc in small packets, which virtually eliminates the possibility of buffer underruns or interruptions that can compromise data integrity. Minimal additional disc space is required with this method, so almost all of the disc capacity is available for data storage. InstantWrite also includes special caching systems and streaming file support to optimize write performance.

Files can be written to the Panasonic 4.7GB DVD-RAM drive at data transfer rates of up to 22.16Mbps (about the same speed as 8- to 10X-speed CD-RW drives). Once recorded, users can advance to specific segments of the disc for almost instant access to their data for viewing, editing or overwriting–just like a hard drive, but at a fraction of the storage cost.

The broad media interchangeability offered by Panasonic DVD-RAM drives makes them even more cost-effective. InstantWrite includes the drivers to support this feature, enabling the 4.7GB drive to delivers disc read rates comparable with 24X CD-ROMs for discs currently accepted by CD-ROM, CD Audio, Multi-Read CD-R, CD-RW and video CD drives as well as 4-6X DVD read speeds for DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio and DVD-R discs.

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