Ricoh MP5120A review

Version 3 of Sonic's MyDVD no longer resembles DVDit. It has a new Wizard taking the user from camcorder to disc in a few simple steps but, other than that, the program has been heavily dummed down. Overall it's an easy program to use and it works well, but it doesn't encourage creativity or experimentation.

Finished DVD-Videos replayed fine on a Yelo 800 DVD set-top player, but on an older model - a Samsung 709 - the disc couldn't be recognised. I'm sure a firmware upgrade to the Samsung would solve the problem, but this is a bit much to ask of the average consumer. Also, the disc couldn't be recognised on an older DVD-ROM drive - a Creative Labs DVD5240E-1 - which has no problem playing projects burned to DVD-R. No doubt a thorough compatibility list will start developing on the Internet shortly.

Overall, the Ricoh MP5120A is a attractive deal. The hardware performs well and its bundled software is thorough in its ability to guide the user through DVDVideo creation. Lack of write-once DVD-R support is unfortunate, as re-writable discs will almost certainly remain more expensive than write-once. Ultimately, the choice between DVD+RW and DVD-RW will boil down to hardware cost and the industry's support for each format. Early subscribers in each camp have a fair chance of being stung, so the best advice is keep your ear firmly to the ground.

Author: Peter Wells