Customer Reviews

Panasonic DVD-RAMs (LM-AF120LU5)

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This 5-pack of Panasonic DVD-RAMs is excellent. You can use and reuse them to record your favorite TV shows without having to worry about wearing down your VCR and VHS tapes.

However, they do cost more than DVD-RW/+RW. Some DVD recorders supporting the DVD-RW(VR) mode offer similar capabilities as DVD-RAM based recorders. Also a number of PC-based DVD burners and stand-alone home electronics dvd players do not support DVD-RAM, so you have to trade-off these factors as well.

But DVD-RAMs are not as exclusive/isolated as let's say Sony's MemoryStick. DVD recorders from Panasonic, JVC, Toshiba, Samsung and LG use DVD-RAMs. Panasonic DVD players can playback DVD-RAM for sure.

So while this 5-pack of media is highly recommended for its quality and durability, I am giving it 4-stars because at the same time you have to trade-off the higher price of DVD-RAM (vs DVD-RW/+RW) and playback availability.

After only a limited exposure on a new Panasonic DVD recorder, I am a fan of the DVD RAM format. While I haven't had time to test the stated 100,000 time rewriting capability (and probably won't in my lifetime) I do appreciate the continuous editing capability, including the ability to create and title chapters after the initial recording. I can see why this is now the prefered format in Japan, and why it is so pervasive in Europe. I can only hope that it will catch on here. Until it does, be aware that there are only a few newer DVD players--and precious few PCs--that can read this format.

I have been using Panasonic DVD Ram for over three years and cannot imagine not having it. I have a Panasonic DVD PVR and I installed an LG4082 DVD burner on my PC because it reads all formats, including RAM, albeit verrrrrrry slowwwwwly. I make DVDs on the PVR and play them on my TV or if I choose, my PC, and vise versa. You can use the RAM disc as a second Hard Drive. Record your information such as Videos, CD tracks,Music vids, Photos, even some DVD Movies; edit it the way you want, transfer it to the H.D.,then after some space saving editing if necessary,transfer the finished data to a permanent CD or DVD-R disc. I used to record a whole week of one hour shows then on the weekends, edit out the chaff and commercials and file the interesting main points of the shows. Two of the programs I recorded every day, were the late lamented "Call For Help" and "The Screensavers" on the also lamented TechTV channel. I use the RAM disc in addition to my PVR Hard drive to record everything I watch in case I miss something, especially sports like baseball.( It helped me to capture Miss Jackson at the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.) Sometimes I need to do multiple slow replays in order to settle safe or out arguments with my gavone buddies. Who needs the extra fee of TIVO? I have tried the R/W system too,however,it just seems to be a little too finicky. I had 10 R/W discs and now I have 8 R/W coasters. R/W has a bad habit of finalizing a disc, even if for some reason your recording fails and you then end up with a blank disc that your recorder thinks is full and or non recordable. I cannot remember that ever happening with my DVD/RAMs; I think I'll stick with DVD/RAM for now, it's A WINNER.

I've been using these discs in a Panasonic DVD recorder where they have worked very well with one exception. I use the discs to record television shows and delete the programs after I watch them and rerecord over them. I have been using the same set of 5 for a few months now. The one exception is that one of the discs became suddenly unreadable after I had been using it for a few days and had already recorded some programs on it. I reformatted it but it flaked out again so I threw it away. I would buy this product again but because I had one bad disc out of five I can only give an average rating.

Of the DVD-RAM discs I have used over the years these have to be the best in quality and longevity. I use these mainly with a Panasonic DVD recorder to record various TV programs for viewing at a later time and have to say they hold up very well to the constant recording and deleting. I highly recommend these DVD-RAM discs for value and quality. I was glad to find them available on amazon as it has become near impossible to find them in retail stores and harder to find them for a great price online.

They work great in Panasonic DVD recorders and on PCs. The only thing I do not like is the slim case. Really annoying. Too thin and no spine to write what's on it. I end up with a bunch DVDs that I don't what's on them without going through them. Panasonic's DVD-Rs are excellent also. I don't mind paying extra for good quality.

If your DVD recorder has DVD-RAM capability (like Panasonic's do), DVD-RAM is the way to go. Each disc is more expensive (about $3-5), but here are the advantages: DVD-RAM discs allow you to erase some shows you've recorded from the disc and will give you all of that space to rerecord something else. On a DVD-RW disc, if I record three one-hour shows and then erase the middle or first hour after watching it (leaving just two hours of recorded material on the disc), I cannot record a 1-1/2 hour show, even though there "should be" two hours of space on the disc. This is because the DVD-RW disc has definite, sequentially reserved space, so that the above-described disc has two separate one hour slots that cannot be combined for a 2 or 1-1/2 hour show to be recorded. I think it might be the case, too, that the disc will only let you record on the final hour (and not into the middle hour that I've erased). You have to erase all on the disc to get the recordable space back.

With DVD-RAM discs, it's like a flash drive or an old floppy--if there's any combination of an hour left on the disc, the RAM disc can record the hour, 1-1/2 hour, or 2-hour show, regardless.

Next benefit: with the DVD-RAM disc you can watch the show that you're still recording (or any other show that's already recorded while a new show is, at the same time, in the act of recording). This is great if you're going to be 15 minutes late for a show. The DVD-RAM disc starts recording and when you show up 15 minutes later, you can just start watching, 15-minutes delayed. By the time you skip the recorded commercials, you can catch up with the show in real time by the end of the hour.

With a new Panasonic dvd player, EZ17K, I had not been using dvd ram until I spoke with a tech at Panasonic. Wow, what a difference! No need to format and waste time and easy to erase recorded programs. I am hooked and enjoy thoroughly recording my favorite shows. Highly recommend this product from the seller.

I bought a pack of these when a major retailer had a rebate deal on them, and they work wonderfully. I have had no problems with them using my Panasonic DMR-E85H DVD Recorder with 120 GB internal hard drive.

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I have been using the Panasonic DVD RAM discs to record various TV shows and movies on my Panasonic DMR-EZ47V DVD/VHS Player/Recorder. With the RAM discs the commercials can easily be edited out. I use a second DVD recorder and then copy from the RAM disc to the 2nd recorder to a standard permanent DVD to make copies for my library of the various shows I want to keep.

This editing capability is not available on the DVD +-R/W discs (at least, not on thi srecorder)

These are excellent DVD RAM discs and much lower priced than competing brands.