| DVR-A08XL (internal dual-layer Drive) DVRS806 External DVD-R/RW/+R/+RW ATAPI USB/Firewire Drive |
| 1. Are there any PC requirements for the DVR-S806 if I want to write at 16X speed? |
| 2. Can the drive write at 16X when it's connected to a notebook PC? |
| 3. Why do I need a Pentium® 4 PC or higher when both USB 2.0 and IEEE-1394 already support writing at 16X? |
| 4. What will happen if my PC is slower than a Pentium® 4 (desktop/tower) or a Pentium® M (notebook)? |
| 5. Why do I have to have a faster PC for the DVR-S806 but not for the DVR-A08XL? |
| 6. Does Pioneer recommend a particular PC model or brand to work with a DVR-S806? |
| 7. Will I have to buy a new PC if the drive firmware is updated? |
| 8. If I plan to only write at 12X on DVD±R do I need a faster PC? |
| 9. Can I use the DVR-S806 with my MAC? |
| 10. Will my DVR-S806 work in foreign countries? |
| 11. Can I power the drive from the PC? |
| 12. Why does the DVR-S806 have two IEEE-1394 terminals? |
| 13. If a DV camera is connected to the drive's IEEE-1394 port, can I record directly to disc? |
| 14. Can I boot up my PC from the DVR-S806? |
| 15. Is it better to use the USB 2.0 connection or the IEEE-1394 connector? |
| 16. How much data can the DVR-A08XL put on a double-layered writable DVD disc? |
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| ANSWERS |
| Q1: Are there any PC
requirements for the DVR-S806 if I want to write at 16X
speed? A1: To write at 16X, the computer must be equivalent to a Pentium® 4, 3GHz system or higher. However, having the required processor speed does not guarantee that the drive will write at this speed. The ability to write at 16X depends upon the PC's throughput; a computer with slower processing is incapable of writing at this speed. |
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| Q2: Can the drive write at
16X when it's connected to a notebook PC? A2: Yes. To write at 16X, a notebook computer must be equivalent to a Pentium® M, 1.1 GHz system (or higher) with Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology. However, having the required processor speed does not guarantee that the drive will write at this speed. The ability to write at 16X depends upon the PC's throughput; a computer with slower processing is incapable of writing at this speed. |
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| Q3: Why do I need a
Pentium® 4 PC when both USB 2.0 and IEEE-1394 already support writing at
16X? A3: Many DVD writing functions such as command processing, data loading and disc finalization depend upon the PC's processor. Slower processors are unable to send the information fast enough to achieve 16X speed. |
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| Q4: What will happen if my
PC is slower than a Pentium® 4 (desktop/tower) or a Pentium® M
(notebook)? A4: The drive burns the DVD±R at lower speeds but still produces a working disc. |
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| Q5: Why do I have to have
a faster PC for the DVR-S806 but not for the DVR-A08XL? A5: An internal ATAPI drive communicates directly with the PC while an external drive communicates through a USB 2.0 or an IEEE-1394 cable. Internal Bus speeds, RAM size, and other backgrounds tasks affect throughput. |
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| Q6: Does Pioneer recommend
a particular PC model or brand to work with a DVR-S806? A6: Pioneer does not recommend any specific computer brands and/or models. |
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| Q7: Will I have to buy a
new PC if the drive firmware is updated? A7: Some applications may require an update when the drive firmware changes but rarely does this affect the PC. |
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| Q8: If I plan to only
write at 12X on DVD±R do I need a faster PC? A8: To write at 12X, the computer must be equivalent to Pentium® 4/Celeron, 2.4GHz system or higher. However, having the required system does not guarantee that the drive will write at this speed. The ability to write at 12X depends upon the PC's throughput; a computer with slower processing is incapable of writing at this speed. The drive burns the DVD±R disc at a lower speed. |
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| Q9: Can I use the DVR-S806
with my MAC? A9: The drive is not compatible with Apple® PCs at this time. |
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| Q10: Will my DVR-S806 work
in foreign countries? A10: To operate your drive outside of the U.S., you may need to buy a different power cable. Check with your sales representative for more information. Note: Product support is only provided in the country where the drive is purchased. |
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| Q11: Can I power the drive
from the PC? A11: No. The power for the drive must be supplied separately. |
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| Q12: Why does the DVR-S806
have two IEEE-1394 terminals? A12: Dual IEEE-1394 terminals allow for daisy-chaining multiple devices. You may use either terminal to communicate with the PC. |
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| Q13: If a DV camera is
connected to the drive's IEEE-1394 port, can I record directly to
disc? A13: No. There is no way to author footage from a DV camera directly to the drive. |
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| Q14: Can I boot up my PC
from the DVR-S806? A14: The drive is not designed for booting up a PC. |
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| Q15: Is it better to use
the USB 2.0 connection or the IEEE-1394 connector? A15: Both options provide dependable communication between the drive and the PC. |
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| Q16: How much data can the
DVR-A08XL put on a double-layered writable DVD disc? A16: Some confusion has always persisted on this issue. The capacity of a DVD-9 (8.5 billion bytes) in "base 2 gigabytes" is not 8.3 GB. You have to use 1024 to the third power to come up with the base 10 equivalent of a "true" gigabyte, which yields a capacity of about 7.92 GB (8.5 billion bytes divided by 1.073 = 7.92 GB). Bottom line: dual layer writable discs should have the same capacity as replicated discs. |
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