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If DVD recorders start to look alike after a while, that's because they are-especially since everybody started making combo drives, incorporating the + and - formats. Occasionally, someone will introduce a new wrinkle-sleek external enclosure, bold software bundle (including, say, a consumer NLE like Video Studio 7, or a DVD copying/backup tool line WInDVD Copy), a little extra CD-RW speed, copious amounts of media, or a laptop-friendly, slimline form factor.
These innovations will certainly have their appeal for some users, depending on personal preferences and how they intend to use the drive. But, by and large, these selling points aren't variations on core components or capabilities of the drives. Plextor's new internal DVD+R/ RW, the PX-708A, does, arguably, offer something that's both new and integral, though how they accomplish it and what it will mean to those who purchase the drive in the next few months is not immediately apparent.
If you're familiar with the usual lag times...