DVD-RAM-A cornerstone of tomorrow's entertainment economy

DVD is here to stay, even though it took over 20 years to get here. DVD-ROM will most likely have the greatest impact and quickest acceptance in computer applications. This is due in part to DVD-ROM drives being backwards compatible with CD technology and having seven times the storage capacity. Still, there is a small chance that DVD-ROM's penetration in computers may stall if DVD-RAM prices for drives and discs fall rapidly. As it stands now, DVD-RAM drives will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000. Even with DVD's superior audio and video quality, DVD-ROM in the home will be relegated for movie rentals and to the very niche market of status seekers. What will hold back DVD-ROM's proliferation in the market place will be the low number of movie or game titles available in the market. At the present rate of production, it will take a good year before a substantial inventory of titles becomes available due to the lack of authoring equipment in the market. We will have to wait until DVD-RAM enters the market and begins to replace the legacy VCRs.