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Hardware

Philips' JackRabbit32 DVD/CD-RW External Drive 147

Posted by timothy from the cheaper-than-a-notebook-with-superdrive dept.
James Bell writes "Designtechnica.com has just posted a brief first look of Philips new JackRabbit32 external DVD/CD-RW drive. This appears to be the first information leaked on the net about this product from what I can tell. This drive has multiple video out ports for hook up to a television or other video sources. There is also Dolby Digital 5.1 support as well as USB 2.0 and Firewire support. The drive can also play audio or MP3 CD's as well. Since the decoder is onboard, it should be easy to get the Jackrabbit32 to run under Linux I would imagine."
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Philips' JackRabbit32 DVD/CD-RW External Drive More

Philips' JackRabbit32 DVD/CD-RW External Drive

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  • How quaint. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by peterb ( 13831 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:01PM (#4769286) Homepage Journal
    A DVD/CD-RW? That's sooooooooooooooooo 2001!

    I'm holding out for DVD-R/CD-RW's, like Apple's Superdrive, baby.
    • Sure apple gives it a new name and calls it superdrive and overcharges you.

      But the absurd thing is that your post suggests that you may not konw that dvd-r and cd-r/rw burning drives already exists other then the Pioneer's drives.
      • Sure apple gives it a new name and calls it superdrive and overcharges you.

        The name overloading is also a potential source of confusion..."SuperDrive" originally referred to the 3.5" high-density floppy drive (1.4 MB vs. 800K) that Apple started shipping in the early 90s IIRC. The same thing happened with AppleWorks...the copy of AppleWorks I have isn't a relabeled ClarisWorks. It was derived from III EZ Pieces (an integrated-software package for the Apple III) and runs on the Apple II.

      • See, that's why I said "like" Apple's SuperDrive, which suggests, to people that know how to read, that I'm only calling it out as a single example.
    • A DVD/CD-RW? That's sooooooooooooooooo 2001!

      Except this one is a DVD player, as well, with the appropriate video outs. You can use your computer as a computer and still play a DVD for the kids.

      Mind you, standalone players are cheap enough that it doesn't seem particularly worth buying for that -- but it is more than just a combo drive.

  • price (Score:4, Interesting)

    by nogoodmonkey ( 614350 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:02PM (#4769292)
    Seems pretty expensive ($299) for a external cd burner. I guess it is a dvd player too, but $299 is a good chunk out of a new Dell laptop (they have one in the $800 range now).

    • Re:price (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Malicious ( 567158 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:08PM (#4769334)
      Some people will spend $600+ on a videocard that will last 2 months, before there's a bigger, faster, better version... yet a DVD/CDRW Drive that will kick ass for 6-12 months, and still be highly functional for years to come, is too expensive at $300....

      Go fig.

      • You're going to spend, what $300 for the newest top of the line video card? (not $600) But you're going to use that thing every day. The DVD/CD-RW, however, you probably wont use as much.
      • As many other people have mentioned, there are other products that will fill in for each part of this one device. CD burners, DVD players, etc, can all handle what this thing does, and most people already have them.

        The newest video card, on the other hand, is something that is required if you want to play games. I had to upgrade from my Voodoo 3/2000 not too long ago because I got a copy of Jedi Knight and Serious Sam 2 and neither would work with the Voodoo chipset. I upgraded to the middle (sortof) of the line GeForce card...not because it was cool, but because I really wanted to play these games.

        That's a serious difference...whether or not there exist products that can fill your product's niche equally well.

        --trb
      • Seeing as how I can buy seperate DVD and CD-RWs for ~$50 each, $300 IS expensive.

        Who really needs external stuff anyway?

        • Re:price (Score:1, Informative)

          by Anonymous Coward
          Laptop users. The price of an official Toshiba internal DVD/CD-RW drive is GBP 395 plus VAT. Hence one might need to consider a slightly more economical solution if one does not require use of the CD-RW drive while travelling.

          Having said that, get down to PC World and pick up an ordinary Freecom external CD-RW drive for GBP 99.99 (normal price GBP 149.99). (You won't find one much cheaper here.) On the other hand, the price quoted for the JackRabbit32 is only GBP 193.80; this doesn't sound so expensive.
      • Unless you're going for a workstation-class card (Quadro or FireGL), no video card will run you more then $300 at the moment.
    • Yeah for that price I'd want it to jack into my head download my dreams and burn to dvd.
    • Wow, I had not realised on my first read that this was not a DVD writer... I have an internal DVD writer that I paid much less for and I will continue to recomend that until something better comes along.
      I have the earlier model but alternatively - Pioneer DVR 105 DVDR/CDRW (OEM) ... 210.32 UKP @ scan.co.uk

  • Hey, great, a commercial! (Score:5, Funny)

    by User 956 ( 568564 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:03PM (#4769302) Homepage
    Nice to see the Slashdot Advertising policy in full effect [slashdot.org].
    • Not to bag on your comment specifically, but is it really funny every time we point this out?

      Isn't this just a general understanding by now? Slashdot needing to make money, and using what they do best to accomplish that.

      As a business owner myself, I feel almost.. proud of Slashdot. This means they are being a little more responsible and realistic in how the business is ran, and as such, will (hopefully) be around that much longer for *our* enjoyment.

      If you're visiting a web site every day, and atleast getting fifteen minutes entertainment out of it.. then the health of that site is not to be taken lightly.

      Rob, please do not hesitate to instate a monthly/annual billing system sooner rather than later. I would rather see it done when there are still some cash in the reserves, than as a last ditch method that hasn't gotten the chance it needs to ramp up.

      I'm all up for paying $1.95-$3.95/month to Slashdot if it can keep you around. Add the feature, and let it run for a few months with no access stipulations as cause of subscription--everyone is equal access (perhaps if you pay, you don't see the other ads) -- and if that works out well, then stick to it. If it doesn't work out well.. play with the pricing until it does, and from that point figure out your future strategy.

      But by God, ignore these people that laugh at you/Slashdot for trying to run an honest business. We really do appreciate what you have done here.

      Jason Fisher
      [aka BloodHawk, oldschool #4am IRC'er]
      • I'm all up for paying $1.95-$3.95/month to Slashdot if it can keep you around.

        Maybe they should do what Time Warner is doing, and make Slashdot free only to AOL subscribers. [slashdot.org]

      • Even when AltaVista reached the peak of its whoring, it at least marked the ads. And Google has demonstrated that even ads that are blaringly obvious as ads work. Therefore, I'd at least like to be notified when a /. story was paid. It can be really subtle, perhaps only if you click on the story, but I'd still like to know.

        Would you be willing to receive your local newspaper for free if one of the news stories on the front page was an ad (and you didn't know which one)?

        • "Would you be willing to receive your local newspaper for free if one of the news stories on the front page was an ad (and you didn't know which one)?"

          Honestly? Yes, if I knew ahead of time that they operated that way. Because it would be, just like it is with Slashdot, easy to distinguish which is which. Apart from that, I always take news with a grain of salt anyway. If something looks like a plug, smells like a plug, it probably is.

          I can't speak for everyone, of course..

  • But it can't play ogg (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    :( Always disappoints me.

  • Don't judge hastily... (Score:4, Funny)

    by craenor ( 623901 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:05PM (#4769311) Homepage
    I hear there are aftermarket plans to convert it to beta/8-track formats...l33t g34r
  • Does "SeamlessLink" leave gaps when it resumes burning like the other "BURN-proof" technology? If so, have fun reading these burned cds in older drives.
  • I suppose that'd be a nice product. I dunno if I'd spend $299 for it, though...
  • Finally, my dream portable home theater! All you need is a cheap laptop.
  • The article doesn't state if the drive will be either Firewire or USB or both? Nice option is that it will be self contained for portable player, but what laptop doesn't have the DVD/CD-RW option already. I think that I need to sue for using a likeness to my nickname.
    • The article only mentions Firewire in the 1st sentence; "Now that Firewire and USB 2.0 are frequently found on computers, external CD burners work almost as well as their internal brethren."

      The article goes on to clearly state "Connection is via a USB 2.0/1.1 port."

      Did you read the article?

  • Gr9 (Score:2, Funny)

    by term_0z ( 583581 )
    So now I can watch DVD while burning a CD!

  • What about... (Score:5, Funny)

    by cyt0plas ( 629631 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:13PM (#4769380) Journal
    Forget that, I want a CD/LP-RW)
    How about an external 8-Track reader/8 inch floppy drive (with USB support)?

  • Video output? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Osty ( 16825 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:13PM (#4769381)

    If this thing doesn't do component video output and preferably progressive scan video, then it's not worth the price. I already have a stand-alone DVD player that does DD5.1, DTS, and all of the lesser Dolby types, progressive scan video, etc. And it has a cool blue LED. I already have several DVD-ROMs in my PCs, and I have a CD-R (bah, who needs CD-RW?). In other words, this thing is pretty useless, because the people that would be buying it likely already have all of the functionality it can provide and more.


    You're not going to see Joe Sixpack picking this thing up at the store for $300, because he can get a decent DVD player for half of that, and he doesn't have a computer with USB2.0 anyway. You're not going to see the technically savvy pick this up either, because they already have the separate components this thing replaces. No, this is going to appeal to the "toy" market (which is not a bad thing, and in fact they could get away with charging much more than $300, but it's really not going to go anywhere mainstream).

    • Not necessarily.

      I'm certainly a "technically savvy" user - but I don't own a DVD drive or a CD-R drive. A device like this - external, as something I could hook up to either my television or my Linux boxen, would indeed be spiffy. I agree that the price is a little steep - I think $200 would put it square in line with what most users who don't yet have a DVD player (or a CD-R drive) would find useful.

  • Learn some grammar, please. (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    The drive can also play audio or MP3 CD's as well.

    Pluralizing a word does not give it an apostrophe, contrary to popular belief.

  • Just in time for... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Cap'n Canuck ( 622106 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:14PM (#4769398)
    The JackRabbit32 will be available in January 2003, and will cost $299.

    Hey, that's just in time for Valentine's Day! Now I've got the perfect gift!

    He: Look dear, I got you a JackRabbit32!

    She: Um, that's nice, but what about....

    He: Hang on, let me show you what this baby can do. It can burn a CD, or play one!, Or you can...

    (Sound of door slamming.)
  • The drive can also play audio or MP3 CD's as well.

    <OB /. troll>But can it play ogg??? Can it? Huh?</OB /. troll>

    No, I don't care if it plays ogg. Why would they integrate MP3 playing ability into this CD player anyway? You have to have it hooked up to a computer to use it (I think) and there are tons of free players to use. Oh well, I don't care. :)

    Mark

    • You have to have it hooked up to a computer to use it (I think)

      No, you don't. You have to hook it up to a computer to burn MP3-CDs, but it works as a standalone player of said CDs.
    • You have to have it hooked up to a computer to use it Actually, no, the point of it is that it can be used standalone as an MP3 or dvd player. This could be a very nice device for the frequent traveler.

  • Link to more info (sorta) (Score:3, Informative)

    by binaryDigit ( 557647 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:20PM (#4769436)
    Philips already has a version of this called the JackRabbit (no 32) that appears similar but without the DVD player. Here is a link to a pdf describing the product [philips.com].

  • My 2 cents.... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by carlmenezes ( 204187 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:21PM (#4769439) Homepage
    Now this is one of those few products that you see from time to time that could really come in useful.
    That's emphasised when the drive is priced at $299 which is quite a steal considering you don't have to power on your PC OR be limited to your PC monitor OR lug your PC next to your television so you can hook up the TV-out from your Video card.
    Yeah, I know a DVD player does the same - but this does what a DVD player doesn't do for all us poor folks out there who are still watching DVDs on their PCs. Here, we basically have a DVD player with CD burn capability. The difference is that you can use the a nice GUI from the PC (your favorite burn software) to control what you want burnt - very useful I say as compared to a standalone burner which would basically be limited to duplicating discs.
    I do have one complaint though - It seems to me that the physical drive itself has very few controls ON it. I'm also not sure if the little red piece of glass between the 2 buttons is a display of some sort or an IR receiver - the latter would make more sense and be more useful (think remote control). This would mean though, that the drive does not have a display of it's own which can be a little inconvenient at times.
    But it's definitely a step in the right direction. Phillips has been quiet on the CD front for some time - it's nice to see them in the limelight again. Now hopefully, they'll get the guts to go ahead and combat those copy-protection schemes head on.
    • I'm also not sure if the little red piece of glass between the 2 buttons is a display of some sort or an IR receiver - the latter would make more sense and be more useful (think remote control).

      It is a IR receier, or so they say:

      The included remote will also prove useful here, and help it compete with stand alone DVD players.
    • I realize that if you'd done more than skim the article (giving you the benefit of the doubt) your post would be too far down for me or almost anyone else to bother reading it, but if you had you'd know that there is, in fact, a remote, and that you get the information you lack without an lcd on the unit, on-screen.

      I, for one, am quite interested in the unit, as I haven't yet bought a portable mp3 player or standalone dvd player. I also have a shuttle p4, the lovely face of which I've refrained from making ugly with an internal CDROM or floppy:) It can actually boot from USB devices, so I've been planning to get a USB CDRW anyway.
      Therefore, in my, perhaps unusual case, the Jackrabbit would kill 3, currently living, birds with one stone:)
    • "Yeah, I know a DVD player does the same - but this does what a DVD player doesn't do for all us poor folks out there who are still watching DVDs on their PCs. Here, we basically have a DVD player with CD burn capability."

      You are insane. You can't afford a DVD player, but you can afford this $299 piece of equipment?

      There are several real DVD players available for $69.99 - $99.99 *WITH* MP3 playing SUPPORT. Read: You don't have to power on your PC. See: Circuit City, Best Buy.

      On the other hand, you can get an internal 48/12/48 LiteOn CD-RW for about $50 now. You want it external? Buy a FireWire external IDE drive case for another $40. Even with that, you're still only at about $190.00.

      Jason Fisher
  • I hope that this one will be better though. With all the features that this device provides it sounds like it will replace (or at lease be a cheap alternative) for a home theater reciever/cd player/DVD player with built in writing capabilities, which for the not so rich consumer can be a good thing. It can also be hooked up to the home computer so you can take it with you on trips as a cd-rw. But it seems like every Philips product I have ever purchased seems to crap out after a few months, and spending $300 on a product that will do that does not seem feasable to me. But if philips has worked out all their bugs I may have to pick one of these up.

  • ...we nickname this rabbit 'Bugs'.

  • more info (Score:3, Insightful)

    by daanger0us ( 473406 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:26PM (#4769468) Homepage
    I saw the JackRabbit at Philips hotel suite, and can provide a little more info:

    They eventually want to put in a DVD+RW drive in the unit.

    The unit is meant to not only hook up to your computer, but to your TV as well via SVideo or Composite Video.

    Here's a pic [designtechnica.com].
    • Great. But what would be really nice is an HDD in that thing with PVR software for recording from TV to DVD.

      And firewire offloading/viewing to a PC...
  • I'm looking at getting a new iMac but I don't feel like paying nearly $370 CDN (260 USD) for a Combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive (and Apple Pro Speakers). I'd rather get the low end CD-RW drive iMac with an external DVD-ROM. Surely I could save money this way... but I'm having a hard time finding any good, reaonsably priced external Firewire DVD-ROM drives. Does anyone know of one? This one is way too much, and I wouldn't need the CD-RW capability - what computer these days DOESN'T come with a CD-RW drive?

    I suppose one option is a Firewire drive kit and a $50 DVD-ROM drive. Still fairly expensive though.

  • Who wants to spend $20 on a DVD when I could burn 40 DivX movies for the same price.

  • Does this really cross over? (Score:5, Informative)

    by ianscot ( 591483 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:35PM (#4769537)

    The included remote will also prove useful here, and help it compete with stand alone DVD players.

    This'll work on your computer and your TV, but it doesn't really join them up in any sense. You'd think they'd try to make it more of a bridge between one box and the other, the TV and the computer, rather than just a hybrid device at a price. Seems like the idea is using it separately as a stand-alone DVD player, with that remote and all. (They let you "configure the drive" with the remote hooked to a dumb monitor. Not sure what you'd be configuring.)

    I dunno... Do you want to go upstairs and pull plugs behind the computer to watch a movie on the TV with this in the living room? I don't know anyone who plays DVDs on their PlayStation, and that's already hooked up. (Does anyone have their TV right next to the computer shrine? Outside of dorm rooms and those who already own video editing setups?)

  • Bah. I'm disappointed. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by vadim_t ( 324782 )
    Somehow I managed to read only the name and the Linux reference, so I was thinking "Cool, another game to play on Linux", and then found it has nothing to do with Jazz Jackrabbit. For those who don't know it's an old and fun platform game.
  • When connected to your computer...

    When connected to your computer?!! It practically is a computer! (Although I'm not sure a beowolf cluster of these would do any good...)

  • Good for presentations? (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Something like this would be great for presentations or for showing videos to people while traveling. Don't get me wrong, powerpoint is good and all, but this thing is SMALL in comparison to a laptop. I like how it shows images on the video out port as well.

  • from the ads-that-pose-as-/.-articles-dept. (Score:3, Funny)

    by corebreech ( 469871 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @03:48PM (#4769655) Journal
    Wow! So I can record CD's and play DVD's on this thing, is that really right?!?

    And it might be able to work under Linux!!! Did I read that right???

  • If this drive could also read and write high-capacity Iomega media, they could call it...

    (wait for it)

    ...the Jaz JackRabbit!

  • I'll wait for Apple's external version of the SuperDrive.
  • This is so close to a perfect product... if it only supported DivX, I'd buy two.
  • So, basically, this is a DVD player that just happens to be able to interface to a computer as well.

    Nifty idea, I'd buy one. I have both USB2 and Firewire ports on my system.
  • I've seen lots of DVD drives that can play a CD-ROM with mp3s on them. Are there any stand-alone players that can play DVD-Rs with mp3s on them?

    If not, are they in the making?

    Thanks
  • That's my question. Probably no BIOS support?

  • Useless convergence device (Score:4, Insightful)

    by uradu ( 10768 ) on Wednesday November 27, 2002 @04:29PM (#4769942)
    Having a CD burner inside your DVD player adds no value whatsoever other than saving a bit of space. Now if it had VIDEO IN and could burn a (S)VCD directly without PC intervention, that would be different. But as it is it's just a box that happens to have two different devices inside that cannot take advantage of each other in any particular way. No particular synergies at all.
    • Having a CD burner inside your DVD player adds no value whatsoever other than saving a bit of space. Now if it had VIDEO IN and could burn a (S)VCD directly without PC intervention, that would be different. But as it is it's just a box that happens to have two different devices inside that cannot take advantage of each other in any particular way. No particular synergies at all.

      I don't know about you, but I am getting tired of having these huge beige monstrosities perched atop (or more frequently alongside) my desk. I want to build boxes that are more like commercial electronics, and this means reducing the footprint. Doesn't it seem odd to have to put two individual drives into a system, both of which largely read the same format?

      • > Doesn't it seem odd to have to put two individual drives
        > into a system, both of which largely read the same format?

        You have a point (except that it can be VERY convenient to have two drives for copying), but that's not really what this device addresses (and charges for). Its claim to fame is that it can also be a stand-alone DVD player. It's basically two devices:

        1. An external USB2 burner and CD/DVD reader, in which case the built-in DVD decoder and TV output are mostly useless.

        2. A stand-alone DVD player, in which case the built-in CD burner is completely useless.

        It doesn't convince as either, because as an external burner it's too expensive--you can pick up MUCH cheaper units with better performance--and as a DVD player it has a very anemic feature set (and no on-device display and virtually no controls).
  • 4.7 gig of MP3's would mean a lot less disks to tote around.

    And as others have commented, make it burn DVD's, too..

  • I wonder if the device has a Rabbit microprocessor [rabbitsemiconductor.com] in it? Many drives do use Z80 compatible processors (eg Toshiba) - but on the other hand, perhaps the name is unrelated.
  • Note that the article does *not* state that the DVD playback can go through the digital interfaces to the computer and I highly suspect that the DVD playback is only in "standalone" mode (perhaps with computer control? I doubt it though.)

    Way to hype!

    >:^o
  • Ugly bugger init. Well there again so were the first generation (and second) of portable CD players. That was mainly due to the battery of the time. If only it had a pcmcia slot big enough for a micro drive and well, next years model perhaps or a built in HD with built in CD copy and portable storage, naaaaa no chance. Still a very fine product with a nice niche filled. I await the attachable screen aka PS-one style to allow portable viewing soon - clearly has expansion space hidden in that case somewere.
  • Since the decoder is onboard, it should be easy to get the Jackrabbit32 to run under Linux... Does this mean when u use a copy pretected cd, instead of crashing your whole computer, it just wipes out the whole onboard firware of your drive? lotta money goin 2 waste
  • Why have a full 5.1 Dolby/DTS decoder etc on the CD/DVD drive? For an average user they are not going to have the 5.1 speaker set or need the decoder even if they do.

    If they DO have a 5.1 spaker set, the higher up ones (like the Logitech Z-680's) have a hardware decoder built in.

    You can also have a soundcard with the decoding built in.

    With any 5.1 soundcard (like Turtle Beach Santa Cruz/Videologic sonicfury/xplosion, Live!5.1 and up, Herc Fort etc) you can get software decoders like in PowerDVD and WinDVD to do the decoding for you.

    Thats four levels of Decoding already - will people actually pay for it on the drive, if in fact they either don't need it because not enough speakers, or don't need it because they have 3 other ways to decode the audio alrday?
  • Anybody know how much more it would have cost for it to work with Firewire rather than USB2.0? I'm just totally turned off by the USB2. Isn't USB2 just a copy of Firewire designed to make money for Intel at the industry's and consumer's expense? Wouldn't Firewire be 10 times more common if Intel hadn't been pushing all the manufactures to hold off for the arrival of USB2? Isn't USB2 way more CPU intensive? No way in hell would I go out and buy a USB2 card.

    On another note...This would be a good time to buy a CDRW that you intended to keep for while since, according to Tom's Hardware, CDRWs have arrived at a point where their speed can't really go up anymore do to some kind of inherent physical limitations.
  • There is also Dolby Digital 5.1 support as well as USB 2.0 and Firewire support...Since the decoder is onboard, it should be easy to get the Jackrabbit32 to run under Linux I would imagine.

    What, you think the DVD alliance suddenly decided to allow a manufacturer to create a device with unencrypted output over FireWire? Nuh-uh. This thing will be accessed over the FireWire/USB2 ports the exact same as any other FireWire/USB2 drive. The decoder will only be useful when you're using the analog outputs on the drive; the PC-component portion of the thing will act as any other RPC2 drive, I imagine.
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