sorry jow I cannot belive with your ascertion the dvd ram is too limiting it is by the far the most adaptable format and if money is no issuue i would use this for all recording the fact you can dump this format to write once discs in dvd -r and use within some pc drives for editing makes it the miost vesatile.
In my job as an av consultant I do installs for dozens of customers per month and never use the phillips format and neither do my peer group our dutch freinds are in isolation on there format and will lose out just like they did last time in the vhs/ beta/ v 2000 massacre , the reason being nobody outside europe is interested in it.Sony still sell of the brand name and cos they are buggers to deal with most dealers avoid, there stuff like pioneer is getting better all the time . Though its still behind unless you are going to get into the ?800 area .
If you check out dvd section in avforums.com or the american forums they will say the keepers worldwide will be dvd ram and dvd - rw (pioneer) the only offcially recognised format by the dvd collective group , made up of all manufacturers.
You will find everyone goes for the panny , and the phillips is the choice of the dixons / curry's of this world who dont know better.
not trying to antagonise anyone just trying to point peopel in the right direction as i would in my job in this area if a client were to come to me.