I notice that some (many?) DVD recorders use DVD writers with fine pitch 40-pin flexible cables rather than the wider 40-pin IDE ribbon cables used in PCs. I haven't opened up any Panasonic DVDRs, but after studying various exploded diagrams, it appears that the IDE hard drives in these units have a small adapter PCB that converts the cable type from IDE to mini flex. Does this mean that the DVD writers in the same units are just PC-compatible IDE drives with a smaller but pin-compatible IDE connector? If so, is it possible to buy one of these IDE-to-mini-flex adapter boards at a reasonable price?
- Franc Zabkar