DVD-R is what you want kind sir! DVD-R is the most compatible with other DVD players/PC's. DVD RAM is a good format for watching ON the Panasonic as there are VERY few brands that will allow DVD RAM playback. the nice thing about RAM is the amount of detailed editing it will allow you to do.

i personally upgraded about a year ago from Panny DVD recorder to a Poineer DVD Recorder with a 160Gig Hard drive. this makes a world of difference as you can edit all your programming BEFORE you burn your DVD's. I actually leave most of my material on the HDD so i can just view it directly from there!

i can appreciate being a gift for your son and your reasoning for getting it you may not be interested in the extra expense of the HDD. anyway, all the best!

Christian