DVD disks

[Adcadet]

For Christmas my bud gave me a Pioneer DVR-R100 DVD/CD burner (8x double layer, 16x DVD-/+R, 50x CD-R, 32x CD-RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+RW according to the box). I have a basic knowledge of CD burners, but DVD burners confuse me. Can somebody recommend any particular type of media that will likely play nice with this burner? Are DVD drives picky about media like how some CD burners were picky about higher speed CD-Rs?

And what happens when my wife gets a different model DVD burner for her computer (likely to happen in the coming weeks)? Will they both burn well to the same media, or is that asking too much?

I figured this would be more appropriate here since my questions are somewhat open-ended and not too specific.

 

[Groltz]

In reviews I have read that some DVD-RWs are very picky about blank media. So, yes to that.

The Verbatim 16x DVD+R's get consistent good marks for low error rates and good burns. That's what I use and recommend.

 

[CougTek]

And that's what I usually use too. I prefer + medias to - ones. The drives I've used (NEC, LG, Lite-On) like them better. minus medias are often written with higher error counts than plus medias.

 

[Mercutio]

I normally use Verbatim +Rs to copy movies, but I get a bad disc every now and then.
I also like Fujifilm discs a lot.

In my experience, all DVD media is HIGHLY error prone and it needs to be babied.

 

[LiamC]

Here you go

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storage/display/dvd-4burners.html

 

[Adcadet]

I'm so confused. Maybe I should stop studying over my Christmas vacation.

Anyway, if I'm just burning data to be read in other PC DVD drives, should I be using DVD+R or DVD-R? They hold just about the exact same amount of info, correct? Will all PC DVD drives read both, or should I stick with one (DVD-R?) just to be safe(r)?

What if I'm burning a lot of data to a DVD (more than ~4.7 GB)? Double layer single side? Single side double layer? Double Double?

If I'm burning a video to be played on a stand alone DVD player, I should probably stick with DVD-R, correct?

I've only rarely burned CD-RW disks (mostly back in the day, circa 1998-9, to prove that I could). Is there any significant role for DVD+/-RW?

Is there any generalizable rule about cost? Is DVD-R cheaper than DVD+R? I'm guessing R<RW and some combination of single layered < double layered.

Thanks all!

 

[sechs]

Whether + or - media is better for you depends upon your burner and what you plan on reading with. Compatability between the two is similar, although some drives and players will read one but not the other. I use both, but stick with +R most of the time for some of the reasons others have mentioned.

Personally, if I have more than a single, single-sided, single layer DVD worth of data to burn, I use two DVDs. Double-layer is expensive and finicky -- just not worth the effort at this juncture. Double-sided is just more trouble.

Concerning video DVD players... the only way to know is to test. Although there are websites where folks throw in their experiences concerning media, if your burner is a little funky, that can make a difference. Theoretically, -R is supperior for video, but, in reality, the first paragraph above applies.

In my experience the price differences between + and - media are slim, if existant. I keep both media and buy when I need more, as the prices are always decreasing.

 

[mubs]

Generally, older players play -R but not +R. Newer ones play both. Some, like Philips, support only +R and won't recognize -R. This applies even to their latest players, and they do this on purpose.

Most burners and good burning SW (like Nero) today have "bitsetting" capability; you burn a +R and before finishing up, a bit is set on the disc that tells the player it's a factory-pressed DVD, not a burned DVD. Factory-pressed DVDs are the most compatible. If your HW and SW support bitsetting, permanently enable bitsetting and buy & burn +R discs.

I use -R for data related uses like backups, transferring stuff to another PC etc. I use +Rs for anything video related.

Confused enough?

 

[Mercutio]

mubs has it down pretty well. Listen to mubs.

 

[time]

I've only rarely burned CD-RW disks (mostly back in the day, circa 1998-9, to prove that I could). Is there any significant role for DVD+/-RW?

They're ideal for backups, especially with packet writing software such as Ahead InCD. Not as good as DVD-RAM of course, but much cheaper and widely supported.

I wouldn't consider using anything except Verbatim for DVD+RW, and I'd still stick with DVD+R for other purposes (DVD-R is no longer noticeably cheaper).

 

[i]

In the past I've read through the documentation for the command-line DVD writing software used on my Linux system. Are these points specific only to the software I'm using?


1. "Virgin DVD+RW media needs to be initally formatted prior to use. Once again, only virgin DVD+RW media needs to be formatted."

2. "To make the DVD+RW formatting process reasonably fast ... the media gets formatted only partially ... the unit continues formatting transparently later, as you add new data."

3. "It was observed that excessive reformats can render media unusable after 10 - 20 reformats. It appears to be a firmware deficiency, not some common media defect. Note that the DVD+RW re-formatting procedure does not substitute for blanking anyway. If you want to nullify the media, e.g. for privacy reasons, do it by writing the entire disc with zeroes, random data, etc. Otherwise just write over a previous recording as if it simply wasn't there. No re-formatting is required. Once again, only virgin DVD+RW media needs to be formatted."

4. "DVD+R media does not require any formatting procedure and is ready to use out-of-the-box."


True? False? Only true for the software I'm using? False everywhere?

I've certainly found the "just overwrite the old stuff" method works for erasing the DVD+RW discs I use. That's a huge improvement over having to explicitly blank the old CD-RW discs between uses.

 

[Mercutio]

It's true sorta. Older CD-RW discs had a low-number limitation on how many times they could be formatted. Newer discs, the number is supposed to be more reasonable, in the hundreds of erasures.

 

[Bozo]

The DVD-RW disk I have used just require to be erased. No formating needed.
These are Memorex DVD+RW. Used them straight from the box.
The DVD-RW disk I have (Memorex) were used right out of the box. I haven't tried to erase these yet.

There is nothing written on either box that says they must be formatted before use.
Maybe software like Direct CD/DVD needs to format the disk??

Bozo :mrgrn:

 

[i]

I'm just guessing here, but I'd assume that the software you find in Windows-world can automatically detect a "virgin" DVD+RW and will automatically start the formatting process without you even knowing. From what I wrote above, presumably it does the remaining formatting "on the fly" as new data is added to the disk the first time.

I find it interesting though that, once the entire disk has been written to, it never needs formatting again. It appears that, even if you overwrite the entire DVD+RW's surface, only the user's data gets trampled -- the original formatting remains. I guess. I don't know really. I've been frustrated by how little information is out there on how DVD+RW vs DVD-RW work with respect to formatting/erasing/blanking/overwriting/etc.

And I have no idea at all about how things work with a DVD-RW.

Can you stick a used DVD-RW containing pre-existing data in a writer and just start writing brand new data to the disc, overwriting everything? Or do you have to do some intermediate "erase disc" or "blank disc" step?

 

[Mercutio]

Actually I think the discs are preformatted nowadays, or go through some kind of prep process. Wasn't too long ago it took 2 hours to format a CD. Now it's ~10 seconds?

 

[Santilli]

Generally, older players play -R but not +R. Newer ones play both. Some, like Philips, support only +R and won't recognize -R. This applies even to their latest players, and they do this on purpose.

Most burners and good burning SW (like Nero) today have "bitsetting" capability; you burn a +R and before finishing up, a bit is set on the disc that tells the player it's a factory-pressed DVD, not a burned DVD. Factory-pressed DVDs are the most compatible. If your HW and SW support bitsetting, permanently enable bitsetting and buy & burn +R discs.

I use -R for data related uses like backups, transferring stuff to another PC etc. I use +Rs for anything video related.

Confused enough?

Where in Nero 6 can you find the 'bitsetting" option?

Thanks
GS

 

[Bozo]

Don't know about 'bitsetting', but if you 'close' the disk to further writting, I believe it's the same thing.
Some times a disk that has not been closed will not play on some machines.


Bozo :mrgrn:

 

[mubs]

Don't know about 'bitsetting', but if you 'close' the disk to further writting, I believe it's the same thing.

Not true; they are two different things.

Some times a disk that has not been closed will not play on some machines.

Yup; that's right.

Where in Nero 6 can you find the 'bitsetting" option?

It's been quite a while since I did this, and I'm not 100% clear as to the process. But please read thru the following links completely before attempting this:

What is Booktype / BitSetting?

Apply Compatibility Bitsettings using a DVD+R/+RW PC Drive

An old doofus like me did it right, so with a bit if reading and googling you can too.

 

[Santilli]

Thanks.
SO just gave me a bunch of Sony DVD+R's, so I'll have to give it a try...

gs

 

[Stereodude]

Thanks.
SO just gave me a bunch of Sony DVD+R's, so I'll have to give it a try...

gs

Sony discs made in Japan are good stuff also, along with Taiyo Yuden +R's and Verbatim +R's.

 

[Santilli]

Yes, she did well.
gs