Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?

Subject: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 20 May 06 - 10:48 AM

I need to buy some DVD-R discs to copy Kendall's concert. There seems to be a bewildering array of discs available and I think that I need an 8x for what I want to do.

Has anybody got any info on good quality discs and sources? I want to make sure that whatever is sent out is going to be of acceptable quality and will last.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 May 06 - 11:24 AM

Look and see what the specifications are for your particular computer, to start with. And since this is something important I'd go with a name brand. I use Verbatim and have had great luck with them. They often go on sale. And if you check Office Depot online I think they have a very good two-day sale for other brands. I got the email yesterday so it may still be going today.

As to DVD + or - or both, I don't really know. I'm using DVD+R from Verbatim and they work fine. I think most of the more recent burners will burn to any of them these days.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 20 May 06 - 12:34 PM

Thanks SRS.

I didn't even know there was a difference until I tried using + and my machine wouldn't take them. We learn by doing, I suppose.

I've used Staples own brand for the first ten and they seem to be doing a good job but I'm certain that I can get supplies cheaper on line, which will help keep costs down.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: Jim McLean
Date: 20 May 06 - 01:49 PM

I use verbatum DVD-R, 8 X speed. -R work on more machines than +R but check your speed as anything higher than 8 x won't work with me.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 21 May 06 - 04:43 AM

What is the difference between +R and -R

eric

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 May 06 - 11:39 AM

Good question. Haven't a clue.

Jacqui, those things are heavy, so if you're buying online, consider the shipping costs. I think you'll find them inexpensively at a local business supply or BestBuy if you watch the ad circulars.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 21 May 06 - 11:46 AM

SRS - some places offer free shipping - I've bookmarked one which seems to be a good deal.

Eric - an explanation is given on this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD

I didn't know there was a difference until I tried using the wrong one! I believe that -R will play on most players whereas +R may not. Whatever - the only ones my machine will take are -R.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 May 06 - 04:00 PM

in my limited experience, I'd say find one that works and stick with it - even the ones that are supposed to work with your machine sometimes don't

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD-R discs - which ones?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 May 06 - 04:55 PM

The Wikipedia article that jaqui c provided the URL for gives an idea of how messed up the whole DVD business is. The "official" standards – such as they are – are the product of a consortium of competing commercial interests who really have failed to keep up with what's on the market.

Although the Wiki article claims there was an "official" standard once, the last time I checked there were no fully accepted standards on any DVD formats. A "proposed standard" – the best I've found – often can have the effect of being accepted by all, but there are no "sanctions" for anyone who "adds a feature" or does something in some bizarre way for "proprietary advantage." (The Wiki article also fails to note that DVD disks all come in more than one diameter, but the smaller ones seem to be seldom seen.)

The DVD-R is supposedly the older format, and it originally was not a "minus:" it was a "dash R."

When those came out, there was still a lot of disagreement about the standard for DVD formats, but the manufacturer(s) decided to "do something" and started selling them. The blank DVD-R disks available should be burnable in any DVD burner that's labelled for DVD-R, but "proprietary features" used by some hardware sellers still cause difficulties with playback of a disk burned on one makers hardware when playback is attempted on a "different brand" of player.

There are additional difficulties, especially with Video, due to the "regionalisation" codes used to control distribution of recorded media. The region codes should be part of the information recorded on the disk, so they should only affect commercial content; but some burners appear to automatically burn "user produced content" with an included code. It's been claimed that some blanks have a region code imprinted on them, although as far as I've seen this is not common (or at least isn't revealed in the packaging).

Someone else came along with something a little different, and decided to "one-up" the originals. They called the "new" disk format a DVD+R, thereby, they hoped, implying that the DVD-R was "missing something" that the DVD+R provided. The DVD+R disks do have a larger capacity than the older DVD-R disks.

Others have come along with additional slightly different formats, or have added "a proprietary feature or two" to do something not covered in the proposed standards, while the industry people were still arguing over what the first two actually should be. These variants are generally "hardware specific" to the players/burners produced by specific manufacturers in specific consumer products, and for the most part have no "names" that a user can easily identify.

The main thing is to match the disk format, DVD-R or DVD+R, to what your burner is intended to use.

Most newer burners will Read either of the two formats, and some newer burners will Burn either of them.

Some units will read either format, but only burn one of the two.

Older ones may only read and burn a single type.

An additional complication is that there are now at least two or three "multi-layer" DVD formats, with both disks and burners beginning to appear on the market. There is no official standard and there is no consistent compliance with the proposed standards, by hardware or content sellers, for any of these at present.

Read the faceplate on the front of your burner, or better yet, the Operators' Manual, and buy only blanks that match what it says.

As with CDs, the "speed rating" of the blanks you use should be at least equal to the speed rating of your burner, but the disks are "coded" to tell the burner to slow down to match the disk, so using a slower disk should still work okay. Using a faster rated disk, x8, x24, etc., also should be okay so far as the burner is concerned, but of course you may pay a little more for the faster ones and you can only burn as fast as your burner will run, regardless of what it says on the box of blanks.

In addition to the basic DVD-R and DVD+R disks, there are also DVD-RW and DVD+RW disks available. Your burner must be rated for the format you use. These are "re-writable" disks, and are intended to be mounted on a single computer for use as a moderately sized (but very slow) substitute for a hard drive, for "scratch" storage. There are very great difficulties with, and uncertainties about, whether a DVD+/-RW disk can be taken from one computer to another with the same brand/type optical drive and be fully usable, so they should never be used to "send something" to another user without prior verification that it works between the specific devices used.

http://www.videohelp.com/dvd has a summary of the different kinds of disks, without the (sarcastic?) history – mine and Wiki's – that may help.

And do note weelittle's comment immediately above.

John