Choosing Between DVD+R and DVD-R? 108
Pieroxy asks: "Most people like to make the analogy between DVD+/-R and the old VHS/Betamax/V2000 battle. This analogy is not applicable here, because whether you choose DVD+ or DVD-, you burn DVDs that are readable in most existing DVD players. Even if you buy today, the burner based on the technology that will die tomorrow, all your DVD*R will be readable in most DVD players. That said, what other argument than technical superiority can drive your choice? We know the DVD-R compatibility on existing players is better than DVD+R, we know that DVD+R as well as DVD-R have dual layers plans. What else can help me choose between either format? Are prices that different? Reliability? Speed?"
Re:Both (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Both (Score:3, Funny)
...and 2DVD is equal to 2VD^2, who's first deriviative is VD, which no one really wants.
[so shoot me if my math sucks, it's been 20 years since I had Calc... I did it for the punch line]
Re:Both (Score:1)
I'm a bigger geek than you.
Just use ... (Score:2)
DVD as a consumer writable storage medium isn't viable as yet in terms of interoperability and long term retainment.
Re:Just use ... (Score:2)
Read the story please, it doesn't only talk about backing up data (for which DVD is really not a convenient answer, but that is another story.)
Re:Just get a DVD+/-R/RW (Score:2, Informative)
Blue laser (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Blue laser (Score:1)
Re:Blue laser (Score:1)
DVD-R is the most compatible... (Score:1)
...according to this excelent review [cdrinfo.com]
Current Drives can use both (Score:1)
Re:Current Drives can use both (Score:1)
Worth a try.
Re:Current Drives can use both (Score:2)
Re:Current Drives can use both (Score:1)
Re:Current Drives can use both (Score:2)
Re:Current Drives can use both (Score:1)
DVD-Rs play in *most* machines. The original purpose was to prevent copied movies from playing. It doesn't seem like the DVD player manufacturers are playing the same game, and many of them play burned DVDs. Remember, the test [cdrinfo.com] did NOT say 100% of players played them...
Longevity? (Score:2)
Re:A penis in both your nostrils! (Score:1)
Either Or Really... (Score:3, Informative)
Current pricing for a 25-disc spindle on Future Shop (from the same manufacturer) is $55CDN for DVD+R, and $60CDN for DVD-R. Another manufacturer has -R for $70CDN, so maybe +R is the better deal.
In any event, both should play in modern DVD players so if you can get a Dual Format burner you can just go with the cheaper discs at the time.
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:2)
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:1)
However, the CPCC is seeking $2.27 (!) per disc starting sometime next year. Obviously, this is just a big cash grab... not to mention a massive pile of flaming horseshit.
There are a few groups that are fighting the levy. One of the major players is the CC
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:2)
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:1)
As I said before, the levy is just a cash grab by the CPCC. They don't seem to have taken into account that many (most?) people use DVD blanks to either make th
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:1)
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:1)
D.
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:1)
D.
Re:Either Or Really... (Score:2)
They list the same prices you gave at their website [futureshop.ca], though they look like a fairly cheap brand. Does anyone know if there is any significant difference in quality between manufacturers?
Who supports what. (Score:1)
Re:Who supports what. (Score:1)
I'm going DVD-R
~tmasman
Re:Who supports what. (Score:1)
Strange how MSs mighty Apple stock portfolio couldn't get them to agree for once!
And while we're here... (Score:3, Informative)
DVD-RW
The original "standard". Major backers are Apple, NEC, Panasonic, Pioneer, Toshiba. Some incompatibilities exist with the emerging Mount Ranier standard, but there is a *huge* user base.
DVD+RW
Followed shortly after DVD-RW. Major backers are Dell, HP, Philips, Sony, Yamaha. Supposedly less error prone than DVD-RW and also more efficient, so faster drives are a more likely prospect and most pundits I've seen tend to favour this over DVD-RW. Used by Philips in their DVD set-top recorders.
DVD-RAM
The most recent standard. Major backers are Panasonic and, um... but Panasonic does use them in their set-top recorders and the format dominates this market in Japan. Much better support for random access recording (doesn't use a spiral track IIRC) so better for timeshifting, etc. Longest (hypothetical) lifespan of 100 years vs 70, and most supported rewritings (again hypothetical) of 100,000 vs 10,000 times. Most of the gains are due to the fact that a cartridge is often required, although this is starting to be phased out.
Ultimately though, if you want to use these disks in your DVD players, all the features don't matter a damn if your disks won't play, so check compatability first! I've also heard that different brands of media can cause issues with some players too. I'm waiting for now, but I think a DVD+RW/RAM drive would be the way to go at the moment. Finally LG [lgeus.com] does a drive compatible with all the standards, I'm not aware of any other drives that can do this as yet.
Re:And while we're here... (Score:1)
DVD-RAM
The most recent standard.
Actually, DVD-RAM was apparently the first.
Re:And while we're here... (Score:2)
I mean, how will I look when I'll stuff my DVD+R in my friend's DVD player and get an error screen? How good is my vacation movie if I can't show it to my parents?
Re:And while we're here... (Score:2)
I am not aware of any DVD-RAM drives that don't require the disc storage cartridge, and all of the (admittedly old) cartridges I have seen were sealed. DVD-RAM was basically an advanced "PD-ROM" drive that happened to be able to read CDs and DVDs as well.
It's a dead f
Re:And while we're here... (Score:1)
vs (Score:3, Informative)
DVD+ is now faster. Plextor has their (I think 708A) drive out, which supports 8X recording on DVD+R _ON 4X MEDIA_. Nobody else is doing this, certainly not on -R.
DVD+ seems to be getting faster, faster than DVD- is.
The media price seems to be at parity, though I've not done extensive checking, just take a peek every now and then at a Best Buy or CompUSA.
If I was going to buy a drive now, I'd go for the Plextor 708A, and stick with the + media (it's compatible with both + & - media, both reading & writing).
DVD-RAM isn't dead, it just smells that way.
You may want to hold off until the whole burning dual-layer thing comes to fruition - I'm not sure how soon that'll happen, though I think someone just recently demonstrated it (Philips?).
I'd definitely go for the Plextor drive right now, though - it's even cheaper than the very nice Sony dual format drive, in addition to the 8X burning thing, which the Sony doesn't do.
Re:vs (Score:1)
Re:vs (Score:2)
OTOH, burning a DVD at 8X require you to have a damn fast PC, that's a lot of bandwidth!
Re: (Score:1)
Re:vs (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:vs (Score:2)
Re:vs (Score:2)
Note that "the faster the worse" is not true, because CDs burned at 4X with my old Yamaha 4x2x6 are the worst ones. But still 16X CDs are gone faster than 1X CDs with my new burner. The numbers might not be accurate because I didn't do a "test" really, I just ha
Re:vs (Score:1)
That seams strange. Are you referring to the set top DVD recorders (that encode and burn at the same time)? I've only ever burnt DVD-R[W] and only ever encoded in VBR. I've used two different authoring apps and neither of them gave any compliance warnings. I've tri
Re:vs (Score:2)
>>video (obviously, computer media files with VBR in them will save just fine
>>when using this as a data medium). DVD- apparently does not. This may be
>>outdated information.
>That seams strange. Are you referring to the set top DVD recorders (that
>encode and burn at the same time)?
Yes, that's what I'm talking about. As I said, it doesn't have any bearing on computer DVD drives, and may be outdated in
Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:1)
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
2) Sometimes one format doesn't work in a DVD/etc. player, but the other will.
3) Sometimes one of the formats has cheaper media.
4) Why NOT be able to burn both?
Etc., etc... did you really need to ask this?
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
[[
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
1) We don't know which format will "prevail".
The point of the story is to point out that we don't care which format will prevail. Say I'm buying DVD- and in a few years DVD+ prevail. What have I lost? In a few years I'll buy another burner anyways, so my old DVD- burner is dead anyways. All the DVDs I burned will still play.
Why should I care which format will prevail?
2) Sometimes one format doesn't work in a DVD/etc. player, b
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
Why should I care which format will prevail?
Then _why_ are you asking this question to the Slashdot crowd? If you have a combo drive, it won't matter what format prevails because you'
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
Burning both is not the a
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
And DVD+/-R(W)'s aren't just for video, ya know. I use my DVD burner to backup my MP3's and my divxs, as well as my documents and graphics work (Photoshop loves making 500 megabyte+ PSD's when things get crazy.) -- This is when the "cheapest media" arguement works. I buy the cheaper format at the time, and use it to make backups like I just described. Sure it might not be s
Re:Cheap just to get a dual drive. (Score:2)
In this case, the combo makes sense, but you're still saving pennies
Dual-format getting so cheap +/- is irrelevant (Score:1)
Re:Dual-format getting so cheap +/- is irrelevant (Score:2)
I am dreaming. Could you be more offtopic?
I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:1)
The price on a +/-R type burner isn't that much higher than the just -R or just +R.
I picked the first sony 500 series that did it when they first came out not because of worries over the vhs/beta type war, but because of the cost of media and availability. Yes, some players are going to like some types more than other. Sure, one of them might be the 'winner' in the long run. But for me,
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:1)
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:1)
Two months ago I couldn't find those deals at pricewatch or anywhere else. Amazing how fast they're coming down.
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
A name brand +/- drive can be had for
about $119.
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:1)
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
Here's [fticomputer.com] one I might buy myself.
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
Er, I look carefully :) Here's a link . . . (Score:1)
Re:Er, I look carefully :) Here's a link . . . (Score:2)
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:1)
And I'm not paying a surcharge for the Sony name... and nothing else.. I've used Lite-on, pioneer, et al... Never Sony... Just MHO...
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
Because they are Offtopic?
I explain: Me, the author of the story, is trying to make the point that you have nothing to loose in commiting to one format. As opposed as the VCR battle where the loosers (Betamax/V2000 owners) basically could throw away all their tapes when their VCR died.
Here, whether you buy DVD- or DVD+, your DVDs will live and will be readable in most players. Even if your DVD format has died in between.
The rea
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:1)
You, the author of the post, asked this: "What else can help me choose between either format? Are prices that diffe
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
The question + or - it still not answered. That's what I mean by offtopic.
However, in this post you try to address it. My criteria would be a "case by case" decision, based on the player I want to play my DVDs in. It sounds barely acceptable to me that I might have to burn my movies to three different formats (+R, -R, -RW)... But
Even though *most* players will do any format... (Score:1)
It sounds like you are more focused on the video side of dvd burning, I think your best bet is going to be browse on over to htt [dvdrhelp.com]
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
Of course if someone only needs one format, then that's fine. But some people need both, for reasons I've posted numerous times elsewhere.
"trying to compromise with a hybrid solution"
What exactly are you comprimising?
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
So the price argument doesn't count as a "free benefit", right?
The second argument is that I can choose what media to burn on on a case-to-case basis. I don't want to ask myself the question "ok, should I burn that on
Re:I'm still letting the media costs decide . . . (Score:2)
You don't have to flip flop formats. I'd reckon you'd find what works best for your equipment (DVD players) and go with that for future burns.
Commit to whatever technology works for you. I care not. A combo drive will offer both sides of the technology for you to try out and see what works.
simple answer... (Score:1)
This is what I know (Score:2, Informative)
It's a technical story but it comes down to, that you can use Mount Rainier rewritable (DVD+MRW) disks as 4.3 Gigabyte harddisks. In other words, you don't need a special burning program to put stuff on the +MRWs, you just drag and drop it to your drive icon.
Copying, deleting, everything behaves like with
Re:Mount Ranier (Score:1)
Re:This is what I know (Score:1)
So? This is nothing new.. there is a standard for this on CD-RW called UDF. Various programs are avaiable to do this.. DirectCD from Adaptec/Roxio (shudder), InCD from Ahead Software,
Re:This is what I know (Score:1)
"DirectCD from Adaptec/Roxio (shudder), InCD from Ahead Software, etc.. (no good support on linux)"
Mount Rainier is a standard for sending commands to a CD/DVD. Which means that no matter what burner you have, it will behave the same way as any other burner who received the same Mount Rainier command from your operating system. Because of MR, you don't have to use seperate programs for writing to CD/DVD (lik
Re:This is what I know (Score:1)
dual layer plans not an issue for buying now. (Score:1)
Since I'm posting anyway...personally I use DVD-R. It's the most compatible if you ever burn a DVD for a friend, it's cheapest, and the drives are cheaper and have been out longer with more generations (grab an old Pioneer, dirt cheap and reliable). So I couldn't care less about technical matters.
+/- Doesn't Matter Unless Compat. Is Important (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:+/- Doesn't Matter Unless Compat. Is Important (Score:2)
Format (+/-) doesn't matter unless you are concerned about read compatibility.
Supposedly +R results in more "reliable" encodings, which will mean +R discs will be more likely not to have read errors across +R readers and perhaps less chance of cheapo media coming up with a flawed burn. Haven't used either long enough to form an opinion. If I didn't get a dual (Pioneer A06), I'd probably would have went -R, because (currently) more DVD players read the -R without problems, and the -R media is cheaper.
My $0.02 (Score:2)
DVD-RW was supported by Sony, Apple and Compaq. Sony now does dual format drives. As of 10.3, Apple now has support for +RW in their OS (though still not in some apps), and Compaq got brought by HP and now supports +RW.
Mount Ranier (a sucessor to the packet writing technologies people use these days) is based on +RW.
And the compatibility thing may or may not be bullshit depending on who you speak to.
I think we have a winner. Get +RW or a dual fo