Official DVDR thread

[ElCuCuy2000]

Somebody better contact Blockbuster since just about every DVD I rent from them has that stupid "Property of Blockbuster #" sticker on it. I burn my own DVDs (not bootlegs!) and use regular CD labels on them and have never had a problem. It's nothing more than a fairy tale started by somebody. Either that or they put the sticker on wrong (had folds on it) thus making it impossible to play. One thing though--keep away from the Avery "Clear" ones because those do cause problems..air pockets/bubbles when you stick it onto a DVD or CD.

[1138]

IIRC, DVDs don't spin faster than CDs. You can only spin a disc so fast (and the newer computer drives are pushing that envelope to the edge). DVDs just have more information per area and thus getr more data than CDs, at the same speeds.

[NotaNumber]

Okay, I found some specs on a DVDRW drive. Some company in the UK com5.com I believe on their Fivewire (not a typo) drive. I don't have the url at the moment.

Read speeds:

Top rpm for DVD-ROM (single layer)@ 12x ~7200 rpm (dual layer ~4800 rpm)
Top rpm for CD-ROM @32x ~7200 rpm

looks like the top speed of the drive is about 7200 rpm.

Other 'explainations' of why you should use these labels -

- Clamp slips on paper (duh, doesn't the clamp only make contact with the disc within the ridges of the disc hub?)
- Due to the extremely high track density of DVD it is more sensitive to tracking errors due to vibration, wobble etc.

I can buy the last explaination but if DVD are so sensitive to such tracking errors it would seem to me that the 'unbalanced' weight of the heavy inks that the manufacturers use to print the labels would cause tracking errors too.

Well speculation is not fact. If the DVDRW drive manufacturers themselves warn us not to use these labels I'll close my skeptical eye on this one.

Still an load of bull so far....

[1138]

Originally posted by NotaNumber

- Due to the extremely high track density of DVD it is more sensitive to tracking errors due to vibration, wobble etc.

I can buy the last explaination but if DVD are so sensitive to such tracking errors it would seem to me that the 'unbalanced' weight of the heavy inks that the manufacturers use to print the labels would cause tracking errors too.

Again, IIRC, DVD has much better error correction capability specifically because it has much more information densisty.

And, like you mention, the studios seem to do pretty much the same thing with DVDs that are done with CDs.

[NotaNumber]

Well one guy on the Usenet is saying because the data is in a spiral vs concentric tracks you're going to get skips/freezes etc if the drive has to backup to reread the data.

Another person claimed they burned a fresh DVDR, played fine with no label, put a label on it and started getting errors, took the label off and all is fine again.

I asked him how he got the label off and perhaps if he had burnished it down as the manufacturers advise he might not have had read errors. No reply as of yet.

Granted they make 'removable' labels but I wouldn't be foolish enough to put a disc in my drive with one of those. It might come off in the drive.

[videoworx]

I have a Pioneer and Sony drive, burning at 4x...i put labels on them (100+) (neato brand, laser printed), and have NEVER experienced errors with Pioneer, Sony, Apex, Panasonic and Sampo brand players...

I think it's a authoring issue

[SMJ735]

i have all sony dvd players besides my ps2 and xbox dvd players, would dvd plus work better since i have sony dvd players. Also i have fuji dvd-r's and a memorex dvd-rw and they do not work, any suggestions on what kind of dvds will work

[videoworx]

Only the brand spanking new series of Sony players will recognize the " + R" format (the 325, 425, 725, PQ2S).
Earlier models (315, 415, 715, 755) will recognize the "+RW".

There may be an older model here or there that might see + format by mistake...

The "- R" format is still the most compatible on the planet...

Why they don't work on your players is beyond me...what authoring program are you using?

[1138]

http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers.p...&Search=Search

That will ist all Sony models and what media they play. you can also search for other brands.

[IQ=0]

Which is better, DVD- or DVD+, and why? Tell me the difference.

[videoworx]

it's not really a minus, more a hyphen (nobody says CD minus R)...anyway, there's already a discussion about this in the sticky DVDR thread...suffice to say, they are competing formats, and opinions vary. There is NO difference in video quality, and ultimately it boils down to what player can read the format. Currently, the "-" wins in the player compatibility market, but with more and more players coming out that support the + format, it will become an even ballpark. Apparently, the + format will (eventually) be able to burn at faster rates, but as burners are stuck at 4x right now, it will be a while before the advantages of the + format break out. If you have a doubt, buy the Sony DRU-500ax (or external variations), which can burn all "-" and "+" formats (it only lacks DVD-RAM, and audio-specific support).

hope that helps...

[octopus1256]

DVD+R & DVD+RW are compatible with regular machines, and are the only formats to have 'household' recording machines.

DVD-R & DVD-RW are only compatible with 'some machines - the DVD-R format should be compatible with all regular machines but the '-RW' discs aren't.

There is also DVD-RAM which is good if you want to record two things at the same time.

You get about 4.7Gb of data for each format per side of disc. DVD+ media is cheaper, by about a few ££ or $$.

Look out for the new 'Blue Ray' machines - hold out for these - they'll probably beat the normal formats, but aren't compatible with regular machines (as far as I am aware), I heard 57Gb of data to one disc!

[videoworx]

DVD+R & DVD+RW are compatible with regular machines, and are the only formats to have 'household' recording machines.

um, would you like to explain the Panasonic DMR-Exx series? Or the Toshiba DVD recorders...none of these use the + format, only the "-" format (and RAM). And only now are PLAYERS shipping that actually advertise they read the + format (such as the Sony 325/425 etc).

[tomdkat]

Merged the "DVD MINUS and PLUS" thread here to preserve the continuity of the discussion.

Peace....

[videoworx]

Just throwing out an opinion/observation here.
I've noticed a definite rift forming between the competing "-" and "+" formats. It seems "professionals" (video producers/multimedia producers/whathaveyou) are in love with the "-" format, simply because it was the first recordable format(and therefore more compatible with older players), and the pioneer DVR-10x drive is the most widely available drive (as OEM or otherwise). "Consumers" seem to be adopting the "+" format, not because it's better, but because it's basically what Best Buy and Wal-Mart are selling cheaply. I wonder if this will lead to both formats finding their niche (even though I have to yet to understand the underlying difference between the formats - this really isn't a VHS vs. Betamax war here). I don't know, maybe Ive gone cuckoo, but is anyone else noticing this??

[tomdkat]

I thought posting these links would be appropriate:

http://www.dvdplusrw.org/resources/c..._dvdvideo.html
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...postid=1339124 (Info on Mac OS X support of DVD-R)



Peace...

[videoworx]

Hey, just curious...what software does everyone here use to author their dvd's? I'm looking for an easy drag and drop application like iDVD for the PC. I have yet to find one. Just something simple so my kids can burn some movies they are working on. Before you say "just use iDVD", i would, but i get too many coasters...iDVD will freeze up if I don't reboot prior to burning a DVD, and my kids aren't going to remember doing that...

I currently use ReelDVD for authoring, and nero for data backup. ReelDVD is a little too much for preteens to go through, and Nero assumes you've already done the authoring (it just burns already made Video_TS folders). Any help would be awesome.

[Kimmo]

I haven't tried it myself but I've heard Sonic's MyDVD is pretty easy to use. You might also want to look at some of Ulead's stuff.

[Miggy]

I got a DVD recorder last week. I hadn't planned on getting one until a bit later, but recent events made it adventageous to get one now. I got a Panasonic DMR-E30S. I was real happy with the RP62, and this looked just like a recordable version of that.

I wasn't sure exactly how a DVD recorder worked, but this does just as I had wanted. You can hook up any video source and record straight onto the disc. I will mostly be recording things off the satellite that we don't want to lose but need to clear off of its HD system. Or of course, there will be tapes we will be converting over to disc. Considering this, I don't think I would personally need a unit with a 40 gig HD on it (double the price). Some people would, I guess who hook up the cable directly to it. This machine (as well as any others, I would guess) has RF inputs and can act just as a VCR. In normal mode (when not playing a DVD or CD), it will display whatever input it is on. This confused me at fist, as I was used to seeing the DVD screen immediately upon turning it on. Once I figured it out, I thought the design was pretty clever. You can even use VCR+ if you want. I have my satelitte hooked into Line 1 and VCR hooked into Line 3 into the DVD recorder, so I'm all set!

Recording: I have found that the LP setting (which will get 4 hours on a DVD-R) is acceptable and ALMOST identical to the satellite quality. SP (two hours) is about DVD quality and I suppose you would use XP (one hour) if you wanted to use LPCM audio instead of Dolby Digital. I tried EP (six hours) and would never use that unless it was just absolutely necessary to fit six hours onto a disc. Performance was definitely splotchy on that setting as objects moving by the camera had obvious frames missing.

Well that's been my experience so far. If you haven't gotten one, yet, maybe this report will enlighten you. If not, hopefully you've enjoyed reading!

Miggy, the Thief

[Miggy]

Was looking at the latest prices for blank DVD-Rs and I have a question.

I see some that say 2X, 4X... etc. And they show a picture of somebody at a computer on the front. Now, am I correct in that I can get any DVD-R and my DVD recorder (see above post) can use it? In other words, those others can be used on computers and record data at 2, 4X, etc, but my player can still use it to record in real time, say off of a VHS tape?

Just wanting to be clear on that.

[videoworx]

yes. 2x-4x dvd-r's/+r's will BURN at that speed on DVD-R drives in computers. Realtime recorders, like the above DMR-E30, and the newer E50, E60, etc will only burn at 1x, so it is pointless buying the faster discs. Also, be aware, 4x dvd-r's can physically damage an older 1x/2x burner - most notably Pioneer-branded burners.

On a PC, the difference is very obvious. 1x dvd's (full 4.5 gigs) takes about 49 minutes, 2x takes about 25 minutes, and 4x takes about 13 minutes.

[Miggy]

Thanks, that makes sense.

The reason I was asking was because I thought I could find the DVD-Rs cheaper on-line, but the only ones I was seeing at my usual place only had the 4Xs, and they were the same price as the regular ones I get at Best Buy.

So, where is the best place to get regular DVDrs from?

Miggy, the Thief

[urbanlegend]

I recently purchased the Panasonic DMR-E50 here in Canada and was wondering if anyone knows of any Canadian based websites that sell DVD-R or DVD-RAM's at a good price. Maybe if anyone knows of a good retailer in the Toronto/Woodbridge area?

Sorry one more question, has anyone tried to use DVD-RW at all to see if it will work regardless of Panasonic saying it wont?

[Kimmo]

Originally posted by urbanlegend
I recently purchased the Panasonic DMR-E50 here in Canada and was wondering if anyone knows of any Canadian based websites that sell DVD-R or DVD-RAM's at a good price.

There's a website in Montreal (can't remember the name but it's the only one) that sells blanks but I don't know why you'd want to do that since there are plenty of places in the GTA to get cheap blanks. Buying off the web in Canada is not cheaper. Get them soon because a $2+ levy will be applied to each disc starting in November!

Grey Tech sells Princo 1x discs, $70 for 50, in Markham. The Pacific Mall at Kennedy&Steeles has about two dozen vendors who sell cheap blanks. There's another good place on Spadina, north of College, can't remember the name, Sonoma or something, they sells lots of different blanks. There's alsoComputerUltra and Razor Computers that sell at good prices.

[urbanlegend]

Thanks for the info Kimmo! I was beginning to think no was going to reply...

The two websites (Razor and ComputerUltra) are pretty expensive. I found a dealer near me, Summit Direct, which sells them at $2 each. I believe they are ART Media. So far they look better than Memorex Those (Memorex) pixelate on other DVD players but work fine the recorder and my new RP82, wierd

Once again, thanks for the info!

UL

[3DMan]

Anybody know anything about this Memorex DVD-RW?
http://www.memorex.com/products/prod...id=496&oid=573
Best Buy has it for $170 after rebate. The main thing I am concerned about is getting driver support. I had a Philips CD-RW and they basically acted like they didn't make it, thus I have a paperweight. Memorex, good or bad?

[videoworx]

you don't need drivers for the burner (assuming you are using Win2k or XP), but if you want to use a specific piece of software, I would check with them (the makers of the sofware) to see if the drive is compatible. BTW, for the same price, you can get a Pioneer 105/a05 4x dvd-r without any rebates involved. That is the most popular (internal) burner in the world. works with all software.

for more info on the memorex, check dvdrhelp.com, and see if anyone else has reviewed it.

[Kimmo]

Is the A05 ± R/RW (for writing) or is it the version that's coming out next?

[videoworx]

the a05 (retail) and 105 (oem) is - R/W only, not +R/W. The 106/a06 comes out in 3 days, and does + and -, but at a price of $295. Considering you can get a pioneer 4x -r burner for $125 less, it's a steal. you don't NEED +R compatibility unless you absolutely need to buy overpriced blank media at Best Buy (which is always out of the - R media).

[3DMan]

I see that shit! Fuck the rebates, fuck them up their stupid asses! This seems to be the cheapest I can find, with shipping $11:
http://www.pcavailable.com/pioneerdvra05u.html

[videoworx]

a far more reliable etailer, esbuy.com, has it for less than $170 with free shipping. Check dealnews.com, there is a price war going on with DVD burners. I bet by x-mas they will $99.

[Hall]

I just found out about this DVD recorder from Philips, the DVDR75 and was thinking of buying it, but I cant find that many reviews of it. I am buying the DVD recorder to tape some of my favorite TV shows, since it seems like you are able to cut out commercials after you tape them, and this looks like the best one for what I need, but I was just wondering if anyone had heard anything bad about it that would discourage you from buying it. Also, I was wondering if you were able to set it to record while you are away from home like you do a VCR. I know that might be a stupid question, but Im new to the Recordable DVD area. THanks so much.

[jdurg]

Just yesterday I picked up the Sony DRU-510A DVD+/-R(W) drive as a birthday present. It is definitely a nice drive to have in order to back up all my personal files such as emulators/games/mp3s onto one or two DVDs instead of nine or ten CDs. The greatest thing, however, has got to be how having a DVD burner allows me to mess around with all of my DVDs and compile discs for special purposes. (Like being able to correct the absurdly low volume levels of the Trey Parker and Matt Stone intros to the South Park episodes). However, the neatest thing I've done has to be with my Bond movies.

I was watching Goldeneye the other day and thought about how the intros/opening titles are some of the coolest parts about Bond movies and how sweet it would be to have a Demo disc of all 20 intros. When I installed my burner yesterday, that was one of the first things I did. I went and spliced together all 20 intros to the Bond movies onto one DVD. It's a pretty sweet little disc to pop-in when I just want to watch the intro/title sequences of certain movies.

[videoworx]

i did something similar when I first got a burner. I created a compilation DVD of every movie studio opening from every era, plus every dolby digital/dts/THX/etc animation sequence I could find...that was a lot of fun, and although I don't play with it often, my friends all love it...

[Alan Smithee]

I'm compiling a DVD of TV commercials for old home-entertainment products, like the SelectaVision Videodisc player (We're watching a GREAT movie! And you're watching- us!), the 1978 Magnavox System 3 (The Best Zenith Ever!) and a 1977 ad for the Sears Tele-Games rebranded Atari 2600 games system (Now you can play all the video games you'd ever want to play!)

[rolisme]

Well I decided to splurge and buy a DVD burner. I was confused about the various different formats and such so I bought a burner which can burn all the formats - DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and of course the most useless DVD-RAM. I bought a LG burner, I know it is not the best or anything, but it was a good price and it was the only one I saw which used all the formats. There were a few which did both the +/- formats, but lacked the DVD-RAM one. I like it though. I haven't tried any video yet, so I don't really know what formats my DVD player is compatiable with. What I like is MAME roms fit on 3 DVDs instead of 16 CD-R's. Major space saver. Anyways, that is all I have to say. Take it easy.

[videoworx]

I haven't tried any video yet, so I don't really know what formats my DVD player is compatiable with.

well, as long as you stick with +R or -R, you'll be fine. Players only have issues with RW discs. Also, Try and stay away from generic media that has silver on the label side...they tend to suffer from an issue where data vanishes after being read by the laser too many times (as well as exposure to sunlight).

[Miggy]

So, I've had the Pani DVD recorder for a while and it is a real neat toy. I've recorded lots of stuff off the satellite, so I can clear out its HD occasionally. The problem I've run into is when I try to play these discs on other DVD players. And these are just plain DVD-R discs I'm talking about (I guess I would since that player doesn't do anything else, unless you count DVD-RAM!).

I first took a disc I recorded at 4 1/2 hour length, that contained 3 Italian Horror movies (Zombie, Gates of Hell, The Beyond). I was going to watch Gates of Hell over at my cousin's house on his $99 Oritron player. Well, about 20 minutes into the movie, it began to skip. A little bit here and there, but then before we knew it, it had skipped through the rest of the movie and we were at the end. I chalked this up to the POS factor in the Oritron player and then watched the rest at home. Turns out the player was doing us a favor.... I skipped the last half of the movie on purpose and saved myself an hour of my life.

Then, I finish making the first compilation DVD of some of my parents' home movies and take it over there. It does the same thing. The player they have is my previous Pani (RP62S), so I know it's a good one. It looks just like the newer recorder model, except thinner.

So, what is going on here? Would I have better luck playing discs in their machine that is only recorded on normal (2 hour) mode? I guess I can still use it to make stuff for myself, but if I can't take something I recorded to someone else then it's almost pointless and I might should have gotten a DVD-Audio or SCD player.

The discs I used were Memorex.

Miggy, the Thief

[videoworx]

i would switch brands...it DOES make a difference. If you read the manual, Panasonic certainly suggest using Panasonic branded DVD-R's, and although you might think it's just a way to make more money, it really is worth it. I Have a Panasonic E60 and use Pioneer (PioData) brand discs, and have never had a problem playing them back on Sony and Panasonic brand dvd players. Some generic players have had issues with discs I've burned on a PC, but that was an authoring issue...

[Miggy]

Thanks, Video!

I'll go get some Panasonic DVD-Rs and try that.

Miggy, the Thief