[rcelbrechter]

A complex question in very simple format.


I can burn in and (+) DVD format or any (-) DVD format. How do the movie studio and DVD disk manufacturers create a product that will work across these very different and competing formats.


Where I would like to go with this question. - My company would like to make an Environmental Health and Safety Video for its contracted employees. The various employees will have many different types of players and this I know that I will need to burn both +R and -R format disk (depending upon the player that the employee owns). Can I make a disk that is universally readable by both kinds of readers. Is it a matter of getting a different kind of media... say a +/-R?


Thank you in advance for any information into this topic.

 

[olyteddy]

Generally the most compatible disks are DVD+R 'bitset' or 'booktyped' as DVD-ROM. Most modern burners and software can do this. I suggest ImgBurn as the burning software. These days most players will play any of them, though. More important is the brand. Use Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden and burn at 8X for the best quality. And for cost and quality reasons, avoid D/L (double layer). If your program is long enough to require them, it's better to split it onto two S/L disks.

 

[jjeff]

I've never seen a player that won't PLAY a -R disc. I do have a older Apex player that won't read +R discs or ANY RW discs. Stick to -Rs for maximum compatibility. Note that Apex player is over 8 years old. I think anything much newer should be able to play both + and - Rs.

You may be thinking of DVD recorders. Many of those only a few years old only RECORD to one type or another. The cheap Funia DVDRs were known to only record to the + format. I think the licensing was cheaper for the + format. I believe they all now record to both + and - discs.

 

[abeas]

I too will throw a vote for -R. They seem more compatible with different players. When I edit video and author DVDs for professors at my job I only use -R, but if he or she brings me blank media I specify I will only accept -R.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Quote from this Wikipedia article on the DVD+R format:

However, because the DVD-R format has been in use since 1997, it has had a five-year lead on DVD+R. As such, older or cheaper DVD players (up to 2004 vintage) are more likely to favor the DVD-R standard exclusively, and when creating DVDs for distribution (where the playing unit is unknown or older) the DVD-R format would normally be preferable.
I would burn everything in DVD-R, it's pretty unlikely that anyone's player won't be able to read it. Remember to finalize!

 

[WhiteWhiskers]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rcelbrechter /forum/post/15472609


How do the movie studio and DVD disk manufacturers create a product that will work across these very different and competing formats.

Commercial DVDs are manufactured by printing or stamping of blanks with a master disc. It's a complicated process, I saw it being done on an episode of "How It's Made".

 

[Tulpa]

I'll throw on a vote for DVD-R. My recorder burns both, but I use DVD-R when recording. Last time I sent a finalized DVD-R out, all of my friends (some of whom wouldn't know -/+R from an 8-track) were able to play it.

 

[CitiBear]

For any type of broad distribution, go with -R. While most modern players handle both - and + with ease, a surprising number of older machines are still going strong and they often don't recognize +R. A number of portable players also have trouble with anything but finalized -R, despite claims that they play "all formats".


From an obscure technical standpoint, +R has some features that make it a "better" format in an abstract sense. Day to day, in real life, its meaningless. The only reason it was developed at all was due to a clash over royalty payments for the -R format: in earlier years, when DVD recorders sold for $500, companies like Funai sought to create "Wal*Mart specials" at mass-market price points but were prevented from doing so by the -R royalty structure. So they created a separate consortium backing a +R variation, and a brief format war ensued with quite a few early recorders being +R only. Thankfully, common sense kicked in after a couple years and now all recorders are -/+ multi-format. Players are another story, stick to -R for widest compatibility.

 

[kjbawc]

It's all been said, but to summarize, and cast my vote, use -R, and use Verbatim, or Taiyo Yuden. Also, Made in Taiwan Sonys, (usually come in 100 packs,) are reliable. Stay away from the rest.


Taiyos are available only online. Verbs go on sale regularly at B&M stores like Office Max and Best Buys, for $.25 per disc, or less. Also cheap at Sam's Club.

 

[WhiteWhiskers]

Just checked my blank HP DVD-R's. The media is CMC MAG.AM3. They seem to work ok for me. I've been doing the LightScribe thing. Looks like Verbatim also offers LightScribe blanks but not Sony. Helps to have a good burner. Had an NEC go bad so I got a Samsung, works great.