Quote:
Originally Posted by
CitiBear /forum/post/20804436
Recordable DVD technology is very confusing, with the same names being used to mean two or three different things. The Magnavox is indeed compatible with DVD+R, the parent company
invented the DVD+R format in the first place. But "DVD+R compatibility" only means that a given recorder can record on
blank DVD+R discs, and will play discs from other brands of recorder
if they were finalized first on the recorder that made them: each recorder brand has its own secret way of burning unfinalized video files, so each recorder brand can only finalize DVD+R discs
that were recorded on that brand of machine.
In other words, your cousins' new Magnavox can record onto new blank DVD+R discs, and if those discs are finalized on the Magnavox they will
then be compatible to play on any other DVD player or recorder or PC drive. But a Magnavox (or Panasonic or JVC or Samsung etc) cannot play DVD+R discs made on a Sony
unless or until those discs are finalized by another Sony. You will need to borrow your friend's Sony recorder to finalize all your cousin's leftover unfinalized Sony-made DVD+Rs.
"Finalizing" basically means "make this DVD compatible with all other hardware in the world, not just the recorder that made it". Its a crucial step many people forget to do, then they get in trouble when their recorder breaks if they can't find another similar unit. Finalizing a recorder-made DVD on a PC is possible, but
very tedious and time consuming: the recorder will do it in 2 minutes automatically.
Going forward, if you think your cousin's mental state makes him unable to grasp the finalizing concept, switch him over to
DVD+RW discs. They are more expensive than DVD+R, because they are eraseable. But they have a key advantage in being the only recordable DVD that does
not require finalizing at all: DVD+RW was the only format for which every hardware mfr agreed to use exactly the same file burning system. So an
un-finalized DVD+RW made on a Magnavox should play fine on a Sony or Panasonic recorder or a PC or a car DVD player, and vice versa. I hope thats clear, I confused
myself just now trying to explain it.