[ot] dvd disc types +r -r

[Stephen]

Hello,

Sorry it's off topic, I have also posted to the homebuilt computer group but didn't know where else to ask and thought there were some clever people here who might be able to help.

I have a standalone Pioneer dvd (freeview) recorder which can record to dvd-r or dvd+r discs.

Wikipedia says that dvd+r has better addressing and error handling capabilities (though it doesn't seem to elaborate on these), which suggests that dvd+r would be the better disc type for archiving.

I don't understand all the detail but here is what it says: "There are a number of significant technical differences between the 'dash' and the 'plus' format, although most users would not notice the difference. One example is that the DVD+R style Address In Pregroove (ADIP) system of tracking and speed control is less susceptible to interference and error, which makes the ADIP system more accurate at higher speeds than the Land Pre Pit (LPP) system used by DVD-R. In addition, DVD+R(W) has a more robust error management system than DVD-R(W), allowing for more accurate burning to media, independent of the quality of the media. The practical upshot is that a DVD+R writer is able to locate data on the disc to byte accuracy whereas DVD-R is incapable of such precision. Additional session linking methods are more accurate with DVD+R(W) versus DVD-R(W), resulting in fewer damaged or unusable discs due to buffer under-run and multi-session discs with fewer PI/PO errors"

But just to confuse matters, the recorder will record to -r and +r discs in dvd-video mode, whereas it can record to -r discs in dvd-vr mode too.

From what I have read it seems that vr mode allows better editing and to start watching the recording before it has finished. I usually record straight to the hard drive, so perhaps vr would be useful for HDD recordings but less relevant on the dvd. I notice that if I try to edit out advert breaks, vr allows me to pick the individual frames to cut whereas video mode means I have to go to the nearest "block" of frames, so is not as precise.

I also understand that vr recordings might be less compatible on other players.

I have read on the internet that vr mode has "defect management" but I cannot find any explanation of what this is, so I am unsure whether vr with its defect management on a -r disc is better or worse than dvd video on a +r disc, bearing in mind the comments on +r discs above.

Possibly a vr recording on a +r disc would be best as both of these seem to offer some extra defect/error protection? But my player will not record this combination.

Are all the benefits of vr editing etc lost when the disc is finalised?

What would happen if I cloned a vr recording on a -r disc on my pc and burned it to a +r disc?

There are too many formats! I am confused!

Thanks in advance for any help. Stephen.

[Nick Odell]

I just plug an external dvd burner into my computer and burn stuff. It either works or it doesn't and nine times out of ten, when it doesn't work it's because the burner doesn't like the quality of the blank dvd. I don't notice any difference in the results between using + or - media. There might be a difference in burn speed but that's not an issue for me so I haven't really checked.

So I would just find a brand and a type that works reliably with your machine and stick to that.

Bear in mind that there is still a lively debate about just how permanent even the best recorded dvd will turn out to be. Since you mention archiving, I'm guessing that the material may be important in which case a programme of re-recording your material every so-many years might be the more important factor. If the material you are archiving is of crucial importance then a chat with archivists at the National Media Museum

might be in order.

Nick

[bert]

In message , Stephen writes

From my limited knowledge

1. Many devices will not handle -RW
2. In the earl days of the CD -R was designed for audio and +R was designed for data files.

3 I use +RW to transfer recording from my Toshiba Freeview HD recorder HDD to my PC for editing and uploading.

In your user manual you will probably find a description of the editing facilities available on you recorder and with which format they can be used.

[Rick Hughes]

I have undertaken all my video backup and conversion of VHS to video using DVD-R, to have maximum cross platform compatibility. Never come across a single m/c that cannot play DVD's I created.

In my case I have several Panasonic devices and they do not accept DVD+R

For compatibility it could be a consideration for you to use DVD-R

DVD-R was originally developed by Pioneer and then beame official standard of DVD Forum... "The DVD-R (pronounced "DVD dash R") and -RW media formats are officially approved by the standards group DVD Forum. The DVD Forum was founded by Mitsubishi, Sony, Hitachi, and Time Warner, so it has tremendous industry support for its technical standards. "

The alternative DVD+R was initially a Sony & Phillips consortium.

I would expect most modern drives to handle both.

The best forum I can advise for such questions is the Video Help Forum

[News]

In message , Nick Odell writes

Hallelujah. I really do think that is the best advice. I have read so many reviews of blank discs that is becomes obvious that what one user sees as the best thing since sliced bread, others avoid at all costs.

I have tried various, cheap and not so cheap, and have found TDK DVD-R to be reliable - for me. I burn films, mp3s, files, and more. My son burns Linux disks etc., and we both find TDK to be reliable.

It may be a question of burner, player, software or something else. Find a disc that works for you, and stick with it. As others have said, there seems to be doubt about long term storage on DVDs anyway, so the exact format is probably irrelevant.

[Scott M]

For DVD-video discs DVD-R is the de-facto standard for standalone DVD players. Most modern players will cope with both +R and -R but older players will ONLY play DVD-R discs. Computers will cope with either of course.

For DVD data you can use whatever you like.

Main caveat though: IMO, using optical discs for archive storage is silly. A pair of hard drives (ie duplicating the data on both) is a better idea as a) you get 100 or 200 discsworth and b) you'll get warning of the need to re-backup the data to a new drive where DVDs could decay[1] without warning.

[1] I still have memories of early CDRs that used to do that regularly.

[chris French]

Yup.

I burn the odd disc to give it to someone else, but that's it

Otherwise, everything lives here on multiple hard drives (in the file server, on an external HDD, on an a NAS in the first floor of an outbuilding) and I also use Crashplan as an online backup.

[John Rumm]

That's something worth keeping in mind. Many older DVD players will not handle +r disks, but are ok with -r.

Same applied to my old Sony.