On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 09:48:36 -0500, Erik Reuter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Sun, Dec 12, 2004 at 07:58:11AM -0600, Ronn Blankenship wrote: > > In looking at DVD burners and the blank discs for them, I have noticed that > > some are labeled "DVD-RW" while others are labeled "DVD+RW". So, > > naturally, I wonder, > > > > (1) What's the difference? > > Physically different formats. If you REALLY want to know the details, it > is easy to find on the web.
Aside from player compatibility, the most notable differences are that the + formats tend to support faster speeds sooner, and IIRC the + formats support "lossless linking" and addressing during recording, while I don't think the - formats do. That makes the + format more able to support stuff like plextor's "burn-proof" writing as well as more flexible data formats, like Mount Rainier support. IMHO, + is superior if you have to choose between them (ie: when you're buying blanks) This site has some FAQ's that go into the details (though they're obviously biased in favor of +): http://www.dvdplusrw.org > > (2) Which, if either, is preferable? > > They are similar in utility. Since you can get a drive that can handle > all the formats +R, -R, +RW, -RW, it isn't a big deal which you choose, > unless you need to be compatible with someone else's drive. > > I suggest you get a drive that can handle both +/-, and then choose > the media based on what is the easiest to find and/or the cheapest. Good advice. I will add that some DVD players and possibly even some DVD-ROMs will not equally support all the recordable formats, or even different brand disks in the same format! Also, not all writers can write at maximum speed on all disks of that rating. You may have to experiment with different brands and formats to see what your equipment handles best. It's a rather sorry state of affairs. For example, my 8x Plextor writer, which I bought a year ago, has a web page which lists brands of DVD+/-R(W) disks are known to work at certain speeds with their drive. They list exact product lot numbers, and make no guarantees that different product numbers of the same product will have the same results. Most of the brands they list are very hard to find at the local compusa or staples. I've used other brands with some success, but don't get full write speed that often. My question to everyone: anyone know/use a decent Windows backup program? I have NTI backup now, and it's horribly horribly, unbelievably slow, regardless of media used. I'm talking a 1.5 GB/hour record rate - just insanity. Cheers, -Bryon _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
