which format +/- r/rw ?

[radkid]

Quick question....

I know dvd +r -r +rw -rw all have their benefits but from my reading am i correct in saying buring home made dvd movies to DVD-R and DVD-RW will give the best results ?



TIA

[Skynet107]

I have a burner that does both, and have used both + and - DVD-r's. I honestly have not noticed NE difference at all. So far they have all played on several DVD players I tested. I buy mostly - media however because they are much easier to find in bulk and cheap.

the - burner and media is a safer bet IMO.

[radkid]

hi,

how about DVD-RAM? I understand this format is only good for backing up data and not for making home movies etc???


any thoughts?

[The village idiot]

DVD-RAM is most excellent for video, just that it is meant for short term use (re-writeable). They are very expensive for long term storage, like 6 to 10 times more expensive. If you need to edit before making a final +-R disk, and you are using a stand-alone recorder, then your might want DVD-RAM. If you are buying a drive for your computer, I suggest getting one of the multi format drives that also supports DVD-RAM. But DVD-RAM is not meant for long term write once storage. You can do it, just going to cost you alot of money. And you would need a player that supports DVD-RAM, like most (all?) of the new Panasonic players.

[radkid]

So i might as well burn my home dvd movies i make onto dvd +/ rw to test them instead of wasting money on DVD-RAM media.

thx.!

[Skynet107]

So i might as well burn my home dvd movies i make onto dvd +/ rw to test them instead of wasting money on DVD-RAM media.

thx.!

that is one way, but the easiest way is to compile your DVD then test it with a software DVD player on your computer. That way you don't have to wait for the DVD to burn to be tested.

[radkid]

Skynet,

I have power dvd 5 but for some reason it just skips the menus and goes right to playing the video... do you know of a setting to make it stop at the menus?

or maybe there is different software?

[Skynet107]

Yea PowerDVD does that. Just click the MENU button and it will show your menus perfectly.

[radkid]

I dunno,

i just cant seem to get my power dvd to show the menu at all... it quickly flashes by. maybe it is a problem with my maestro project.

[Specialist]

how about DVD-RAM?

For my purposes, any studio that lacks DVD-RAM support is incomplete.

The Panasonic drives feature DEEP DISH TRAYS that accepted DVD-RAM discs in cartridges.

It isn't true that DVD-RAM discs *require* the cartridge; you can get the bare variety also.

But the cartridge adds an extra measure of protection to discs that will be handled in industrial settings.

For example, after I left television news, I worked for a large Public Works Department that used video as a tool to survey and maintain a vast underground pipeline network.

This video was recorded in 'rugged' outdoor settings and handled roughly - by field technicians working out of a television van.

Add to this the fact that all new generation DVD disc camcorders currently on the market record to DVD-RAM.

Examples...

The professional-level Hitachi CRD10:

http://www.hdal.com/products/products.ihtml?step=3&pid=1066&parent=51

The prosumer Hitachi DZMV380A:

http://www.hitachi.com/tv/browse/camcorders/dvd/dvd_index.shtml

The prosumer Panasonic VDR-M30:

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11251&cata...fModel=VDR-M30

These camcorders record to DVD-RAM because it is such a robust format...

...which allows for content editing...

...which can be re-written 100,000 times.

To my knowledge, there are no professional or prosumer *camcorders* currently on the market that support DVD "+" formats.

Nor have I read of any plans by any camcorder manufacturer to market any "+" format camcorders.

(Apparently not even Sony's forthcoming DVD disc camcorders will support "+" format recording - even though Sony is one of the "+" format backers! The new Sony DVD cams will apparently support only DVD-R/DVD-RW.)

I believe DVD-RAM's current domination of the camcorder market is significant.

But not simply because DVD-RAM camcorders dominate...

...but because DVD-RAM is dominating the sales of stand alone player/recorders:

http://www.avvideo.com/2003/06_jun/news/npd0617.htm

A 70.2% market share for DVD-R/DVD-RAM seems significant to me.

Panasonic is becoming the proverbial "800 pound gorilla" of DVD player/recorder sales.

The Panasonic DMR-HS2 - with its integrated hard disk - is one of the hottest player/recorders currently on the market:

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11251&cata...fModel=DMR-HS2

But Panasonic is not the only manufacturer marketing DVD-RAM player/recorders.

Consider...

1. Toshiba:

http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvd/product.asp?model=RD-X2

2. Samsung:

http://www.samsung.com/Products/DVDPlayer/DVDRecorder/DVDPlayer_DVDRecorder_DVD_R3000.htm

3. And - a new entry on the way - from JVC called the DR-M1:

http://www.1-877camcorder.com/drm1.html

Panasonic makes two types of drives - OEM and RETAIL.

The LF-D521 is the retail version:

http://www.panasonic.com/office/templates/PDIC_BuyNow.asp?Category=1052&ModelNo=lf-d521u

The SW-9571 is the OEM version:

http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/computer/storage/dvdram/prods/specs.htm

I have the SW-9571 Firewire external.

It is a remarkable drive.

If one wants both "RAM" and "+" format support, however, there's the new LG GSA-4040B:

http://store.yahoo.com/ourstore-2000/lggmmudrwrto.html

It burns to all of the disc formats.

Even DVD-RAM and the "+" formats.

But it only accepts bare DVD-RAM discs.

Its tray is not a DEEP DISH TRAY - so it can't accept cartridged DVD-RAM media.

By the way, I have the Panasonic VDR-M30 DVD disc camcorder.

The ULEAD Smart Render technology works exceptionally well with the high quality MPEG-2 recorded by this camcorder.

In addition, ULEAD software features support for DVD-VR, which is the method used by the DVD-RAM recorders to record video to disc.

This means one can extract the raw MPEG from the DVD-RAM discs using Ulead software and then edit the video with Smart Render technology to preserve the original quality.

Then one has the choice of authoring to traditional DVD-R discs *or* one can also use the DVD-VR export functionality in the Ulead software to record edited MPEG-2 back to DVD-RAM discs.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jukka]

@Jerry

There is also a JVC model coming out in the UK (could be out in the states by now) that is not only DVD RAM / -R but DVD-RW aswell. Target pricing in the UK is £500 (~$800?) which means that chipped multiregion ones will be onsale within 1 month of launch for about £350 - makes a damn good proposition.

The one thing you forgot to mention about RAM is that it is the only format (in a standalone) that can mimick live TV pause & play a recording from the beginning whilst it is still recording. Personally I am holding out for the LG model for my PC +-RAM all in one + I am an ardent Panasonic fan (3 x TV, Video + Satellite box).

J