8.5GB DVD+R discs & drives available April '04

[Lexus]

Copy of article from www.theregister.co.uk:

8.5GB DVD+R discs, drives to ship April '04
By Tony Smith
Posted: 03/11/2003 at 14:02 GMT


Expect double-layer, almost double-capacity DVD+R drives and media to hit the stores next April, members of the DVD+RW alliance say.

The technology, co-developed by drive maker Philips, and media specialists Verbatim and Mitsubishi Kagaku, adds a second recording layer to a standard-thickness DVD+R disc, taking the medium's capacity from 4.7GB to 8.5GB.

That's enough for four hours of DVD-quality material, 16 hours of VHS-quality content or two hours' archive footage. The discs are playback-compatible with existing DVD players and DVD-ROM drives.

Initial products will offer a write speed of 2.4x.

DVD+R DL, as the technology is known, was demo'd last month in Japan and shown to the press in London last week. Alliance members said the next step is to publish the format's specifications, a process which should be complete this year.

Officially, the Alliance says DVD+R DL hardware and media will ship during "the course of 2004", but privately a number of member companies said they are "hoping" for an April 2004 introduction.

That should provide a further boost for the DVD+R/+RW format, which is increasingly seen as the successor to the older DVD-R/-RW spec., thanks to its full multi-session compatibility with both DVD-ROM and consumer DVD systems. Essentially, DVD+RW discs can be re-edited even when the session has been closed - or 'finalised' - to ensure compatibility with DVD video playback. That said, there have been some claims about the level of DVD+R/+RW compatibility with consumer DVD players; the consensus appears to be that DVD-R/-RW discs, suitably finalised, are more likely to work with any DVD player than is a DVD+R/+RW.

Fortunately, the question of which format to go for is becoming less relevant thanks to the growing number of DVD burners that support both media formats. The DVD+RW Alliance claims that next year pure-play DVD+R/+RW drives will outsell DVD-R/-RW units four to one. Also, dual-mode drives will also outsell single-format drives. ®

[Faustus]

If the + Guys beat - to this I declare a personal winner. I can't wait, upgrade money planned in advance...

[cplevel42]

I agree!!!!

+R wins if -R does not have theirs ready by then. I'm goin dual layer baby, even if it means goin +R to do it.

[jaxxboss]

Of course you do know that the studios will now revert to making a "TRILAYER" DVD to thwart this.

[BJ_M]

well -- i guess we can shut down all the 'how to shrink' forums !!

amaizing !

[defense]

BJ_M wrote:

well -- i guess we can shut down all the 'how to shrink' forums !!

amaizing !

Yep..I had held out hope for this...becuase when it comes to technology I NEVER SAY NEVER....lol. My guess is the first dual format drives will be around $300....certainly worth upgrading...i'll probably sell my DRU-510A to someone.

I'm really glad I am unlike many others who use those one step proggy's which produce terrible results..but they use them so they can "HOARD" their collection. Too many people like that...I do on average....3 backups or so per week.....but starting next year..i'm gonna be callin' myself

"ISOMAN"....bwahhhhhh ....ahh...I like that name....sounds like "ICEMAN"...but "ISOMAN"....humm....I better reserve that NIC.....LMAO......WHEWWW......I can't wait!

[aznguy]

but wait minute, might as well wait for the Blu-Ray... 25 GB.

[overloaded_ide]

Hmm, will this end all the problems that some disks work in some drives and players but not others?

Or is this just going to bring more disks into the picture that may or may not work durring burning or after and in the player?

I'll stick to 4x 4.7 gigs for an extra year or so unless my burners die in the mean time. Sit back and wait for all the bugs to get worked out. I hate to be the first to have something, it also means the first to have the most problems!

Plus I am cheap! In a year the drives will drop from $300 (or whatever they start out at) down to $130, the speed will go up 3 times, and disks will cost 75% less. I'll change then
In the mean time I will be happy the old 4x will drop to CD burner prices of about $39!!

[tompika]

but wait minute, might as well wait for the Blu-Ray... 25 GB.

But you cant really play a Blue-Ray disc in a DVD player can you...

[i am x]

Of course you do know that the studios will now revert to making a "TRILAYER" DVD to thwart this.

Technology to rip them will be created within it's 1st year on the market!!!!

[MachineMan]

Dual layer sounds cool. Think Princo and others will attempt to mfg cheap dual layer media???? Could get nasty.

But you cant really play a Blue-Ray disc in a DVD player can you...

Blue Ray requires a diffreent laser (405nm) meaning that it will not be compatable with any of the current players and writers.

[Conquest10]

well -- i guess we can shut down all the 'how to shrink' forums !!

amaizing !

They may still be useful. Think of it, keep the shrinking and fit a movie per layer.

[aznguy]

yes only dvd player with blue laser will be able to play it.
but Blu-Ray players will be able to play regular DVD.

just read a article somewhere that DVD-R opt out of the blue laser for now.

[tompika]

but wait minute, might as well wait for the Blu-Ray... 25 GB.

But you cant really play a Blue-Ray disc in a DVD player can you...?

Blue Ray requires a diffreent laser (405nm) meaning that it will not be compatable with any of the current players and writers.

It was a rhetorical question...

[ice-berg]

ok thats good news, but think about it how much will the drive cost the consumer when it is introduced. i would estimate in the range of 400-500 smackers. and what about the media, does anyone think it will sell for less than 5$ a piece (that is if were lucky).
so dont get your hopes up that the release date is in april 2004 thinking that you would go out and by one and start burning those dvd9s.
i would have to say april 2005 will be a better plan, seeing that the price would have gone down or who knows, by then a new model by these companies might be introduced by then.

dont mean to put your hopes down, but be realistic guys.

[dcsos]

DON'T SHUT DOWN THE SHRINK FORUMS

I'll be getting me a BLU-RAY taking those HD (Hi-Def) Movie releases
that'll come out on BLU-RAY only (no standard def version)..
RIPPING the files if anyone can figure a way through the new
planned CSS-Successor technology (DVD JON in Scandanavia will want to play HI-DEF on LINUX I suspect :-))

Then with 24GIGS of HI-DEF files on my hard drive, I'll be navigating to the new shrink forms as I'll need to DOWNCONVERT to standard def and SHRINK thes files to place this puppy on a new DVD+R DL (dual layer) to play at my lady's crib because she refuses to go HI-DEF

Also, I like the dumb idea i just came up with:
NEWBIE QUESTION for DVDRHELP:
Can I shrink this 2 discs special edition dual layer SPECIAL EDITION of TERMINATOR 4 down to ONE DUAL LAYER DVD+R?

[tompika]

NEWBIE QUESTION for DVDRHELP:
Can I shrink this 2 discs special edition dual layer SPECIAL EDITION of TERMINATOR 4 down to ONE DUAL LAYER DVD+R?

How about converting it to VCD and burn it to a top speed 4xDVD-R (princo of course)...so it will be compatible with your Blue-Ray burner/player.

[dcsos]

How about converting it to VCD and burn it to a top speed 4xDVD-R (princo of course)...so it will be compatible with your Blue-Ray burner/player.

Good Thinking!
Why go with quality when I can have such a great quantity of material!

NOT!

here's to 1 Blu-Ray, no Blue Ray + and Minus

[tompika]

here's to 1 Blu-Ray, no Blue Ray + and Minus

No problem, as soon as they become affordable people will start to buy'em

[MythSpell]

Of course you do know that the studios will now revert to making a "TRILAYER" DVD to thwart this.

NOT - What's going to play it?!?! Not ANY of the probably hundred million DVD players out there in the world could read a tri-layer disc. Nope, you won't see any major shift in retail DVD distribution for likely another 5-10 years until blu-ray or something with even higher capacity comes out that can deal with hi-def. And even then there will be a gradual shift where new movies will start appearing in dual versions - one that will play in all the original players and one for the new players that will be required for the new high capacity DVDs.

[kzPhaze]

Due to the nature of the movie industry it is obvious that any change to newer media will follow the slow transition similar to that of VHS-to-DVD. The fact that one format is established guarantees that companies will deliver in both formats or else decide to loose a huge portion of your potential sales needlessly. You see this even among competing new standards. Take DVD+R and DVD-R for instance. The only way to both deliver the customer everything they want and cater to the largest possible potential consumer base dual format drives were produced.

[dcsos]

"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
- Bill Gates, in 1981

thats great and now we have 24 gigs to worry about manipulating!

Anyone notice that a 386 running with a 4x cd rom drive can access a document on that CD-ROM drive much faster than a Win XP system
can access the same document at so called 52X?
Of course If you're talking Video you're screwed with the 4x but I want both @!

get yer 24 gigs here
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/hardware/storage/0,39007126,39013640p,00.htm

[c_hernandez32]

SCSI! YAH!!!!!!!

Blu Ray will come via a SCSI interface!

I think that the movie industry will go to tri layer or blu ray. Just admit, the more advanced toys come out, more people are willing to buy it. Otherwise everybody would still be using Windows 98 SE.

I predict that VHS will be completely be phased out by next year as settop DVD recorders will drop to 150-200. At the same time the number of DVD's produced will decrease and HD-DVD's using blu ray DVD's will come out. Also all TV's will go to HD TV's. No more standard TV's!

Speaking on the whole idea of SCSI interface, isn't USB 2.0 supposed transfer data 480 mb/s? What is the typical transfer speed to a external HD or external DVD-RW? Can any drive transfer data at full USB 2.0, Firewire 400, or Firewire 800 speed? (Yes Firewire 800 exists, it comes in the new G5)

[BJ_M]

Firewire 800 comes on a lot of PC's now also ..

[dcsos]

I have a Firewire 800 card in my PC (gotta update my details :-()
bit off topic could someone tell me if 922 OXFORD is the only HARD DRIVE chipset for this yet?..The Card is an orange micro and it hangs over the edge of my PCI slot because its a 64 bit card for future MOTHERBAOADSs as well....Works with 400 drives as well..
but has a new smaller connector ..for the faster 800's

Now back to dual layer..Every company will have to re-issue their
AUTHORING application so soon!
Adobe just got that buggy ENCORE out the door..and it looks like they'd better be ready for a code-spitting upgrade UH-OH!
Seriously, I wonder if its gonna be an upgrade or is it BACK TO THE MATRESS for more cash for a totally new application!

[next]

well -- i guess we can shut down all the 'how to shrink' forums !!

amaizing !

Well what's left then? Last I checked VCD had pretty much run its course....

Time marches on. Hello Aunt Mable!

[Nello_AU]

Another fantastic reason to get rid of my Sony DRU500a (not that I needed any more).

Now lets hope that a dual Layer version of the Pioneer AO6 will be released.

I have a feeling that the cost of the new media is going to be very high for a while.

[next]

Another fantastic reason to get rid of my Sony DRU500a (not that I needed any more).

Now lets hope that a dual Layer version of the Pioneer AO6 will be released.

I have a feeling that the cost of the new media is going to be very high for a while.

...and not to mention the complaints about how it takes twice as long to burn.

[MythSpell]

[quote="dcsos"]Anyone notice that a 386 running with a 4x cd rom drive can access a document on that CD-ROM drive much faster than a Win XP system
can access the same document at so called 52X?[quote]

You are talking about ACCESS speed whereas 4X & 52X are referring to TRANSFER speed. That being said, I'm a bit dubious about even the access speed issue. For instance, old computer games on old hardware always seemed to have a noticeable pause when the game went to access a cut scene. Whereas, I never see that anymore on my XP machine. Just one example I know, but I'm rather doubtful this is one of those Microsoft OS is always the culprit issues. Just my 2 cents.

[dcsos]

Well I can assure you its true as my XP machine is still showing me an "AUTOPLAY" window counting the items on my 52X drive, while I've already got the document open on the 386 in NOTEPAD..
I know cause the machine are side by side here in 2003...
You're absolutely right about games and other large files..
I don't want this 386 any more despite the faster access to text..I just wish that XP hadn't made access to high speed optical drives so terrible

and what's with that "TAKE NO ACTION" window...Its impossible to say "always take this action" and have it work proberly beause the operating system actually identifies over 100 different "types of cd's and dvd's" ..and you'd have to put one of each kind in successively and disable the "DEFAULT WINDOW " from coming up in many, many intances.to fix this software ...
So turn AUTO-INSERT notification on and it still takes long to get to 1 text doc on the disc....!

end off topic....
Back to DUAL LAYER discs with 8.5 gig for XP to try to sort thru upon insertion! I can't wait..

And I still want to know If anyone has seen DUAL LAYER AUTHORING
applications developing yet...or do I just build a VERY FAT project to the hard drive,
IGNORING all the 4.7 gig EXCEEDED error messages...

and then find an new BURNING APPLICATION (should come with the drive)