Disappointing Sony Dual Layer results

[fingernailX]

Stumbled across this review: http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=8568

Author ripped and burned a 7.1 gb image with not so great results.

Playback compatibility was mixed, however, with a 43% success rate on 70 set-top players, portables, ROM drives, and burners.

Certainly dampens my enthusiasm for Dual-Layer. Anybody have any better news actually using dual layer to assert their 'fair use' rights?

[Sam Ontario]

Pre-mature products - media and burners! No surprise at all.

[jeex]

i think when the ability to set the booktype to DVD-ROM the compatibility will be much higher.. i seem to recall a user around here that had a lite-on dual/double-layer burner and he burned a disc without changing the book type.. the results were not good..but when he changed the book type to dvd-rom it played in all of his dvd players (4 or 5 i think)

[handyguy]

typical from the other posts I read. Soon to come: double layer dvd players

[Dampier]

Interestingly, a tech at Memorex wrote to me after I complained about their inconsistent quality DVD media and he volunteered that Memorex has seen nothing but traffic accident-style dual layer burning in their initial testing among different manufacturers. In fact, the quality has been so consistently terrible that they are not even considering getting into the dual layer media business until the second generation of products. Longevity testing revealed even more problems - none of their burned disc tests (four different media manufacturers) lasted more than three simulated months. You might as well call these Mission Impossible discs, because they shall self-destruct in....

Not only to manufacturers have a long way to go, but media quality issues require massive improvement, particularly with media expected to cost upwards of $10 PER DISC at the outset. Imagine getting 15 discs for $100 on special and burning five coasters. People are angry enough at burning $.90 coasters... imagine $9-10 coasters.

Early reviews seem to go along with this - there is room for great improvement. I would avoid first generation dual layer burners and media at all costs, unless you don't mind frustration. What may be a successful burn today could easily be a shiny plastic frisbee 3-6 months later. Yay!

[lordsmurf]

Imagine getting 15 discs for $100 on special and burning five coasters. People are angry enough at burning $.90 coasters... imagine $9-10 coasters.

Been there, done that.
2001 with DVD-R and Pioneer 103.

Not media related, software related. Back then, REALLY hard to find software to make compliant burns. I imagine this will be a hurdle for the layer change on dual/double layer burned media.

In addition to reflectivity and accuracy of the wobble grooves (reading, writing).

[Lugnuts]

I own a Sony DRU 700A and I made an Archive copy of one of my dvd movies which was 6.5 gigs. I used Sony Double Layer media and got great results. I only bought 2 blanks because they were so expensive but I just had to test it. I tested the copy of the movie on a pc, stand alone, and a Go_video portable player and it worked really great! No complaints except for the price.

[disturbed1]

One way in which I'd have to qualify my results is to acknowledge that I couldn't figure out how to change the Book Type in the Nero software from the default "DVD+R9" to something more familiar to existing playback devices like "DVD-ROM."

I'd like to see the exact same test with the book type set to DVD-ROM. The fact that the players didn't even load the media says that it did not understand "DVD+R9", had it been set to "DVD-ROM" the disc should have at least loaded.

But loading is only half the battle. I could give 2shits less if I can watch the pretty menu, what about the end of the movie. Nothing like spending 1.5 hours watching a movie just to find out that during the last 15 minutes your set top decides to not read back the disc. Or the layer break, I'm wondering how well set tops are taking the layer change with writable media.

Looks like I may have to go to Best Buy myself.

[lordsmurf]

Looks like I may have to go to Best Buy myself.

I thought you were going to sit this one out.

[Faustus]

Personally I expected this, when I buy a Dual Layer (currently likely at the begining of next year) I'll upgrade my players if I must.

[disturbed1]

Looks like I may have to go to Best Buy myself.

I thought you were going to sit this one out.

I've already got an NEC 2500 with the 2510 firmware, might as well but it too use

$30 for 1 DL media (that will be used), and some more +R/+RW media to sit next to all my other unused +R/+RW media

[gmatov]

Not to hijack, but which 2510 firmware?

I tried beta5 and the 2500/2510, failed every time, not so as to ruin a disk, burnt successfully on the liteOn, but had to revert to 106 to use the machine.

Does beta 6 work on the 2500? Hell, Herrie might be on beta 7 by now.

Cheers,

George

ps; DL doesn't matter, to me, at this point, just original FW wont take 4X disk to 6 or 8X. 107 tried, couldn't burn.

[Calico]

I have had nothing but great results with Dual layer and my Sony DRU 700A.

I have backed up 2 movies with no problem and created my own DL discs of sporting events.

I have tested the discs on 10 players and several PCs and they has always worked.

[Vanderlow]

What make DL disks did you use?

[Calico]

I have used Verbatim DL discs so far. I have 3 blank ones left out of 6 that I bought. I paid about $9 a disc.

[code65536]

I have used Verbatim DL discs so far. I have 3 blank ones left out of 6 that I bought. I paid about $9 a disc.

How did you get a price like that?? Can't find anything for under $15...

[Calico]

My cousin owns a small computer shop and he special ordered them for me and gave me a discount.

[Vanderlow]

Dampier:

Interestingly, a tech at Memorex wrote to me after I complained about their inconsistent quality DVD media and he volunteered that Memorex has seen nothing but traffic accident-style dual layer burning in their initial testing among different manufacturers. In fact, the quality has been so consistently terrible that they are not even considering getting into the dual layer media business until the second generation of products.

Memorex introduces new double layer DVD+R discs

Memorex Double Layer DVD+R discs will ship in early July to major national retailers. The discs will be available individually to consumers, for a suggested retail price of USD 12.99.

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/10063

[andkiich]

As much as I would like to have the dual-layer capacity +R, this kind of thing is really at least a year away for me. They have to work out the bugs big time before I will plunk down any money whatsoever.

[handyguy]

Plus, BluRay is here this month

[tommyoz]

Memorex Double Layer DVD+R discs will ship in early July to major national retailers. The discs will be available individually to consumers, for a suggested retail price of USD 12.99.

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/10063

This is good, we need competition for verbatim to bring the price down.
Although I am not a big fan of memorex, you can always count on them to be one of the first with media.

[code65536]

Um... Memorex has no manufacturing capacity. They've always bought other manufacturers' discs and rebranded. Considering that Ricoh/Ritek haven't completely gotten their DL off the group and that MCC/MKM (Verbatim's parent company) is the only one with a sizeable DL capacity, I wouldn't be surprised if these Memorex discs are made by MCC/MKM. Right now, all the brands of DL media--Verbatim/Philips/(maybe Memorex)--are MCC/MKM. How's that for competition?

[tommyoz]

Correct, I realize that memorex is not a manufacture and yes, I was speaking in hopes that there is another manufacture of DL.

[RottenFoxBreath]

Dampier:

Interestingly, a tech at Memorex wrote to me after I complained about their inconsistent quality DVD media and he volunteered that Memorex has seen nothing but traffic accident-style dual layer burning in their initial testing among different manufacturers. In fact, the quality has been so consistently terrible that they are not even considering getting into the dual layer media business until the second generation of products.

Memorex introduces new double layer DVD+R discs

Memorex Double Layer DVD+R discs will ship in early July to major national retailers. The discs will be available individually to consumers, for a suggested retail price of USD 12.99.

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/10063

just be as well buying another retail of the dvd,why pay stupid money for technology thats already being eclipsed-(blu ray,etc).

[Gen-An]

just be as well buying another retail of the dvd,why pay stupid money for technology thats already being eclipsed-(blu ray,etc).

I don't think BluRay is going to help much in backing up DVD9 movies to a disc format that will be playable on current DVD players...

[RAAGAAman]

RottenFoxBreath wrote:

just be as well buying another retail of the dvd,why pay stupid money for technology thats already being eclipsed-(blu ray,etc).

Please remember the First DVD-R/RW drives were ~800.00. I expect that Blu-ray will be $500 to $700 for the first gen PC writers. You tack on the media will be $30.00 a piece and you need a player to play the disk at home. Blu-ray will be at least another couple of years before it becomes mainstream. Hell, VHS is still here.

RG

[overclockxp]

There is a new firmware out for the oem of this drive, the Lite On 832s. Get the binary flashable HERE. Read the thread. The ripping was improved greatly.

[Frunobulax]

I have used Verbatim DL discs so far. I have 3 blank ones left out of 6 that I bought. I paid about $9 a disc.

What burning software did you use? Thanks in advance!

Edit: To update, I just burned a movie with Nero 6.3.1.17. The movie size was between 6 and 7 gigs, and so far it plays fine in our Apex standalone player. I'm going to test it in a couple others in the area to see how it does.

[Frunobulax]

Let me modify my above statement somewhat:

I must have missed it the first time, but in our Apex standalone player, there is a split second (really quick) pause at what is probably the layer break. This doesn't show up in my 2510A, of course. I could pretty much live with that for now, but I'd like to find a way to choose where the layer break can occur. That way I could minimize any distracting (albeit quick)pauses at the layer break.

[Frunobulax]

I fixed the above problem by burning the file to Nero as an ISO image. That way, Nero didn't mess with the layer break.