Will 8x dvd-rs burn in an 4x dvd burner?

[ponger]

Hi, I was going to buy some taiyo yudens TYG02, but realized my Liteon LDW-411s burner only burns max at 4x.

Can I still buy 8x dvd-rs and will they burn at 4x without problems?

P.S How long do Dvd's last? Some places say 5 years some say 20? I'd like to backup old shows/fam movies that I might not be able to find years from now. Are CD's longer lasting?

Thanks

[lawnman]

I buy 8X Taiyo's all the time and burn them at 4X, 6X and 8X, so I think you will be okay.

I have read where DVDs will last longer than CDs but who really knows. Depends on how and where you store them. How good the burn is originally.

[ponger]

Lawnman, do you have a 4x burner? That is what I am worried about, if a 4x burner can burn an 8x dvd at all?

[yoda313]

Yeah I'm pretty sure you will be just fine. I only had a 4x burner for the longest time and it would burn no problem. Dvd media is backward compatible as far as the speed is concerned. If you have a 16x drive and 16x discs you can still burn at 2x if you want to.

[Enygma]

I don't imagine you'll have a problem. 8X media is backwards compatible, but it kinda depends on the media and your burner what speed you can burn at.

My Pioneer burner is a 8X burner but I can't burn 16X media at 8X, only 4X. I've attempted to burn 16X media at 8X with hacked firmware, but usually craps out. Pioneer firmware doesn't allow me to burn 16X at 8X.

[lawnman]

I have a Pioneer DVR 110-D flashed to a 110. It burns 8x Taiyo's at 4x,6x, or 8x. I usually burn at 4x because of my older Sony set top has a hard time reading anything burned at a faster speed.

I haven't tried any other media besides the 8x Taiyo's.

[Capmaster]

PC writers are usually a little more flexible in burning fast media at a slower rate.

You can get into trouble with some standalone recorders, however. Some older model recorders would actually get damaged when you use 8X or 12X media and attempt to burn at 1X

[donfm]

I don't imagine you'll have a problem. 8X media is backwards compatible, but it kinda depends on the media and your burner what speed you can burn at.

My Pioneer burner is a 8X burner but I can't burn 16X media at 8X, only 4X. I've attempted to burn 16X media at 8X with hacked firmware, but usually craps out. Pioneer firmware doesn't allow me to burn 16X at 8X.

The media/burner compatibility depends on the firmware used in the burner. If you have a recent firmware version then I would suspect you will have no trouble with newer media compatibility regardless of the burner.

I'm not sure your statement about all 8X media being backwards compatible is correct. If it's not recognized in the firmware on an older burner then it may not be recognized. If you have a 4X burner there's a chance the media wasn't even made yet when the firmware code was written.

[Insomniak4700]

You could crossflash your 411 to a 811 and use the newer HSOR firmware from Lite-On's site.
the 811 is still an old drive, but media support is better than for the 411, and it will burn 8x on some +R media

[Capmaster]

P.S How long do Dvd's last?

There's evidence that home-burned DVDs last longer than commercial pressed discs.

I posted about it in Mar 2004 but the post has disappeared. I did find a link to the article that I quoted in the post I made here in Mar 2005:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1260223#1260223

which quotes this link:
http://www.gcn.com/23_5/news/25166-1.html

General industry guidelines now estimate office-burned copies of CDs and DVDs could remain readable for 100 to 200 years.

That is, of course, with good quality media like MCC or TY.

[BJ_M]

that article quoted above seems a little wacked - as i have seen 5 year old high quality disks go bad ....

plus recordable disks also contain some alum. - plus dyes are more susceptible to oxidation than some other materials (plus light) , even finger oils MAY break down some of the plastics (as well as other pollutants and ozone) ...

that being said - there are 100 year disks being sold ... personally i wouldnt really worry about as the world will prob. blow up first anyway ...

[Capmaster]

that article quoted above seems a little wacked - as i have seen 5 year old high quality disks go bad ....

They weren't Princo, were they?

[bbanderic]

I don't imagine you'll have a problem. 8X media is backwards compatible, but it kinda depends on the media and your burner what speed you can burn at.

My Pioneer burner is a 8X burner but I can't burn 16X media at 8X, only 4X. I've attempted to burn 16X media at 8X with hacked firmware, but usually craps out. Pioneer firmware doesn't allow me to burn 16X at 8X.

The media/burner compatibility depends on the firmware used in the burner. If you have a recent firmware version then I would suspect you will have no trouble with newer media compatibility regardless of the burner.

I'm not sure your statement about all 8X media being backwards compatible is correct. If it's not recognized in the firmware on an older burner then it may not be recognized. If you have a 4X burner there's a chance the media wasn't even made yet when the firmware code was written.

I second everything donfm said. If you haven't done so, upgrade to the newest firmware for your drive to ensure media compatability.

[prime6time]

Any recordable media will burn to the limitation of your drive. If you buy 16X or 8X media, and you have a 4X speed burner, the blank media will simply burn at 4X. If you have problems burning, it could be the brand of media that you are using. TDK, Taiyo Yuden, and Verbatim have worked out the best for me. I get mine at www.americanrecordablemedia.com Verbatim still makes a 4X media as well. DVD-94495 is the code.

[oldandinthe way]

Media which has a proper write strategy in your drive's firmware will burn on your drive. Media without a write strategy in your drive's firmware might also burn of the default write strategy is adequate.

The write strategy to burn an 8x media at 4x ,may or may not be the same as that required to burn the same manufacturer's 4x media. If it is the same it will work, if it isn't you will have problems sooner or later.

Unless your manufacturer provides frequent firmware updates you are likely to run into media you cannot burn as newer disks dominate the market.

Hacked firmware is often ineffective because some hackers simply change the media code and speed on any existing entry which may or may not have a compatible write strategy.

At a DVD burner cost of about $30 it might be reasonable to replace burners every year or so.

[yoda313]

At a DVD burner cost of about $30 it might be reasonable to replace burners every year or so.

That seems a little excessive to me personally. I'd more likely say once every 3 years or so. But my old 4x microadvantage still works just fine though I haven't burned with it recently but it reads just fine. I do love my new pioneer 111d excellent burner.

[oldandinthe way]

Its been over 100 disks since I've burned a coaster. Drives have improved with time. I burn at 16x. I burn the media that's on sale at big box stores, with every promotion possible. I pay 3 - 5 cents per dvd.

I buy another drive when my drive burns coasters that do not show physical defects. One one hundred pack of disks for a picky DVD-writer costs a premium which exceeds my new drive cost.