DMR-HS2 and disc compatibility

[sdsusa]

Just bought my DMR-HS2.

Is there somewhere in the forum a list of DVD-R and DVD-RAM disc brand/manufacturer that work well with DMR-HS2 and that don't?

I have bought a box of 4.7GB Memorex DVD-RAM and had to return it because every single disc of them failed to format.

Also I would like to know,

Do I need to leave space in the DVD-R for finalizing? In other words, if I have a two hour-capacity disc and record it up to the capacity, can I still finalize it?

Is there a relationship between the recording speed of DVD-R and compatibility with other DVD players? For instance, SP yields better compatibility than EP, or something like that?

Can I finalize DVD-RAM just like DVD-R so that I can play it on other DVD players? If I do, can the DVD-RAM can be formatted and reused later on?

Thanks for your attention.

Simon

[nle1]

I'd suggest doing a search on this topic for "HS2" and you'll pick up a few threads with some helpful advice. One thing I remember reading somewhere is altho it's willing to take lots of different -R's, it seems to only want to use Panasonic RAMs. Watch about "formatting." All of them I've seen COME already formatted!
Very few standalones will work with RAMs, so probably best to forget about that. As far as -R's and compatibility ... total crapshoot. And even when a brand works, it can be strange. I have a very cheap generic that has been surprisingly compatible. Yet yesterday when I tested one burned in the HS2 (I think the 4th of the same recording), the first main program worked fine in 3 machines; the second shorty could not be recognized by 2, and the 3rd had to try a few times before it found it. And working to burn and working to play may not be the same.


As far as I know, 2 hours means it'll fit the 2 hours and still be able to finalize, but I tend to have 90-100 minutes things, which i then record FR.

So far, I haven't found a difference between FR and SP as far as compatibility, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time and finding the right (or wrong) player.

NLE

[pobox518]

Simon, I use Fuji's, I'm on my fourth one and haven't had a problem yet. I thought that you had to do a big formatting thing on the disk before you could record to it (DVD-R's) but I just pop it in, set up my dubbing list, and it goes to work. I see nothing on the box about have they already been formatted or not. I did see a warning not to clean the disk with gasoline...I'm glad I got that straightened out!

My experience has been that you can record the full two hours and still be able to finalize it. On the disk I'm burning right now, the dubbing list said 1h58min, but when it started recording, it showed 2h2min to go (using SP)...so it will be interesting to see how that works out. --Rick

[pan-dmre30s]

I use the DVD-PRO cheap Bulk discs.

I have a pansonic dmr-e30s (HS2 cheaper cousin)
and can also finalize when recording to the end of a DVD-R on 2 hour setting.

However I dont normally do this.
I normally pad the length required by adding a few minutes to the flex record time.