DVD-ROM and DVD Writer that reads both + and - discs

[markw]

I am looking for a DVD-ROM drive that will read both +R and -R discs. As well I'd like a writer that reads both. I am assuming since the Sony DRU-500 writes both +R and -R it will as well read both +R and -R. What I'm doing is wanting to have the option to write both +R and -R but as well be able to take a +R or -R disc and copy it to the other drive to more or less convert +R to -R or -R to +R. I'm assuming if a drive won't play a dvd-video on one of these two formats it as well probably won't copy it. Odd thing is it seems most standalone players accept either from my experience but when it comes to PC drives it seems hard to find one that will accept either.

[HyperYagami]

Most of the new DVD-ROM drives read everything, but it won't hurt to do a google and look at the spec for sure. But yes, if it does not read the disc then you can't use it as the source drive (assume that you're doing on-the-fly DVD+/- to DVD+/- copy).

[VMiyoshi]

Yeah like ol' boy said most drives read both +/- DVD media, even the PS2 reads DVD+R disc. Me personaly, I just burn on any DVD thats closest to my burner.
If you want to do on "the fly burning" use Record Now, which should come with your Sony Burner, be sure to download the update, or also you could use DVD decrypter.

Mainly what I'm trying to say is it doesn't mater what you burn on, because most DVD-players, and ROM's will read DVD+R media. You have to have a pretty old player, or DVD-Rom for it now to read it. I even tryed it on a first genration stand alone DVD player, and it read my DVD+R disc fine.

[Mark_Venture]

My Burner is a Sony DRU-500A. I have burned DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, both data and movies.

I have a couple PCs with Hitachi GD-3000 dvd-rom (manufactured July 1999) drives. None of them would read the DVD-R or DVD+R discs I burned, but CAN read DVD-RW and DVD+RW... Not sure why.

Those same -R and +R discs the Hitachi could not read, were readable by the Matsushita UJDA720 (combo CDRW/DVD-Rom) drive in my IBM Thinkpad T23 and my Sony DRU-500A in my desktop PC.

The movie DVDs I burned that the Hitachi could not read, were readable/playable in the DRU-500A and the UJDA720 drives as well as my Pioneer DV-440 dvd player and my brother's Samsung DVD player. (I don't know the model of the samsung player.)

Data burned to +RW and -RW discs were readable on all of the DVD drives I have, including the Hitachi. Movies burned to +RW and -RW discs were playable in all of my drives/player, as well as my brother's Samsung DVD player.

Last week I purchased a Sony DDU1621-C1 to replace one of the Hitachi drives. The DDU1621 can read all the discs I have burned just fine... even those the Hitachi could not.

As for media, I have used mostly Memorex +R (purple cover part number: 3202 5550), +RW (yellow cover part number:3202 5560), -R (don't have one handy) discs I purchased at Staples. I have also used TDK +R (item code DVD+R47S), and TDK -R (item code DVD-R47MS) I purchased at Circuit City. And today I purchased a spindle of 4x Verbatim +R discs (reorder#94589) at Best Buy and started using those.