dvd-r or dvd-rw?????

[jyeh74]

What do you guys recomend for dvd-r or dvd-rw? I was gonna purchase 50 pack of Ritek dvd-r (heard they were good for their price) for $41 until I saw this link:

http://store.yahoo.com/cdrdvdrmedia/ri2xdv4blmed1.html

Might as well pay $52 ($11 more) for Ritek 50 pack and have rewriteable.
I have a lite-on dvd burner (not sure which) and a Apex 2110 dvd player.
Any help or advice would be appreciated!!!!

[jeex]

i would suggest dvd-r. if you get a new dvd player or watch a movie at a friends house the dvd-rw is less likely to play on their dvd player than a dvd-r.

[jyeh74]

thanks, keep the comments coming !

[cbsmooney]

I use DVD-RWs for things that I want to keep for a limited time and DVD-Rs for permanent backups. As stated above, not all DVD-RWs will play on all players.

[fmctm1sw]

I have to agree. Especially since my player no longer plays RW media. Do you really need 50 rewritable disks? I have only one or two I burn tests on...

[bdf24]

I'm just finishing a 50 pack of Ridata DVD+RW's. They actually play better in my player then my Ritek G04's did. Much higher success rate in my player as far as stuttering goes. Plus I figure if something don't turn out just right I can erase them and reburn.

[gmatov]

I thought it was settled years ago, that the old 2X, 4X, CD players had lasers too weak to read an RW, after that, they were all good. DVD is different, all of a sudden?

Why, if not all players can read a DVD/RW, do we all say burn to RW first to see if it was a good encode?.

Hell, if your standalone has hiccups with RW, and you think it must be a bad encode/burn, you could be there for a month, encode, burn, play, bad, erase, encode, burn, ad infinitum.

Personally, I have bought 25 and 1 came with my first burner, a 411s, oddly enough, none with the 811 or 851.

I say go for the RWs, if your standalones like -RW, or if +RW, get them instead.. If nothing else, they will make for great backup/ghosts, week 1, week 2, etc.

A buck each is a bargain, and who knows if your kids are going to want to watch Square Bob in a year or 2? Erase and do over with the latest thing. Stop throwing dollar bills away.

Hell, I have enough +Rs, maybe I'll start buying and using RWs, instead.

Cheers,

George

[chas0039]

No one seems to have mentioned that the RWs you are looking at are 2X and the Rs are 4X. For me this is a significant difference. I have used a few 2X Rws and I now spend a few bucks extra to get the 4X. Also they have no where near the useful life of the Rs so don't plan to archive anything on the RWs. As is generally the case, both formats have their place.

[jimmalenko]

I don't see the point in buying this quantity of RWs. If you are going to go to the trouble of burning a DVD, chances are you probably want a copy of it for life. Why risk the unfortunate accident of recording over a classic when you can immortalise it forever ? Also, the time saving between 4X (15 min) and 2X (32 min by the time you erase it) far outweighs a saving of $11 per 50 IMO. DVD player compatibility is also a problem. I would save the $11 per 50 because after 200 you will have got yourself another 50 "free" anyway.

[gmatov]

Nowhere near the useful life? You burn an R, it is a dead issue, can do nothing BUT play it, and if it is a bad burn, toss it. RW, rerecord(able). I should think that qualifies it as more useful, and longer lived.

And, rather than a dye, it is a "phase change" media with an advertised 1000 + burn life. ( I don't believe it, but the Rs are added as a once burn life, good or bad.)

And, noone has ever said the phase change is going to go back to original state, but many have said the dye will fade, or become inconsistent with time and light.

You are arguing with both faces, on this matter. Can't say it's better in one respect, then say it's inferior.

And, oh, really, I am going to worry soooooo much that I have to wait a half hour for those damn things to burn.

I waited for CD-Rs to burn for 35 minutes before they told me burn failed. I think I can wait 15 minutes. I have 3 machines running, at the moment, just jump to the next.

Really, do as you wish.

Cheers,

George

[montburnsy]

No one seems to have mentioned that the RWs you are looking at are 2X and the Rs are 4X. For me this is a significant difference. I have used a few 2X Rws and I now spend a few bucks extra to get the 4X. Also they have no where near the useful life of the Rs so don't plan to archive anything on the RWs. As is generally the case, both formats have their place.

Could you please expand on this, as I have tried and tried (5 times to be exact) to back-up Sopranos - season two 6 disc set, and can get it done on Ritek-RW(4X), but not on DVD-/+R.
I can't understand why this is. I normally would use DVD-RW just to test, but test worked this time but not actual burn to R???
I gave up and just copied to DVD+RW(Ritek) and plan on leaving them there. My question is, Should I not???
Thnx in advance for any info.

[chas0039]

I am not the expert on this type of problem but I know that those who are will need more info. What is the drive and firmware; what is the id number from the disks that do not work. What burning software do you use with version, and what do you mean when you say it will not work? Is it not readable anywhere? What hardware do you use to read? Is it readable on your DVD burner?

[montburnsy]

I am not the expert on this type of problem but I know that those who are will need more info. What is the drive and firmware; what is the id number from the disks that do not work. What burning software do you use with version, and what do you mean when you say it will not work? Is it not readable anywhere? What hardware do you use to read? Is it readable on your DVD burner?

I don't understand why all this info. is needed just to answer why it records on RW, but won't on R. (<--please reply) But as you requested, to the best of my knowledge, here goes: Pioneer DVR-107D (firmware ?), How do you find out disc ID number?, DVD Shrink 2.3 (has not failed me other than this), Nero Xpress 6.0 (also has not failed me, Yet!), Will play in computer drive (dvd burner), not in stand alone Phillips DVD-711.
I hope this has shed some light on what might be going wrong.
Also I might add, that each Sopranos disc is only around 3.5Gb, so do I still do as I do with an oversize disc? Or are the 2 methods different?
Thnx for your time Chas0039. Good luck with this one

[thor300]

I think -RW got lower compatibility than +RW, on the What is.. DVD on this pages it say 79% for both formats, but im sure i read somewhere that +RW was better supported, so i bought +RWs and never owned a -RW yet. Basicly -RW is the least supported format (except for DVD-RAM ofcourse) so i would never consider to buy a 50-spindle of it.

[montburnsy]

Just found this on another forum, does it make sense to anyone?

"I have a Philips DVD711 with v7.26 firmware. The player is multi-region and plays most commercial DVD's. I can play burnt DVDs but they have to be over 4.3 gig. Is there a patched or update firmware to fix this so that it will play DVD-R or DVD+R less than 4.3 or even 4.0 gig?. I know some of the later Philips models will do this. I don't really want to buy a new DVD player.
I personaly don't understand it??? But maybe it's the problem I'm having at the moment, seeings each disc is about 3.5Gb???