+DL compatibility .... the numbers are in

[lordsmurf]

The February 2005 issue of DV magazine has a study of +DL media. They had Check Disc Labs run about a half dozen discs on about 250 players, made from an NEC (Lacie rebadge), a Pioneer, and a LiteOn (Sony rebadge) drive.

They were using Verbatim +DL media (and although the article is 100% incorrect in saying its the "only" DL media available in the USA, at least Verbatim is more compatible than Ritek +DL).

The pathetic, sad and dismal results:
~30% overall success rate
~30% of players refused to see a disc
~40% has some sort of problems, usually reading or changing to the 2nd layer

(Surprisingly, XBOX was one of the players that passed all tests!)


My disclaimer:
I do not have total faith in this article, given my experience with errors in this magazine in the past. Some past errors, much like the "Verbatim is the only DL in USA" statement, are so flagrantly obvious that a first-day newbie could point them out. I blame the DV editors for not fact-checking their contributors.
HOWEVER, the magazine has never been grotesquely out of line, so this article probably has some substancial truth to it. It is enough to be concerned about.

[HatchetMan]

booktyped as DVD-ROM???

[lordsmurf]

As usual, the DV mag research ignored this. They're known to leave out important details.

I've read that some of these drives default to ROM already. Regardless, the booktype generally will not change a media compatibility more than 20% or so. Going off the DV mag research, we'd still be looking at a 50% best scenario.

[HatchetMan]

If a drive defaults to ROM already, then is that drive better off with +R media than it is for -R media, of am I going off topic now?

[lordsmurf]

A bit off topic for this thread. Start a new one. And that is an interesting topic. I'll save my comments and thoughts for your new thread.

[-jsl-]

All other tests show much better numbers (more like 80±10 % compatibility) so obviously they have f*cked up something seriously.
So do they have a list of all tested players? It would be fun to be able to check some of the players they claim fail playback.

[aanaravs]

I saw this article too and wrote to the editors about the Verbatim issue.

[ultraman36]

Ive burner 1 dual layer dvd+r and it plays with no problem on my Pioneer, Jvc, and Sony Dvd stand alone players

[jimmalenko]

Good stuff, LS. I'll be watching these developments with interest

[Laddydaddy]

The number you quote (30% refused to see a disc) seems to square with what jsl said about compatibility (80+/-10%). As far as 40% having troulbe reading or changing to the second layer, I remember a thread here tha discussed that problem. Apparently not all burning programs could handle the layer change properly. Did the article discuss how the discs were made (authoring, burning, etc,)?

[lordsmurf]

Did the article discuss how the discs were made (authoring, burning, etc,)?

DV magazine ???

Of course not. They always seem to skip those kinds of "small" details. This is one of those magazines that grades DVD burners by the software that came bundled in the box. The only reason I even bothered to post the results of their test is because an independent lab conducted the tests, not the inept editors or writers.

Your question is very valid. I'd like to know the answer too. However .... inversely... it also proves the point that the +DL has a long way to go even in terms of authoring/burning software. This was one point they were trying to make. Most single layer authoring/burning works perfect, though it may not always have great visual/audio quality (those all-in-one's and other newbieware). Rarely do I hear of SL media not being read by the player, not unless it's bad media.... which is another thing that was not tested.

Something like a bad burn could have skewed results too. Did they test? Did they not? Ah man, who knows.