Do not mix +R and -R!

[DVD Maniac]

For those of you still having problems with getting consistent backups with no choppy playback / jumpimg scenes I think I have an answer. I bought a Phillips DVDR228 based on the advice that the + format is more compatible with set tops - bad move.

After burning a number of discs with mixed results when played on my Pioneer DV717 I got otally fedup with the 60 - 70% success rate. Problem was that the failures and successes had no pattern (ie - Transcoding / Authoring process, compression level, splittiing to two discs etc). I ruled out Media by trying several brands - still the same random success / failures.

My last hope was that the Player was simply not 100% compatible with the + format (despite what the compatibility tables indicate). I decided to invest in a Phillips settop burner (which I was considering buying anyway to record off air and ditch my VCR). ALL discs I had had problem with before now play perfectly - no jumps, no blocky frames.

I realise this whole backup thing is a bit of an artform and its difficult to ever prove any of these approaches will work consistently for everyone - but my advice is - DO NOT MIX UP YOUR +'s and -'s WHATEVER THE COMPATBILITY TABLES SAY!

Has anyone had a similar experience with mixed format burners and players?

[dvdkiller]

Ihave same burner and found that although my settop a daewoo 2000 was supposedly not compatible , I tried anyway and hey it worked. I tried both +r and+rw both succesful. So at he moment im sticking with this burner. The only problem i am having is working out all the programs to rencode dvd9 to dvd5

[Useless]

I always thought that DVD-R was more compatible than DVD+R on standalone DVD players.

dvdkiller, use dvd2one program to convert dvd9 to dvd5. I can't find any fault with it yet.

[Bretty]

What is DVD-9 and DVD-5?
Are you talking about region codes?

I am a hell n00b, and am about to buy a DVD burner. I have a few questions relating to the + and - issue.
I have read that the + is more compatible with set top DVD players. To be honest....all I would like to do with this burner is put 4-5 full version games on 1 disk...and make copied of the movies I own. I can only buy IDE drives too.

I have a P4 2.4ghz CPU 1 gig of RAM do you think that this will be enough power to copy a full movie smoothly???

[Useless]

DVD-9 is a dual layer DVD. DVD-5 is a single layer, same as blank DVDs.

I'm happy with my DVD-R media, as it's cheaper than + anyway.

Bretty, as for enough power to burn smoothly, I have a 1.2GB Athlon with 384MB RAM and it burns fine. Just don't try to do too much while burn is in progress. Best not to do anything.

[Bretty]

Thanks useless.

So can you buy both versions of blank media?
As far as I know most movies are on Dual layer, and therefore to make exact copies of them..I would need to burn them to Dual layer DVD-9

Will a dual layer movie fit onto a DVD-5 disk?

[Useless]

Yeah, you can buy both. Just a little more for + media.

If a DVD is dual layer than it is possible to burn just the movie onto a DVD-5. If the movie files are too big than I usually use dvd2one to resize it to fit.