Please help me understand...

[cornbread]

I am looking to get a dvd burner but I see so many formats, for example, dvd-rw, dvd-r, dvd+r, dvd+rw, etc. What are the difference in the versions? Which is more compatable with a stand alone home dvd player?

Thanks

 

[IFMU]

This is something ive been slightly interested in, although minimally due to its costs, mostly due to folks I know wanting to go that route soon.

By my very limited understandings, each you have listed is basiclly different burning formats. Almost unreadable by any of the other makes. So say, if you buy and burn a DVD with Sony hardware, you cant play it, read it etc on a Panasonic. etc etc... None of the companies are willing to say the others is better and adapt to match it. Each claim superiority. (shocker...)

As for what works on what players, cant say...

And please, if I am wrong here, someone please enlighten me. Id rather know it to be incorrect info then be passing on wrong stuff to folks!

*EDIT*
Btw, this is what I heard a very long time ago when these first came out, so thats what I am getting this info from. It could be different now, but again, cant really say.

 

[RedDeathDrinker]

You know, we have a whole topic devoted to stuff like that (it's called Storage)

The two formats are DVD-R and DVD+R (the RW are rewritable versions of these two)

Technically, it's like VHS and Betamax. One will die out in a few years, and the other will be the industry standard...

 

[cornbread]

You know, we have a whole topic devoted to stuff like that (it's called Storage)

D'oh

Sorry, I forgot about that forum, could you move this topic for me please .

 

[cornbread]

Technically, it's like VHS and Betamax. One will die out in a few years, and the other will be the industry standard...

So...
When do they expect a "standard?" And which seems to be the preferred format as of now?

 

[Malpine Walis]

Technically, it's like VHS and Betamax. One will die out in a few years, and the other will be the industry standard...

So... When do they expect a "standard?" And which seems to be the preferred format as of now?

Right now it is a crapshoot as to whether one format will win out. Guess wrong and the disks you make today will be unreadable on future machines. It is also possible that a new standard may enter the market in the near future (possibly combining elements of both ideas, thus rendering both current versions useless). My advice would be to wait a while on the burner. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, I would buy a digital video camera. If you go that route, the tapes you make today will download to whatever future computer you may have and they should go onto whatever the eventual standard for DVD-RW disks may become.

 

[steve75382]

This is the storage section...

 

[Kendan]

Right now it is a crapshoot as to whether one format will win out. Guess wrong and the disks you make today will be unreadable on future machines. It is also possible that a new standard may enter the market in the near future (possibly combining elements of both ideas, thus rendering both current versions useless). My advice would be to wait a while on the burner. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, I would buy a digital video camera. If you go that route, the tapes you make today will download to whatever future computer you may have and they should go onto whatever the eventual standard for DVD-RW disks may become.

The disks you burn should still be readable later on no matter which format wins out. There are some compatibility issues around both formats. I do not know which one is supposed to burn the most compatible disks. By compatible I mean that it will play on most DVD players. There are a few burners out that can burn either format The Sony DRU**** is one. Liteon has one too that will burn both formats. http://www.newegg.com/app/Viewprodu...anufactory=1336&description=&srchFor=LDW-400D

Give Ploaf a PM if you want someones real experiences with it. ( he just bought the liteon one)


Good Luck and have fun

 

[Pla]

What about DVD-RAM ?
What is it?

 

[JohnnyTheRed]

www.dvdhelp.com seems to have a good list breaking down CD / CD-RW / DVD / and DVD burners.....the list shows what each brand of the aforementioned drives can play/burn. Pretty helpful, but it doesn't list every single brand drive.

 

[cornbread]

Thanks guys for shedding some light on the subject, still confused though, LoL. I think the best thing would be to wait as prices are still kinda high and maybe a dedicated format will arise soon. I remember when cd burners were around 300-400 bucks, but now you can get good ones for under 100 bucks.