How to get DVD-RW to work with DVD players? (1 Viewer)

[Patrick McCart]

I just authored my first DVD (some video "shorts" I made with my cousins) and I can't get it to play on my father's or my own DVD player.

Is there some sort of authoring setting you have to use to make the DVD-RW compatible with a regular DVD player?

(I use MyDVD, BTW.)

 

[rutger_s]

Some DVD players are not compatible with DVD-R or DVD-RW media.

 

[James Miller]

DVD-RW is generally not compatible with existing standalone DVD players. DVD-R works with many, perhaps most, existing units, but DVD-RW is a different format (lasers, media material, and what not) that simply won't work unless a player (and only a few current generation players support it) explicitly advertises for compatibility. At this point DVD-RW is much better suited for data backup or recording a/v with the intention of watching it back only on the recorder... DVD-R would best suit what seem to be your needs at the present time... (playing on multiple units, sharing)

 

[Will_B]

Ditto to what is said above. The most cross-compatible formats (that is, the ones that can be played on most standalone DVD players) is

1) DVD-R

or

2) DVD+R, a new feature on the newest DVD+RW drives

 

[Patrick McCart]

So, a DVD+RW drive can author DVD-R's as well?

I'm kind of irritated that RW's aren't as widely used as I though, but it's still a great backup media.

 

[James Miller]

No, generally DVD-R and DVD-RW and DVD+RW are all different and competing formats. Panny is the biggest DVD-R (and DVD-RAM) proponent with Philips being the DVD-RW l;eader. There are several PC based DVD-RW drive makers. To my knowledge non of the existing drives/recorders allow DVD-R and DVD-RW or DVD+RW cross compatibility. This is all still in the teething phase, which is why I've been holding off on getting a recorder. Not to mention I'd like to see higher quality w/ longer recording time. Last time I checked DVD-R allowed only 1 hour per disc at "best" quality. Not only are we relying on the unit to determine bit rate but all discs are "single layer".

 

[Bryant Frazer]

No, generally DVD-R and DVD-RW and DVD+RW are all different and competing formats. Panny is the biggest DVD-R (and DVD-RAM) proponent with Philips being the DVD-RW l;eader.

Not quite. Pioneer is by far the biggest proponent of DVD-R, having made discs and drives since 1998, when the burner cost $17,000. Panasonic has been touting DVD-RAM for just as long, and only recently (last year) began manufacturing drives that write to DVD-R (but not DVD-RW) as well, out of market necessity. Philips and HP are the ringleaders in the DVD+RW camp.

To date, there are no drives that can write both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW. I'm planning to buy a DVD-R drive myself, just because the media is so damn cheap and ubiquitous (you can get it for about $2/disc by mail, or for $5/disc off the shelf at an Apple Store), but there are reasonable people who prefer DVD+RW.

Finally, the "recording time" available on a DVD-R in best-quality mode is entirely a function of the consumer-grade MPEG-2 encoders, rather than the disc format itself. Those might improve, but they're pretty good right now.

-bf-

 

[Richard Ruffner]

I've burned DVD-R and DVD-RW with my Pioneer burner and they read in my DVL-909 (Pioneer Combo LD/DVD), and my Sampo MultiRegion. So it just depends on your DVD player.

 

[Lance Nichols]

If you are looking for a rewriteable DVD format disc that can be read in MOST stand alone DVD players, then look at getting a DVD+RW burner. The "refectability" of the +RW discs is similar or equal to the "refectability" of the second layer of a pressed DVD disc. Obviously player should be able to read this. However, some players sense the refraction index, and lock up/eject the disc trying to find the first layer of the disc. The authoring software can compensate for this issue on most DVD players by setting a flag bit for "Compatibility mode". This is a flag in the DVD protocols that instruct the player that there is only one layer on the disc. Set this flag, and the disc will work with most players. That being said, the +RW format has only recently been "welcomed" into the official DVD fold. The DVD Forum took the weird stance of not actually certifying, or selecting, one of the compeating standards as the "official" WORM/RM format. It looks like there might be a bit of a VHS vs BETA war for the hearts and minds of users. I think, who ever roles out the ugraded/faster burning drives the fastest, and drives down the cost of media the fastest will win.
For a good list of compatibility of the +RW format, check out DVDplusRW. The +RW camp has a WORM format media coming out as well, but none of the current drives will write to it. HP is offering an upgrade/trade in path for North American owners, and the new drives are due to hit the shelves starting the end of April. Sony's drives will arrive in the beginning of June.
I have been trying to decide which to go for myself, and depending on the price for blank +R media I might get a DVD+RW/+R drive later this summer. The cost of the re-writeble media is much less expensive then the -RW version.
Finally, if you are using this strickly for data archiving and back up, a DVD-RAM is probibally the best. Each disc is encased in a protective cartige, can hold 5.2GB per side (vs 4.7GB for the other's) bit can nonly be read in other -RAM drives. It really is an advanced (high capacity)MO drive, and not a DVD drive.

 

[Will_B]

I have been trying to decide which to go for myself, and depending on the price for blank +R media I might get a DVD+RW/+R drive later this summer. The cost of the re-writeble media is much less expensive then the -RW version.

This is the way to go - wait for the DVD+RW/+R drives to reach the stores. They haven't quite yet. But they are nearly here, which is why Philips (I think it is Philips) has announced that anyone with their original DVD+RW recorder can trade it in for the DVD+RW/+R model this summer. That's very nice of them.

 

[Lance Nichols]

Will, I had noticed that myself, and although I don't think I will be getting a recorder anytime soon, I do plan on using my PC as a time shifting device, and using either -RW or +RW discs to view the recorded shows on a DVD player at my leisure. The lower cost of the +RW media vs. the -RW has been attractive.

 

[Mike_G]

Using DVD-R is fine. I use my PowerMac to burn DVD-R and it works on 2 Pannys, one Pioneer DVL-700, two JVC's, and 3 Sonys. I'd really like to know how DVD+R is 'better' when I have no trouble at all with DVD-R.

Mike

 

[Lance Nichols]

I didn't say +R is better, I stated that the +RW media seems to have an edge in playback compatibility on standalone units.

So if you are planning on using rewriteable media, it might be the option to go with, especially as currently the +RW media is less expensive then the -RW media.

 

[Jon_Stevens]

I don't see where dvd+r is more compatible since no one I know has actually seen a blank disc. As far as I'm concerned dvd-r/rw is the way to go. They're cheap and the work in most standalone players.

 

[Lance Nichols]

Again, Jon, I am not saying thet +R is more compatible. It has yet to reach the general public, so stating such a thing would be usurb.
What I did say was +RW appears to be more compatible, based on the information available. That is the rewriteble media has a slight advantage in compatibility and cost over the rewriteable media for the DVD-R/RW.
So, if you plan on authoring discs to be viewed on standalone players that will be burnt on rewwriteble media, the +RW camp seems to be the choice to go with.
If all you plan on using is the WORM media for standalone players, then the -R/RW camp is the way to go, currently.
Like I said, whoever rolls out the drives capable of burning faster the most frequently, and whos drives get less expensive, and which media cost the least, that is who will win the format war.