Puzzling conundrum about DVDs

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CharlesL

CharlesL

PFG, Picture Framing God
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Mike, or anyone with the answer, I have a question about DVDs.

First, what's the difference in DVD+R and DVD-R? A friend of mine thinks that -Rs seem to be more playable than +Rs. Or it's been his experience that they will, and he's recorded hundreds of 'em.

Second, why will some players not play DVDs that have been burned on a computer while others will play the same DVD? I'm talking about stand-alones mostly; the ones most folks have hooked to their TV sets. I have a separate player and a separate burner on my computer. The player will happily play anything I feed it, and the burner, a high-end H/P, will record + and - and even double-sided DVD's, along with some types I never even heard of.

There have been a few, albeit rare occasions that friends have said the DVD's wouldn't play on their players. Either stand-alone or built-in computer types. This has almost ceased to be a problem since I upgraded my H/P burner.

I have a stand-alone Toshiba recorder/burner that will only record on -Rs, but will play anything I put into it.

And I am familiar with CRC (cyclic redundancy) errors from the fone company days, but I don't know how it applies to DVDs. I had one I tried to burn last night but couldn't because it kept telling me it was seeing CRCs. The DVD, however, will play fine on anything I try it on. It just won't let me record it on the computer. I can put it in a stand-alone player, feed the composite A/V signal to the Toshiba, and it records fine, and plays back fine, but it doesn't transfer the track info accurately. As long as I fast-forward it to skip through a song, it works fine. If I skip-track it, it may skip 2 or 3 video/songs. So it CAN be recorded, but not with any of the 3 DVD burning software programs I have on the computer! Go figure...

Seems like it shouldn't be so damned hard. These aren't copy-protected DVD's either, although I have an excellent decrypt program that will eliminate copy-protect, as well as a device that will do the same for the stand-alone units.

Just looking for some answers...
 
Hello

Here's the scoop:

Basically, your friend is right on the money. The DVD-R was there first and works with more readers/players than DVD+R.

The reason home made DVDS and CDs won't play in some readers/players is because the manufacturing process is very different, and these readers were probably manufactured before the DVD-/+R, RW, DL formats were released.

Commercially made movies and music CD/DVDs are STAMPED by a very expensive machine, while the ones you burn on your PC are optically burned by a laser. As a result, the reflection qualities and surface construction are different. The newer players take this into consideration and are designed to play all formats.

DVD-R/DVD-RW and DVD+R/DVD+RW have pretty similiar features and are compatible with many standalone DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs while DVD-RAM has less DVD Player and DVD-ROM compatibility but better recording features.

DVD-R and DVD-RW (still popular due to compat, although replaced by dual layer technology)
DVD-R was the first DVD recording format released that was compatible with standalone DVD Players.
DVD-R is a non-rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 93% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD-RW is a rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 80% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD-R and DVD-RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-5) and double sided 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10).

DVD+R and DVD+RW
DVD+R is a non-rewritable format and it is compatible with about 89% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD+RW is a rewritable format and is compatible with about 79% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD+R and DVD+RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-5) and double side 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10).


DVD+R DL (Most drives you buy now are dual layer)
DVD+R DL or called DVD+R9 is a Dual Layer writeable DVD+R. The dual layered discs can hold 7.95 computer GB* (called DVD-9) and dual layered double sides 15.9* computer GB (called dvd-18).

DVD-R DL (Most drives you buy now are dual layer)
DVD-R DL or called DVD-R9 is a Dual Layer writeable DVD-R. The dual layered discs can hold 7.95 computer GB* (called DVD-9) and dual layered double sides 15.9* computer GB (called dvd-18).

DVD-RAM
DVD-RAM has the best recording features but it is not compatible with most DVD-ROM drives and DVD-Video players. Think more of it as a removable hard disk.

Here's a list of about 5900 tested players and what they're capable of playing: http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php

I hope this info is helpful. It goes into greater detail at www.videohelp.com

Best regards
Mike
 
I had a problem burning a DVD using iDVD on my Macintosh. It plays beautifully on my Mac and in every PC that it is plunked into, but won’t play well (it skips) in most home DVD players. It has something to do with the surface reflectivity of home burnt DVDs and commercially produced DVDs.

I found a FAQ page that answered my questions about DVD-R and DVD+R (and a whole lot more stuff than I ever cared to know) here.
 
Could these advances and changes in technology also be the answer to my eternal question of why some home burned CDs play on some players and not others???
 
Mar, I think it was Jan 1st 2004 that any and all CD players had to be "multi" reading.

It was ploy by the record companies that first kept CDs out of the USA, then the kept the player makers read only the commercial pressing, but not home burns.

It was Senator Biden that introduced the bill where all car players over $75 had to be Multi format by Jan 1 2003... the other just followed along.

Thanks for the education on my DVD burner Mike.
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Thanks, Mike, and everyone else!

I've been wondering what was wrong with MY stuff when someone would have problems playing them back on their players. That was the main reason I made a quantum upgrade in in-computer burners. Well, that, and my friend tested the old one and found the laser wasn't tracking correctly when I recorded. It seemed to play back fine, but I guess there are all kindsa different things going on when you record, as opposed to when you play.

So, now when I record a DVD and it won't play for someone else, I can apply the old Fone Company adage: "The trouble is good leaving here!"
 
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