first off, thanx to ScubaPete for helping out w/ my last post. sorry about the multipost. here's the problem, i have a panasonic dvd home theater system and owner's manual says it DOES NOT play the following: DVD w/ unsuitable region #, DVD-audio, PAL system discs, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, +RW, DVD-RW, DIVX video disc, CD-rom, VSD, CDV, CD-G, CVD, SACD, SVCD, photo CD, etc. WHEW! and yes it actually says "etc." i'll be honest, i don't even know what some of these are! now get this, so far i've burned 3 dvd's using dvd shrink and dvd decrypter on my cpu (w/ dual layer dvd+/-rw drive) using memorex dvd+rw discs and they ALL have played on my dvd player! now, notice the owner's manual says it won't play +RW. it doesn't specifically say "DVD"+RW. is that what they mean anyway(sorry if that's a stupid ques.) also, it doesn't list DVD+R among those it won't play. should i take a chance and start using DVD+R's or keep spending a little more for the RW's since they are working? any opinions out there? thanx.
I bought a crappy sears dvd player for my den at home, it says on the box it only plays cd-r dvd and mpg's, i've been burning sony dvd+rw and maxell dvd-r and they play in the dvd player, not one dvd disc hasn't played yet. So....try dvd-r, i think there better....or something.
Dosen't it actually tell you what it will play? That wouldn't be a very good selling point telling you what it won't play.. LOL If it's brand new more than likely it will read eithe + or - R's I would suggest buy one of each and try them. Which ever one you like best stick with that, and if you can't really tell a difference then go with the -R's they are compatable with more players. Thats my 2 cents
That wouldn't be a very good selling point telling you what it won't play.. i agree. when i first read that in the owner's manual, i just assumed it was listing the ones it WOULD play. when my player didn't play the first one i burned, i looked again and it said "this system can NOT play the following discs." looks like it would have been easier, not to mention, a better selling point to just list the ones it DID play. anyway, it's playing them now (i just checked my latest one. plays it too. that's 4 for 4 since that first bad one). to be honest, i'm actually surprised it plays them at all since it's about 2 years old. i guess i lucked up on that one! go with the -R's they are compatable with more players. that's what i've heard. so if i don't stick w/ the +RW's i'll prob do that. thanx for the feedback.
sweeeeet! thanx for the link, flip218! that's exactly what i was looking for. that answers my questions about that subject.
how about using +RW to burn avi files you want to watch and not keep, if you want to keep the film then burn again onto a -r disc.
Well, I'll throw in another 2 cents worth. Some equipment is only setup for certain formats. Sounds weird that it will play one that it says it won't. Consider that a piece of luck. As far as -R being more compatible with more players; consider that as something of an urban rumor (may have been true sometime in the past). I've seen a number of players play +R and not -R, go figure. If you're wanting to try -R, I wouldn't get very many to start. In fact, I would try the +R first because the guide didn't have them included in the won't play category. BTW, it is often handy to include the model of equipment as well as the brand when asking questions.
BTW, it is often handy to include the model of equipment as well as the brand when asking questions. sorry about that. i have a panasonic SC-HT70 home theater in a box. at the link that flip218 posted u can enter your brand and it will list what your player will and won't play. their list was way different than my owner's manual. according to them my unit will play almost everything, including DVD+/-R/RW. i just bought a 15 pk of maxell DVD-R today but still not sure if i want to use them or just stick w/ +R. one thing i found out today that makes me want to lean toward -R/RW is that -R actually has the "DVD" logo on the disc. like u see on DVD movies. +R/RW doesn't. the site that i found this out from mentioned that it could mean that the DVD+R format could eventually die out since the "DVD community" recognizes DVD-R and not DVD+R. make any sense to anyone?
Does that owner's manual have the right model number on it? LOL Normally support doesn't foul up that bad. Glad you got the support specs straightened out. Sounds like more material for urban legends. Some of the best media being manufactured is +R. Ricoh is top of the line and they produce +R for major brands. Until recently they produced most of the Maxell +R media. I got Ritek in my last batch, so I know Ricoh isn't the sole manufacturer anymore. However, Ritek is another good manufacturer so I won't complain. It doesn't make much difference, but my Memorex burner runs at higher speed with +R and so do some other drives. Others run faster with -R, so no overall advantages. In the early days of DVD development -R appeared to have a slight lead. Reading meaning into how a company decides to decorate their label doesn't make a lot of sense. I've seen a lot of discs that vary in the label design. The inclusion or exclusion of that little DVD logo has no bearing on the longevity of the format type.
here's the site where i found that info. it seems to be a legit source. http://digitalfaq.com/othervideo/dvdformats.htm i guess in the end i'll just have to experiment along the way like everybody else, possibly losing a little money but eventually saving a lot more in the long run once i find what works best. thanx for the help brobear.
I've noticed that and other articles. As long as they're not grading items they advertise for, the site can be trusted to a degree. Digitalfaq does tend to make errors that confuse beginners. For instance they recently did a comparison on DVD Media. They made the mistake of including a manufacturer along with brands. They rated some brands higher than others and the manufacturer when the manufacturer produced the disks for a higher rated brand. So, one needs to have the knowledge to weed out the mistakes. Except for the aricles, it is just another forum with some good and some bad info. BTW, those articles can be good and bad as well. You won't lose many bucks one way or the other on whether you use + or -R DVDs. I just bought +R RICOHJPN at 41 cents per US in the Fuji brand. Ricoh is good merchandise. So cost and quality isn't an issue. You should read all of those articles. About the only thing you'll note is that -R was around about a year before +R DVDs. Plus +R doesn't use the DVD logo because of a royalty issue with developers of the -R. There is no issues of quality or price or one becoming obsolete before the other. In a few years the media we're using now will be obsolete. Much in the manner of the DVD over the CD. Pay attention to the new tech, like blue laser and the other high capacity formats. Not only will a lot of media be obsolete, so will a lot of software. Since most new DVD players play + and - formats, then the only thing we need worry about is quality and price. As long as the players play them and the burners record, what other issue is there?
New things can sometimes be confusing. I wander around confused half the time. The other half I just wander around. LOL Hope all goes well and you get it figured out. When you do, let me in on it. BTW, good luck and you're welcome again.
