Is option for +R burning useful?

[Chris Gorman]

I might be buying a stand alone direct tape to DVD burner. Some burn DVD-R but not +R, others have the option to burn both. I can't think of any use for the +R format, except for one client I have who still uses an older model DVD player that only plays +R.

Have any of you come across situations where you need the option to burn +R format? If I buy one to accomodate this one client's need for a couple DVD+R transfers from tape, I'm trying to estimate if I might have other situations come up where I'd need to burn +R format.

I've already ordered a used burner that does not burn +R, so just wondering if I should get a second one for various formats.

This is just for those situations requiring direct tape to DVD. I use my computer, and DVD Studio Pro for making -R and +R DVDs from anything needing to be put on my hard drive for other work, editing, etc.

[Gints Klimanis]

From what I've reserached but not yet personally-verified, there is apparently a "book type" option available for the +R format that makes it more compatible than the -R format. This book-type field apparently makes the DVD+R appear to be a DVD-ROM, at least format-wise. Most people seem to gloss over the compatibility issue, but in the last year, I've had two situations in which DVD-Rs just don't read. Maximum compatibility is important to me.

Does your standalone DVD recorder set the book-type field ?

[Chris Gorman]

[QUOTE=...Does your standalone DVD recorder set the book-type field ?[/QUOTE]

The DVD standalone recorder I recently purchased does not burn +R, so it would not have "book type" option. My internal burner on my G5 can burn both +R or -R, so at least I can do the +R when I have the very rare request to do so (eg., thus far just one client whose set top player only plays +R).

+R's won't play in G4 Macs and earlier, so I haven't found from experience that they are more widely compatible if we include computer playability in the mix.

I see some (not all) current standalone DVD burners offering both +R and -R burning with the same unit and that made me wonder if there's a compelling reason for the +R that I may not have encountered yet.

So far all my DVD's have been burned to -R (Verbatim media) on my Mac via DVD Studio Pro, and so far, no compatibility issues - in fact I believe it played fine on a client's p.c.

However, I would not be surprised if I encounter some compatibility issues when I start using my recently purchased standalone recorder for certain simple projects, only because these burners are designed for home use.

[Christopher Lefchik]

Originally Posted by Chris Gorman

I see some (not all) current standalone DVD burners offering both +R and -R burning with the same unit and that made me wonder if there's a compelling reason for the +R that I may not have encountered yet.

There is no compelling reason to use one format over the other. A few older DVD players will only load DVDs that have the DVD-ROM booktype, which can only be set on a DVD+R disc. Still, the real-world compatibility of the DVD-R format is slightly above DVD+R discs. I don't know if it is enough of a difference to be concerned with, but that is how the situation is right now.