DVD Formats

[Garrett Low]

Actually, DVD+r discs have an edge now for compatibility with more set top DVD players. It use to be that DVD-r disc had fewer problems but if you set the book type for DVD+r discs to DVD-ROM. This will make the player think that is is a pressed disc. From my experience of distributing over two thousand discs (lots of dance and stage shows), I would say if you use a good program to burn your discs, don't burn at max speed and use a quality burner you shouldn't have any problems with either one.

As for disc manufacturers, I usually only use two, the TY Watershield (love the way these look, super professional) or Verbatim. If I have to do a DL for some reason I only will use Verbatim.

I would also recommend creating an image of the disc and testing it witha DVD-RW or +RW. Then use a program to write the image. The most reliable program with the best controls to burn the image that I've found is ImageBurn. It's free and works great. It allow you to set the location of the layer break for DL's and has some other nice features.

-Garrett

[Taky Cheung]

TY disc +1

Never have any single problem reported by customers. The print out is beautiful.

[Peter Rush]

I've been using TDK now for quite a few years without problems but I have to spray them to 'fix' the print. Am I to assume the TY Watershield discs don't need spraying with fixative?

Do they come in silk/satin finish as well as glossy (not a fan of glossy)

Pete

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

I just sent out my first batch of -dvdr discs, all of them not readable, just heard from customer yesterday.

I started in 2005 with -dvd with nothing but playback problems (dvd's were build with adobe encore) then switched to +dvd and all was fine, currently I use verbatim +dvd with good success, the only mayor issue I had was with a medion (german manufacurer of cheap electronics) dvd player at a customer and the dvd would lock up the player after a few minutes, I tried every possible option like other brands, +dvd, -dvd, buring at very slow speed, nothing helped. Then I redid the project in encore and instead of a bitrate of 7200kbs (which I always use) I transcoded into a 6000kbs file and after that it played flawless on that medion player.

I never use high bitrates (like around 8000kbs) for my dvd's as my experience is that this is the main reason dvd's tend to skip on (often older) players that can't keep up.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Noa

Although I have had nothing but issue with +R's I must admit I always use the default DVD preset in Sony Vegas which encodes the MPEG2 file also at pretty close to 6000kbps and never higher!!

Maybe the encode bitrate makes a big difference??? I did have a Soniq Protable DVD player once that refused to play DVD -R discs ..the video was fine but the audio was very choppy...however it played commercial discs without any problems.

Chris

[Noa Put]

It's strange but looks like -dvd or +dvd playback issues are almost region specific, I have had smaller hiccups in playback in the past on some dvd players, usually philips or playstation players, in those cases switching to a -dvd always helped. I can say that for the past years at least 98% of my clients had no playback issue with +dvd.

[Peter Riding]

I've had this issue with discs burned direct from Sony Vegas Pro (it doesn't give you the option of changing the book type to DVD-ROM, which as Garrett Low says is the key to solving the issue).

I used DVD+ discs in Vegas Pro and although they would play in two different Panasonic DVD player and a Sony Playstation they would not play in a Sony Blu-Ray player. Very strange since Sony were behind the original DVD+ spec when it was in competition with DVD-.

If I used DVD- discs in Vegas Pro these would play fine on all 4 machines.

Vegas has an addon program called DVD Architect Pro for authoring the disc once you've rendered the project but that does not appear to give you the option of changing the book type to DVD-ROM either.

So I burn the project to disc in the normal way using eith a DVD- or DVD+ disc as it doersn't matter at this point.

Then I use Nero to create DVD-ROM discs from the DVD+ or DVD- disc. Problem solved.

In Nero you go from Start Smart to the Rip and Burn Tab and then select the Copy Disc option. Then select the Image / Project / Copy Tab. Then select the Copy Entire DVD option. Click on Options within that and then again select Options from the popout dialogue box. From its drop down menu select DVD-ROM.

I've explained the steps in detail because if you just click through for copying a disc you won't find the Book Type menu :- (

So now you can issue all your DVDs as DVD-ROM and have maximum compatibility!

Pete

[Taky Cheung]

My suggestion is go with TY disc. They have the best compatibility compared to other brands like Ridata. Then I use ImgBurn to burn the disk. It's been a few years and I never have one single incident any customers told me their disc can't be played.

[Kevin Lewis]

I think that bad discs have to do more with the way that your software writes the lead in when burning direct from your time line.