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My next PC purchase will be a DVD burner... But which standard? And what software?

W

Wingznut

Elite Member
One of my goals is to record all of our home movies to DVD, and distribute them amongst the extended family... Which standard would be most suitable?

Is one standard better for standalone players to read? Is one standard becoming more "standard"?


And do you guys have any recommendations for specific brands/models?

(Thanks in advance! 🙂 )

EDIT: And what software have you had good luck with?
 
I don't have and article and I might be completely wrong. But I just did some extensive shopping for a DVD player and quite a few of them had listed on their sales tags that they would play DVD-R/RW disks. Very few of them said anything about DVD+R disks.
 
One of the biggest differences is that PlusR supports MT.Rainer and Dash R doesn't. Which Microsoft is backing in future support.(MT.Rainer.)

CDfreaks.com has a good user base in their forums for this type of information. I know 8x writable drives are supposed to appear by november.
 
I bought one for the same reason. To convert my home movies to DVD format. I got a Cendyne (Pioneer 105) 4X DVD-R drive. I chose this one mostly because of the hot deals forum price of $150 after rebate and coupon. So far, so good. Movies play perfectly in my set top DVD player and 3 other friends/family members that I've tried so far. Never tried the DVD+R, so I can't comment on those.
 
Who made that set top player you use OF? If people can list what set tops they use with authored disc, we can probably establish a small data base of what works and what doesn't work.
 
Originally posted by: oldfart
I got a Cendyne (Pioneer 105) 4X DVD-R drive. I chose this one mostly because of the hot deals forum price of $150 after rebate and coupon.
Click to expand...
Damn. Too bad I missed out on that deal.

 
Originally posted by: ReMeDy{WcS}
Who made that set top player you use OF? If people can list what set tops they use with authored disc, we can probably establish a small data base of what works and what doesn't work.
Click to expand...

A database already exists here.
 
Originally posted by: Wingznut
Originally posted by: oldfart
I got a Cendyne (Pioneer 105) 4X DVD-R drive. I chose this one mostly because of the hot deals forum price of $150 after rebate and coupon.
Click to expand...
Damn. Too bad I missed out on that deal.
Click to expand...

Those DVD-R deals are always coming around. Unless you're in a hurry, I'd just wait and keep an eye on the Hot Deals forum. Personally, I'm waiting for Lite-On's +/- writer to come out. 🙂
 
I would personally go for -R. I've seen more set-top DVD players accept them than +R. Also, the media is cheaper.
 
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Originally posted by: ReMeDy{WcS}
DVD+R disks can not.
Click to expand...

Have a link I can read supporting that statement?
Click to expand...

Both sides are equally unsupported. 😛

Your best bet is to buy the Sony DRU500 (model number?) which can write -R/RW and +R/RW formats.

- M4H
Click to expand...

Or, if you want to burn all recordable DVD formats, check out the LG GMA-4040B, which should be out in April. Your best bet if you want a drive now is the Sony DRU-500AX, which is the latest and greatest of the one M4H referred to, and goes for $349.99 at B&M stores. You might be able to find it cheaper online.
 
Originally posted by: karmasalad
Originally posted by: Wingznut
Originally posted by: oldfart
I got a Cendyne (Pioneer 105) 4X DVD-R drive. I chose this one mostly because of the hot deals forum price of $150 after rebate and coupon.
Click to expand...
Damn. Too bad I missed out on that deal.
Click to expand...

Those DVD-R deals are always coming around. Unless you're in a hurry, I'd just wait and keep an eye on the Hot Deals forum. Personally, I'm waiting for Lite-On's +/- writer to come out. 🙂
Click to expand...
Very true. I missed out on the first couple. MysticMan1 usually posts the deals a few days before it starts. Get your coupon code ready, make sure you have an account set up at Staples, Office Depot or wherever and buy it online Sunday morning as soon as it is available or you will miss out. The deals are up pretty much every other week or so.

Good Luck!
 
The way i understand it isas follows: if you're going to rewriting a lot of disks, go for +RW. But if you're going to me making a lot of permanent copies -R is more compatible than +R. I could be generalizing, but that's pretty much how i see it nowadays.

regards,
kramer
 
Wingznut, Finally I can provide some input to you ! So far I have had a Pioneer A05 (105) and a Toshiba something (2x) and now A Sony DRU500-ax, and I can honestly say that even in DVD-R format I have had the best luck with the Sony. I am inexperienced with DVD burning, but so far I have burned 12 frisbees with the Pioneer (from Pinnacle 8, don't hold it against the Pioneer altogether), and 5 frisbees with the Toshiba, and 1 with the Sony. The biggest problem is with Pinnacle Sudio 8, which doesn't want to write to any of these three DVD burners with regularity, but the other 2 couldn't even copy a good DVD (my own from Pinnacle 8), and then get it to work, but the Sony came with some funky Veritas software that I don't really like, but it works at copying at least. And if DVD+R catches on, or they have a good sale on Media, at least it does both.

My vote, Get the Sony DRU500-ax, I paid $349 at Frys.

Oh, the Copy failures were with Roxio and Nero, so not bad software from past experience, but DVD is a new world, (and Pinnacle 8) so who knows.
 
That is a Studio 8 thing. S8 is great for capture/edit, but not for burning. I've made ~ 12 DVD movies with S8 and my Pioneer 105, but burned with Nero. Never a single coaster. I've got a friend who has the same DVD-R 105 and also uses S8/Nero. He's made over a dozen s well with no issues.
 
Pioneer 105 here and burned tons of disks, no coasters yet. Used on probably 5 different set top boxes.

If you check out the firmware hacking info on the A05 drive (which enables faster writing on slower media) you will see info that the A05 is really dual format capable just like the new sonys, but Pioneer simply hasn't enabled it. Something to considder.

Personally, Id wait for the liteon drive, it is sposed to be out Mid 2Q03, which is basically within a month. Supports dual format, and all previews of the drive say its nice.

 
Originally posted by: ReMeDy{WcS}
One of the biggest differences is that PlusR supports MT.Rainer and Dash R doesn't. Which Microsoft is backing in future support.(MT.Rainer.)

CDfreaks.com has a good user base in their forums for this type of information. I know 8x writable drives are supposed to appear by november.
Click to expand...

what does MT.Rainer do? the faqs on different dvd format always list the differences, but don't say what they would actually mean to a user
 
The chances of me spending $350 is pretty slim. Looking more around the $250 mark, but it's not set in stone.

I see some discussion about software has come up... What are the rumblings about the different burning applications?
 
I have a pioneer dvr-a05, and its a pretty nice burner. The bundled software is good, I was gonna get the sony dru500, but the pioneer was on sale for $250 canadian less than the sony drive on the futureshop website, so I got that one.
 
Originally posted by: draggoon01
Originally posted by: ReMeDy{WcS}
One of the biggest differences is that PlusR supports MT.Rainer and Dash R doesn't. Which Microsoft is backing in future support.(MT.Rainer.)

CDfreaks.com has a good user base in their forums for this type of information. I know 8x writable drives are supposed to appear by november.
Click to expand...

what does MT.Rainer do? the faqs on different dvd format always list the differences, but don't say what they would actually mean to a user
Click to expand...

if i am correct, Mt.Rainer support enables the OS to use the burner without special software(like Roxio making Win XP's in house burning software)
 
I know 8x writable drives are supposed to appear by november.
Click to expand...

Thats what I'm waiting on, just like CDRW drives I waited for the 8x ones to come out.

However, I've heard that the whole DVD-r/+r thang may be useless in little while due to new supposedly burn-proof cd/dvd formats. Anyone have anymore info on that?
 
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