Which DVD format to use for playing DVD's on a TV?

[clevere1]

Hey guys, this might not be the right forum, but it was the best from the list.

I want to make some DVD's for a wedding that I have pictures of. I made one DVD already on a DVD-RW, but the person who I gave the DVD to, thier computer DVD player, and the TV DVD player won't read it.

What format is the best for making for a computer DVD player, and TV DVD player can read it? Do I need to do anything special during the burning process?

Thanks in advance!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

DVD-R and DVD+R have worked for me. There's a site around somewhere that gives compatability for different formats and players.

I think you're better off with -R or +R rather than RW discs, although I think you'll still have some cases where people do not have compatable players.

 

[corkyg]

My experience mirrors YOyo's. However, I lean towards DVD+R because of slightly better burn speed.

 

[YBS1]

If your DVD burner supports bitsetting then +R booktyped to DVD-ROM is the only way to go. Pretty much 100% compatibility. If it doesn't support bitsetting, then I believe -R may still have a slight edge in total number of compatible players.

 

[clevere1]

Originally posted by: YBS1
If your DVD burner supports bitsetting then +R booktyped to DVD-ROM is the only way to go. Pretty much 100% compatibility. If it doesn't support bitsetting, then I believe -R may still have a slight edge in total number of compatible players.

Ah yes, bit setting. If I am using Nero, can Nero do it?

 

[ForumMaster]

DVD-R usually has the best compatability. although bitsetting it as YBS1 said would be better.

 

[YBS1]

Originally posted by: clevere1

Originally posted by: YBS1
If your DVD burner supports bitsetting then +R booktyped to DVD-ROM is the only way to go. Pretty much 100% compatibility. If it doesn't support bitsetting, then I believe -R may still have a slight edge in total number of compatible players.

Ah yes, bit setting. If I am using Nero, can Nero do it?

Nero can do it through the CD-DVD Speed tool (listed under the Extras toolbar) if your drive supports bitsetting. I'd check the drive manufacturer's website first though to see if they offer their own tool.

 

[clevere1]

Originally posted by: YBS1

Originally posted by: clevere1

Originally posted by: YBS1
If your DVD burner supports bitsetting then +R booktyped to DVD-ROM is the only way to go. Pretty much 100% compatibility. If it doesn't support bitsetting, then I believe -R may still have a slight edge in total number of compatible players.

Ah yes, bit setting. If I am using Nero, can Nero do it?

Nero can do it through the CD-DVD Speed tool (listed under the Extras toolbar) if your drive supports bitsetting. I'd check the drive manufacturer's website first though to see if they offer their own tool.

Hmm .. seems mine only does the DVD-ROM bit setting for DVD+R DL ... argh. It's the NEC 3520A ..

 

[clevere1]

Ah, with a little gentle persuasion, I can now set the bitsetting for all + media, but not - media... Think that will be a problem?

 

[jackschmittusa]

I use -R for compatability. There were a number of settop recorders that supported -R and -RAM.

 

[Peter]

The word is "compatibility", and the standard indeed is -R. +R was brought on by a bunch of manufacturers who didn't like some of the implications of -R. Eventually, all the burners supported both formats, but older entertainment devices and pure DVD reader drives might dislike +R media ... unless they're flagged to pretend being something else.

 

[YBS1]

Originally posted by: clevere1
Ah, with a little gentle persuasion, I can now set the bitsetting for all + media, but not - media... Think that will be a problem?

No, that's normal. Only + media can be booktyped. Like Peter eluded to in his post above, -R was indeed the standard but +R can be flagged to pretend it's something it's not, giving it the greatest overall flexibility. For that reason and some other minor ones, the - format may as well be dead IMO. I can't think of one single reason to choose -R over +R.

 

[Zepper]

As most have been trying to say is that DVD-R is the most compatible as is. Next would be DVD+R booktyped to mimic DVD-R. Do not use RW disks unless the player that is the target of the copy specifically states that it can read RW disks. I keep a spindle of DVD-R blanks just to burn for the consumer players. For everything else, I use DVD +Rs.

.bh.