DVD-R and/or DVD+R

pgfitzgerald wrote on 10/18/2002, 3:18 PM

Which do I want? DVD-R, DVD+R, or both? Which drive would you recommend? I've been looking at these drives:

Pioneer DVR-A04 (DVD-R)
Pioneer DVR-A05 (DVD-R)
Sony DRU-120A (DVD+R)
Sony DRU-500A (DVD-R and DVD+R)

Is there a good resource on the internet that can explain all this to me?

Paul

Comments

HeeHee wrote on 10/18/2002, 3:37 PM

I'm thinking about getting the Sony DRU-500A because it can burn either - or + R/RW media. From what I've heard so far it's pretty good.

This site does a decent job of explaining the different formats.

kdk2002 wrote on 10/18/2002, 3:42 PM

By the Sony! It's awesome.

craigunderhill wrote on 10/18/2002, 9:09 PM

the pioneer is great too! i have my doubts about the whole dvd+rw thing. i smell a rat.

Paul_Holmes wrote on 10/18/2002, 10:25 PM

I'd get the 2 way (-r and +r). Although I have -r my sense is that +r will eventually capture the market. Not because it's so superior in itself, but because of several advantages -- faster burning (more than twice as fast for RWs) and just the fact that a huge retailer like Best Buy no longer carries -r, only +r. This tells me their marketing department has made a decision that +r (in their opinion) will win out and is the better format. Whether they're right or wrong they have huge influence over public buying habits by their choice of what to carry and what not to carry. Also, whatever you get, make sure you see the posts here about the proper disk media to use. If you use -r and don't get the proper media you'll be making coasters (example, for -r you can forget Memorex, although their +R media may be OK).

Ron Lucas wrote on 10/19/2002, 4:58 PM

I'd get the Sony if it does both -R and +R. I have the HP200i (+R) and the Pioneer A04 (-R). Having the ability to write to both types of media has expanded my compatibility with my clients. I had given a -R DVD to a client that couldn't play the disk. As it turned out, the model DVD player they had was listed as not compatible with -R, and I didn't not know that at the time I gave them the disk. Then I gave them a +R and it worked great.

Ron

vonhosen wrote on 10/19/2002, 6:21 PM

I'd go Sony 500 to cover both formats.

(I currently cover both by having Panasonic for -R & RAM archiving , + Sony 120 for +R/+RW)

BriceWilliams wrote on 10/19/2002, 6:45 PM

Just bought the sony dru-550a. Had a problem with sound dropping out on one clip out of 4. I lost quality in the rendering to dvd format from vv3 dv format. used -r, and I'm seriously considering taking this back. DVD format is to expensive for this lack of quality and reliability.

yirm wrote on 10/23/2002, 2:33 AM

The question is whether set-top boxes will stop supporting DVD-R. Personally, I doubt they will, and with that in mind, I'd go for the A05 when it comes out. I just got the A04 a month ago and love it, and I mean sexually. I may get an A05 when it comes out just for the speed, but don't tell my wife. Of course, it's the rendering time that is the real killer. 0.5 hour to burn a DVD doesn't seem that bad compared to how long it takes to render a file to MPEG2.

-Jeremy

ANDREMIKE wrote on 11/8/2002, 2:23 PM

So how is this DVD burner? Will it work with Ulead too? THe final price is only $250

riredale wrote on 11/8/2002, 8:56 PM

I think the -R or +R issue is going to quickly fade away, simply because the new DVD players will play either just as well. Given that, I think -R will have the volume advantage for a long time. Furthermore, I have read that the -R gang has about a 6-month head start on faster drives. For example, the -05 is coming out very shortly, while a faster +R drive is supposedly scheduled for spring '03.