I was thinking the same about labels! The problem is that my projects are wedding videos. So the bride and groom want labels. or is there another solution? How about DVD's that I can print on the disc? What are your thoughts on that? Would that pose a problem to the burnig process of the disc?

Printing directly on the disk is the only way to go and there are a number of low cost printers available that can perform this with inkjet printable media.

A bit off topic, maybe, but...

I had significant compatibility problems when I burned DVD+R discs. They diminished significantly when I switched to DVD-R.

I just bought a $25 DVD player at Circuit City (CyberHome CH-DVD 300) and it wouldn't even play the DVD+R's. Checking the manual showed that it's only designed for DVD-R's. (Which it plays perfectly, by the way.)

I always use DVD-R. They take longer to burn...that goofy leadout is the culprit, but I've had far fewer incompatibility issues using DVD-R.

Curiously, I was at Office Depot the other day, and they were ONLY stocking DVD+R and DVD+RW discs!

Also, never use adhesive labels on your DVDs for reasons already mentioned. (Another reason: the lasers on DVD are much hotter in DVD players than in CD players...it is possible that the heat can alter the adhesive and cause it to damage the disc.)

The biggest problem that folks encounter with +R is the booktype. Since +R was created after -R, many players that people are still using do not recognize the +R booktype and hence won't play the media.

The single biggest advantage that +R media has though, is if you get a burner that will let software change the booktype and then burn with something like Nero (and tell Nero to use the DVD-ROM booktype), then virtually every player out there will play the media because it looks (to the player) like a commercially stamped disk.

--Scott

Dual layer has a relatively high failure rate and is simply not yet ready for prime time. The most recent study by VSO confirms this. Some of the LG, NEC, and Pioneer drives seem to have been reliable for many people according to that study. The NEC burner they mention is what I have in my stand alone DVD duplicator, although it has since been replaced with other models.
Interestingly, there has been a change in terms of the general reliability of DVD+R vs DVD-R with DVD+R slighly edging out the DVD-R for the first time.

John

if you get a burner that will let software change the booktype and then burn with something like Nero (and tell Nero to use the DVD-ROM booktype), then virtually every player out there will play the media because it looks (to the player) like a commercially stamped disk.

OK, this sounds interesting. However, I have Nero and a burner that burns +R, but I've never seen anything in Nero to change "booktype." Where does this control appear? I just searched the Nero site, and also searched every file in the Nero folders and that word doesn't appear anywhere.

If the burner supports it, it will be on the burner options page. If you are using the Nero Burning ROM utility, there will be a "recorder" drop down - select this and then select Choose Recorder. A dialog will launch - choose the recorder in question (if not already chosen), then there will be an Options>> button to expand the options - expand the options. When expanded, if your burner supports changing things there will be a booktype dropdown, select DVD-ROM from the list.

again, not answering the skipping issue, more the compatibility aspect but setting book-type is only barely possible on DVD-R media. The exact same area of the disc that specifies DVD+R's book type isn't accessible on -R media as such.

The skipping issue is made more likely by the mismatch of disc reflectivity to the tolerance of the player and indeed, the label will only make the wobble worse and thereby the read errors more likely.

As with the original CDR audio disc compatibility issues, eventually you could buy CDRs with the same or within tolerance as the reflectivity as a pressed disc. These were either CDRW or orange-book CDRs. There has yet to be an equivalent DVDR/DVDRW disc that can claim the same reflectivity as a pressed disc, within tolerance. However, the benefit is that a new DVD player is less than 1/3 the cost of replacing the home hifi CD player or car CD player as was the case for folks who wanted to playback their homebrew discs way back then. The throw-away society as sky-rocketed and prices have gone through the floor. The quest for reliable media that remains reliable when you buy your next cake box and playable in whatever you pop it in continues. Perhaps solid state or personal web drives (e.g. flash, FMD, electronic paper, gmail etc) will overtake spinning shiny discs in time.

If the burner supports it, it will be on the burner options page.

Scott, thanks. I looked and there is no drop down in the Options section for my Pioneer A09, so I guess I don't have the feature.

I want also to thank Scott!
My customers had severe problems with DVD play-compability
when using DVD+R´s.
Especially customers with LG players(even new).
Its really frustrating when you have burnt 50 DVD´s
and you cant rely on their functionality.
Luckily enough my burner showed up in Nero´s burning page
with possibility to change bookmark to DVD ROM.
Since then i have heard no complaints!
Wouldn´t it be nice with a list of Book Mark changeable
burners on the market on this great forum - here is mine
contribution
H-HL-DT-ST DVDRRW GWA-4164B
Thanks again!
Aje (PAL land Sweden)