Video Asylum

Posted by Joe Murphy Jr (A) on January 14, 2006 at 16:40:59

In Reply to: DVD Recorder Help...What Do All These "+'s, -'s" Mean?.... posted by Draz on January 13, 2006 at 15:20:29:

Commercial DVDs (from the movie studios) are stamped, not burned, and are designated as -ROM discs. All of the others are burned discs and can be +R, -R, +RW, -RW, etc.

The best way to avoid compatibility problems is to get a computer DVD writer based on the +R format (it can support burning of the other formats, but has to be a +R writer). It also has to support the book-type/bit-setting feature of the +R format. What this means is that the +R disc that you burn will read like a -ROM disc (instead of a +R disc) in any DVD player. Does the -ROM designation sound familiar? The -R format does not have this feature. If a DVD player is based on the +R format, it won't play the -R disc you made.

Why all the different formats? Because the manufacturers are assholes. They compete with each other for your dollars and have little concern about compatibility issues. They believe that's your problem -- not theirs. The +R format's "ace-in-hole" is the book-type/bit-setting feature. While both formats (+R and -R) claim 85% compatibility, the -ROM feature of the +R format gets them to about 98% compatibility. Several DVD writers (such as Plextor's P-716 series) support this feature.

Copy-protection is a big issue if you want to make additional discs or tapes. I don't know if you can defeat this roadblock in any of the DVD/VCR combo players (most combo players kinda suck anyway). There is a way around this on a computer. To make copies of DVDs, all you need is a free software program such as DVD Decrypter to remove the copy protection from the DVD and a free software program like DVD Shrink to decide what you want on the burned disc. And if you want to make a tape, just use the soundcard's output for the audio to the VCR and use a video card with a composite output (available for as little as $30 - $40 from newegg.com) for the video to the VCR.

Of course, if you don't want to go the computer route, most of the above won't make too much of a difference to you.