DVD media 4

[lgvelez]

If I get one of the new DVD 8X double media, can I use any type of dvd media? Is the new one backwards compatible? I have a package of DVD+R 4.7 gb 4x ... will that work okay with it?

This is my first upgrade from a CD recordable drive.

Thank you, Laura

Laura Velez, MCP
lauravelez@charter.net

 

[garebo]

Yup, you are ok with them.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[lgvelez]

Thank you so much for your answer and its promptness!!

Laura

Laura Velez, MCP
lauravelez@charter.net

 

[cdogg]

You are OK if the burner supports both formats, + and -. Most newer burners that are faster than 4x support both, so you should be alright. Just read the specs in your manual or on the cover of the retail box.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[garebo]

Especially 8x, thats why i didnt mention the + and -, but i should have anyway.
Laura, you have dvd + r media, so look for a dvd burner that burns both + and -, or at least +. Again, the 8x dvd burners pretty much all support both, hence i didnt mention it.
Also, its pretty easy to trade with someone, take it back to the store for a credit, things like that.
Even if you have a dvd + and - burner, its still possible your new burner may not like the media you have. That DOES happen with some no-name brands, but not that often. I use no-names on my dvd + burner with no problem. but you can likely find someone to trade if you have any probs, which you likely wont have anyway.
What some people do are to buy a very small amount of one brand to make sure they will work in their burner and then go buy the same one in bulk if they find they work in their burner. I dont do that, i take my chances and havent been burned yet, they have always worked for me in the many cd and dvd burners i have owned.
Another way around that is to buy only high quality name brand like HP,Memorex, names you are familiar with. Again, i dont do that but some people do.
Some people even buy a small amount of name brand for their more important stuff and then a large amount of no-name for making copies of things less important to them.
Hope this helps and doesnt confuse!


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[lgvelez]

Wow! What a great education from both of you guys!
I don't think I shall buy a no-name ... my current cd burner is a TEAC, and I have been using it successfully for 4 years!

Thank you so very much!

Laura

Laura Velez, MCP
lauravelez@charter.net

 

[garebo]

Laura, my fault, when i was referring to no-name i was talking about the media itself, the dvd disks.
However, the burner itself, yes, you are best to go for a good name there as well. NEC is one of the best, Plextor is actually the best, but they come at a premium price. Personally i would stick to NEC, Pioneer, standard brand names as they tend to be relatively same low prices. But if you want the best then i imagine it would be Plextor.
You could likely put these words into google and get some ideas "best burner" or "best dvd burner".


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[micker377]

There's a free program called "DVD Identifier" (DVD.Identifier.CDFreaks.com). It scans the recordable DVD, and tells you who actually manufactures the disk. You'd be surprised who re-lables some disks! By the way, the program also gives you all the specs of your burner.

 

[pmonett]

Just FYI, I used to buy noname DVD -Rs (cheapest, obviously) to do my data storage. I have over 30 white DVDs that I burned in that way over the course of six months.
Then, one fateful day, I tried to read a file stored on one of the first ones, and the drive had a devil of a time getting it, failing twice with a CRC message.
Now I only buy TDK blank disks, and I have no problems any more. Of course, its nice that the price has gone down, but with the scare I got, I'd pay double if I was sure the data was safe.

Pascal.

 

[cdogg]

Good point, pmonett...

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[garebo]

Well, i just opened a cdr that i burned thats 5 yrs old, cheap cd and worked fine. But, i would bet, on the average, that the name brand ones will hold data longer.


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[stduc]

If you want CD's/DVD's of any kind to last, don't expose them to sunlight or heat. I'm not saying keep them in the fridge. Just a nice dark drawer away from any heat sources will do. If you want to kill a CD - just see how long it will last on a nice hot south facing sunny windowsill. Or even better, the rear parcel shelf of a car! Without any kind of cover of course!

 

[garebo]

Or place them near a magnetic source and leave them there a while, that will mess them up too.



Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[cdogg]

Garebo,
Are you sure? I didn't think CD's were vulnerable to magnetism. Data is "burned" or "stamped" onto the discs using a series of notches. I don't believe a magnetic source can change that, but I could be wrong...


~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[garebo]

Cdogg, only going by what i have read. It seems the data can be "altered" or compromised somehow due to magnetism. I just remembered, it was on a forum. A guy pointed out that he had left some cd's beside, i think, a large speaker with a large magnet and he said his cds were unreadable and another few people posted that this can happen. For sure it was something to do with a large magnet. Anyway, the consensus seemed to be that this can and does happen.
I havent ever had anything like this happen to me, lucky, i dont know. I keep my cds and dvds in cases and out of the sun and away from strong magnetic fields, same as floppies and h drives. Now and again i have had a floppy that has gone bad, but sometimes they will work on another computer and not on one, so who knows. I have had h drives go bad as far as the data being scrambled, just last week, the drive was ok but i had to reformat it. So i cant really say from experience that cds or dvds can go bad from magnetic or electronic interference, but i read that this can happen.
Dont know if i can find the forum, but last time someone called me out i did indeed find it, lol. I dont consider you as calling me out, though, just kidding. Im sure you would just like to know for sure. I do believe, though, that it would be wise to keep cds and dvds not only out of the sun, but away from strong magnetic and electromagnetic sources. I guess the word is strong as i do keep cds and dvds handy near my computer as most of us do, so i think it would have to be a stronger than average magnetic field. But yes, i do believe the electronic data on a cdr or dvdr can go bad because of this.
I might just set up an experiment, as i do have a pretty heavy magnet. I will have to wait til i move as i have it packed away with other stuff as im putting my house up for sale. Im gonna try it out myself after i move!




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[pmonett]

Maybe the large speaker got quite hot and the heat deformed the surface.
CDs and DVDs are "optical" media specifically designed to do without magnetic surfaces.
Personally, I cannot believe that pure magnetism has anything to do with it. Heat, on the other hand, can deform a disk and make it unreadable.

Pascal.

 

[cdogg]

Pascal's right, I believe. Data is stored physically in a layer on the CD and it should not be possible to alter that data without physically damaging the CD itself (scratching, burning, over-heating, etc).

A magnet on its own isn't powerful enough to change the physical characteristics of a CD. I've left many laying on top of my 1200W amplifier and on my professional-grade, 15-inch CerwinVega speakers. I've never had one damaged from it.

Until I've read a published report on a credible website, or have seen it for myself, I would steer clear of telling others that it is fact. Plus, I haven't seen any indication at all that this is the consensus with anyone I know.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[jurgen36]

I read about masgnetic fields altering the CD/DVD recordings. This was first mentioned a few years ago. However as I could and would not believe this we were running tests with extremely strong magnetic fields at our uni. Well we used Fields of 3000 kilogaus continous, no changes at all to the media.However when we used pulsed magnetic fields in the 2.5 kilogaus range changes did happen. We accounted for it by the fact that the CD/DVD', did heat up quite heavily due to the pulsed nature of the fields. However magnetic fields of this magnitude are only found in high energy research or particle accelerators. You will never ever have only a small fraction of this fieldstrength with even the biggest speaker magnets. So Magnetic fields under normal conditions will not affect the media at all. A hard drive on the other side will be completely wiped even at a distance of 20 feet. So no worries for cd or dvd.
regards

Jurgen

 

[jurgen36]

sorry should have read 2.5 megagaus
regards

Jurgen

 

[garebo]

Im sure that kind of electromagnetism isnt gonna happen in many places.
As i said, i have never had this happen to me, i only read about it. Who knows, could be the person thought it was his speaker magnetism causing the prob and maybe his cds were bad in the first place, bad burner, bad software, novice user, or even heat did it.
From the sounds of things its not too likely to be electromagnetism. I thought the conversation i was reading at the time was from somewhat informed sources, but maybe not.
But, as i have stated a few times, i only read about it. Also pointed out i have never had that happen to me, only with a few floppies and a few hard drives.
So, who knows. It seems some people here dont think its possible and i dont doubt that either. Suppose i should have mentioned right off that i had only heard that, but i did point that out subsequently. I usually preface something like that with "i'm not certain". Kinda forgot that time.

I wonder why then that i have heard that cds and dvd's will only last so many years and wont work at some point in the future and that better quality cds and dvds will last longer than generic media? What would make the data deteriorate on its own? I'm pretty sure i have read that quite a few times, probably why i bought into the electromagnetic theory.




Good advice + great people = tek-tips