Does formatting DVD-RAM affect error checking?

[Karl Engel]

My Iomega "Super" DVD Drive came with a recommendation that all blank
DVD media, including DVD-RAM, be "long formatted" before use to ensure
no disk errors, bad sectors etc.

My understanding is that DVD-RAM is intrinsically superior for data
backup to +/-RW because of its more advanced error-checking, and
formatting isn't required as drag & drop support is built in.

So would formatting a DVD-RAM disk, while verifying the surface (a
good thing), change the way it stores data to be the same as +/-RW
disks which MUST be formatted for drag & drop, and reduce this
error-checking capacity?

 

[Karl Engel]

My Iomega "Super" DVD Drive came with a recommendation that all blank
DVD media, including DVD-RAM, be "long formatted" before use to ensure
no disk errors, bad sectors etc.

My understanding is that DVD-RAM is intrinsically superior for data
backup to +/-RW because of its more advanced error-checking, and
formatting isn't required as drag & drop support is built in.

So would formatting a DVD-RAM disk, while verifying the surface (a
good thing), change the way it stores data to be the same as +/-RW
disks which MUST be formatted for drag & drop, and reduce this
error-checking capacity?

Also wondering if formatting a RAM disk would reduce its available storage capacity

 

[John Turco]

Hello, Karl:

Correct, except, DVD-RAM >must< be formatted, in order to create the
"logical" structure on the disc. The same is true of any storage medium,
regardless of how "advanced" it may be.

Unlike DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/DVD+RW both need "packet-writing" software, to
allow them to be used in such a manner. Your "Super DVD" drive's help

Also wondering if formatting a RAM disk would reduce its available storage capacity

No, as "formatted capacity" is the only thing that really matters,
anyway.

Good luck!


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>

 

[Karl Engel]

Hello, Karl:

Correct, except, DVD-RAM >must< be formatted, in order to create the
"logical" structure on the disc. The same is true of any storage medium,
regardless of how "advanced" it may be.

Unlike DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/DVD+RW both need "packet-writing" software, to
allow them to be used in such a manner. Your "Super DVD" drive's help


No, as "formatted capacity" is the only thing that really matters,
anyway.

Good luck!


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>

So new blank DVD-RAM disks are "pre-formatted" I suppose. (Which would
explain why they're sold as 4.7 GB but reveal 4.26 GB free space, new,
in My Cpmputer.)The insructions advise to format ALL new media before
use, making no distinction about RAM. My fear is that by using the
"format" option Iomega offers (right-clicking on the drive's icon no
matter what type of disk is in there) it will be formatted as a
packet-writing drive, same as +/-RW, losing RAM's advantages.

 

[John Turco]

So new blank DVD-RAM disks are "pre-formatted" I suppose. (Which would
explain why they're sold as 4.7 GB but reveal 4.26GB free space, new,
in My Cpmputer.)

Hello, Karl:

Well, my Maxell "DVD-RAM Video" blanks came preformatted, at least.
They're listed as "4.7GB," but (as with yours), a "mere" 4.26 GB is
available to the user. (Formatting eats up some of the space, as
always.)

The insructions advise to format ALL new media before
use, making no distinction about RAM.

Hmmm, I've never bothered doing that, with my made-in-Japan, Maxell
beauties. Unless you're buying ultra-cheap, "no-name" media, I fail
to see the point of it, personally.

Of course, for various reasons, there'll probably come a time when
you'll >need< to reformatt one (or more) of your DVD-RAM's. Just as
with hard disks, themselves, "wiping the slate clean" can cure a
host of file-level ills.

My fear is that by using the
"format" option Iomega offers (right-clicking on the drive's icon no
matter what type of disk is in there) it will be formatted as a
packet-writing drive, same as +/-RW, losing RAM's advantages.

If your Iomega drive offers DVD-RAM capability, its drivers and bundled
application software should be equally able to distinguish between
different types of discs.

Still, please don't take any unnecessary risks; have you contacted
Iomega or searched Google <http://www.google.com>, on this
particular topic?

(I own a Panasonic SW-9571, by the way.)


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>