newbie question about dvd-r/cd-r

[harrypotter]

Hello!

I have a newbie question about dvd-r's and cd-r's. I've noticed some
computers are coming out with both a dvd-r and cd-r. Others only have
a dvd-r.

Is there an advantage of having both a dvd-r and a cd-r? Or is it a
redundant feature?

One last question, can anyone please explain this:
dvd+r/+rw/-r/-rw/cd-rw drive

Thank you.
al

 

[Chris Stolworthy]

Actually if it says only Dvd-r it means it only READS dvd's but will also
read Cd's too. If it says dvd+/- Rw then you cna rewrite dvd's, also you
can rewrite cd's.

The dvd drive labeled with dvd+r/+rw/-r/-rw/cd-rw, well let me explain there
a few differing types of DVD media to write to out there, there are dvd-r,
dvd+r, dvd-Ram, dvd+rw, dvd-rw. Not all drives can read all types of media.
That drive described can read/write dvd+r/+rw/-r/-rw, also all dvd+/- Rw
drives can rewrite both types of cds.

 

[Will Dormann]

Actually if it says only Dvd-r it means it only READS dvd's but will also
read Cd's too.

Completely wrong. DVD-R is one of the standards for recording DVDs.
DVD-ROM is read-only.


-WD

 

[J.Clarke]

On 2 Jan 2004 12:37:04 -0800

Hello!

I have a newbie question about dvd-r's and cd-r's. I've noticed some
computers are coming out with both a dvd-r and cd-r. Others only have
a dvd-r.

Is there an advantage of having both a dvd-r and a cd-r? Or is it a
redundant feature?

It's redundant for the most part--some folks like to use the CD drive
for CDs to save wear and tear on the DVD drive--DVD writers, while they
are very inexpensive compared to what they used to cost, still cost a
bit more than CD writers, and they perceive a cost saving. Also, some
CD writers write CDs faster than DVD writers unless that has changed
recently.

One last question, can anyone please explain this:
dvd+r/+rw/-r/-rw/cd-rw drive

the "R" indicates that the drive writes to "write once" disks, while the
"RW" indicates that it writes to "rewriteable" disks. The DVD + and -
are competing standards--right now the "-" media still costs a little
less unless the prices have changed since last time I checked while the
drives that handle both "+" and "-" seem to write "+" a bit faster. The
advocates of "+" and "-" will tell you that their favorite has better
compatibility with standalone DVD players--the simple fact is that most
will play both, some don't like "+", and some don't like "-". With CDs
the situation is simpler-they come "-R" and "-RW" and that's it.
There's also DVD-RAM which is designed to be used like a 4.7 gig
diskette and works pretty much that way, but the downside is that
DVD-RAM disks can't be read by anything but DVD-RAM drives. LG has a
nice drive out right now for $128 that handles all formats.

 

[Eric Gisin]

On 2 Jan 2004 12:37:04 -0800

A year ago a CD-RW was standard with a DVD-ROM optional. Today a combined
drive is standard, with DVD writer optional.

It's redundant for the most part--some folks like to use the CD drive
for CDs to save wear and tear on the DVD drive--DVD writers, while they
are very inexpensive compared to what they used to cost, still cost a
bit more than CD writers, and they perceive a cost saving. Also, some
CD writers write CDs faster than DVD writers unless that has changed
recently.

I don't think the read mode of any CD/DVD drive is going kill the drive in
under 5 years.

Loading your system up with redundant CD/DVD drives does risk spin-up power
sags, which can cause bad sectors on your hard drives.

 

[Rod Speed]

A year ago a CD-RW was standard with a DVD-ROM optional. Today a combined
drive is standard, with DVD writer optional.

I don't think the read mode of any CD/DVD
drive is going kill the drive in under 5 years.

Loading your system up with redundant
CD/DVD drives does risk spin-up power sags,

Mindless stuff when most systems dont even spin up the
optical drives that dont have any media in them at boot time.

which can cause bad sectors on your hard drives.

One extra optical drive aint gunna do that.

 

[kony]

On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 17:55:13 -0800, "Eric Gisin"

I don't think the read mode of any CD/DVD drive is going kill the drive in
under 5 years.

Then you haven't bothered to check the dead parts bins at many
computer shops. Optical drives die all the time, or just read so
poorly that they're not reliable... same thing.

Loading your system up with redundant CD/DVD drives does risk spin-up power
sags, which can cause bad sectors on your hard drives.

Nonsense. If that happens the problem wasn't an optical drive, it was
an inadquate power supply. I'm not so sure HDDs will even suffer bad
sectors these days, generally it takes a HUGE voltage sage to be
significant, not an amp or two.

 

[Doug Ramage]

On 2 Jan 2004 12:37:04 -0800
(e-mail address removed) (harrypotter) wrote:

There's also DVD-RAM which is designed to be used like a 4.7 gig
diskette and works pretty much that way, but the downside is that
DVD-RAM disks can't be read by anything but DVD-RAM drives. LG has a
nice drive out right now for $128 that handles all formats.

My LiteOn 165 dvd-rom drive can read dvd-ram discs. There are probably
others which can do the same. I have the triple format LG 4040B which
reads/writes to all formats and cd-r/rw also.

 

[Eric Gisin]

Then you haven't bothered to check the dead parts bins at many
computer shops. Optical drives die all the time, or just read so
poorly that they're not reliable... same thing.

That doesn't mean they died because of excessive usage. The optics get dirty
in dirty environments, not because of usage.

Nonsense. If that happens the problem wasn't an optical drive, it was
an inadquate power supply. I'm not so sure HDDs will even suffer bad
sectors these days, generally it takes a HUGE voltage sage to be
significant, not an amp or two.

Poor power and cabling is the leading cause of bad sectors. It is a major
problem.

This has been acknowledged in every storage forum.

 

[Rod Speed]

That doesn't mean they died because of excessive usage. The optics get dirty
in dirty environments, not because of usage.
Poor power and cabling is the leading cause of bad sectors. It is a major
problem.

Pity that your silly claim about the startup
of an extra optical drive at boot time aint.

This has been acknowledged in every storage forum.

Pity that your silly claim about the startup
of an extra optical drive at boot time aint.

 

[kony]

That doesn't mean they died because of excessive usage. The optics get dirty
in dirty environments, not because of usage.

It is a good theory, but I've opened a few, and many weren't
particularly dirty inside, in fact I was surprised at how clean some
were. If you're suggesting a laboratory cleanroom, there's an idea,
but many drives that fail do not appear to be victims of dirt. I must
admit I didnt' do a complete autopsy for a cheap optical drive(s) so
the actual cause of death in most cases would be "unknown" but dirt
didn't look to be the problem.

Poor power and cabling is the leading cause of bad sectors. It is a major
problem.

This has been acknowledged in every storage forum.

But that's not the same as adding an optical drive, two distinctly
different things. Poor power is the cause, not the optical drive, and
if adding one reduces the voltage THAT much there was ultimately going
to be a problem regardless.

I will grant you that if a system was using the entire capacity of the
power supply already, it wouldn't be wise to add an optical drive (or
anthing else), though it wouldn't be prudent to operate the system
like that for any length of time anyway.

 

[Dennis Vogel]

One last question, can anyone please explain this:
dvd+r/+rw/-r/-rw/cd-rw drive

www.dvddemystified.com

Dennis Vogel