I plan to change my DVD Recorder for a Dual Layer or a DL+HD (if the DVD5 doesn't read DL discs). Is the DVD5 is DL DVD compatible ?

If it isn't, will an update make the DVD5 DL compatible, later ?

I doubt it is at all and do not think an update will fix it as I think it is a laser assembly type thing.

Thanks,
I had no idea the DL laser was a specific stuff.

Most (if not all) of the DVD's available in stores are dual layer...

Cheers,

Edo

quote:

Originally posted by Edo Engel:
Most (if not all) of the DVD's available in stores are dual layer...

Cheers,

Edo

So what does it mean ? A DVD5 can read recordable DL DVDs ?

The fact that a DVD player may be able to read commercially produced dual layer DVDs does not necessarily mean that it can read home recorded ones.I have heard of some players which play the first layer fine, but have to be coaxed into reading the second. Others, I believe, are unable to recognise the second layer at all. I would say that the Arcam DV29 (which shares the same drive mechanism as the DVD5)seems to play them OK. (The layer change pause seems a little long?) Obviously, that does not necessarily mean that the DVD5 can.

Isn't there any DVD5 owner/DL Burner over here ?

Yes I have a DL burner, but I don't have any DL discs as they are exspensive and single layer ones are fine for me. Which discs is it you specifically want to test? I've just done a quick search on dabs and they do +R DL & -R DL but not +/- RW DL.

I'll use only +/-RW DL discs to record/erase TV "a la" videotape recorder.
Quality of reading +/-RW SL DVDs with the DVD5 is so much better than my Sony RDR GX3 that it looks like the Sony is a betamax machine.

I don't know of anyone that makes Dual Layer DVD-/+RW's I can only find DVD-/+R's. Do you know of a manufacturer or even better part number?

quote:

Originally posted by Greggles:
The fact that a DVD player may be able to read commercially produced dual layer DVDs does not necessarily mean that it can read home recorded ones.

I was only trying to point out that karyboe's remark about DL being laser-related was too general.

Cheers,

Edo

quote:

Originally posted by SimonJ:
I don't know of anyone that makes Dual Layer DVD-/+RW's I can only find DVD-/+R's. Do you know of a manufacturer or even better part number?

You're right, I can't find any DL +/-RW DVDs

Though I'd add my 2 pence worth.

All DVD players should be able to play dual layer discs, it's part of the standard, if they can't there's something seriously wrong with the player! Though not every player will be able to play every disc out there.

Had a dig around, looks like the specs for the DVD-RW DL discs are being finalised at the moment which is expected to be completed by the end of the year with first hardware middle of 2006 though don't expect it to be backwards compatible with current players!

To be honest, the price of DL writeable discs are rather high so you might as well stick to the single layer rewriteables.

One final point, I've found the DVD5 can be finicky with rewriteables, I've had no problems with the HP ones but it won't recognise the Emation (they're at home, can't remember the brand name exactly!) ones.

Steve.

I use Sony +RW and they have always been perfect while Sony -RW where a bit buggy with FF and RW. But with the new firmaware update it is now great. Only the loading time of -RW is a long, very long.

What's fantastic with the DVD5 is that DVDs recorded in 3 hours length are better than the live show on TV. Can't wait any longer that scaling card that will have an input. It should be perfect to plug in the DVD5 the external box of a plasma as Pionner's. The DVD5 being the center of the image processing.

IT pays the bills here and I can tell you that the scarcity and expense of blank Dual Layer media is down to the absence of price competition from second tier media manufacturers who seem to be having trouble getting Phillips certification. Over at Digitimes they put this down to technical hurdles but even with first tier media they have a bunch of stories detailing playback trouble.

Given time the forum will find a certain drive model and media brand that works with DVD5 but in the meantime if you don’t want to adjust bitrate to fit on one single sided disc you can always span across two single layer volumes although that probably means a disc change part way through the main feature (think vinyl or LaserDisc!). I thought DVD Shrink did this, perhaps I’ll have a play over this weekend.

On a related note there’s stability problems with dye even on prime writable media so don’t trust your long term catalogue to RW. It might be that even with a useful drive and media combination there could still be stability problems with Dual Layer write-once.

Now you be good people and no abusing copyright. Isn’t that right Adam?

C