DVD R help

[Punkster]

I've burned only one file onto a 4.7GB DVD R and i don't seem to be able to add any more!!

Is it supposed to be like this? i'm a bit cheesed off that a wasted a whole disc on just 40KB word document!

If i burned multiple files such as windows media ones and filled the 4.7 GB would it work?

[cw695356]

You would need to do a multisession disk. I couldnt say I've ever done one but I did on ocassion with cd-rs. If you are burning files so small why not just use a cd-r?

[Punkster]

lol, i was testing it! my first time! so i didn't know that would happen!

at least now i know and i don't think it's very expensive right?

[cw695356]

I havent bought any blank cds or dvds for ages (steal them from work) but I cant imagine it will have cost you much. I believe nero can do multisession if you really want to but you are probably better just selecting the right media for the task in hand.

[Punkster]

yeh they don't cost much, and what do you mean my multi-session?

do you mean burn several files at once without stopping and then ejecting?

or burning a file, then adding another at a later date, coz that make much more sense if i was able to do that on a DVD R.

EDIT: just done a bit of research and i think i'll get DVD+RWs when i've used up my current DVD+Rs

bit annoying though to have to find enough data to put onto a 4.7GB disc, coz i wouldn't want to waste space - hence why i think DVD+RW would be better for me. thanks for the advice anyways.

[cw695356]

Multisession means you can add more to the disk at a later time, so you could eventually fill it up. Ive never had the need to do so I dont know how reliable it is.

[Punkster]

so there's a way of bypassing the once-writable function of DVD+Rs? - i must have a look if that's possible.

I have questions about DVD+RWs. What speeds are there available? is it just 4x, coz that's all i seem to find on amazon. Is there any need to get any faster than 4x speed? and what exactly does the speed determine? is it how fast data is written onto a disc?

EDIT: oh right so the speed e.g. "4x" determines how fast data can be written. does it affect the quality of movies? or is it so insignificant that it doesn't matter?

[cw695356]

The write speed is purely just how fast the data is written to the disk, it wont have any effect on the quality. No idea what speeds are available. I used to get all my stuff from www.ebuyer.co.uk they might have a better range than amazon if you have a look.

[Punkster]

that's alright, i'd stick to the cheaper option of 4x speed - only takes 15 min to write a full 4.5GB disc compared to 3 min for 16x speed. Not huge difference, so it;s not worth getting 16x just for that extra speed.

that's if it is available in 16X speed, which i still don't know :p

[MurdersGalore]

The write speed of a disc is determined by the quality of the layers that the data is burned into. Think of it kinda like film for a camera. There are different exposure speeds. This is the time it takes to make a complete burn with the lazor before the burner can move on to another sector of the disk. With DVD -r/+r slower speeds do make for better data integrity. Its a trade off between speed and quality with more expensive disks being able to make more accurate copies at higher speeds. DVD drives have an internal error correction algorithm. Usually this is marketed by the quality of the DAC (digital to analogue converter) for example an 8x 24bit DAC vs a 16bit 16x DAC. For the average user these numbers don't mean much, but burning at higher speeds can make a disc harder to read or more prone for errors in a player/drive with a low quality DAC. I have done alot of music production work and CD pressing plants will often reject home-burned CD's that are burned using cheap media or burned at speeds above 4x. Something to consider. For every day use on cheap media it shouldn't matter. For mission critical tasks where you are making a cd/dvd that could be used on an uncontrolled number of different types of players, or where 100% data integrity is crucial (such as backups), it's always best to select slower and more expensive media and burn at slower speeds. Especially when that disc will be used to make a bunch of cheaper copies (DVD software distros, making 1000 copies of an audio master, ect)
Also, rewritable discs will always be slower for now because the rewritable material has a longer exposure time.
As for multi-session, some burner apps use the term multi-session vs single-session, some use leave disc-open vs Close disc, ect. Should be an option in most burner apps I would think.