[TheForge] Was Tape rentals : Now DVD +- <YAKish>

[Andy Vida]

Mike Linn wrote:
> 
> I'm considering getting a DVD burner w/ software and even with the posts
> that have going around here Im not sure of the difference between DVD +R,
> DVD -R, DVD +RW and DVD -RW and how they relate to computer DVD drives and
> Video DVD machines.

	I have a Sony DVD RW.  It has interfaces for USB 2.0 and Firewire.
	It supports every format except DVD RAM.  far as I know, not
	combo drive does all formats AND DVD RAM.  FYI, DVD RAM is a
	rewritable DVD that burns to both sides of the disk, thereby
	doubling the 4.7G capacity to 9.4, which is very nice for
	backups.  A DVD RAM will not, as far as I know, write regular
	DVDs, CDROM, CD R/W, etc., so they are of  little use as
	multi-media devices.

	I paid something like $269 for the drive and I think it was
	well worth the outlay.  I got it at Fry's.
> 
> I'm looking at getting the drive to copy a couple of hundred hours of VHS
> to DVD for later viewing on consumer DVD players.

	Be ready for a slow go.  These devices are very slow compared 
	to, say, a magnetic hard disk.
> 
> I've seen drives that advertise the capability of burning in all of these
> formats, but what is the format for the consumer DVD players ? and are
> there any suggestions as to editing/authoring software.

	My drive came with all the software for copying music, video
	and data.  So far, it has worked very well, though slower
	than I would care for.

	The only thing I find really inconvenient in these devices is 
	the inability to drag and drop data the way you can using, say,
	Windows Explorer.  You have to use the software that comes
	with the drive to manipulate data.  It sucks in a way, and I
	hope one day this annoyance will be remedied, but given the
	benefits of such devices, I can live with the drawbacks easily
	enough.  I could be living in a cave eating brontosaurus
	carrion for dinner, so all in all I'd say life's pretty good,
	even with its most minor inconveniences.