Wide World of Women

got a DVDR for my birthday a couple weeks ago. went to the store to pick up some disks to start recording and was presented with what seemed like 80 choices of disk type. can someone please enlighten me?

I'll do my best!

Discs for recording onto DVD are either DVD+R or DVD-R type. Check the manual to see what disc type and/or brand is recommended. It should specify at least what type of DVD disc to record to.

If no brand is recommended, it sometimes becomes a trial and error. Easy brands to avoid are the "store" brands. I use Memorex DVD-R for my Panasonic DVD recorder and Memorex DVD+R for the DVD burner in my computer.

I hope this helps. Some more info on your set up will allow us to give you better advice.

The basic difference is compatibility issues. A burned DVD might work in Player A but not Player B, or vice versa. It might not hurt to try buying a small pack of +R and -R discs if you plan on playing the burned discs on other players; test both kinds to see what works.

I would also recommend sticking with name brands and avoiding generic brands. Dig through the Sunday sales fliers in the newspaper, it seems like there's always a sale on disc media at one of the office/electronics stores, you just have to find which one.

Also remember, your mileage may vary.

Not all discs are created equal! If you value your data, then don't just go for the cheapest discs.

Here's some info you should look into.

http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm

All those manufacturers numbers aren't listed on the brand you buy so match them up with the list here at Videohelp.

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia

Also, check the disc compatibility with your recorder or writer. Here's another good list at Videohelp.

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdwriters
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdrecorders

Another easy way is before you go out and buy a bunch of discs get a 5 pack or a single disc of a certain brand to check compatibility.

I buy Memorex DVD+R 16x for backing up movies and stuff I have that aren't too important. They are medium quality discs, and you can find them for as cheap as $25 for 100 pack spindle. For more important stuff like videos I've spent hours making, I use Verbatim DVD+R or DVD-R 16x. They are top quality and you can find them as low as $30 for 100 pack spindle.

All i can add to the advice already given is burn DVD`s at a low speed..

this will minimise the risk of CRC errors,yes it takes a long time but it will ensure a better burn.

I used to burn my dvd`s @ 16X but i found i would get lots of errors,
so now i never burn at any speed over 4X
It does take longer but i would rather have a safe burn in 20 mins (4X) than a risky burn in 5 mins (16X)

thanks guys. this has helped. as far as the formats it says it can handle
+R/RW, -R/RW and +/- DL

so if i wanted to pop one of my newly recorded disks over to the computer and maybe pull a cap or two. what would be best?

VLC is free, and if you have Nero Showtime or PowerDVD those would work as well.

Another free player to make caps with is,Windows Media Player Classic.
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video ... lassic.cfm

Thanks for the info guys.

long time VLC user

thanks everyone for your input!