How do I know if my DVD Burner is - or + ??

[gavkiwi]

or does it even matter, I got a Sony DVD Burner for Christmas, Model is a Sony DVD RW DRU-710A. Ive tried burning data onto Blank DVD' s using Nero 6.3.1.10. So far ive made myself 4 coasters [no succesful burns ], 3 of the 4 were DVD+R blank media (new egg) blank DVDs & 1x Sony DVD+R blank media dvd from Best Buy, it was a 50 pack of dvds for $19.95. O.K I am new to this DVD burning stuff, so do you need certain blank media to burn on your DVD burner, this new DVD burner writes CD's perfectly. Can somebody please help me, any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S, ive heard that Ritek blank dvds are good, can anyone back this up

cheers

Gav

[lcddream]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1729475,00.asp


looks like it supports + and - for single layer and + for dual layer

if the burns were video disk, try burning at a lower speed sometimes the max speed can cause difficulties ie coasters

is it the lastest version of nero you have?

also for a extensive database about dvd and anything else video videohelp.com is a valuable resource

[SirPeale]

Some discs just don't work with certain burners.  I've got some by Teon that don't make anything but discs with read errors, and another by imation that makes a perfect disc every time.

Of course, those are the *brands* and not who makes the disc, I have no way to tell who makes them.

[Goz]

If you do a search on this page It will tell you what media works best in the specific player, what formats it supports, and what other users think of it.

Hope it helps,

-Goz

[pointdablame]

http://www.doom9.net/  is a helpful link for anything DVD related, as well as http://www.afterdawn.com

A few quick tips:

- Burn at a slower speed as was mentioned.
- Finalize discs if you are making backups of DVD movies or games.
- SIMULATE your discs.... yes it takes 10 minutes longer, but you don't lose a blank DVD.  50 cents a disc may not be very pricey, but I sure as hell hate wasting discs.  Even when you get used to the process, you will STILL get a bad burn every now and then.  Let the simulation fail, not the burn.  I've never once had a burn fail after simulation completed successfully.
- Use Nero's InfoTool to see what type of disc you have. You want to see the media code, not the brand (sony, memorex, etc).  As Peale said, next to no "brands" make their own discs, they simply buy whatever dyes are cheaper/more available at the time.
- Check http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia  once you know what type of disc it is and see what people say about them.
- Go buy some Ritek/RiData discs... they are my favorite.  They are not as great ad Taiyo Yudens but are much easier to get and a lot cheaper.  I swear by them.


Hope that helps.

[ChadTower]

How do you know if the burner is + or -?

RTFM.

[RoboG2]

Download something called Belark Advisor and run it.  Its a small little program that tells you what hardware and software you have.

[crashwg]

Did it come in a box?

Just so happens that I have the exact same model and the box is still on my desk so I'll take a little snapshot for ya...

There.