Slashdot Mirror


New DVD Burners To Double Capacity

clester writes "CNN reports that new dual-layer DVD-burning drives will be released very soon by Philips and Sony that will double the capacity of DVD drives, making a complete copy of your dual-layer DVDs theoretically possible. It will use dual layer technology that will hold up to 8.5GB, and will cost around $230 for an internal and $330 for external, burning all 8.5GB in approximately 45 minutes."

420 comments

  1. SWAA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Straight and white. association. you know.

  2. Quite a low introductory price! by michael+path · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is a very low price for the technology to be released at. At those prices, we'll probably see a large number of early adopters. It makes me wonder what we'll see it for next year.

    Considering I spent $250 on an external USB2 DVD+R/RW drive just last year, I can already regret my purchase.

    1. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by pcx · · Score: 5, Funny

      The drive is $250, the blank DVD is $75.00 :-P

    2. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by karnal · · Score: 2, Informative

      I'm just waiting for the media prices to drop.

      Given, a spindle of Ritek G04's (50) are about 46$ on newegg.com, and price/gig of data is actually quite good compared to a spindle of 50 CD-R's.

      I've been doing a lot of.. .ahem... backing up of ... well, you know. But, what I'd like to see is dirt cheap media that I can rely on for about a year and then re-burn on newer media -- my full album rip backups. Then I'd be set.

      So far, I've not used any media but Ritek's, since the price isn't like CD-Writables are now. But... this will just help the single-layer prices!

      --
      Karnal
    3. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ouch. Got my DVD burner for 99 bucks, last christmas.

      You can at least hold fast to the fact that 250 bucks for an external DVD+RW is probably going to be the standard price for a good 2-3 years or until something better is introduced.

      The fact that its external and USB usually accounts for most of its price.

    4. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by michael+path · · Score: 2, Troll

      From the article:

      "Sony estimates the blank discs will cost $5 to $6. Philips does not have an estimate yet.

      This is entirely reasonable as well. DVD+Rs currently run about $1.75-$2.50 ea. depending on volume. Where did you get your $75 price from?

    5. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

      You got a _USB2_ drive? Yeah, you should've regretted your purchase right away. Shoulda gone FireWire! :)

      I just spent $110 for a black NEC 8x dual format burner, and I don't regret it a bit. If you think finding 8x media is hard (and lemme tell ya, no-name brand 4x media often only works at 2.4x!), you just wait till you try to find decent dual-layer media, and for a decent price. Here's a tip: don't hold your breath, unless you look good in blue.

    6. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Smidge204 · · Score: 1, Funny

      That's a great marketing strategy!

      1) Make drives cheap (everyone buys one). Make media expensive (Few people buy in any quantity).

      2) Lack of media in circulation + paranoia over screwing up a burn and wasting $75 = fewer individuals using technology (lower piracy rates?)

      3) Profit!
      =Smidge=

    7. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by michael+path · · Score: 1

      It supports Firewire as well. It's an HP DVD300EX. I had to use the Firewire piece for quite a while as the USB port on it stopped working. I had to ship it back to HP to repair.

      Good deal on your burner too.

    8. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Araxen · · Score: 1

      This is what I was waiting for to buy into the DVD burner arena. CD-r's were perfectly fine for me till now.

      Burnable Dual Layer DVD's are too hard to pass up.

    9. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Informative

      You should find the thing much faster when used with FireWire than with USB2. Even plain ole FireWire a (400Mbps) is much faster than USB2 (at 480Mbps) due to latency type issues. I'd _love_ to have an external Firewire b (800Mbps), Firewire a (400), USB 2, USB 1.1 drive cage to maximum portability/compatability.

      My NEC drive isn't the best 8x on the market, but I'm _amazed_ at how quiet it is. It also doesn't heat up the discs at all, unlike most every other burner I've ever used. It'd be great for a HTPC project. I think the price has dipped even lower than the $110 I paid for it (from newegg.com).

    10. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by agslashdot · · Score: 4, Informative
      At those prices, we'll probably see a large number of early adopters

      I'm one of those early adopters ( bought the 6x DVD-R Pioneer drives right after it debuted ). IMO, it is unwise to splurge on this. The early versions produce few good DVDs & a large proportion of coasters. It took 2-3 months for Pioneer to resolve all the errors & issue a firmware patch, & in a few more months, the 8X drive was out, cheaper than 6x, but with problems of its own :) Best to wait.

    11. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by damiangerous · · Score: 1

      Maybe if you shop a retail B&M, but if you're regularly paying more than $1 per disc for up to 4x blank DVD media you're paying too much. Even Riteks can be had for right around $1 in bulk. Heck if you don't mind lesser known (or slower) brands you can get it under 50 cents. Keep an eye on places like Anandtech.

    12. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by michael+path · · Score: 1

      I just burned my first DVDs using USB2 in a long time, and I was finding that yes, they were indeed faster with Firewire.

      I may even switch back to Firewire burning tonight, as I need to finish archiving MST3K episodes.

      -m.

    13. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Lord+of+Ironhand · · Score: 1
      If you think finding 8x media is hard (and lemme tell ya, no-name brand 4x media often only works at 2.4x!),

      I use Verbatim media for my long-term backups, and while their 4x media are not the cheapest, my burner (Plextor PX-708A) actually decides to burn them at 8x most of the time.

      In case you're wondering, I do regular integrity checks of my backups and haven't had a single read error yet.

    14. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by timeOday · · Score: 2, Insightful

      $6 isn't terrible. Then again, a store-bought DVD prerecorded with a $100M movie on it costs only about twice as much -- making it a dubious proposition for pirates.

    15. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      Yeh, I haven't been interested in DVD burners because the discs don't hold enough to store most movies. If these drives will work with Linux I'll be buying at least one as soon as they are available.

      I own hundreds of DVDs (legal copies) and would appreciate being able to make backups that I could actually play in my DVD player. Up to now I've been ripping them to a PC which is plugged into my tv. That works well but isn't very portable if I want to take a copy to a friends house. It really sucks if you take an original $50 DVD to a friends and it gets lost or damaged. Shouldn't happen but it seems to do so anyway. The dangers of moving anything out of the house.. a much bigger area to look for it when it's lost.

      Now if they just made these drives do that cool picture etching in the disc surface this would be the coolest thing out. I loved that cd burner. It'd be cool to be able to etch the top of the disc that way.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    16. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

      From the admittedly small amount of research I've done, it seems with DVD discs, Verbatim is among the best thought-of brands. Certainly a far cry from their CD-R efforts. I've not had much luck _finding_ Verbatims, yet, though, locally. I thought for sure they'd be easy to get at CompUSA or Office Depot, and suchlike, but so far, no go. :(

      The "4x" generic house brand at Fry's is not so great - it only registers as 2.4x in my burner. *sigh*

    17. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by redJag · · Score: 1

      It was a joke, probably referencing consumer printers' cheap cost and their respective ink cartridges.

    18. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by NanoGator · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Where did you get your $75 price from?"

      He read it in this other article.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    19. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by gilesjuk · · Score: 1

      Some with be keen to backup their DVD collection, I just hope this will be possible.

    20. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by rjelks · · Score: 1

      Not really. With xvid, divx, mp4 compression you could fit about 12.5 movies on a single disk. I've been waiting to buy a DVD burner for when the media gets cheaper, but this sounds pretty cool. You could easily use one DVD to ghost the important parts of your hd. Hard drive storage seems to be going for about $.80 - $1.00 per gig, so these DVD's are a little better (minus the drive.) Pretty cool.

      -

    21. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by brain159 · · Score: 1

      You'd have to bite the bullet and dualboot into Windows, but consider DVD Shrink. It does very effective MPEG2 transcoding to make your input disc fit on dvdr media. Also does not take ANYWHERE near as long to mpeg2-transcode a whole dvd (optinally retains special features, subtitles, multi audio tracks) as it would to divx/xvid the main feature.

      I am unaware of any Linux-based (or fully OSS) similar packages, but that's because I don't use Linux on my desktop PC.

    22. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by jridley · · Score: 1

      I think you better start shopping around better for your blanks. I've been buying Memorex 4x at big box stores; just wait for the sales, you shouldn't be paying more than $1 a disc. You can get Ritek's every day for $1.50 through the web. Ritek makes discs for most major labels.

    23. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by MoonBuggy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It is a good price, but I think it's because it's not really new tech. DVDs compared to CDs are new technology, and DVD burners were very expensive at first. Dual layer DVDs compared to single layer are updated technology and therefore do not need a high entry price.

    24. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by NecroPuppy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Where did you get your $75 price from?

      Canada. :)

      --
      I like you, Stuart. You're not like everyone else, here, at Slashdot.
    25. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by joeljkp · · Score: 1

      If I'm not mistaken, you still won't be able to make (legal) bit-for-bit backups of your movies, since the blank media has the CSS sectors pre-burned.

      Of course, you didn't say anything about legality...

      --
      WeRelate.org - wiki-based genealogy
    26. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by n0d3 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The thing is, in IT land you always have to wait for years, cos something new is just around the corner. So to just 'wait' is nonsese. The only reason i see to wait (why I am waiting actually) is for the plextor to ship a dual layer drive (gotta love plextor) especially a 'faster' dual layer one (2.4 is ok, but 4 would be nicer) that does +-R/RW and not only + or -. The 'errors' are very unlikely as they are the same drives with a dual layer firmware, or better yet, they might use just a bit newer drives with better firmwares. The chance of lots of coasters and lots of errors, rather slim.

    27. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Ryosen · · Score: 1

      Or, more likely, the MPAA/RIAA tax.

      --

      Ryosen
      One man's "Troll, +1" is another man's "Insightful, +1".
    28. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Phybersyk0 · · Score: 1
      If these drives will work with Linux I'll be buying at least one as soon as they are available.

      Uh, You must have meant " when Linux works with these drives ".

      Another reason why open source is all-powerful.

    29. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      its around $92 now adays, I considered buying one a couple months ago(would be my first DVD burner) but I decided to wait until the dual layer stuff comes out

    30. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by grondu · · Score: 2, Informative

      Check here for info on how to run DVDShrink using Wine.

      --

      I'm the urban spaceman babe, but here comes the twist... I don't exist

    31. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by arnex · · Score: 1

      Now let me get this straight... you diss somebody for choosing USB2 over Firewire, then tell us your 8x Firewire drive will only burn 4x media at 2.4x....?

    32. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      I'm picky. I really don't like transcoding very much. It's okay for copies I pass out for friends but for myself I want the full DVD quality and features. If anything I want higher quality video and sound, not less.

      For copies to let your kids use though that'd be a good solution.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    33. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      No. I don't really care about legal. I own the discs so if they want to take me to court then let them. They'll be making public asses of themselves to be attacking a consumer that buys many thousands of dollars of products from them and does nothing more evil than making backups and changing the media the movies are on. Even if I lost it'd be a great example for those trying to battle the DMCA and similar laws to use as proof of those laws being misused.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    34. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by ncc74656 · · Score: 1
      I just burned my first DVDs using USB2 in a long time, and I was finding that yes, they were indeed faster with Firewire.

      FireWire 0wnz j00. I have a Pioneer DVR-105 in a FireWire case, and it burns full DVDs in about 15 minutes. You can also do other stuff on the computer while it's burning, which I suspect you wouldn't be able to do with a USB burner.

      --
      20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
    35. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by zeno_2 · · Score: 1

      Although it wasn't that expensive, when DVD-R's first came out, the media was pretty high priced. That and a bit of sarcasm = $75

    36. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by cbreaker · · Score: 1

      FireWire is sort of a "Serial SCSI" much like how Serial ATA is a serial version of ATA.

      FireWire/IEEE1394/iLink is a very fast interface with low latency in a peer setup. Devices do not need a host to process the communication, they can talk to each other directly. Example: DV Camcorder to a DV VTR deck.

      USB is a lot different in the way it works. USB2.0 is technically faster then FireWire 1 (80Mbit faster) however for streaming data FireWire is generally more efficient.

      That being said, both are plenty fast for any DVD recorder, so the interface isn't going to make any difference for speed, the recorder itself will.

      --
      - It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
    37. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

      In a straight burn situation, true, they'll be pretty much identical (theoretically), but that's not the only situation - in reading files from a disc, you'll start to notice differences. And you'll probably notice differences if you're using packet writing, too.

    38. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by yomegaman · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nah, if you make the blanks too expensive people will just start downloading them off the Internet too. Goddam brats are just too smart!

      --
      ...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
    39. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by XJoshX · · Score: 1

      My NEC drive isn't the best 8x on the market, but I'm _amazed_ at how quiet it is.

      You take that back! Your 2500A (as well as the one that's currently silently backing up a movie in my computer) is the best one on the market at the moment, as far as I can tell. I read a ton of reviews before I bought it and it stood out as the best as well as one of the cheapest.

    40. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by S.Lemmon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's why in "IT land" the point isn't to wait for the next hot new thing, but to go out and buy whatever the previous hot new thing was.

      It doesn't matter if it's CPUs, Video Cards, or DVD recorders. Early Adopter pay a premium for often unstable products that at best give them a few months worth of bragging rights. After that, Joe next door will be paying half the cost you did for a revision of the product that actually works far better.

      Heck, with all the media incompatibility problems still hounding single layer DVDs, I wouldn't put too much faith in the first dual layer recorders. Not to mention, with DVD media now under a dollar a disc, six buck for something that only holds twice as much doesn't seem like such a great deal.

    41. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Eventually they'll work but I won't buy one until they do.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    42. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by agallagh42 · · Score: 1

      Damn, you had me all excited that this was the burner for me. It supports nearly everything I want, and it's cheap. However, it doesn't support Mt. Rainier, so it just won't cut it for me. So close, and yet... :(

      --
      Carpe Cerevisi - Seize the Beer
    43. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by klui · · Score: 2, Informative

      If you purchased a 6X DVD-R (probably DVR-106) from Pioneer, sorry, you're not an "early adopter." Early adopters bought the DVR-101. The 106 can be considered a 3rd-generation DVD writer. While it is Pioneer's first dual-format writer, but it came out quite a bit later than Sony's offerings.

    44. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by rhinoX · · Score: 1

      Packet-writing FAT32, ugh.

      --
      The copper bosses killed you, Joe. 'I never died', said he.
    45. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by tenton · · Score: 2, Informative

      That's pretty good, seeing as there is no such thing as a 6x DVD-R drive; the jump went from 4x to 8x. Plus, anything in this speed range is considered fairly new.

      BTW, the early adopter had a $3000-$5000 1x DVD-R drive (discounting the DVD-R format that went on to become the DVD-R Authoring format, because it uses a different laser wavelength and started at a 3.95 BB size).

    46. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Looks like LaCie makes the perfect case for you, except it is for a hard drive and sold as a finished product. Who else thinks the LaCie Big Disk Triple Interface is a good price at $550 (or less) for 500 GB of 7200 rpm, 8 MB cache, FireWire 800, 400, and USB 2.0 (backwards compatible with USB 1.1) external hard drive goodness?

    47. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The 2500 isn't "the best as well as one of the cheapest."

      It's "one of the best as well as the cheapest."

      There are three current drives I'd rather have, one being almost as cheap as the 2500.

    48. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by mr3038 · · Score: 1
      It took 2-3 months for Pioneer to resolve all the errors & issue a firmware patch, & in a few more months, the 8X drive was out, cheaper than 6x, but with problems of its own :)

      This all sounds way too familiar to me. I made a mistake of buying a Pioneer (read only) DVD drive in the past when even the read only drives were still expensive and I'm fighting with its firmware even today. I complained to Pioneer and they suggested that I should upgrade to their latest offering which had similar specs but better firmware. For gods sake, my drive does have flashable firmware! Why not release a firmware update instead? Yeah, sure, I'll buy another product from you instead... I made a promise to myself to never buy another Pioneer optical drive and to this day I haven't regret my decision. It sounds like Pioneer still provides really buggy firmware for its drives. (I really don't have anything positive to say about any other Pioneer product either; some have done what the manufacturer promised but none has surprised me positively.)

      I'd suggest something done by Lite-On (I've seen *many* really good products from that company in a few last years) or LG instead. Some say that Samsung should be a good optical drive manufacturer, too. And Plextor is always a safe bet but never cheap.

      --
      _________________________
      Spelling and grammar mistakes left as an exercise for the reader.
    49. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Name them please.

    50. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by BigJimSlade · · Score: 1

      I'm _amazed_ at how quiet it is... I think the price has dipped even lower than the $110 I paid for it (from newegg.com).

      You're right, on both counts. It has dipped a little. I got mine from NewEgg last week for $92 shipped. And it is damn quiet. I burned my first disc with it last night and was amazed that I couldn't hear it. A happy side effect was that it burned my generic 1x media at 2x. w00t!

    51. Re:Quite a low introductory price! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      #1: Pioneer 107. Much faster than the 2500 at everything. Burns reliably on all media and burns extremely well on good media, in high speed - KProbe scans of Pioneer burns on good media beat those of NEC and Plextor. Most hacked firmwares floating around to enable rpc and fast write strategy on slow discs (not recommended), but no bitsetting. Best current DVD-R drive. Extremely cheap.

      #2: Plextor 708. Same advantages as Pioneer, but not to the same degree. Great DVD+R write quality on good media from what I've seen, and very fast (possibly the fastest drive out there right now, but I haven't read many reviews of it).

      #3: Lite-On 811/851. Most accurate error reporting (it's better to scan your burns from other drives in a Lite-On using KProbe than with any program in the source drive, for example). Not the best burner in terms of write quality on mediocre media, but it is good on good media. Best official firmware support, best official flashing, testing, rpc, and bitsetting software support (never need to use a hacked firmware on a Lite-On drive unless you want to use a faster write strategy on slow discs, which I don't recommend for any drive anyway), best at defeating commercial copy protection for fair use backups. Best/fastest CD ripper/burner of all recordable DVD drives. Can backup write calibration data from EEPROM and test clibration data from other drives in the Lite-On family. Cheap.

      #4 is a tie between the NEC 2500 and the Sony 530. The Sony for speed and firmware support, the NEC for burn quality on good media. 2500 sits this low because it is the slowest of all 8x-capable drives, has the worst firmware support, and is not reliable for reporting errors like the Lite-Ons.

      Since I use mainly DVD+R, I list even drives that don't do 8x DVD-R burning. I have worked with all these drives except for the Lite-On 811 and the Sony 530, but the reviews for the 530 paint an understandable picture of it in terms of pperformance, and the Lite-On 811 is just an 851 with an older pick-up assembly (write strategy and error correcting are the same). Also, my time using the Plextor was limited, but KProbe scans of the three discs burned (one each of DVD+RW, DVD+R, and DVD-R) were very good.

      And btw, the reason I don't include the Lite-On 812 (which does 8x DVD-R as well) is because I have never tested it, have never read reviews of it (yet), it isn't available where I am, and also because you typically want to wait to read the first firmware revision's changelog on a Lite-On DVD+-R/RW drive before gauging performance (very true for the 401, 411, and 451, and still true with their 8x drives).

  3. Compatibility??? by parvenu74 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But will the new dual layer DVD's be compatible with set-top boxes or legacy DVD ROM drives???

    1. Re:Compatibility??? by Martin+Blank · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They're supposedly using DVD+R for the DL discs, which have, as I understand, caused some occasional problems for playback on some DVD players and drives. Personally, I don't care much, since I'm in it for the volume for backups, and an even bigger plus is that Sony's drive will be a +/-. I'd chip in a few extra bucks for that.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    2. Re:Compatibility??? by pknoll · · Score: 5, Informative
      According to the article:

      The Sony and Philips drives will use somewhat different discs. Sony calls its variant DVD-R DL. The Philips equivalent is DVD+R DL. Both disc types should be readable in standard DVD drives and players.

    3. Re:Compatibility??? by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

      DVD+ has always had a weaker compatibility with older players. Will that stand true for Dual Layer? Does anyone has any infos?

    4. Re:Compatibility??? by Troed · · Score: 1

      DVD+ has always had better compatability with older standalone players.

      *looks at Sony 715S standing in the corner*

      Oh yes.

    5. Re:Compatibility??? by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

      I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if that is supposed to be funny... Just from dvdrhelp.com (Site is down right now), DVD+ is weaker in compatibility. It has always been, AFAIK.

      Do you have any source?

    6. Re:Compatibility??? by Pieroxy · · Score: 5, Informative
    7. Re:Compatibility??? by greed · · Score: 3, Informative

      Except, according to Sony's press release, Sony is using DVD+R DL for the dual-layer, and the drive is +/- for the single-layer formats.

      To my knowledge, there is no dual-layer standard from the -R group. In fact, a lot of the claims of +R compatibility issues seem to be just FUD from the -R people, though my current drive is -R only (the +/- drives were much more expensive back then), the next will be +/- with dual-layer support.

      Just have to choose, Sony or Phillips....

    8. Re:Compatibility??? by BlueArchon · · Score: 1

      If DVD+R haves compatibility problems, they are very rare. I recently burned a homemade movie to about 30 persons, and I'd guess they have around 25 different models of DVD players. No playback problems at all.

    9. Re:Compatibility??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll take the company which comes in third and hasn't made a name for themselves by selling items for more than they're worth. :-)

    10. Re:Compatibility??? by gilrain · · Score: 1

      Ah yes. I, too, am looking forward to buying an excellent LiteOn drive for half the price. :)

    11. Re:Compatibility??? by klui · · Score: 1

      eMedia (Dec 2003, p10) notes that Pioneer has DVD-R DL in the labs.

    12. Re:Compatibility??? by tenton · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not only in the labs. They were showing it off at CES (using a stock DVR-106 drive with modified firmware, to boot). People might have missed it, though, because they were showing it in the Internation CES section.

      Allegedly, they are waiting for some sort of official standard (probably also working out the major kinks).

    13. Re:Compatibility??? by Troed · · Score: 1

      The source was my Sony 715S - in the corner .. ? :) It plays DVD+R, not DVD-R. I bought it in 1998, I guess it was availabel worldwide in 1997. That qualifies it as quite old ..

    14. Re:Compatibility??? by bjpirt · · Score: 1

      This is true (the problems with DVD+R, that is) but I have just boughta LiteON DVD burner which allows you to set the booktype to DVD-ROM, instead of DVD+R (You can only do this on DVD+R disks iirc. DVD-Rs already have the booktype set)

      This means that there are now virtually no compatability problems at all now. PS2s used to have problems with +Rs, but using this they play them fine now.

    15. Re:Compatibility??? by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

      One player. I guess we can draw some pretty obvious and broad conclusions from it then. Even statistics. Thanks.

    16. Re:Compatibility??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *homemade movie* :) Yeah, me too. No, I believe you...No really.....

  4. Finally by Gr33nNight · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now I can finally back up my porno collection to 10 easy-to-find dvds...*phew*

    1. Re:Finally by Alan · · Score: 0, Funny

      10 DVDs? 850G? Lightweight!

    2. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "10 DVDs? 850G? Lightweight!"

      I agree, just my collection of lesbian vietnamese nipple closeups is 10 DVDs.

    3. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but when you put them away you'll have to be careful not to touch EITHER side of them.

    4. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
      10 DVDs? 850G? Lightweight!

      You mean "lightweight" in the math department, right?

    5. Re:Finally by bobej1977 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bah, I print mine out to hard copy and put them in my Porno Bin to swim around in. If only it weren't for those damn Beagle boys...and the paper cuts.

      --
      The meek shall inherit the earth, in 3 by 6 plots. - Lazerus Long
    6. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Where I come from, 10 * 8.5G = 85G

    7. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slacker.

    8. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha ha.

      -Nelson

    9. Re:Finally by Newtonian_p · · Score: 1

      It's dual layered not double sided.

      --

      There are 2 kinds of people in this world: Those who write in decimal and those who don't

    10. Re:Finally by alexo · · Score: 5, Funny

      > Where I come from, 10 * 8.5G = 85G

      It is a sad day for ./ when grade one arithmetic is modded +3 Informative.

    11. Re:Finally by UserGoogol · · Score: 1

      My school didn't get around to multiplication until Grade Three. But yes, that's ridiculously easy math.

      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor
    12. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't get too excited. The drive manufacturers use base 10 to calculate the space on the drive. So 8.5GB DVD-R is roughly 7.9GB in terms of actual data space available to burn. Multiply that by 10 and you have 790GB instead of 850GB.

      So what is that? about 40 porn movies? :)

    13. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      mod parent (Score:-1, Does not get joke)

      ha ha

      - Nelson

    14. Re:Finally by EventHorizon · · Score: 4, Funny

      It is an even sadder day for /. when a post calling it ./ is modded +4.

      Anywhere else, and I could believe your wit is actually that subtle.
      Here on dotslash, it was probably just lack of proofreadi

    15. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Was that the Wisconsin special elementary school for retards mentally disabled?

  5. We know what this means... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    2x so much pr0n, yay!

  6. What about... by EpsCylonB · · Score: 2, Interesting

    double sided dual layed dvd's... possible ?

    1. Re:What about... by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

      Well, certainly movie DVDs are that way - I'd imagine they'll get around to the double-sided burnable variety soon enough, but having to turn over a disc to use the other side went out of favour back in the old days of 5.25" floppies. I don't think anyone would want to pay the extra money needed to get a drive that'll burn/read both sides without flipping a disc.

      Better than that would be a multilayer drive using a blue laser - that'll get you north of 20Gig, and plans are afoot for such drives. Yay.

    2. Re:What about... by Zocalo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I don't see any technical reason why not provided that the two inner layers are far enough apart to avoid interference while burning. Of course the same applies to the current 4.7GB disks and I can't recall seeing any dual sided versions of those anywhere. In short; don't hold your breath if you were thinking of putting the entire LoTR trilogy on a three disk "portable edition".

      --
      UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
    3. Re:What about... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just stick another laser in the drive above the DVD. For hack value, take two DVD players and do it yourself!

    4. Re:What about... by loyalsonofrutgers · · Score: 2, Funny

      Just glue two of the suckers back to back

    5. Re:What about... by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nah, just cut a notch on the other side from the first one.

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    6. Re:What about... by Doctor7 · · Score: 1

      Of course the same applies to the current 4.7GB disks and I can't recall seeing any dual sided versions of those anywhere. They are available. I won't post a link to a commercial site here, mostly because it's a small UK mail-order business and probably wouldn't appreciate a slashdotting, but the disks are made by Ul-Tran and use a dark purple dye (not sure if it's a Ritek dye, but I'm using the single-sided Ul-Tran at the moment with no problems).

    7. Re:What about... by greed · · Score: 1

      There are dual-sided DVD-Rs out there; they're 4x the price of the equivelent single-sided discs from the same manufacturer. I've been thinking of getting them for backing up two-disc or flipper movies for carrying around with the laptop.

      I've only seen them at real computer stores, not the big box retailers.

    8. Re:What about... by Doctor7 · · Score: 1
      The ones I've seen are less than 3x the price -

      Ul-Tran silver top single sided, 0.59
      Ul-Tran double sided, 1.59

      Those are the single disk prices, bulk prices keep about the same ratio.
    9. Re:What about... by DrewCapu · · Score: 1

      If the technology is out there to create multi-layered dvd's for the consumer, why not just do a 4 layer (or however many layers) that can write to each layer without turning the media upside-down?

      I don't want to wear out my eject button if I don't have to :)

    10. Re:What about... by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      Just found this
      Specifically this(from the page):DVD-18 (DS/DL): 15.90 gig (17G), over 8 hours of video

      --
      What?
    11. Re:What about... by Vaevictis666 · · Score: 1
      In short; don't hold your breath if you were thinking of putting the entire LoTR trilogy on a three disk "portable edition".

      Well hold on now - the three extended edition films should run about 4 hours each tops. Cut out the credits (including the 10-minute listings of official LOTR fan club members) so you can do an all-in-one, that gives us an upper bound of maybe 11 hours.

      11 hours into 8.5 gigs gives us ~770 MB per hour, which is more than enough for a really nice quality Xvid encoding. Sure, it's not as convenient as being able to stick it in a real dvd player and let it go at it, but as far as it goes it's definitely portable enough :P

    12. Re:What about... by kdekorte · · Score: 1

      If you don't get this, then you are too young...

    13. Re:What about... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't work, the hole punch just cracked the DVD..

      Any other ideas?

    14. Re:What about... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      apparently of the two disc sizes there are both 1.2cm thick which would make then about as thick as a lego brick.
      you never get one of those suckers in to the slot on your powerbook

      oh wait maybe they mean 1.2millimetres

    15. Re:What about... by tombeard · · Score: 1

      You, me, and what, about 3 other people remember that?

      --
      The reason we subjugate ourselves to law is to better procure justice. If law does not accomplish this purpose then it m
    16. Re:What about... by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

      Yep, you, me, kdekort, and whoever modded me funny ;)

      that leaves one other person who got that...

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    17. Re:What about... by klui · · Score: 1

      There aren't too many DVD-18 titles. A handful or two titles exist. Stephen King's The Stand mini-series is distributed in DVD-18 format.

    18. Re:What about... by tenton · · Score: 1

      Because dual-layer is officially part of the DVD standard and more than that isn't?

      Wait for the next standard (post-DVD).

  7. Re:cool by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

    When will dual layer media be available?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  8. Media Reliability? by Cyclopedian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's cool that dual-layer DVD burners are coming out, but I have concerns about the reliability of dual-layered dvd(+|-)r media.

    Would adding an extra data layer be much more complex than just having a single layer? I haven't been happy with some of the reliability of some of the single layer DVD-R media I've bought.

    -Cyc

    1. Re:Media Reliability? by Rallion · · Score: 1

      I haven't been happy with some of the reliability of some of the single layer DVD-R media I've bought.

      In my own personal experience, that tends to be a result of low-quality discs, not complex technology. Luckily for myself, I recieved a huge number of TDK blanks over the holidays, and I haven't had a single issue since with over 40 discs burned.

    2. Re:Media Reliability? by DrewCapu · · Score: 1

      This is a case where buying the higher priced brand can often be better. There is software out there that can check who the manufacturer is of your media.

      So if you have CD-R's that are Riteks instead of Taiyo Yudens, you're probably asking for trouble.

      I'm sure the same can probably be said of DVD media. But since I haven't been burning to DVD-whatevers I have yet to do much looking-around.

      When I first saw that website, I was disappointed that I'd already bought a Fujifilm 100 CD-R spindle for really cheap.

      Time will probably show that you get what you pay for :)

      These days, I'm looking to get an external FW HD's to keep a recent rolling backup of my essentials.

    3. Re:Media Reliability? by Pieroxy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You'll tell me that in 10 years when 50% of your disks will be as good as dead.

      Seriously, the quality-longevity of the media is a great concern for some people that wants to use it as back-ups. Any numbers over there anyone?

    4. Re:Media Reliability? by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      I've never considered CD's/DVD's as archival quality. Very few things are. Every year or two I make a copy of the CD's I have/need just to keep it "fresh". It also lets me get rid of old stuff that I don't need any more.

    5. Re:Media Reliability? by gbjbaanb · · Score: 2

      good idea.. take a look at this old /. article from august 2003 where a dutch magazine tested old CDRs for their data retention.

    6. Re:Media Reliability? by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 2, Informative

      I haven't seen any reliability studies of DVD media that include good numbers as to what to expect. However Kodak did publish some accelerated aging studies of CD-Rs where they showed gold stabilized phenothiazine dye (licensed by them from Mitsui) could be expected to last 200 years or so. Of course the stuff you get from CompuUSA for $2 per 100 isn't that dye system at all, it's whatever is cheapest that week.

      Unfortunately Kodak isn't in the CD-R business any more (pushed out of the market by the cheap stuff) so if you want the Mitsui gold dye system you have to get Mitsui media.

      If I had really critical data I would still burn it multiple times - CDs can are subject to problems in other ways than dye layer degradation, but I would do the burning onto Mitsui gold media.

      DVD recordables? Not for critical data storage until I see some data on longevity.

    7. Re:Media Reliability? by Dumbush · · Score: 1

      I don't trust my crappy hp dvd. It had gave me a few "almost working" disks. Every once awhile after a burn the verification process will report failure, but I can still flawlessly copy the file over to hardisk(one time it's a movie file, I watched it and there isn't a thing wrong with it.

      still 4G of data is a lot and I don't like hanging them with a thin rope. So after awhile I par all the files to create a 10%~20% backup. Backup the backup. I am curious if anyone else does this.

    8. Re:Media Reliability? by WuphonsReach · · Score: 2, Interesting

      still 4G of data is a lot and I don't like hanging them with a thin rope. So after awhile I par all the files to create a 10%~20% backup. Backup the backup. I am curious if anyone else does this.

      Not so much backup the backup, but instead I create PAR2 files and put them in the VIDEO_TS folder (in the case of video DVDs), or put everything in ZIP files in the root folder and then create a PAR2 set (using QuickPar) for them.

      For data, I usually shoot for 10-15% recovery data on the disk (maybe more).

      For video, 1-3% is plenty. So far I've not had any problems leaving the PAR2 files in the VIDEO_TS folder. When the disc starts to show errors, I have the option of using ISO Buster and the PAR2 recovery data to restore the corrupted data prior to burning it to new media.

      Still not as secure as a second physical copy, but beats finding out a disc is going bad and not being able to do anything about it.

      --
      Wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?
  9. Wonderful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yet another standards war in the brewing.

  10. 'dd' illegal? by IO+ERROR · · Score: 4, Funny
    (The software used to copy encrypted movie DVDs is illegal in the United States, according to recent court rulings.)

    So the 'dd' command is illegal now?

    --
    How am I supposed to fit a pithy, relevant quote into 120 characters?
    1. Re:'dd' illegal? by ejdmoo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I was wondering the same thing. It's not against the DMCA, at least, to copy something that's encrypted, right? It may be against copyright law, but in no way if you copy a DVD bit for bit then play the copy back are you circumventing any copy protection.

    2. Re:'dd' illegal? by sabat · · Score: 1

      It's not against the DMCA, at least, to copy something that's encrypted, right?

      Wrong. Dead wrong. That's exactly what the law says: if you circumvent copy protection, it's a felony. If you find a way to make a copy, here come the cops.

      --
      I, for one, welcome our new Antichrist overlord.
    3. Re:'dd' illegal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you are wrong, the encryption does not prevent copying.

    4. Re:'dd' illegal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, come on...

      The copy protection isn't intended to, nor does it prevent you in any way, from making a bytewise copy. Therefore, you aren't bypassing ANYTHING by using dd, cp, &c. Therefore, the DMCA does not apply.

      Caching is a more philosophical question.

      But anyway, not even the RIAA could successfully argue such a bitwise copying case, using solely the DMCA. (Of course it is still piracy if not for your own personal use.)

    5. Re:'dd' illegal? by Vancorps · · Score: 1
      DD doesn't circumvent copy protection. All those mechanisms will still be in place on the copy so the next person that wants to try to use Nero Disc Copy will still fail.

      I don't think the law is as black and white as you put it.

    6. Re:'dd' illegal? by wfberg · · Score: 4, Informative

      Encrypted DVDs store the encryption key in a special area on the disc that is not writeable on DVD-R/+R discs. So you can't make a bitwise copy that works. You have to use DeCSS to decrypt it first, thereby circumventing the copy protection scheme.

      --
      SCO employee? Check out the bounty
    7. Re:'dd' illegal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a joke, dumbass...

    8. Re:'dd' illegal? by Beatbyte · · Score: 1

      thats not what he's talking about. copying something thats still encrypted (2 protected dvds, not 1 protected, 1 unprotected) isn't circumventing protection.

    9. Re:'dd' illegal? by ejdmoo · · Score: 1

      Ah...I stand better informed. :)

    10. Re:'dd' illegal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, SCO Owns it

    11. Re:'dd' illegal? by sabat · · Score: 1

      copying something thats still encrypted (2 protected dvds, not 1 protected, 1 unprotected) isn't circumventing protection.

      Circumventing copy protection by finding a way to copy something: that's illegal under the DMCA, even if it's easy.

      --
      I, for one, welcome our new Antichrist overlord.
    12. Re:'dd' illegal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      not its not, dumbass.

    13. Re:'dd' illegal? by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2

      You won't be able to just "dd" the content and have it play in just any DVD player, unless you decrypt it, and the decrypting is against the DMCA law.

      The CCS key is in a protected part of a DVD, and the place to put the key on DVD blank media is pre-burned to all zeros, which is effectively a "no key"

    14. Re:'dd' illegal? by jtev · · Score: 1

      But it's not circimvimventing the copy protections scheme, the disk is still copy protected. it's simple fair use. The courts would very hard pressed to state that this truly is illegal. Especialy since the program existed long before the law it suposedly breaks.

      --
      That which is done from love exists beyond good and evil
    15. Re:'dd' illegal? by theTerribleRobbo · · Score: 1


      What about `mount -o loop`-ing it? If it can _read_ it off the disc, then it should be fine, shouldn't it?

    16. Re:'dd' illegal? by sabat · · Score: 1

      I totally agree that it's fair use, even if you DO circumvent copy protection through a complex scheme. The law is trying to say otherwise -- that there essentially is no fair use -- through the DMCA, but the Constitution says otherwise.

      You would not be circumventing the copy-protection scheme they'd expect you to, no. That'd be decrypt-copy. Instead, you're just doing a copy. But the DMCA doesn't make a distinction; if the way you copy wasn't specifically protected against, you're still guilty and a felon. And there's no grandfather clause for old programs.

      This law is unconstitutional and immoral. Software is not property, and should not be treated as such.

      --
      I, for one, welcome our new Antichrist overlord.
    17. Re:'dd' illegal? by jtev · · Score: 1

      Exactly, the law is unconstitutional, therefor the law is illegal, therefore if you stick by your guns and apeal the damned decision, you get off. well, assuming you have a halfway competent lawyer.

      --
      That which is done from love exists beyond good and evil
    18. Re:'dd' illegal? by sabat · · Score: 1

      Heh, also assuming that the Supreme Court can't be bought and will not behave like a bunch of ideologues.

      Past behavior leads me to be cynical about the possibilities.

      --
      I, for one, welcome our new Antichrist overlord.
    19. Re:'dd' illegal? by jtev · · Score: 1

      OF course they act as a bunch of ideogogs, they are appointed because they meet a certain ideology, however the current court is strict constructionist, and so are most appelate courts. Conservitives feel more comfortable with strict constructionists in the court, even if the court overturns their laws, because it ensures that generaly more conservitive pricipiles holds sway. The US supreme court has historicaly been hard to buy, and generaly DOES go with a strict construction point of view. Remeber that the supreme court is apponted for life, and are the 9 most powerful people in the country. Generaly the court is more interesting in power than in money, After all, as Adolphus Bush said "No matter how rich you are you can only drink about 40 glasses of beer a day" meaning that past a certain point, money is just a way to keep score. Smart presidents don't apoint bribable justices.

      --
      That which is done from love exists beyond good and evil
  11. blue lasers, really by nil5 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Blue lasers are really what's letting this technology take off! Here is some backgroudn info from this snippet off USA Today:

    Most lasers use red or infrared. Blue lasers exploit the benefits of blue light, which has a smaller wavelength. Consequently, blue lasers can get into much tighter spaces than other lasers, and do jobs others can't, or at least do them a lot better and faster.

    Blue lasers are only now starting to fledge from some of the world's leading commercial R&D labs, with several major American and Japanese electronics companies reporting plans to use them in the next year or so in some of their consumer products and specialized professional devices.
    Blue lasers are able to do this because of their wavelength - the distance between the peaks of two successive waves - which is one of the most important qualities in defining a laser.

    1. Re:blue lasers, really by Incoherent07 · · Score: 1

      And this is why I'm not buying a DVD burner in the near future... not only do I not need that kind of storage (my CD burner does fine for my purposes), but blue laser DVD burners aren't that far away. Oh yeah, and the drop in prices if you wait.

      --
      This is my sig. There are many others like it, but this one is mine.
    2. Re:blue lasers, really by haystor · · Score: 2, Funny

      My only backup concern is my .emacs file, and at 420M a cd burnder does just fine.

      --
      t
    3. Re:blue lasers, really by hyc · · Score: 1

      Wasn't Sony showing off some BlueRay discs at the last CES?

      Looking at my 120GB and 160GB firewire drives, there's no way I'm going to sit around waiting to back them up to 5 or 9GB DVDs. Maybe it's time to write a data-to-DV converter and backup to my MiniDV camcorder...

      --
      -- *My* journal is more interesting than *yours*...
    4. Re:blue lasers, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A CD burner handles over 420M...

      Oh.

      I hope you don't mean that your .emacs is actually >=420M...

    5. Re:blue lasers, really by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      I want to see gamma lasers. Wavelength so small you can put a whole dvd in one pit of today's CD's:-)

      --
      What?
    6. Re:blue lasers, really by Thing+1 · · Score: 1

      What if you combine the red and blue lasers? Then you have a Superman laser!

      --
      I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
    7. Re:blue lasers, really by Aceticon · · Score: 1

      Blue lasers are lame.

      Real hardcore early adopters uses X-Ray lasers!

      Sure, the micro nuclear explosions inside your DXVD-R writer can get a bit loud at times, but the 10000 Libraries Of Congress worth of storage power per disk easely outweight the hassle.

  12. Re:Yawn! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's just you. My advice is to stay away from open sores. The really cool stuff is on Windows.

  13. 45 minutes by jeffasselin · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Isn't that slow? The Pioneer DVR-106 I'm currently using does a full 4.5GB in less than 20min at 4x, and the 107 at 8x does it in about 10min. 45min is almost 5 times longer for only double the capacity. That's somewhat disappointing.

    OTOH I suspect it could burn regular single-layers DVDs at a better speed. Might be worth it for those who need a lot of them or can wait, but it won't be for me at first. Unless there's an error in that number...

    --
    If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
    1. Re:45 minutes by Magus311X · · Score: 1

      I second that. I have a Plextor PX-708A and I've managed to rip off a full 4.5 disk in a hair over 8 minutes.

      This Sony takes about 2 1/2 times longer to burn? Something doesn't seem quite right. The only possibility I'd hazard is that the dual-layer media is being burned at 2.4X, which I have a gut feeling is the case.

      -----

    2. Re:45 minutes by InvaderSkooge · · Score: 1
      The number is right, if you RTFA:
      The dual-layer discs will be slower to burn than single-layer discs -- the drives will be rated as burning at 2.4 times faster than playback speed, versus eight times for single-layer discs.

      Though doing the math, then 45 minutes is a bit fast, if you double the amount of time it will take to burn a disc.

      --
      Erik
      YOU ARE SAYING IMPUDENCE TO ME! THAT IS IMPUDENCE!
    3. Re:45 minutes by silverfuck · · Score: 1

      I know this is slashdot, but RTFA: (emphasis mine)

      "The dual-layer discs will be slower to burn than single-layer discs -- the drives will be rated as burning at 2.4 times faster than playback speed, versus eight times for single-layer discs.

      A full 8.5 gigabytes will take about 45 minutes to burn."

      --
      You know you've been IMing too long when you almost say 'lol' out loud to a non-geeky friend...
    4. Re:45 minutes by Paladine97 · · Score: 1

      If you RTFA, you'd see that they are burnt at 2.4X

    5. Re:45 minutes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In reading other articles, it has been said on more technically-oriented websites than CNN that the first layer will be burnt at 8x, while the second layer will be burnt at 2.4x. Doing the math on current burn-times, 8 minutes for the first layer and ~30 for the second adds up to 38 minutes total.

    6. Re:45 minutes by Lehk228 · · Score: 1

      "have been waiting to buy a burner until such time as i could make a single disc backup of a full length dvd.

      The time is now, apparently.
      "
      XviD?

      --
      Snowden and Manning are heroes.
    7. Re:45 minutes by _pi-away · · Score: 1

      Let me rephrase, a full quality single disc backup.

      Xvid is great and all, but it is noticably different than the regular DVD quality.

      I didn't pay for a kickass TV to watch mediocre quality copies.

      --

      "The crows seemed to be calling his name, thought Caw."
    8. Re:45 minutes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      These so-called dual layer DVD's are too small to copy the prevalent commercial DVD-9 discs most good movies are relased as. This tech is DOA as far as real backup heros are concerned.

  14. Slow? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That seems quite slow, I'm currently creating DVD-R's at 15min a disc for ~4.5GB. and that's at 4x speed, there's already a lot of 8x burner at the market that do it in about 10 minutes.

  15. Ok... by ackthpt · · Score: 2, Funny

    But where's Blue Light?

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Ok... by DR+SoB · · Score: 5, Funny

      Blue light is available from Labatt's:

      http://www.labattblue.ca/lb_beer/lb_beer_index.h tm

      --
      Mod +5 Drunk
    2. Re:Ok... by Paladine97 · · Score: 1

      K-Mart

    3. Re:Ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But where's Blue Light?

      K-mart, aisle three.

  16. 45 minutes by _pi-away · · Score: 1

    Figure six-nine months till they double the speed, so roughly a 23 minute burn, and then i'll have to buy one. I, and many people i know, have been waiting to buy a burner until such time as i could make a single disc backup of a full length dvd.

    The time is now, apparently.

    --

    "The crows seemed to be calling his name, thought Caw."
  17. good for Sony... by The+Lynxpro · · Score: 0, Flamebait


    I'm glad to see that Sony's version is backing DVD-R, the most compatible with set-top DVD players. And then you have Philips backing DVD+R which has in the past few weeks been labelled as the competing *standard* that is failing in the marketplace.

    Now, the better question is, when will the Sony drives be appearing in Macs as the new "SuperDrive"? :0

    --
    "Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
    1. Re:good for Sony... by TheFlyingGoat · · Score: 0

      Since when is -R the most compatible with set top players? Last time I checked, which was about a month ago, all of the major brand DVD players handled the +R format, while some of them didn't handle the -R format. I got a multi-format burner anyway, but I think your comment is wrong.

      --
      You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. --Winston Churchill
    2. Re:good for Sony... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Now, the better question is, when will the Sony drives be appearing in Macs as the new "SuperDrive"?

      Well, the typical Mac homosexual will gladly pay 4x the normal retail price as long as it looks cool. Maybe Sony can put a transparent door on the thing or give it a cool name like iDVD, then the flamers will gobble it up.

    3. Re:good for Sony... by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

      More the point, does anyone know of an effective DVD burner that runs under Linux, so I can get my fscking .iso on there?

      --
      Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    4. Re:good for Sony... by The+Lynxpro · · Score: 1

      "Since when is -R the most compatible with set top players? Last time I checked, which was about a month ago, all of the major brand DVD players handled the +R format, while some of them didn't handle the -R format. I got a multi-format burner anyway, but I think your comment is wrong."

      +R wasn't very compatible with 3rd generation DVD players...that generation being when the players reached a certain level of maturity.

      --
      "Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
    5. Re:good for Sony... by The+Lynxpro · · Score: 1

      "Well, the typical Mac homosexual will gladly pay 4x the normal retail price as long as it looks cool. Maybe Sony can put a transparent door on the thing or give it a cool name like iDVD, then the flamers will gobble it up."

      Sorry, but I use Macs AND PCs (and mainly PCs). And I most certainly am not, as you put it, a "flamer." I would guess you have deep-seated issues with your own sexuality, to be stereotypical about it.

      --
      "Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
    6. Re:good for Sony... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The mind of a troll revealed:

      I'm a broke slob who lives in my parents basement with no life, no friends, and acne so bad, it's trying to medicate itself. I haven't seen the sun for 6 weeks, I've got so much fat no women would find me attractive even if I drugged her. On top of it all, I can't even properly commit suicide. What will i do? I know, I'll call make users gay because that's cool and sure to win me the chicks! Now, what did I do with those porn pics of Bertha?

    7. Re:good for Sony... by Sexual+Ass+Gerbil · · Score: 0

      growisofs works well for DVD+R(W). It's supposed to support -R(W)s now too, but I haven't test that yet.

    8. Re:good for Sony... by damiangerous · · Score: 1

      I have a NEC-1300A that I got from newegg for just under $100 running great under Mandrake 9.2 and k3b-dvd.

    9. Re:good for Sony... by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 2, Informative

      does anyone know of an effective DVD burner that runs under Linux

      All the burners I've tried work fine for .iso under Linux so long as you use this software.

    10. Re:good for Sony... by xybe · · Score: 2, Informative

      How about k3b?
      It burns DVDs and CD-R/RW and has evolved quite a bit since the last time I used it, no weird configurations or root privileges required
      in mandrake type as root: urpmi k3b

    11. Re:good for Sony... by whathappenedtomonday · · Score: 1

      A great device, I recommend it, too. Its successor, NEC ND-2500A is for sale at 99,- EUR in Germany right now, similar pricing throughout Euroland. Highly recommended.

      --
      I hope I didn't brain my damage.
    12. Re:good for Sony... by forevermore · · Score: 3, Interesting
      when will the Sony drives be appearing in Macs as the new "SuperDrive"?

      Why would Apple switch away from Pioneer, who has already demonstrated that their current drives can do dual-layer burning, with only an updated firmware. (translated link to actual article is here)

      --
      Do you really need reason for beer? Wingman Brewers
    13. Re:good for Sony... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      your mother has an updated firmware.

      god i hate apple apologists.

    14. Re:good for Sony... by Xyde · · Score: 1

      They already use Sony drives in the later iMacs...

  18. Well I just might hold out longer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For those cool blue laser DVD burners. But then there will be something better I will be waiting for then. Ahhh, technology.

  19. News at noon: MPAA files suit by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hopefully I'm joking, but don't be surprised if they don't file a suit to block sales of the devices in the US.

    Now that you could copy an entire 'real' DVD at once.. with no compression, they might start to panic. Since they obviously buy into the ' pirates are eating us alive syndrome'

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "Hopefully I'm joking, but don't be surprised if they don't file a suit to block sales of the devices in the US."

      Bring it on.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    2. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by iminplaya · · Score: 1

      It will hit the market with all sorts of DRM wedged in, like DAT and mini-disc.

      --
      What?
    3. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by dicepackage · · Score: 1

      The MPAA might have a much harder time with this one since now they have to go against the lawyers from Sony and Philips.

    4. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      I'm sure that there is some copy protection built in to any bundled software with the burner. With DVD X-Copy shut down for now, I don't know of any good third party alternatives at the moment.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    5. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DVDxCopy blows?

      dvddecrypter.com for ripping Free
      dvdshrink for resizing Free

      Nero or equivalent for burning

    6. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by radish · · Score: 1

      Check out DVD Shrink...

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    7. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by glitch23 · · Score: 1

      Since they obviously buy into the ' pirates are eating us alive syndrome'

      I thought those were cannibals, not pirates?

      --
      this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
    8. Re:News at noon: MPAA files suit by axis-techno-geek · · Score: 1
      Now that you could copy an entire 'real' DVD at once.. with no compression, they might start to panic. Since they obviously buy into the ' pirates are eating us alive syndrome'

      You already can, once you turf all of the "extras" (i.e. forced previews and FBI/Interpol warnings), most movies will fit on a regular old DVD-5 just fine. I can copy most within an hour, my kids no longer get to use originals, much like their computer games.

      I have no problem buying DVD's, I almost never go to movies any more (LOTR was the exception), wait for it to come out on DVD and watch it on my home theater. But I paid for it once, and that will be all, I make backups for my own personal use.

      --
      This is not the sig line you are looking for... -- Old Jedi Sig Line Trick
  20. To much time to burn... by heckpart · · Score: 1

    Just try to calculate the time you will have to wait until one DVD has been burned... if it is 4x speed, then you can got to the next computer shop and buy a news hard disc drive in the same time ;)

  21. usb by maxbang · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't have usb 2.0 or firewire. will this come with a serial adapter?

    --
    I also reply below your current threshold.
    1. Re:usb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah, but then you have to burn at 0.0001X speed... it'll only take 750 days to burn a DVD...

    2. Re:usb by mobby_6kl · · Score: 1

      You could buy a PCI USB 2.0/firewire card for about $15

    3. Re:usb by layersection · · Score: 0

      I don't have usb 2.0 or firewire. will this come with a serial adapter?
      ----------------

      He was trying to be funny. Atleast... I hope he was trying to be funny...I mean..squeezing about 8gigs of data through a serial cable is like sucking up one of the great lakes through a garden hose.

    4. Re:usb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Parallel is faster. I'd go for that instead.

    5. Re:usb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no, no dude.

      You wanna run this baby on the parallel port.

  22. Just imagine the possibilities... by Stitch_626 · · Score: 1

    This could really revolutionize the gaming industry. For example Final Fantasy XI fits on what 6 Cd's? It would all fit on just one HD DVD!!

    Also when it comes to imaging machines you could have the OS, office suite, additional software, etc. and still fit it on one disk.

    --
    Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.
    1. Re:Just imagine the possibilities... by maxbang · · Score: 2, Funny

      maybe for a day - i'm sure Final Fantasy XIV will be a volume of ten dual-layered double-sided holographic cubes. or is that longhorn/office/(insert any MS product name here)?

      --
      I also reply below your current threshold.
    2. Re:Just imagine the possibilities... by Slack3r78 · · Score: 1

      It should already fit on a single DVD. The DVD version of Unreal Tournament 2004, for example, is a single disc, while the CD version is 6 seperate CD-ROMs.

    3. Re:Just imagine the possibilities... by Rallion · · Score: 1

      This could really revolutionize the gaming industry. For example Final Fantasy XI fits on what 6 Cd's? It would all fit on just one HD DVD!!

      And that's revolutionary how? Maybe a little cheaper, but only because of the packaging.

    4. Re:Just imagine the possibilities... by Trejkaz · · Score: 1

      And better yet, the next Debian would fit on a single disk!

      --
      Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
    5. Re:Just imagine the possibilities... by drfreak · · Score: 1

      That's why the game comes with it's own hard drive.

    6. Re:Just imagine the possibilities... by spood · · Score: 1

      Won't the MS holographic copy-protection labels interfere with the holographic cube storage?

      --
      ---- Just another spud server.
  23. Finally! by ziggy_zero · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is what I've been waiting for.

    Actually, now I have to wait until all the compatibility issues are figured out, THEN I'll finally get a DVD burner.

    --
    I belong to the ______ generation.
    1. Re:Finally! by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 1

      wait until all the compatibility issues are figured out

      Don't hold your breath.

    2. Re:Finally! by ziggy_zero · · Score: 1

      Well....maybe not ALL the compatibility issues....but just as long as the dual-layer discs play on most newer set-top DVD players I'll be fine. I've seen my friends copying/backing up DVD's and they'd have to use multiple single layer discs, and that's not the way I want to go.

      --
      I belong to the ______ generation.
    3. Re:Finally! by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 1

      not ALL the compatibility issues....

      I think it's going to get worse, not better. There are two big shoes out there - HD and BluRay or whatever that will be called, (plus variations) that have to be dropped yet. These are sure to trigger more compatability issues.

      While I'm not going to stop buying (because the technology is so useful), I'm not making any >$100 purchases either.

    4. Re:Finally! by Lehk228 · · Score: 1

      Actually, now I have to wait until all the compatibility issues are figured out, THEN I'll finally get a DVD burner.
      What have the DVD(-|+)R(W) manufacturers done to deserve a boycott?

      --
      Snowden and Manning are heroes.
    5. Re:Finally! by ziggy_zero · · Score: 1

      Just the fact that I can't fit one normal DVD on a single-layer disc. I really can't stand copying/backing up movies to multiple discs, which is what you used to have to do.

      --
      I belong to the ______ generation.
    6. Re:Finally! by Kris_J · · Score: 1
      As long as the drives are compatible with themselves (ie; as long as a disc can be read reliably in the drive that created it) I'm happy to get one. If it so happens that the discs can be read in a variety of existing drives, then bonus! -- I only have to worry about the lifespan of the media not the "standard". Either way, I'd love to be able to dump my archive onto a dozen of these discs and pack away all my CDr discs.

      Since they hold between 9 and 12 CDr discs (the low number is due to my Plexwriter Pro that can put almost a Gig on a normal CDr), they can convert a box of 80 CDs into 7 or 8 DVDs. I can see me helping out a friend in this way. (Anyone know an Australian source of DVD-style cases that can hold 3 discs?)

    7. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Plexwriter Pro?" Take a look at the front of your drive again, please.

  24. Pictures! Pictures! by prostoalex · · Score: 5, Informative
  25. Re:cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You sir have just described the /. experience.

  26. Just my luck... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...not 3 days ago did I finally decide to go out and by myself a DVD burner. Then again, I doubt my old Toshiba standalone player would play any discs burned with these fancy new dual layer writers. I guess with the price of the dual layer writers being so low, maybe they'll get all popular like and they'll have to hack the price of DVD-R media in half! Hurray!

  27. Hardware legal, software banned ?! by agslashdot · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Robert Moore, Founder and President of 321 Studios. "There is no difference between making a copy of a music CD for personal use and making a backup of a DVD movie for personal use."

    DVDXCopy was presumably one of the biggest consumer application for these DVD recorders. People made backups of their existing DVD collection using that software, and why shouldn't they ?

    But 321Studios was found guilty of violating the DMCA, and today we have the hardware to make copies legally available, getting cheaper & faster, while the software remains illegal.

    1. Re:Hardware legal, software banned ?! by cheeto · · Score: 1

      What does the copy of DVDXCopy that I saw a Best Buy yesterday not do that the pre-court-ruling version did?

      The box says, Put in a DVD, put in a blank, watch movie.

      --
      - "Sweet merciful crap!" Homer J. Simpson
    2. Re:Hardware legal, software banned ?! by greed · · Score: 1

      It's the CSS decryption software in DVDXCopy that was declared illegal in the US.

      So, if you were to find a way to... you know... somehow get a CSS-free .iso from the disc... maybe mount it with Daemon Tools... DVDXCopy would be happy to transcode it or trim down your movie for you.

      Of course, with dual-layer drives, all you'll really need is a CSS decrypter and DVD-format burner. No need to do any of the tricks DVDXCopy uses to reduce the disc size. Just like backing up a DVD5 with current hardware and software. (mkisofs -dvd-video and some sort of CSS decrypter.)

    3. Re:Hardware legal, software banned ?! by Hitmouse · · Score: 1

      Robert Moore, Founder and President of 321 Studios. "There is no difference between making a copy of a music CD for personal use and making a backup of a DVD movie for personal use."
      Has anyone noticed that if often costs more to buy the CD of a movie soundtrack than the DVD of the movie?

  28. +R is not failing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you think that +R is failing, answer these questions:

    1. +R first with x4 and x8 and x12 speeds
    2. +R first with Dual Layer Technology
    3. +R and -R media have reached parity (demand/supply issues)
    4. No more just -R writers availabe (HP still only produces +R)

    1. Re:+R is not failing by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, please re-phrase your questions in the form of questions.

      --
      Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
    2. Re:+R is not failing by djupedal · · Score: 1

      No more just -R writers availabe (HP still only produces +R) ...bit behind the news, eh?

      "Hewlett Packard (HP), in addition to its DVD+RW burner models, is poised to launch DVD Dual (compatible with +RW and -RW formats) drives as retail demand for DVD+RW models wanes, according to Taiwanese makers of DVD drives."

  29. Bootable DVD for the XBOX? by MathFox · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I guess you should be able to create bootable DVD's for the XBOX with those burners. Anybody wants to try a Linux DVD image?

    --
    extern warranty;
    main()
    {
    (void)warranty;
    }
    1. Re:Bootable DVD for the XBOX? by FuzzyMan45 · · Score: 1

      You can create a bootable dvd for xbox now with the current DVD technology. That's not the limiting factor (depending on what dvd drive you have in your box). The real factor is that you have to have a modchip to be able to boot, or softmod your box...

      Unless your comment relates to linux liveDVD sizes, which 4.7gb should be enough for most people.

    2. Re:Bootable DVD for the XBOX? by Monkey · · Score: 1

      Your XBox won't boot unsigned code regardless without a modchip or the 007 hack. I think the DVD reader in the X-Box is more or less conventional other than it has been crippled to be unable to read CD-R media. With some hardware modification, it is possible to use some types of off the shelf Samsung DVD readers as a direct replacement for the X-Box DVD drive.

    3. Re:Bootable DVD for the XBOX? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      real men would just use dvdbackup to copy the disk to their hard drive, then use DVD+rw tools to burn the disk.

  30. That's nothing... by crawdaddy · · Score: 0, Troll

    Old Slashdot editors already double articles!

  31. New tech, same problems by saintp · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This is lovely:
    They will be marketed only for Windows PCs, but the external one should work on Macintosh computers with the proper third-party software.
    I suppose Linux is right out. You gotta love desktop dominance. And, of course:
    The Sony and Philips drives will use somewhat different discs. Sony calls its variant DVD-R DL. The Philips equivalent is DVD+R DL.
    Standards!?!? We don't need no stinkin' standards! This is basically everything wrong with current peripherals, writ large. Give me a Linux-compatible DVD writer and a standard DVD format (+ or -, I don't care; leave that to the wonks), and that will be something to care about.
    1. Re:New tech, same problems by 47Ronin · · Score: 2, Informative

      They will be marketed only for Windows PCs, but the external one should work on Macintosh computers with the proper third-party software.

      Well, if history proves anything, any -R compatible drive will work internally (or externally via FireWire) in a Mac with no drivers. "SuperDrives" are basically standard Matsushita or Pioneer hardware.

      --
      Those who laugh at you for you having a Mac.. are the people who constantly call you to fix their PC.
    2. Re:New tech, same problems by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "I suppose Linux is right out."

      Aren't you guys used to that by now?

      There may be a silver lining. If these devices take off with movie/fx studios, you might find Linux support for them down the road. Linux has made impressive in-roads in that industry. My advice? Support efforts like CinePaint.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    3. Re:New tech, same problems by multimed · · Score: 1

      Unless of course you accidentally put a 4x disc in the drive--in which case it will permanently ruin the drive. Got bit by that with both our Pioneer set top recorder and one of our G4 Macs. Pioneer should burn in hell for that one--I completely understand not supporting higher speed discs than were available when the thing shipped or even when it was designed. But for a 4 speed disk to permanently ruin a 2 speed drive--well anyone involved in the drive & firmware development should be instantly fired.

      --
      Vote Quimby.
    4. Re:New tech, same problems by bonch · · Score: 1

      I suppose Linux is right out. You gotta love desktop dominance.

      Damn them for targetting the two major desktop operating systems and not also expending effort on an ever-changing niche effort that's still trying to correctly populate its devices dynamically.

    5. Re: New tech, same problems by gidds · · Score: 1
      any -R compatible drive will work internally (or externally via FireWire) in a Mac with no drivers.

      ...but not necessarily with Apple software. I recently swapped My Mac's Apple-provided internal DVD-ROM drive for a DVD (+R/-R) writer, and although Toast's perfectly happy with it, both iTunes and the Finder turn their nose up are refuse to write with it (though both condescend to read from it)...

      --

      Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.

    6. Re:New tech, same problems by frission · · Score: 1

      you can do all of the essentials with DVD Shrink (now writes to ISO files) and with DVD Decrypter (writes ISO files), for FREE!

    7. Re: New tech, same problems by 47Ronin · · Score: 1

      check xlr8yourmac.com for hacks to get your writer working. If you have a +R/-R hybrid it may be a DVR-107 and those guys figured out ways to get it running on the Mac... probably a firmware update

      --
      Those who laugh at you for you having a Mac.. are the people who constantly call you to fix their PC.
  32. Sony and not Pioneer pushing the -R format? by swb · · Score: 3, Informative

    According to the CNN article (which is the nutritional equivilent of sugary cereal), Sony's format is "DVD-R DL". Does this mean:

    A) it's the -R (as we've all come to know -R) equivilent of dual layer technology? What happened to Pioneer's -R DL effort? Does this moot it, add to it, or surpass it? Will Pioneer ALSO release a -R DL format?

    B) Or is this just a marketing name used by Sony for what is in fact the same DL technology used by the +R group, and the discs/drives will be basically interchangeable among the Sony/Philips standard?

    C) Will the -R DL discs be readable in set tops or computer drives that cannot read +R/RW media but can read existing dual-layer media?

    $5 per disc smells kind of expensive. I'm impressed enough with the job done by DVDShrink that I don't know if a direct copy of a DVD-9 means much at this point. It WOULD motivate me to replace my Panasonic E80 set-top DVD recorder if SP mode would now mean 4.16 hours of recording, or XP at 2.16 hours, or, if I'm willing to tolerate it, *16* hours at EP mode.

    1. Re:Sony and not Pioneer pushing the -R format? by demonbug · · Score: 1
      It WOULD motivate me to replace my Panasonic E80 set-top DVD recorder


      Whats this with set-top dvd recorders and players? Do people actually put their component dvd players and recorders on top of their TVs? They aren't cable boxes, you (probably) don't put it on top of your TV set, so why not call it a component player/recorder/whatever?

      Just an idle question.

    2. Re:Sony and not Pioneer pushing the -R format? by StandardCell · · Score: 1

      A) it's the -R (as we've all come to know -R) equivilent of dual layer technology? What happened to Pioneer's -R DL effort? Does this moot it, add to it, or surpass it? Will Pioneer ALSO release a -R DL format?

      Pioneer is still developing a dual layer -R format. The "dash" or "minus" format is the only one sanctioned by the DVD-Forum.

      B) Or is this just a marketing name used by Sony for what is in fact the same DL technology used by the +R group, and the discs/drives will be basically interchangeable among the Sony/Philips standard? It's not quite the same technology. In fact, IIRC, the Dual Layer moniker is apparently not allowed to be used by the DVD+R Alliance due to DVD Forum trademarks. Most modern DVD players should be able to play DVDs from both camps.

      C) Will the -R DL discs be readable in set tops or computer drives that cannot read +R/RW media but can read existing dual-layer media?

      This is the $64,000 question. They should be optically identical to the player, but whether the media itself is of good enough quality remains to be seen. Probably there should be fewer problems, but the compatibility issue is so small on modern players that it's not worth it. My main concern is long-term longevity, like layer delamination and DVD rot with any writeable dual-layer format.

    3. Re:Sony and not Pioneer pushing the -R format? by swb · · Score: 1

      I guess its to create the association that it's a TV-connected device, and not a computer device or some other kind of component.

      "Component $device" isn't as clear, IMHO, as set-top is, even if in reality the set-top $device doesn't really go on top of the set.

    4. Re:Sony and not Pioneer pushing the -R format? by pegasustonans · · Score: 1

      "SP mode would now mean 4.16 hours of recording, or XP at 2.16 hours, or, if I'm willing to tolerate it, *16* hours at EP mode."

      Or around 14.5 hours of high quality XVID ogms that you can play with XBOX Media Center. :)

      --
      And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. --Will
  33. Re:cool by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

    > When will dual layer media be available?

    About a month or so after you give up on waiting for it and get a single-layer burner drive.

    Please to note: double-layer burners will almost certainly burn to single-layer media, so it'll really just be a matter of waiting for the media to catch up to the drives, just like the current situation with 8x drives/media. It's not something you should really worry about, IMO.

  34. why do I need this? by Snafoo · · Score: 1, Funny

    If I wanted a dual layer DVD, I'd just put two of them in the drive at the same time.

    Me, I'm waiting for *triple*-layer DVDs. Now that'd be something. Yessiree. Yessiree *bob*.

    --
    - undoware.ca
    1. Re:why do I need this? by whathappenedtomonday · · Score: 1

      now, no kidding for a moment: I was doing tech support for some company, and one guy wrote, he'd accidentially (yup, you know how things go...) put two disks in his cdrom drive. ever since, the crunching sound kinda annoyed him and he bought a new drive eventually. he wrote in to ask what he could to to prevent similar damage in the future.
      I wrote back that there's not much he could do, but if he'd position his box - and on top of it a lamp to light the cd tray when open - at apropriate height and angle, the lamp would shine in his face, reflected from the cd inside the drive, whenever he opens the tray. if his face remains dark, he could safely insert a disk...

      --
      I hope I didn't brain my damage.
    2. Re:why do I need this? by corren · · Score: 1

      Me, I'm waiting for *triple*-layer DVDs. Now that'd be something. Yessiree. Yessiree *bob* I've been using triple and dual-layer read and wipe media for years... I don't know about the +/- thing, the Charmin package doesn't say which it is...

  35. Linux support? by hjarni · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know what DVD burning support is like for linux?

    1. Re:Linux support? by Prof.Phreak · · Score: 4, Informative

      Does anyone know what DVD burning support is like for linux?

      Better than Windows (well, at least in my opinion). And by that I mean you don't need to purchase any tools to make DVDs.

      You can burn DVDs, make menus, etc., all with open source tools. It may not be as `simple' as point-and-click Windows tools, but at least you know exactly what's happening at every step, and how each little bits work.

      Best of all, you can do everything via the command line (except possibly for creating menus---you can use GIMP for that).

      There are a bunch of tutorials online about how to do pretty much everything.

      --

      "If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy

    2. Re:Linux support? by Trejkaz · · Score: 1

      Pretty sweet since the 2.6 kernel. The ide-scsi driver was obliterated and tools like cdrecord and cdrdao now work directly with ATAPI. And there are frontends like K3B which feel better than Nero on Windows, and are free.

      --
      Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
    3. Re:Linux support? by jbr439 · · Score: 1

      At the risk of sounding terminally simple, does Linux support DVD-RAM?

      How about +RW and -RW?

      TIA

    4. Re:Linux support? by Ondo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Better than Windows (well, at least in my opinion). And by that I mean you don't need to purchase any tools to make DVDs.

      You can burn DVDs, make menus, etc., all with open source tools.


      That's not an advantage of Linux - you can do the same thing on Windows, with the same tools.

    5. Re:Linux support? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DVD +/- and DVD +RW/-RW work fine using the standard tools. Dunno about DVD-Ram.

    6. Re:Linux support? by e+r+i+k+0 · · Score: 1
      It may not be as `simple' as point-and-click Windows tools,

      Actually, in my opinion, generally Linux's DVD writing support is better than Windows' - and just as easy to use. K3b has a really excellent DVD writing interface. As for video, though, you are stuck with the command line AFAIK. :/

      --
      :wq
    7. Re:Linux support? by budhaboy · · Score: 1

      Consider this: http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/ To author them, consider dvdauthor.

    8. Re:Linux support? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On 2.4x it's pretty badass. One can mount a UDF DVD+RW and use it as a hard drive. The resulting disc is even compatible with Windows. But the creator of that patch didn't port it to 2.6 because Linus broke something with the ide-scsi.

    9. Re:Linux support? by cozziewozzie · · Score: 1

      You probably wouldn't if those same utilities weren't developed for Linux/BSD/GNU first. Consider it a gift from the Free Software community :)

    10. Re:Linux support? by demon · · Score: 1

      DVD-RAM is supported on Linux. I know people who've used it. However, DVD-RAM is not like a "DVD" per se - it's a cartridge-based media, based on similar technology, but you won't be burning video to them and popping them in your set-top DVD player.

      --

      Sam: "That was needlessly cryptic."
      Max: "I'd be peeing my pants if I wore any!"
    11. Re:Linux support? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DVD-RAM is not a "catridge-based system." There are multiple types of DVD-RAM, one type in a permanent caddy, another type in a removable caddy, etc.

      Do some research, man.

  36. more important ?:When will it be on laptops? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When will this be on laptops? I'm buying a laptop in august and was going to get a dvd+-r but if I can't get this then what's the point? This addresses my biggest problem with dvd-+r which is the lack of real space to hold movies and other data. Will the external drive work with linux?

  37. huh? by dmahurin · · Score: 1

    umm, 6 cd's fit on a standard DVD.

    And we are talking about DVD DL. DVD HD is something else.

  38. Re:YOU'RE NEW HERE, ARENT YOU by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    oh please. the beauty is unspoken. the passing on by seeing. to put in words is like circumcizing it.

  39. Solution: white top media by apachetoolbox · · Score: 1

    doesn't matter if you print on it or not, it lasts much longer then regular DVD media.

    1. Re:Solution: white top media by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed. Though this sounds like superstition, it's actually due to who brands the media.

      Verbatim have two suppliers of discs. One of them is Tai-Yuden (sp) Those discs tend to be higher quality (or at least, fit much better with our drives settings) than the other lot.

      And, coincidentally, a very large batch of their white printable disks are made from those disks.

      But there is no reason to expect this to continue! Test at least one disk from every batch you buy.

  40. Re:Yawn! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Open sores? You mean, like STDs? One would think Windows would have more of those.

  41. Re:Compatibility??? All the damn formats... by turnstyle · · Score: 1

    I for one can't wait for all this DVD burner stuff to settle down. I'd love to have one, but I'm not so inclined to get one as long as there's a new format coming out every few days...

    --
    Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
  42. Capacity is not problem, format is by superpulpsicle · · Score: 2, Insightful

    When I attempt to get a DVD writer it's just a mess with all the RW + - x # +_.

    The capacity upgrade is expected overtime, but the format it feels like it's pending for changes year after year. And whatever happened to SCSI devices. 95% of the drives are IDE and it eats up your processor.

    1. Re:Capacity is not problem, format is by owlstead · · Score: 1

      The capacity upgrade is expected overtime, but the format it feels like it's pending for changes year after year. And whatever happened to SCSI devices. 95% of the drives are IDE and it eats up your processor.

      I've played games while burning cd's. As long as they don't use the same hdd or ide channel you are fine. Nobody cares about that kinda processor power no more. If you put it in U-DMA mode (I've seen that W2K still does not use U-DMA automatically) the system will be available for use.

      SCSI is just too expensive. I'd rather see SATA being used for these kind of devices as well as for harddisks, if only for the smaller cable. You would not have to worry about configuring the devices either.

      But SCSI? Neh, lets keep those things for RAID configs, and let SATA do the rest.

    2. Re:Capacity is not problem, format is by Mr.+Piddle · · Score: 1


      And whatever happened to SCSI devices. 95% of the drives are IDE and it eats up your processor.

      I love my SCSI CD-RW drive. Its never let me down, works like a champ, and has a great MTBF stat. I also paid $120 for it just about a year ago via mail-order.

      For another computer I built, I got an IDE CD-RW drive. It was $20. Best Buy had a whole big pile of them at the front of the store.

      SCSI is better, but most people want cheap crap. End of story.

      --
      Vote in November. You won't regret it.
    3. Re:Capacity is not problem, format is by macgyvr64 · · Score: 1

      SCSI sucks is what happened.

      (At least, for most desktop end users who don't want to deal with termination and stuff. I still use SCSI hard drives even though they forget how to work once in a while, too.)

    4. Re:Capacity is not problem, format is by Zugok · · Score: 1

      Yeah I hear you. I have a SCSI CD-RW drive and I love it. I don't have to worry about accessing my CDROM during a burn. The SCSI doesn't eat up CPU usage. Trying to find a SCSI opticxal device these days is like pushing shit uphill, wit your nose.

      --
      "I just can't sit while people are saying nonsense in a meeting without saying it's nonsense" J Watson, Sci Am 288:(4)51
  43. Re:Dual-layer has one flaw, though... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Japanese chicks give wicked head, though.

  44. Sony = DVD+R only dual sided by apachetoolbox · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Sony is supporting both DVD+R and DVD-R with its new drive, however, the 8.5 GB will be available only in DVD+R mode
  45. I think will not be the first to say... by Dan+Farina · · Score: 0, Redundant

    schweeeeeeeet

    How much will media cost?

    1. Re:I think will not be the first to say... by Prof.Phreak · · Score: 1

      schweeeeeeeet

      How much will media cost?


      An arm and a leg.

      --

      "If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy

  46. Hot and Sexy pic of the Sony drive by JasonUCF · · Score: 1

    Mmmm

    http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/0 40 322/480/nyet25203221828
    click moi

    "This is an undated photo provided by Sony of their DRX-700UL external DVD-burning drive designed to record on two layers.(AP Photo/HO/Sony)"

    1. Re:Hot and Sexy pic of the Sony drive by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 3, Funny
      http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040 322/480/nyet25203221828

      click moi

      Hmmm. This looks like a spam can on it's side with the label painted white...
  47. I think your comment is wrong :) by djupedal · · Score: 1
    1. Re:I think your comment is wrong :) by Sexual+Ass+Gerbil · · Score: 0

      Then burn your +R's with the DVD-ROM booktype for your older equipment.

    2. Re:I think your comment is wrong :) by djupedal · · Score: 1

      I've never bothered w/DVD+R and never will I have the need, clearly.

    3. Re:I think your comment is wrong :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's great. Just do yourself a favor and never ever do any packet writing. That's where +R/RW is a Viking, and -R/RW is lacking. It's why +R is the better PC data backup format while -R has other advantages. Being more adaptable to higher speeds as they are developed is also an advantage of +R, but it's something that many -R people can live with.

      Seriously, all you format partisans are ignoring that both standards have their advantages. Ignorance of these advantages does not make your format of choice absolutely better than the other in all areas. Savvy users with more than one need from their burners have dual-format burners and readily adjust to using both formats for different purposes.

  48. What about ln? by modder · · Score: 2, Funny

    cp? What if the bits move from some medium into volatile memory? Something one might do in order to process and render them?

    I'm a criminal :( I'm nothing more than a common theif. Where do I turn myself in?

    What if I take the bits on some kind of "bus"? What if... what if... ah the hell with it. I'm going to Moe's.

  49. SWEET by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Pirated Xbox games are just around the corner!

    1. Re:SWEET by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pirated Xbox games are old news.

    2. Re:SWEET by demon · · Score: 1

      Actually, probably not... unless you can trick the drive into recording the spiral track from the outer edge in, like Xbox discs are made, I don't think that's going to happen.

      --

      Sam: "That was needlessly cryptic."
      Max: "I'd be peeing my pants if I wore any!"
  50. No, I'm New Here by New+Here · · Score: 0, Funny

    No, I'm New Here

  51. Are these the same dual layer discs used today? by Thaidog · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I say that because I had always been told that dual layer DVD's were "sandwiched" together after each layer had been burned separately. This obviously means a single disc burned all at once with dual layers. So what's the deal?

    --

    ||| I still can't believe Parkay's not butter.

    1. Re:Are these the same dual layer discs used today? by Gramie2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Presumably you are thinking about dual-layer pressed (i.e. commercial) DVDs, that aren't burned at all, but physically made from a master.

    2. Re:Are these the same dual layer discs used today? by TeknoHog · · Score: 1
      Presumably you are thinking about dual-layer pressed (i.e. commercial) DVDs, that aren't burned at all, but physically made from a master.

      I cringe at that use of 'physically'. Are you saying that burning DVDs is not a physical process? If so, is it something supernatural?

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    3. Re:Are these the same dual layer discs used today? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Jesus man, don't split so many hairs. Of course burning a dvd is a physical process, but a laser doesn't feel very physical does it?? It has no weight or density. Stamping a piece of plastic against a metal plate seems much more a "physical" process than using a weightless tool to burn out holes at a microscopic level, but it's all a a matter of perspective.

  52. 2x? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

    Last I checked 2 * 4.7 GB was 9.4 GB, not 8.5 GB.

    Are they holding back 0.9 GB to preserve a threshold against piracy?

    (Note: units for DVD capacity are metric.)

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    1. Re:2x? by DA-MAN · · Score: 3, Funny

      Last I checked 2 * 4.7 GB was 9.4 GB, not 8.5 GB.
      Are they holding back 0.9 GB to preserve a threshold against piracy?
      (Note: units for DVD capacity are metric.)


      As opposed to what? British Units?

      --
      Can I get an eye poke?
      Dog House Forum
    2. Re:2x? by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "Are they holding back 0.9 GB to preserve a threshold against piracy?"

      Maybe they had to add extra error checking bits to handle the extra layer of stuff.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    3. Re:2x? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

      As opposed to what? British Units?

      As opposed to binary units like gibibyte (GiB).

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    4. Re:2x? by duppa518 · · Score: 1

      This is true, but most dvds do not use up the full 9.4 gb. I was thinking along the same lines as you were, so I checked the file size of some disks. The Shining, Family Guy, Matrix, Meaning of Life Se, and even LOTR:EE were all less than 8.5 gb.

    5. Re:2x? by LordKazan · · Score: 1

      As opposed to using REAL computer storage measurements based upon 2^(10x) (aka 1024^x)

      --
      If you cannot keep politics out of your moderation remove yourself from the Mod Lottery.. NOW!
    6. Re:2x? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

      You're mistaking GB for GiB. 9.4 GB (metric, 10^9) is only around 8.75 GiB (binary, 2^30).

      This discrepancy between metric and binary shatters the so-called "formatted capacity" myth. If only people would do the math.

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    7. Re:2x? by kaleth · · Score: 1

      Pressed dual-layer DVDs are limited to 8.5 GB as well. It has nothing to do with copy protection. When you put two layers on one side, reading the data is harder so the pits are spread out a little more to compensate. This results in a better signal to noise ratio, but reduces the total capacity.

    8. Re:2x? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it were double sided single layer, then it would be 9.4 GB. However, in reading the second layer the laser has to focus through the first layer. Thus there is a slight loss of scanning precision leading to a lesser capacity on the layer.

    9. Re:2x? by Cowclops · · Score: 2, Informative

      No. Both pressed and recordable dual layer discs are 8.5GB. The reason being is that the track pitch had to be reduced for the inner track because the laser doesn't have as easy of a time focusing through the upper layer when it reads the bottom layer. All single layered DVDs, pressed or +-R, are actually 4.38GB, and all dual layered DVDs, pressed or +-R, are 7.9GBs.

  53. DVD-r and disk-finalizing times by goombah99 · · Score: 4, Informative
    A discussion of this on Cnet points out that the DVD-R drives from panasonic wont be out for another year. The reason being Cited is that to make these compatible with set-top DVD players there is a tricky issue related to "finalizing" the DVD. Panasonic says they want to get that right and are still puzzling it out.

    Apparently the issue is that to be read as a DVD-ROM the top abd bottom layers have to have exactly the same amount of content other wise the player will misread it. This is not a huge problem when the size of the content is known before the burn starts, but presents problems for dynamically created media like video recording from a camera or streaming source (like a TV signal).

    If the size is not known before writing then the burner must write the second layer out with dummy data before finalization, potentially doubling the burn time. In the case of a video camera it would be unacceptable to make the user wait an hour after filming before he could change or view the DVD.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:DVD-r and disk-finalizing times by AFairlyNormalPerson · · Score: 1

      I've read a similar discussion making this same point... I forget the link off hand, but suffice it to say that the problem is not JUST with DVD-R, but with DVD+R too... the DVD-R camp is trying to find a solution before putting it out on the market, but the DVD+R camp isn't.

      DVD+R might gain short-term prominence through the strategy, but the argument makes me wonder if DVD-R would gain long-term prominence by waiting to "get it right".

      Tough to tell at this stage.

      -Norm

    2. Re:DVD-r and disk-finalizing times by jackbird · · Score: 1
      In the case of a video camera it would be unacceptable to make the user wait an hour after filming before he could change or view the DVD.

      I dunno - people seemed to dig super-8 at the time. Heck, it's still fun. And you can actually edit it on cheap equipment at home - something it took home video 20 years to offer, and even then not at nearly the same price point.

  54. mod parent up - Re:blue lasers, really by whathappenedtomonday · · Score: 1
    where's those wrecked modpoints when you need'em?!

    I fully agree, there's not much of a reason to spend your bucks now, just because the industry has decided to come to market with yet another poorly conceived technology to let it ripe at consumers' homes. wait and watch the market, - until then, an extra blank dvd will do.

    --
    I hope I didn't brain my damage.
  55. platform independence by dbkluck · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They will be marketed only for Windows PCs, but the external one should work on Macintosh computers with the proper third-party software. correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't ide devices pretty platform independent? why wouldn't an ide device for win32 work in ppc? and, (what i actually care about) are they going to work in some sort of proprietary bs that will prevent me from using it in linux?

    1. Re:platform independence by m1chael · · Score: 0

      Because most Macpeople will use the one Macbundled with their OS.

      --
      I know you are psychotic, but please make an effort.
    2. Re:platform independence by user+no.+590291 · · Score: 1
      And if for some reason they do buy it, Mac software won't work with it. And if anyone does make Mac software work with it, Apple will use the DMCA against them like they did against the folks who patched iDVD so the people who bought it but didn't own an Apple branded drive could use it.

      When are these people going to learn that Apple is just a metrosexual, down-scaled version of Microsoft?

    3. Re:platform independence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When are these people going to learn that Apple is just a metrosexual, down-scaled version of Microsoft?

      Probably about the same time Steve Jobs pulls his big Jewish schlong out of the rectums of gullible consumers with tenuous grips on their sexual orientations.

    4. Re:platform independence by demon · · Score: 1

      If they're talking about "third party software" (yes, I RTFA'd), I'd bet dollars to donuts it speaks SCSI-3 MMC (or the IDE equivalent, ATAPI MMC, which is basically the same except for a few commands), which means it'll work perfectly well with Linux. Yes, IDE drives from an x86 will work fine in a PPC (or any other system that has, or can be gifted with, an ATA/IDE bus), but these companies don't care about us fringe people using our Linux/*BSD machines, just the Windows (and Mac, sorta kinda maybe) using masses...

      --

      Sam: "That was needlessly cryptic."
      Max: "I'd be peeing my pants if I wore any!"
  56. Too... many...letters.... by mblase · · Score: 4, Funny

    So now we can look forward to boxes and ad flyers with specs like "8XDVD+/-R DL 8XDVD+/-R 4XDVD+/-RW 16XDVD-ROM 48XCD+/-R 8XCD+/-RW 48XCD-ROM"?

    I mean, I know what that all means, but it still makes my eyeballs want to scurry behind my ears and hide.

    1. Re:Too... many...letters.... by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 1

      "8XDVD+/-R DL 8XDVD+/-R 4XDVD+/-RW 16XDVD-ROM 48XCD+/-R 8XCD+/-RW 48XCD-ROM"?

      I like it. Now add in Blue Light and HD to the mix to make it truely consumer baffling.

    2. Re:Too... many...letters.... by DavidBrown · · Score: 4, Funny

      8XDVD+/-R DL 8XDVD+/-R 4XDVD+/-RW 16XDVD-ROM 48XCD+/-R 8XCD+/-RW 48XCD-ROM"?

      Nah. That's all going to be done away with, with the new DVD #$%!!!GODDAMMIT!$#&*@!!!+R format, which will undoubtedly be incompatable with all existing formats, including itself.

      --
      144l. ph34r my 133t l3g4l 5k1lz!
    3. Re:Too... many...letters.... by Polo · · Score: 2, Informative

      No, not "Too... many... letters..."

      silly, no letters will be found on the specs.

      It will be like 48x8x48x16x4x8x8

    4. Re:Too... many...letters.... by Dumbush · · Score: 1

      The producer will make their products a lot more clear if they print out the formats that AREN"T supported...

      but of course they would rather have consumers staring at their product trying to decrypt its usefulness instead

    5. Re:Too... many...letters.... by NotAnotherReboot · · Score: 1

      This new format can be written using even a normal CD-R in under 5 seconds. The procedure works on pretty much any DVD #$%!!!GODDAMMIT!$#&*@!!!+R burner from any company; to record, simply:

      - Place CD-R or DVD-R/+R disc into microwave.
      - Set DVD #$%!!!GODDAMMIT!$#&*@!!!+R burn time to 5 seconds.
      - Press "Start" or "Begin" to start the burning process.

    6. Re:Too... many...letters.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Conspiracy Theory:

      That the MPAA supports the forking of DVD formats to make the DVD writer too complex for Joe Sixpack to buy.

  57. Re:Compatibility??? All the damn formats... by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

    New formats are not really an issue. Seeing how things are going, you will throw away whatever burning device you buy today in 3-4 years anyways. So why bother? Blank media will always be around in this time span. And your media burned in the meantime is compatible with 100% of the DVD players that are released since a few years now, so it will be readable.

  58. Re:Compatibility??? All the damn formats... by DA-MAN · · Score: 1

    I for one can't wait for all this DVD burner stuff to settle down. I'd love to have one, but I'm not so inclined to get one as long as there's a new format coming out every few days...

    Get a Dual Format. I have a +/- R/RW and it works with any media. I don't anticipate that there will be only one format anytime soon, but that's ok. I purchased my burner accordingly. This way only price is the determining factor as to which DVD blank I get.

    --
    Can I get an eye poke?
    Dog House Forum
  59. Wrong/off-topic, not informative by Wesley+Felter · · Score: 4, Informative

    Blue lasers have nothing to do with dual-layer DVD burning. DVDs are based on red lasers, period.

    1. Re:Wrong/off-topic, not informative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right, unless you don't care for the future of television, HD. Think dual-layer DVDs are going to be cheap soon? Think again. They'll be dirt cheap. They'll be as useful as 650MB CDs are now much sooner than you think. For uncompressed NTSC HDTV (24fps), you're looking at 350-400GB per hour of video. Suddenly that blue laser seems very relevant to this discussion.

  60. Re:blue lasers ... black light lasers by SmackCrackandPot · · Score: 1

    I guess in another 10 years, we'll have black light lasers which can write to 10 Terabyte DVD's.

  61. blue lasers, really-DV DO. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually this is one of the better ideas I've seen on "/.". Just make certain you use high-quality tapes, good error correction, and of course keep in mind it's linear reading/writing.

  62. And Just Think... by sisco · · Score: 2, Funny

    In 20 years this won't seem like enough memory. We'll hardly be able to fit a single small sized Micro$oft Super Duper Word (or whatever they'll think of to call it by then...) file on one.

    Three cheers for technology. Hip Hip Hooray!!!

    --
    DATA comments; PROC SORT DATA = comments BY score; PROC DELETE comments >> 1; RUN; DATA entertainment SET commen
  63. Meh. x2: boring; x 10: interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ignore doubling. Pay attention to order-of-magnitude improvements.

  64. 8.5GB? Pathetic! by fr0dicus · · Score: 1

    I'm waiting for SCAP. Ten times better.

  65. I knew this was coming... by Mr.+Cancelled · · Score: 1

    I came across name-brand 4x burners yesterday for $63.00. But as soon as I considered buying a 2nd burner I already have a 4x Sony), that thought was supplemented by the thought of "The next version of burners must be right around the corner". Voila! The next day, and here it is. Has anyone heard what the dual-layered media will cost (ballpark? Don't even know if it's avail. yet).

    Also, the fact that I can get another 4x burner for about the same cost as a decent CD burner has me thinking about adding a burner to my media PC. Has anyone done this w/their PVR system yet? I've seen a fair amount of CD-burner addons/features, but nothing for DVD yet...

  66. Being marketed for windows pcs by Azureflare · · Score: 1
    doesn't mean it won't work in linux. The software that comes with most burners is for windows. When was the last time a burning product was marketed towards linux anyways?

    DVD+-R/RW finally work in linux (Mandrake 10) and I like the 4.4 capacity... I don't really think it's worth it to just double that capacity. I'd feel a lot more nervous with 8.5 gigs on on disc than 4.4 gigs; if that dvd goes bad that's 8.5 gigs of data down the drain. 4.4 isn't anything to sneeze at either, but at least it's more managable.

    I think 4.4 gigs is a good size, and I'm going to be using my pioneer 4x as long as it keeps on burning.

    It'd be interesting to see if the current technology (cdrecord) would be able to work with these new dvd drives. I'm not familiar with the way it communicates with the burner, but it can't be terribly different than communicating with the single layered drives.

    1. Re:Being marketed for windows pcs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You sound like you should stick to single-sided, single-density 5.25" floppy disks. Because if you lose 140-180 KB, it's much more manageable than losing the contents of a single-layer DVDR. :)

  67. Re:blue lasers ... black light lasers by Phexro · · Score: 1

    Yeah, and we can just crack the case open while playing some Joey Beltram.

    I can see it now... The Pioneer DBL-100, with InstaRave(tm) technology.

  68. Less than a buck a platter.+ $120 Pioneer burners. by deathcow · · Score: 1


    I've ordered 50 and 100 packs of Samsung Beall DVD-R from MeritLine like 3 times now. Plus my Pioneer 106 (-R +R -RW +RW) drive was like $120 there. Good prices, and reliable ordering every time so far. I have no connections with them except I order from them.

  69. Now is the time... by Psx29 · · Score: 1

    for them to release a DVD/CD Mp3 player!

  70. Long Term Backup by PingPongBoy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Still the same old problem - not enough to back up a 400 Gb drive, and how reliable are these new DVDs for long term storage??

    Tbe new DVD may offer more capacity for redundancy though - you can write multiple copies of a large folder to the same disk with a lot of space left over so any degradation is unlikely to blow away all your data at once.

    --
    Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.
    1. Re:Long Term Backup by dargaud · · Score: 1
      not enough to back up a 400 Gb drive
      Although it was probably intended as funny, you rant has a simple answer: buy 2 HD and one USD to IDE connector/enclosure. Put one HD in your system and one external which you use only to do backup. A single rsync (linux) or robocopy.exe (windows) command line and your backup is done. Remember to not let it on top of your PC for when your overclocked machine catches fire.

      When a new bigger HD comes out, I replace the old external one (which I add inside) with the new one since they are probably less reliable anyway.

      --
      Non-Linux Penguins ?
  71. Re:Meh. x2: boring; x 10: interesting by Trejkaz · · Score: 1

    But in base 2, doubling is an order of magnitude. :-)

    --
    Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
  72. Re:cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It goes lower and lower, tis why they mod up things that will be modded down, great way to kill someone's karma...

  73. Better link, with photos by Patik · · Score: 2, Informative
    Click here

    Always use myway.com for AP and Reuters articles, they don't have any banners, popups, or registration.

  74. Re:Dual-layer has one flaw, though... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, their fucked up teeth helps greatly in that regard.

    Now please go to sleep and dream of actually speaking from experience.

  75. Don't hold your breath by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Blue laser cdroms were supposed to happen in the mid-late 90's but where are they?

  76. Watch Sony Cripple the Product by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 1

    What manner of DRM will be built into the drive firmware?

    --
    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
  77. Eh... I hope media prices drop by DroopyStonx · · Score: 1

    Media prices better drop, otherwise, what's the point? You're not really saving anything in the long run.

    Right now, my main concern is fitting a movie on one DVD. Kind of an inconvenience to split it across 2 discs, but I'd rather pay $2 and have a movie split during the middle than pay $5-6 only to have it on ONE DVD. (Although, I guess I can't really complain since I haven't purchased a DVD in ages.)

    DVD-RW's are $5-6 each, hell, even less if you buy them in bulk. Even if you wanted to back up 9 gigs of data, it's cheaper (and faster) to just buy an 8X and use 2 blank DVD5's to get your data on in half the time (and half the cost) of this new technology.

    They're forgetting that people will have to WANT to buy it. They aren't giving us any incentive to buy it.. wow, so it can write dual layers.. it's still 5x as much as a regular DVD.

    --
    We have secretly replaced these Slashdot mods' sense of humor with a rusty nail. Let's see if they notice!!
    1. Re:Eh... I hope media prices drop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is a great program called CloneDVD and AnyDVD they wil fit the whole movie on one Blank DVD.

  78. never a good time to by anything, ever by pixel-fodder · · Score: 1

    I recently forked out cash for a regular DVD burner. Do I feel sick to the back teeth for buying (now) deprecated technology ? No I don't. If you make technology purchase decisions with an eye to what's around the corner you would never buy anything, ever. If today's thing does what you want it to do, go ahead and buy it; if it doesn't yet, then wait. You'll have near-infinite opportunity to rectify your purchase decision in the future and contribute to the country's GDP / trade deficit.

  79. Useless Tip by Dogtanian · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, certainly movie DVDs are that way - I'd imagine they'll get around to the double-sided burnable variety soon enough, but having to turn over a disc to use the other side went out of favour back in the old days of 5.25" floppies.

    I've had a fantastic idea; maybe it's already possible to use both sides of writable CDs and DVDs in the same way that you could do it with 5.25" floppies- you cut a great big notch at the edge.

    I definitely think that you should try this excellent tip on your collection of "backed up" movies and MP3s this instant (*).

    (*) The MPAA paid me to say that.

    --
    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    1. Re:Useless Tip by bwy · · Score: 1

      Or, for 3 1/2's, get out the drill. I still maintain that only pussies bought those devices that would punch square holes into the 3 1/2's. Totally unecessary purchase.

    2. Re:Useless Tip by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

      Damn!

      Ive been ripped off, all my double sided DVDs have holes punched in the centre

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
  80. Expensive tech. by dj245 · · Score: 1
    "CNN reports that new dual-layer DVD-burning drives will be released very soon by Philips and Sony that will half the funds in your bank account, making a complete exponential decay model of your checking account theoretically possible.

    These drives are twice as expensive as commodity 4x drives. Will normal people really splurge right now for double the price, double the capacity, and increasing their per-disk cost as well probably?

    --
    Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
  81. Useful application: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can hold that much more porn in your backups.

  82. firewire not faster than usb! by DietFluffy · · Score: 1

    According to this review of the ipod mini, firewire is slowered than usb.

    The Mini comes with both FireWire and USB 1.1/2.0 connections. Over FireWire, our songs transferred at 2.6MB per second; over USB 2.0, they synced at a brisker 3.18MB per second.

    1. Re:firewire not faster than usb! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

      That sounds like a very bad implementation of firewire on the iPod mini, which is quite surprising, being an Apple product. Was this on a Windows box? Perhaps a bad implementation of FireWire on the Windows box, if so. *shrug* _Every_ bench I've seen on FireWire vs USB has shown dramatic differences in favour of FireWire over USB2.

    2. Re:firewire not faster than usb! by LionMage · · Score: 2, Interesting
      According to this review of the ipod mini, firewire is slowered [sic] than usb.

      A single data-point does not an argument make. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 does have a higher raw transfer rate than FireWire 400, but USB in general has worse latency, and higher CPU utilization, than FireWire.

      I'm skeptical of the source of this data, also... since it's CNet. I wonder what testing methodology they used? (It's possible the "statistics" about transfer rates may have been influenced by anti-Apple sentiments festering at CNet.)
    3. Re:firewire not faster than usb! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is good to point out these things, but Cnet has been known as a Windows-only champion since the early days of the web.

  83. standards whores are all alike by djupedal · · Score: 1

    you format partisans

    That's 'format partisan Sir', to you.

    both standards have their advantages

    What a chump...the marketing guys luv idiots like you.

    Oh oh oh...look at me! ...look at me! I use both standards!

    1. Re:standards whores are all alike by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're being embarrassingly foolish in public, you damn logged-in troll. And whose marketing guys "luv" me? Sony's, or Pioneer's? THEY BOTH WANT MY MONEY EXCLUSIVELY, jackass. What are you, djupedal, a member of some DVD+RW Consortium-Hater's Club? Or just the child of one?

      DVD-R is compatible with more outdated standalones because it was designed by the DVD Forum. That retro-compatibility is that format's major strength, boy. The DVD+RW format was created because DVD-RAM did not suit the demands of either customers or DVD Video equipment manufacturers. Good thing, too, because DVD-RW soon proved itself to be pure, unadulterated SHIT. DVD+RW is a packet-writer's preferred format due to its ability to scale up in speed easily, its ability to be quick-formatted, its extremely low cost of disc production compared to DVD-RAM, its ability to be caddy-less compared to DVD-RAM, its compatibility with DVD Video players compared to DVD-RAM, has better fault tolerance than DVD-R/RW, supports Mt. Rainier, and one does not need to finalize a DVD+RW disc for it to be usable as a DVD Video disc (unlike DVD-R/RW). The DVD+R format was derived from DVD+RW to compete with DVD-R on price in the WORM market, and it retains both the speed advantage and the compatibility issues of DVD+RW.

      Wipe your nose and pay attention, kid. Otherwise, good luck in your DVD-R whoring career. The rest of us will continue not giving a damn, using the tools that suit the job best. In other words, for my applications: DVD+RW for re-writing and either DVD+R or DVD-R for write-once data - DVD-R primarily for distribution and use in standalones and DVD+R primarily for data archival. Your DVD-R partisanship is at least 2-3 years out of date, given the facts that dual-format burners are now the norm, and write-once media in both formats is now available everywhere for about the same price.

  84. Erm by spoco2 · · Score: 1

    Now we're getting excited about seeing pictures of A DVD Drive? Come on people! It looks just like my non burning DVD drive, and come to think of it, quite a lot like my CD drive too... Geeze... this is just silly.

  85. Answer: no sony is DVD+R not DVD-R by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    according to sony
    http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/4532
    the dvd player is dual layer dvd+R

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  86. arrrrgh! by c0chese · · Score: 0

    what the @#$!? i just bought a 4x4 sony combo dvd+/-r drive, and now i gotta replace it already?!?

  87. uh-oh by IntergalacticWalrus · · Score: 1

    How long before the MPAA makes it illegal?

    1. Re:uh-oh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm guessing VERY soon. This is the equivalent of the CD burner : RIAA

  88. What about bit-for-bit copies though? by Namarrgon · · Score: 1
    Sure you'd need a modchip to run XBMC etc, but you could just make an exact backup of your retail game, and it should work.

    The only thing (that I'm aware of) that prevented people from duplicating retail discs is that an unmodded Xbox would only boot from the second layer of a DVD (or its dashboard on the HD). With dual-layer recordable discs becoming available, this might now be possible.

    --
    Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
    1. Re:What about bit-for-bit copies though? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Sure you'd need a modchip to run XBMC etc, but you could just make an exact backup of your retail game, and it should work.

      The Xbox executable's digital signature specifies what kind of medium it is supposed to load from, whether a stamped DVD or a recorded DVD.

  89. The speed does not matter by way2trivial · · Score: 3, Insightful

    it's the effort required of the CPU that matters
    I have a external harddrive that can connect via USB 2.0 or firewire, and a DVD external with the same options... on usb2.0 heavy read/write traffic puts a 4-10% (once 16%) processor load on my 2.53 p4, firewire puts maybe 1% load....

    --
    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  90. how about you just buy DVDs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I'm impressed enough with the job done by DVDShrink that I don't know if a direct copy of a DVD-9 means much at this point."

    How about you just buy DVDs instead of stealing the content?

    I'm sure there is a market for people making home movies greater than the current available max length.

  91. dvdX-copy?! you don't need no stinkin' dvdX-copy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    use dvdbackup to get a decrypted copy on your hard drive, then use dvd+rw tools to burn the disk.

  92. simple by KalvinB · · Score: 1

    just glue two DVD+/-Rs together. You could even glue a DVD-R to a DVD+R to get a maximum compatibility disc.

    Ben

  93. Re:Yawn! by Roydd+McWilson · · Score: 2, Funny

    Working with broken windows invariably leads to open sores.

    --
    THE NERD IS THE COMPUTER.
  94. This is going to be awesome. by rice_burners_suck · · Score: 1
    The most awesome application I can think of for these drives is "live" CD's of Linux, *BSDs, etc.

    In fact, with so much storage, perhaps it will become possible to partition these discs and put several Linux distributions and *BSDs, running essentially the same application software, to allow people to compare and contrast them without actually installing anything.

    Oh yeah, and the rumors of this technology have kept me waiting for months to buy a DVD burner.

  95. They won't file suit by commodoresloat · · Score: 1

    But they will claim the larger capacity leads to twice as much piracy, as the RIAA did with CD-Rs.

  96. wrong speeds by glitch23 · · Score: 1

    The write-once discs can store up to 8.5 gigabytes of data, or about 4 hours of DVD-quality movies, twice the capacity of regular blank DVDs.

    Twice the current spec would be over 9 gigs. 8.5 is not twice the capacity of regular blank DVDs. 9.4 gigs would be 2x the capacity. I feel ripped off.

    --
    this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
  97. Hey Sony, by pair-a-noyd · · Score: 1

    "Sony will sell an internal drive for $230 and an external one for $330. They will be marketed only for Windows PCs"

    F*ck you Sony...

    Luv, Tux...

  98. BLANK QUESTION by ASKINVENTOR · · Score: 1

    How thick are these new $75.00 Blanks?? Can they be used in a pinch as a spare?

  99. it's all marketing crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually that'd be 8.8GB as 1MB != 1000000b
    Yes, those dvds say 4.7GB on them, I know, blame the marketing department.

  100. Re:Quite a low... - Too high and too little space. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can get brand-new, current-generation 8x DVD burners (8xDVD-R, 8xDVD+R, 4xDVD-RW, 4xDVD+RW, 24xCD-R, 24xCD-RW) drives by the pioneer in the consumer DVD burning market for under $120 USD. Furthermore, these not-yet-even-available-for-purchase layered wannabes do not hold the same amount of space as a commercial DVD-9 disc. I know consumers are used to being ripped off, but this marketing gimmick is too much (in price) for too little (in space).

    Until one of these full(er)-size DVD burners burns full-size discs, I will stick to established technologies which already enjoy economies of scale. Actually, any new DVD burning disc had better do 10 gigabytes (or more) if they want to cost twice as much as today's proven (and inexpensively priced media) models.

  101. Great... by rebe01 · · Score: 1

    ...just when i was about to buy a DVD burner.

  102. CD-Rs - the most cost efficient by aixou · · Score: 1

    It's funny - 11 CD-Rs are still 4 times as cost effective as a single dual layer DVD. Long live CD-R?

    1. Re:CD-Rs - the most cost efficient by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Long live your time to burn data off to CDs. Hope you like delivery pizza and mail-order clothes, chump.

  103. There is talk of the dual layer being a firmware.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    upgrade to current.

    I have seen other places talk about this, but this is the only one I can find now.

    http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/7266 9

  104. I wonder... by Xepherys2 · · Score: 1

    ... how long after the technology is introdcued that Plextor will finally get around to making one. I love their drives, but I'm not a fan of their slow uptake of technology. :-/

  105. No Dual Layer via Firmware Update Forthcoming? by f0rt0r · · Score: 1

    Although I haven't researched myself, I believe I read here on /. that it was going to be possible to enable dual layer read/write on select existing DVD burners via a firmware update. Is this possible or not? FYI - I have a NEC-2500D burner.

    --
    I can't afford a sig!
  106. Canada, ha! by rastachops · · Score: 1

    That's soooo last year, it's quite obvious that the $75 price is from the USA :-P

  107. Full DVD backups... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See, I don't think this is as big an issue. If the movie is your standard 90-120 min. feature, then you can use DVD Shrink's remaster option with little or no quality loss.

    If it's bigger, you put it on two DVD's. But I agree, I'll be more interested when the speed is doubled and reliability is better proven.

  108. Mod Parent UP! by Chordonblue · · Score: 1

    DVD Shrink is Da Bomb! Transcoding, remastering, and ease of use. DVD X Copy has nothing on this freeware product!

    --
    "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
  109. The future?! Nope, that's NOW! by Chordonblue · · Score: 1

    Look, with hard drives approaching half a terabyte in size there's still nothing reasonable to back all that up to... Besides another 500+ GB drive. I'm terrified to buy a drive like this - except perhaps to use it for temporary video editing space.

    Meanwhile I've got tons of past in-house DVD productions I'd love to shrink down into a few discs (or perhaps a single holo-kube), so doubling DVD+-R's size really doesn't 'do it' for me.

    --
    "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
  110. Volume backups? Not likely! by msobkow · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At the quoted speeds, it would take over 10 hours of non-stop burning to back up a 120G of data.

    You could do selective backups with this device, but not actual servers. I seriously doubt the drive would last very long even if it was only expected to do a weekend image with weekday deltas.

    It sounds great for backing up large data files that don't change very often, but I don't deal with many of those. People keep wanting to change the database, website, and developer tree files all the time for some reason.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    1. Re:Volume backups? Not likely! by Martin+Blank · · Score: 1

      I have 310GB of drive space in my system, and of that probably 60GB or so makes up stuff I want to save long-term. Enough changes that monthly differentials won't fit on a standard DVD+/-R but will fit on a DL disc.

      If I had a server, I would use tape, but that's not something I'm interested in getting for my personal workstation.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
  111. +R Advantage... by Chordonblue · · Score: 1

    8X Writing speed.

    End Of Line.

    --
    "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
  112. Issues or no... by Chordonblue · · Score: 1

    For some strange reason his comment did make me LOL - big time! :O :)

    Lighten up!

    --
    "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
  113. Re:YOU'RE NEW HERE, ARENT YOU by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and it's supposed to be mispelled because understandably, one is typing as fas t asd posivbl;e to getpf irst psot

  114. Get off your fricken... by m1chael · · Score: 0

    high horses misguided fiends of fudbucket! I have read so many people going "Wahhh, only being marketed for Windowsss... Wahhh". Have people forgetten what marketing means? It does not mean that it won't work on your precious Windows, Mac or other other OS. It purely means they aren't going to waste their marketing dollars on freaks with penguin and water fetishes.

    O'Gentoo rules!

    --
    I know you are psychotic, but please make an effort.
  115. Werd! by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

    Now it'll take half as many disks to back up my pr0n collection.

    LK

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
  116. What about the layer change? by AbRASiON · · Score: 2

    (can someone read one of my posts for once? :/ )

    Anyhow, does anyone have any idea how these actually WORK and how an original DVD itself works?
    When the layer changes on say my retail copy of fight club and the movie pauses is the laser at the edge or the inner part of the disc?

    Will these burnt dual layers do the same thing?
    Can we control where the layer change will be (I can imagine some movies a layer change at the wrong point would be devestating, plus money shots of course.... :) )

    Also I continue to hear bloody conflicting reports that these discs are slightly smaller than retail pressed dual layers?!!? - what's the deal
    9.4gb vs 8.5gb (and yes, I do know about 1024 vs 1000)

    Anyone here a bit of a DVD junkie and care to answer? (please!)

    1. Re:What about the layer change? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Layer changes occur at the outer edge of a DVD disc, since DVDs (like CDs) initially play from inner edge outwards. But at the layer change point on multi-layer DVDs, the disc continues rotating in the same direction, but the laser starts reading the second layer from outside inwards. Layer changes can occur sooner than at the very edge of the disc, I think (don't take my word for it), but I'm fairly sure that the second layer must reside on the same surface area that's covered by the first layer. That is, I don't think layer 2 is ever supposed to exist any closer to the outer edge than layer 1 does. We'll have to see what kind of manual software interfaces will exist to support setting this feature on dual-layer recordable DVDs, if any.

      Dual layer burned discs should act the same way, since recordable media is always recorded in the same direction as it is meant to be read. (Take a look at a burned CD-R or recordable DVD that has been partially written, and you'll see reflective differences between the inner and outer edges - that texture you see on the inner edge indicates the area where data has been written, and it continues to the point until writing stopped).

      The truth is that recordable DVD formats have always had funky recording lengths. Capacities have grown since the early DVD-RAM and DVD-R days, at least, from the days of ~3.95 GB discs. Given this tradition, you can probably expect dual-layer discs to grow to 9.4 GB in time as disc manufacturing technology matures. I wouldn't be surprised if the reduced recording length of the second layer in this first generation of dual-layer discs is due to conservative design.

      (Corrections welcome from anyone about anything I mention - I'm no expert!)

  117. In short, yes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    DVD+R9 (The dual layer plus spec, I have no idea about minus, we're doing the same as we did with single layer minus and burying our collective corporate heads in the sand) requires MUCH tighter tolerances.

    Reading shouldn't be an issue - a DVD+R (if you close the session) is supposed to be identical to a DVDROM. Of course 'supposed' is always the problem.

    Anyway. Yes, you need a more responsive die and a lot less wobbly disc. We are having a really hard time finding discs that give reliable results burning right to the outside edge.

    It's really nifty, but I can't in all conscience advise buying them until someone starts producing decent quantities of media.

    Something similar applies for 12x and 16x writing, by the way - the media needs to be that much better. But several suppliers are making 8x media with 16x tolerances already (and will probably start branding it as such soon)

    Posting anon from philips.com

  118. It's standard mmc3 atapi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hi. Speaking as a person who works on the datapath firmware for this drive:

    It will work just as well for linux as our single layer drives do. You just have a larger valid range for the Write10/12 commands and a new type of media that it detects. Naive cd burning software will just see a DVD with a slightly daft available capacity. That is actually a problem with some of the software on the market right now - it says "That can't be right" and ejects the disc.

    We just sell to OEMs We do very minimal testing with linux - generally we just check that we can boot a liveCD. But there is no reason why it should not, and the draft specification for MMC4 is freely available.

    Note of course that all drives that actually reach the market break the spec in an attempt to actually co-operate with burning software which got to the market first and reaks the spec to be compatible with old burners which...

    You get the idea.

    Posting anon from philips.com for obvious reasons.

  119. I'm waiting for... by bacchus612 · · Score: 1

    ...my goddamn holographic cube storage.

    1. Re:I'm waiting for... by fr0dicus · · Score: 1

      That's the bare minimum for 2-gig biotexturing.

  120. Four words by trezor · · Score: 1
    • Not to mention, with DVD media now under a dollar a disc, six buck for something that only holds twice as much doesn't seem like such a great deal.

    Four words for you: Exact DVD movie backups.

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
  121. those are slow burners for sure by stock · · Score: 1

    Why would Philips and Sony introduce a burner which burns all 8.5GB in approximately 45 minutes? Thats awefull SLOW!

    I myself burn 4.7 Gig in 8 minutes , so a 8.5 Gig DVD-R would be finished burning in say 15 minutes max... Do i miss something here??

    Robert

  122. And Naturally... by Ringthane · · Score: 1

    Once the dual-layers are bought, the ultra-high density DVD-burners/players with 20+ Gigs of capacity, will be available...

    --
    Friends help you move... Real friends help you move bodies...
  123. Re:Compatibility??? All the damn formats... by iminplaya · · Score: 1

    And your media burned in the meantime is compatible with 100% of the DVD players that are released since a few years now, so it will be readable.

    While the format might be readable, the media may have rotted away. So many discs are barely readable when they're new. I won't depend on anything more than 2 or 3 years old now. Although film and vinyl seem to be holding up pretty well :-)

    --
    What?
  124. Obligatory statement of gigabyte vs. gibibyte by MMHere · · Score: 1
    A gigabyte is 10^9 bytes or 1.0e+9. A gibibyte is 2^30 bytes or approximately 1.073e+9.

    Computer storage was tradionally measured in gibibytes (or mebibytes, or kibibytes) although labelled "incorrectly" as GB (gigabyte), MB (megabyte), or KB (kilobyte). That is, until hard-drive marketeers got into the act (see below).

    Strictly speaking GB (gigabyte) represents 1.0e+9 bytes because giga means one billion. Similarly, mega means one million and kilo one thousand, so 1MB (megabyte) == 1.0e+6 bytes, and 1KB (kilobyte) == 1.0e+3 bytes.

    In 1998, the IEC defined new prefixes to clear up the traditional confusion. See this article. Basically:


    gibi (Gi) == 2^30, or approx. 1.073e+9.
    mebi (Mi) == 2^20, or approx. 1.049e+9.
    kibi (Ki) == 2^10, or 1024.

    So a "tradional computer gigabyte" is is now properly represented 1GiB, and is exactly 1073741824 bytes.

    Here come the marketeers

    Realizing that most folks don't know a gibibyte from the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow (African or European?), marketeers noticed that labelling the size of their hard drives in strict measures of GB's (10^9 bytes) instead of the tradionally used GiB's (even though GiB is often "mislabelled" GB in the computer world) -- would allow them to artificially grow the size of their disks by more than 7% with no hardware modifications.

    That is, unsuspecting computer geeks used to seeing the friendly GB as 1024^3 (2^30) bytes, and yet knowing from their science classis that this isn't quite correct, would continue to presume GB being used to represent (2^10)^3 bytes. After all, it's a sly bit of superiority when you know what the computer version of GB really means. Plus a geek worth her MBR can compute any power of two at the tip of a hat, right?

    Yet a geek buys a drive labelled 120GB, and finds usable storage of less than 112GiB is present. This of course doesn't include overhead lost to file system management structures...

    Coming up with free bytes by simply changing the packaging is a good thing for marketeers. Plus, they're not even lying about capacity! They're putting the correct (if non-traditional) number on the box.

    DVD storage manufacturers adopted the same approach. So a 4.7GB DVD is 4.7*1e+9 bytes. Stated in tradtional computer-land GiBytes, this becomes: 4.377GiB.

  125. Re:Compatibility??? All the damn formats... by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

    While I agree with you, this is not the point. The point is that the grand-parent was frightened by a new format making his actual burner obsolete. That is not going to happen, as his already burned DVD are readable in all (most) DVD players. The fact that the media will die is irrelevant, the new media will die even faster anyways.

  126. Re:Compatibility??? All the damn formats... by iminplaya · · Score: 1

    That won't happen until we get gamma lasers (for short wavelength) and Dual sided/dual layered discs and burners for all. Blue laser is just around the corner, waiting to wipe out the existing "antique" formats now in use. Probably the best thing to do is to wait until your old burner breaks (which should be about 3 or 4 years from now, considering how crappy they're made) Just make sure to have a back up reader to copy from old to new format.

    --
    What?
  127. 2.4x? Did CNN read a different press release? by jriskin · · Score: 1

    Someone tell me I'm wrong...but i read they would be 8x and 16x....45minutes would be a huge step back...

    http://www.press.ce.philips.com/press/documents5 96 .html