Can you explain a little bit more? Why can't you burn data/storage discs on DVD-RW? What happens when you try to? And what method are you using to do so? Whenever I burn a data/storage/backup DVD, I use Nero Burning Rom.

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but I've heard (sorry, can't remember the source) that DVD+/-RW is not a good choice for long-term storage. It's supposedly less stable than DVD+/R.

Ok, ..

On the same Sony DVD burner:-

1/ - I can burn DVDs using DVD-R media .. ok

2/ - I can burn DVDs using DVD+RW media for test purposes .. ok

3/ - I can NOT burn DATA or simple storage of MPEGS or AVIs on the same burner USING the same MEDIA that works in 1/ and 2/ above . . why?

Why not?!?

Grazie

What program are you using to burn?

I have done several data DVD backups to +R and +RW media (using Nero) many times with no problems at all.

All a DVD really is is a formatted data DVD.

Thank you.

Nero very happily burns anything to anything. Heck, it would probably burn toast (like me) if asked.

I thought Toast was a Roxio product! ;)

Using Nero 6 here and can burn both video DVDs and Data DVDs on DVD+-R and DVD+-RW media in my Lite-ON and NEC drives. I can burn both on only +R/+RW on my HP 300i, but that's because it's a "plus only" drive.

kentwolf

"What program are you using to burn?" - The same I use to "copy" files to a CD - MS explorer .. . BUT I also have used Nero. This says that media isn't correct . . and yes, I've ALSO tried DVD-R.

"I have done several data DVD backups to +R and +RW media (using Nero) many times with no problems at all." - Well this is exactly what I would have thought would also happen for me. But no. Nero says it doesn't like the Media I'm using - BUT, but, but I can use DVD+RWs and DVD-Rs for making DVDs through DVDA2 .. This is what's cranking me, this is what's doing my brain in!

"All a DVD really is is a formatted data DVD." - No kidding Kentwolf? I guess I really knew this and that is exactly why this is making me infuriated, frustrated and angry and more than a tad less friendly to be around. - But, I guess, that is/was exactly the reason I attempted to explain above. Wasn't this all within my explanations above? - Sorry, but this is really getting to me.

riredale - "Nero very happily burns anything to anything. Heck, it would probably burn toast (like me) if asked." . .and again I too have Nero, and have made CDs and VCDs, but I can't get it to play ball with DATA onto DVD+RWs or DVD-Rs. Ugggh ... !

Chienworks - "Using Nero 6 . . " good! Here I've got Nero Express on my MONSTA! . . I do my DVD burning on my MONSTA! - I just now set up a Nero to burn a set of files to do a DATA DVD burn. It didn't like my Verbatim DVD-R and came back with the message that the media wasn't a CD-R [ I KNOW THIS! ] - after saying that it COULD do DVD-Rs - FINE! However, I put in a CD-R and it will burn - AND is still burning! Just finished burning the CD-R, it took 4 mins? with a burn 24x burn speed at 3.6 mb/s . .. I'm now playing the MPEGs from the CD-R within Windows MEdia player and they work .. so no burn issues or faults at all . . But, good friends, I can't jump to the higher ground of DATA DVD media burning.

Kelly, I too have another PC, a Compaq Presario - typing this on - which will only take DVD+R and DVD+RW. I originally backed up the new pc's system to a DVD+R and squirreled this away - it worked.

Apologies guys, but if I'm doing something wrong within MS or Nero then please tell me.

Regards,

Grazie

>>...The same I use to "copy" files to a CD - MS explorer...

It sounds like you may be using DLA (Drive Letter Access).

I have read that this is nothing but problems.

Personally, I would get rid of DLA and just burn the files from inside a program, like Nero.

Try it with Nero, NO DLA, and tell us if that works.

I'll bet it does... :)

Wolfie? PLease explain further .. and make it "Grazie-Proof" . .please . . thanks for getting back to me so quickly .. !

Grazie

Good morning, Grazie!
I didn't think burning software distinguished between + and -, that it was all done at the burner end. Of course, the software "reads" the type of disc and checks against info gathered from the burner firmware. If they match, OK, if not, one or both needs to be dealt with. But as far as BURNING is concerned, it should be the same thing from the software's point of view.

Like your good self I can not see a plausible reason why Nero (or Maxmillian or anyone) should agree to burn DVD video to a certain media and not a straight data DVD to the same. So here's the Take two of these and call me in the morning-type of answer:
- Test on more than one brand of media. Picky like old aunts some of these items are. ("They don't make the tea right over here, do they?")
- If it's a brand new virgin disc, burn something else on it first so that the next (real) burning process will have to start by erasing it. (Could break the ice between the burner and the victim. I regularly have to do this when burning with DVDA. A real pain in the architect that is.)
- Check the burner firmware. If there's an update, update.
Tor

Maybe I have the answer BUT the answer would imply the opposite to what you're seeing but here goes anyway.
Firstly DVD - R and +R media are very different. +R media uses a higher wobble frequency which means the laser can be positioned more accurately. This was done so that single secotrs of the media could be updated. You cannot do this on -R media.
Now normally this doesn't matter much, you use whatever app to write your files to the DVD + or - RW disk and then you rewrite the whole thing, no issue here.
However if you want to treat the DVD like say a floppy and just add files to it then the OS needs to update the FAT and SAT to reflect the added files. Now you cannot just rewrite part of a -RW disk, you have to erase and rewrite the whole disk!
This was the initial reason the DVD Alliance claimed for designing the +R/+RW format, as a data storage medium.
All of this is from my understanding quite different to writing a multiseesion disk, doing that doesn't involve rewriting any already written sectors, all that happens is additional sessions are appended.
That's about the extent of my understanding, some of this is only based on my extrapolation of a few facts I've picked up and the most worrying thing is it gives the opposite answer to what Grazie is seeing.
Anyway all of that said RW media isn't a good idea for long term storage anyway and it's so much more expensive it'd probably be cheaper to use "R" media anyway, how many times do you really think you'll rewrite a DVD full of data anyway.
Bob.

Bob .. hmmm .. I think I understand . .bit too technical for me . . Now what do I do? And no, I don't really care about RW or R, I was just informing people here that I'd tried a few flavours so that they could get the . .er . picture? And yes I'll use R media for the purpose of longevity. And yes, access will happen very very infrequently. . Anyways I'm okay to use R media so long as I could use it to download data onto it and then ADD extra stuff too - DVD-Rs are so cheapm to store. Using the DVD+RW for testing in my cheapo DVD player is excellent for trialing ut stuff . and I can reformat/erase with Nero. But to add and keep adding till full is all I wanna do - Nothing More Nothing Less. !

Grazie

The really silly thing is it's cheaper to use HDs for archiving than DVDs. Only reason I use DVDs is becuase they take up less space and I can print on them, I just use one for each project, I save the mpeg files as well as the projects so they end up pretty close to full anyway.