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kevs · Dec 25, 2003, 05:55 PM

I searched the archives and searched Google and have not seen any documentation on the first discovery I made comparing DVD- with DVD+ -- and that is that DVD+ burns data about seven times faster! I mean the difference in speed is huge. I just got a Lacie external DVD burner and bought a few Memorex + and - DVD's and compared.

I called Lacie and asked , "why would anyone want to use DVD-. it's so slow?" , and he couldn't answer it well, but said something about - format has buffer underun protection -- which I would loved explained to me.

Has anyone else notice the huge speed difference? thanks!

tr · Dec 25, 2003, 09:59 PM

hmmm...are you sure you did a search?

compatibility is the main differences between the formats. and faster burning is a 'discovery'? i don't think so. couldn't you have just looked at the drive specs to figure this out? it's well known that faster burning was available from DVD+RW drives first, but that's kind of irrelevant now.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/comp...0281179,00.htm

tr

kevs · Dec 26, 2003, 11:48 AM

Thanks Tr:
I went back to that thread (which I had already read) and there is nothing that discusses at all the issue I am raising here. Ditto for you link to the Pioneer drive

I've talked to lacie and Apple senior level techs and neither of them knew anything about difference in speed between dvd+ media vs. dvd - media.

This is not a question about hardware. I'm burning Memorex 4x dvd+ and Memorex 4x dvd - to the same external FW Lacie DVD burner.

I figured maybe I would see a 20-30 % difference in speed. But 700% faster? This is very surprising and, I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed this.

I have not seen this documented anywhere, in fact, I have found anyone who can speak to the issue, and that is why I'm putting this post, trying to see if others see what I'm seeing, and if so, what's the point of buy dvd- media?

tr · Dec 26, 2003, 12:08 PM

sorry if i didn't understand what your point was, since you weren't clear to state that burning on +R and -R AT THE SAME SPEED resulted in different times.

FWIW, we have an NEC ND-1300A at work which burns +R and -R at 4x. i've burned data and authored DVD's on both +R and -R discs, and have found not difference in time needed to complete the burn. i've never seen the this pheneomena you describe.

tr

kevs · Dec 26, 2003, 02:14 PM

Thanks Tr:
I'm glad I'm clear now. And I'm glad to hear you don't see any time difference between dvd+/ or -. At least I'm getting some feedback! Apple and Lacie, the techs I taked to have no comment on the subject.

My tests show that for a file that was 32mb of data, the dvd- burned it in 4 min. 12 sec, while the dvd+ burned it in 52 sec.

another test of a 34 sec quicktime file showed that dvd- took 7 min. 16 sec, while the dvd +4 was about 50 seconds.

All variables are same. 4x burn on new Lacie drive with Memorex dvd's.

I guess unless someone else says otherwise, I'm the only one to see such results.

rjenkinson · Dec 26, 2003, 09:05 PM

it probably has something to do with the small size of the files. a full DVD-R disc should take the same time as a DVD+R disc.

-r.

dtriska · Dec 27, 2003, 12:42 AM

Did you burn these discs through the Finder? And, did you burn the DVD-R disc before the DVD+R disc in each test?

It shouldn't make much difference with such a small file size, but the Finder has to copy the data to a temp file and do other stuff before the disc is burned. It's possible the DVD+R disc was burned with cached info, but I don't really know as I don't burn through the Finder.

Either try the tests again with restarts in between each burn, or use larger files as rjenkinson suggested.

kevs · Dec 27, 2003, 01:46 PM

these test were done with Toast 6, which , I think, does not use the finder.

Really though, I think I'll stay with DVD+ , unless others can tell some good reasons not too.

Guy at lacie was saying something about buffer underun protection, does anyone know what that means? Any other advatages to dvd- I should know about? thanks!

dtriska · Dec 28, 2003, 05:52 PM

There's probably a problem with your install of Toast. I can't compare though as I don't have a DVD burner, but there shouldn't be such a large difference in burning times.

Here's some info about buffer underrun protection: http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.c...742&page=3

DVD-R is also more compatible with DVD players if you're making video DVDs, although the gap between the two formats has contracted considerably.

kevs · Dec 28, 2003, 11:05 PM

thanks Dtriska:
Toast seems to be working fine, but I'll bring it up with them if I ever get through to them.

It's my first version of Toast, It came bundled with Lacie driver -- it seems a bit overated no?

But maybe that's it, maybe it's Toast. Before I put out this thread, I just thought I would hear of others confirm that dvd+ is lot faster, but yeah, maybe its the software... from what you guys are saying.