Six-pack
of formats
With
the advent of the DVD-Video disc, it was only a matter of
time before computer user the world over were clamoring for
a way to record data on DVD discs, citing the huge storage
capabilities. Thus, different competing companies, to address
the need of the home computer user, devised different DVD
recordable formats. There are currently six formats available
that can record to DVD discs:
- DVD-R
for general-purpose use, similar to DVD-Video and can only
record data once.
- DVD-R
for authoring use, and more suitable for data storage and
can only record data once just like a CD-R.
- DVD-RAM can be rewritten thousands of times and very similar to
how one would use a CD-RW.
- DVD-RW was developed in Japan and can also be rewritten multiple
times.
- DVD+RW is the U.S. version of the Japanese DVD-RW, can also be
rewritten multiple times.
- DVD+R is the newest of the current formats and is marketed as
an improved version of the DVD-R, although in reality they
are much the same.
The
different formats for recording to DVD discs have become
a problem as some DVD recorders could only read and write
to a specific format. This means that a DVD-R recorder could
not record data unto a DVD-RAM disc and vice versa. Most
of the differences in the formats are in the material used
in making the discs and process upon which data is recorded
to the DVD. Consumer electronic companies have gone around
the compatibility problem by creating multi-read capable
drives that record and read most of the formats available.
Most computers lament the fact that movies created from digital
video cameras and edited on home computers, and later burned
to DVD discs, are not playable in some consumer DVD players
found in home entertainment systems.
Love-hate
relationships