[MacDV] DVD problems

[Derek Roff]

The System Profiler on all of my recent Macs report that the drives 
will write +R DL and -R DL discs.  In spite of this, I have seldom seen 
-R DL discs for sale.

I didn't understand Paul's link and reference to "point 10" of the 
Amazon DVD page.  Paul, can you explain further?   What I saw on the 
linked page (the first of four) was more than a dozen +R DL options, 
with nothing special about item 10.  Perhaps the order of the items on 
the page has changed since Paul posted it.  As of this moment, 11 AM 
Mountain Time, 2009.9.28, of the 50 items on the four associated pages, 
only 4 are -R DL discs:  items 19 (Philips), 22 (JVC), 26 (JVC), 46 
(RiData) are shown as DVD-R DL discs.  There are a few non-disc items, 
and more than forty +R DL offerings.

<http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1254157696/ref=sr_pg_2?ie=UTF8&rs=&keywords=dvd-dl%20media&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Advd-dl%20media&page=2>

It's interesting to me that for the most part, the -R DL discs are 
cheaper than +R DL discs packed in similar quantities.  I use -R single 
layer DVDs, because I've had good luck with Taiyo Yuden white inkjet 
printable disks, and the -R version is a bit cheaper and more widely 
available than the +R version.  And also because we have a dedicated 
DVD recorder, which only takes single layer -R discs.  I seldom make DL 
discs, and up to now, I've used Verbatim and Memorex discs with good 
results.

Years ago, we found -R single layer discs to be more compatible with 
our various DVD players.  I think those times are largely past, and 
that both -R and +R discs play in most players.  I am curious what 
other list members are using for both single layer and double layer 
discs, and what your recent compatibility experiences have been.

Thanks,

Derek

Derek Roff
Language Learning Center
Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
Internet: derek at unm.edu