Posted by Frank on 10/07/05 02:17

On Thu, 06 Oct 2005 17:06:58 +0100, in 'rec.video.desktop',
in article <Re: Cannot erase DVD-RW>,
Terry Pinnell <terrypin@dial.pipex.com> wrote:

>>Terry,
>>I quickly just wanted to say that multi-session recording is when you record
>>something, put data, onto a disc
>>and then end the session, without finalizing or closing the disc.
>>Then later on, you record onto the disc again, it adds it in a seperate
>>session.
>>
>>When you read the disc, some software allows you to see the seperate
>>sessions.
>>
>>And if you record as a DVD-Video disc, you have to close or finalize the
>>disc for the files to be read correctly by dvd players other than the one
>>you used to make the session.
>>With a DVD-ROM format it mainly for data and would be read by a computer not
>>a dvd player so finalizing the disc is less important.
>>That's how i basically understand the difference, maybe others can elaborate
>>better.
>>
>>Also their is a difference on how the -RW and +RW behave in this respect
>>with dvd players, I believe the +RW doesn't need finalizing
>>to be read by another +RW machine where the -RW disc does no matter what,
>>this is why some people found the +RW discs easier to use the the -RW. I
>>might not be exact in technical reason but just wanted to get the idea out
>>there.
>>
>Thanks, Anthony, appreciate the explanations. I'm slowly getting to
>grips with some of this. But I must say that the more I read, the more
>there seems I have yet to learn!
>
>Have included a batch of Verbatim DVD+RW 4X in the new discs that
>arrived a few minute ago (and more DVD-RW, and some DVD-R).
>
>So many permutations now to remember: Drive, Medium, Program being
>used, Last program used, Phase of the moon... <g>

Yes, all of those are important factors, and I expect that the world
will become significantly more complex with the introduction of HD DVD
and Blu-ray Discs, with their various permutations.

BTW, you forgot a very important item in your list, one which Anthony
mentioned and which I have mentioned to you as well, and that's
whether, when you use a given disc for the very first time, you start
off in multi-session mode. I would strongly recommend that when
burning a DVD-Video format disc you always do it as a single session
disc - which may be the only available option anyway, but if not I
recommend that it's that one you choose. Only if you're burning a
DVD-ROM (data) formatted disc should you even consider use of
multi-session and even then, once you're reached the point when you
know that you'll never be adding additional files to the disc, you
should close/finalize the disc.

As Anthony mentions above, some software - and this includes Windows
Explorer - will only see the first or the last session on a
multi-session disc and not any of the files written to the disc during
other recording sessions, so multi-session discs should generally be
used with care.

--
Frank, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
[Please remove 'nojunkmail.' from address to reply via e-mail.]
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV at http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/

[Back to original message]