Can Dual Layer DVDs Play in Most Standard DVD Players?

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gary

Just upgraded my PC's DVD burner to one that supports Dual
Layer (D/L). I'd like to use it to "burn" 2 hours of
recorded video from my AIW X800-XT onto a single disc.

My question is: Will D/L DVDs play in most standard DVD
players (not recorders, just standard, retail DVD players)?

In other words, I'm "assuming" that Dual Layer just means
it's like a standard DVD, but records on both sides vs. one.
So when playing the DVD in a standard DVD player, I'm
assuming all you would need to do is "FLIP" the disc over
and play the other side. Is this correct?

So if the D/L is DVD-R, and your DVD players support DVD-R
discs (which 99.9% do), then WOULD THE D/L DVD-R PLAY BACK
FINE?

Or do DVD players (NOT recorders) specifically have to
support D/L formats?

Thanks for any/all advice.

Gary
 
My question is: Will D/L DVDs play in most standard DVD players (not
recorders, just standard, retail DVD players)?
Yes.


In other words, I'm "assuming" that Dual Layer just means it's like a
standard DVD, but records on both sides vs. one.
Click to expand...

No. Dual Layer has both layers on the same side. It reads
the top layer then refocuses the laser to read the layer underneath.
You don't have to flip it over.

Tom Lake
 
Just upgraded my PC's DVD burner to one that supports Dual
Layer (D/L). I'd like to use it to "burn" 2 hours of
recorded video from my AIW X800-XT onto a single disc.

My question is: Will D/L DVDs play in most standard DVD
players (not recorders, just standard, retail DVD players)?
Click to expand...

Yes -- at least if your DVD-recorder have the possibility to have the
Booktype/Bitsetting set to DVD-ROM for dual layer-discs. Many (most)
recorders fixes this automaticly for DVD+R DL and DVD-DL.

At least a bit older players could have advantage of booktype set to
DVD-ROM, as they might not "understand" what a DVD-/+R DL-disc is, but
can read it through if they belive it is a DVD-ROM (DVD-players always
support dual layer DVD-Video-disc, do the Dual Layer-part is always
supported -- 90%, or maybe more, of DVDs with movies have two layers).

But for two hours of video you should be able to use a standard
single-layer disc and still have have very good quality.
In other words, I'm "assuming" that Dual Layer just means
it's like a standard DVD, but records on both sides vs. one.
So when playing the DVD in a standard DVD player, I'm
assuming all you would need to do is "FLIP" the disc over
and play the other side. Is this correct?
Click to expand...

Dual Layer have both layers on the same side, so you don't have to
flip.
 
No:

Most of my relatives have dvd players more than 2 years old and they can not
play dvd+r or dvd-r, let alone dual layer, MP3, dvd+/-rw, or anything other
than factory stamped dvd's, single or dual layer.

Strange enough, I once distributed a dvd-r without sound that ran fine in
their units, but after encoding sound, the dvd's would not work. Very
strange.

Always check your target audience and see what type of equipment they have.
Be sure they have modern equipment purchased in the last 2 years, and were
smart enough to purchase a multi-format dvd player. Then you will be OK.
OTHERWISE, -----GOOD LUCK----

William
 
Correct. But it's worth noting that double sided media that you have to
flip over does exist, although it's exremely rare. Such a media could
actually be dual layer on each side and hold about 18 gigabytes of data.

But normal dual layer media has both layers on the same side.
 
Most of my relatives have dvd players more than 2 years old and they can not
play dvd+r or dvd-r, let alone dual layer, MP3, dvd+/-rw, or anything other
than factory stamped dvd's, single or dual layer.
Click to expand...

Most DVD-players for the last 5-6 years can handle recorded discs. I
guess you can say at least around 80 % of the players from the 6 last
years. The compatiblity for DVD-R is somewhat better than for DVD+R,
but this can often be fixed if your recorder can change booktype
(DVD+R/RW/+R DL/-R DL etc. will be identified as DVD-ROM).

Personally I have a Samsung-player from 2000. This can handle MP3,
DVD+R DL, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW etc etc. Also my first player,
which I belive I bought in 1998, could handle CD-R/RW with MP3's
(thus, never tried it with recorded DVDs).
 
Clas:

Have you been to Wal-Mart lately? I have, only 2 out of 8 demo units were
multi-format that could play all formats. I went shopping for a
multi-format to purchase for mom so she could see the 2,347 slides I scanned
of dads from the 30's - 80's. I also needed something to recommend for
anyone interested. Found a cheep $39.00 unit for sale at Sears. Small and
cheep, and can play anything I throw at it. Out of 14 different relatives,
only four could play dvd-r I made. (And two were computers)

All I am saying, if someone is worried about being able to play a home
recorded dual-layer dvd in someone else's player, they have more to worry
about than this. They better check their target audience and find out what
type of gear they have. Shall we discuss hd-dvd and blue-ray while we are
at it?

William

PS

When I took Multi-Media and CD-ROM production in college, we had a saying.
"Start at the end and work backwards." In other words, know your customer.
Know what equipment they have, what they expect as far as 'splash', cultural
norms, do's and don't, content, 'user profiling', iconic research, etc.
THEN you can work backwards. What type of equipment is required to develop
the delivery mechanism needed. What type of content is acceptable to the
viewing audience. Then you could write a script, make budgets, and produce
content. THEN you can produce, edit, master, copy, and distribute.

People who start at the beginning usually get shot down before they get to
the end.
 
You are mixing apples and oranges.

DVD players were made, first, to play video DVDs. I'd say that
virtually every DVD player made in the past 4 years can play a video DVD
whether it is single or dual layer, +R, -R, +RW or -RW.

That has nothing to do with playing VCDs, MP3 CDs, CDs with JPEG
pictures on them.

You are confusing being able to read the media with what type of data is
recoreded on that media.

The original question ("Can Dual Layer DVDs Play in Most Standard DVD
Players?") dealt ONLY with ability to physically read the media. It
didn't even touch on the question of what that data was, which is what
you now seem to be asking about.

Clas:

Have you been to Wal-Mart lately? I have, only 2 out of 8 demo units were
multi-format that could play all formats. I went shopping for a
multi-format to purchase for mom so she could see the 2,347 slides I scanned
of dads from the 30's - 80's. I also needed something to recommend for
anyone interested. Found a cheep $39.00 unit for sale at Sears. Small and
cheep, and can play anything I throw at it. Out of 14 different relatives,
only four could play dvd-r I made. (And two were computers)

All I am saying, if someone is worried about being able to play a home
recorded dual-layer dvd in someone else's player, they have more to worry
about than this. They better check their target audience and find out what
type of gear they have. Shall we discuss hd-dvd and blue-ray while we are
at it?

William

PS

When I took Multi-Media and CD-ROM production in college, we had a saying.
"Start at the end and work backwards." In other words, know your customer.
Know what equipment they have, what they expect as far as 'splash', cultural
norms, do's and don't, content, 'user profiling', iconic research, etc.
THEN you can work backwards. What type of equipment is required to develop
the delivery mechanism needed. What type of content is acceptable to the
viewing audience. Then you could write a script, make budgets, and produce
content. THEN you can produce, edit, master, copy, and distribute.

People who start at the beginning usually get shot down before they get to
the end.
Click to expand...
 
Barry:

I am doing nothing of the sort.

The question as put: "......I'd like to use it to "burn" 2 hours of
recorded video from my AIW X800-XT onto a single disc......"

and

"......Will D/L DVDs play in most standard DVD
players (not recorders, just standard, retail DVD players)?....."

and

"---In other words, I'm "assuming" that Dual Layer just means ..."


If you think every DVD player on the market made in the last 4 years can
play dvd-/+r, +rw or-rw, I suggest you go down to Wall-Mart or FredMeyers
and get an education. I HAVE. YOU ARE WRONG!

I am confusing nothing. What a waste of time. Question asked and answered.

William




Barry Watzman said:
You are mixing apples and oranges.

DVD players were made, first, to play video DVDs. I'd say that virtually
every DVD player made in the past 4 years can play a video DVD whether it
is single or dual layer, +R, -R, +RW or -RW.

That has nothing to do with playing VCDs, MP3 CDs, CDs with JPEG pictures
on them.

You are confusing being able to read the media with what type of data is
recoreded on that media.

The original question ("Can Dual Layer DVDs Play in Most Standard DVD
Players?") dealt ONLY with ability to physically read the media. It
didn't even touch on the question of what that data was, which is what you
now seem to be asking about.
Click to expand...
 
Virtually ALL movies sold in stores ARE dual layer.

As to +/-, most of the test of compatability for - (which is more
compatible) were showing about 80% compatability with NEW (e.g.
currently in production) models in 2002 (when I was deciding which
format to get, before there were dual format burners). They showed
slightly less for the "+" format. That was in 2002. Since DVD burning
has become common (since now about half of all camcorders are
direct-to-DVD camcorders), that number has to be higher. It has to be a
lot higher, like very near 100%. I suggest to you that the
compatability problems that you see at Wal-Mart have much more to do
with the recording software and the format than with the media type.

Here's a test: Find a pressed commercial movie DVD that is less than 5
gigs and that is recoreded single layer (e.g. a short movie). Use
low-level COPYING software to copy that DVD to both + and - format
media, without re-encoding. Now try your Wal-Mart tests on those
copies. I'd bet that you get dramatically higher compatability, near
100%. Because the issue isn't the media (e.g. +/_ or single vs. dual
layer), it's what the recording software burns onto that media.
 
Barry:

Your information is nice, but has nothing to do with the question asked.

You missed the point.

William
 
Barry:

Let me put it to you this way:

I copy movies off the air, edit out the commercials, trim the front and
back, then burn them to dvd. I copy my old VHS tapes to dvd, sometimes
requiring dual layer. I can play them on my multi-format dvd players I have
with no problem.

If I take these dvd's to two friends in town, they will not play in their
machines, one friend they will.

Guess who has the multi-format dvd player? End of story. Forget all your
technical babble. Know your target audience and what equipment they have.

William

PS
I had to throw out a new dvd-rom player in my computer I purchased last year
because it would not play dvd +/-r. Purchased it from Fry's last
September - they said it would play them all!. Replaced it with a dual layer
burner to go along with my single layer burner. According to you, this is
not possible.



Barry Watzman said:
Virtually ALL movies sold in stores ARE dual layer.
Click to expand...
Do you know what a straw argument is?
 
I think I will have to disagree. There exists a standard for DVD in the
United States. Software that burns in DVD-compatible format has to conform
to that standard. The standard covers the MPEG2 standard such as bitrates
etc.
In addition, the standard also covers the audio. There is very little room
for variation. In short, all current DVD authoring software will author to
DVD yellow book/Orange book specifications. I have used all the popular
apps (Nero, Roxio, Pinnacle, Sony Vegas, Ulead etc) and they all produce
standard format DVD disks, which can be verified by using a utility such as
GSpot.

The tolerance of any unit to the various disks has more to do with the dye
formulation (reflectivity), and to the speed at which the disk is recorded.
Some formulations of recordable DVDs do not have as high a reflectivity
(albedo) as do others. The less light that is reflected from the recording
layer, the more likely that there will be compatibility issues.
Also, disks burned at 16x do not have the lands and grooves recorded as
"deeply" because there is less time per sector for the laser to write. Even
though some units can increase the wattage of the laser, it still cannot
compensate completely for this "fainter" image because the disc is spinning
faster. At 1x, a DVD writes the same amount of data as a CD writer at 3x;
thus a 16x DVD is equal to a CD writer at 48x.

A good rule of thumb is to find a formulation that your player likes, and
burn it as slower speed, certainly no faster than 4x.

Bobby
 
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