Disc Queries

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PUZZLER8

As a beginner I am confused about the differences between rewriterable
and non rewritable CD's and rewriterable and non rewritable DVD's What
disc do I use in my computer to copy my files and folders which I used
to copy onto a floppy disc. It is sometime since I backed up my files
my transferring them to a floppy disc and where I believe that if any
amendments were made to files already transferred to a floppy disc you
could if you wanted to simply delete them completely on the floppy
disc and replace them with the amended files
Your help would be appreciated
 
CDRs can be written to once and is Read Only (can't delete).
CDRWs can be written to, then deleted and written to again.
Obviuosly you have to use CDR or CDRW in CDRW drive.
Your drive of course has to be CDRW to Read (CDR) or Read/Write(CDRW).

Same scenario for DVDs.
 
The subject of writeable optical media is vast, so here it is in a
squirrel's eye view (i.e., in a nutshell.)

The essential difference between a CD and a DVD is that a DVD holds much
more data than a CD. CDs and DVDs are called optical media, because they are
written and read with a laser.

As the name implies, writeable optical media can be written to just once,
whereas rewriteable optical media can be erased and rewritten, much like
that familiar floppy disk.

It's not really that simple because, if you know how to do it, you can add
to a writeable disk that already has data written to it. However, once the
writeable disk has been filled with data, it cannot be erased and rewritten,
as can a rewriteable disk.

So far, so good?

There are two standards for writing to DVDs. There is no practical
difference between the two methods (a technophile would scream "yes, there
is!"); it's really just a marketing war. Like VHS vs. Beta, if you're old
enough to remember that. The two standards are "+" (called 'plus') and "-"
(called 'dash', not 'minus'.)

So, in CDs you can choose between CD-R and CD-RW, which are non-rewritable
and rewriteable, respectively. And in DVDs you can choose between DVD+R or
DVD-R and DVD+RW or DVD-RW, which are non-rewritable and rewriteable,
respectively.

There are other formats too, like DVD-RAM and double layer DVDs. And then
there's the red laser vs. the blue laser...but that's something else
altogether.

Rewriteable media came to be because when the first writeable CDs and DVDs
were introduced, they were expensive. It made sense to have a disc that
could be written to and erased multiple times. Today, writeable CDs and DVDs
are cheap as dirt. Today, the only reason for using a rewriteable disc is
for practice. For instance, if you're trying out different things in a video
or audio recording project, instead of going through CD after CD you can
just erase the disk and start over.

Writeable optical media is more stable than rewriteable optical media, so if
you're storing something for the long haul, you want a writeable media. For
backups it doesn't matter much, but I only use writeable media for my
backups. I'll take that extra little bit of security, thank you.
 
Ted, Thank you for the excellent explanation.

Ted Zieglar said:
The subject of writeable optical media is vast, so here it is in a
squirrel's eye view (i.e., in a nutshell.)

The essential difference between a CD and a DVD is that a DVD holds much
more data than a CD. CDs and DVDs are called optical media, because they are
written and read with a laser.

As the name implies, writeable optical media can be written to just once,
whereas rewriteable optical media can be erased and rewritten, much like
that familiar floppy disk.

It's not really that simple because, if you know how to do it, you can add
to a writeable disk that already has data written to it. However, once the
writeable disk has been filled with data, it cannot be erased and rewritten,
as can a rewriteable disk.

So far, so good?

There are two standards for writing to DVDs. There is no practical
difference between the two methods (a technophile would scream "yes, there
is!"); it's really just a marketing war. Like VHS vs. Beta, if you're old
enough to remember that. The two standards are "+" (called 'plus') and "-"
(called 'dash', not 'minus'.)

So, in CDs you can choose between CD-R and CD-RW, which are non-rewritable
and rewriteable, respectively. And in DVDs you can choose between DVD+R or
DVD-R and DVD+RW or DVD-RW, which are non-rewritable and rewriteable,
respectively.

There are other formats too, like DVD-RAM and double layer DVDs. And then
there's the red laser vs. the blue laser...but that's something else
altogether.

Rewriteable media came to be because when the first writeable CDs and DVDs
were introduced, they were expensive. It made sense to have a disc that
could be written to and erased multiple times. Today, writeable CDs and DVDs
are cheap as dirt. Today, the only reason for using a rewriteable disc is
for practice. For instance, if you're trying out different things in a video
or audio recording project, instead of going through CD after CD you can
just erase the disk and start over.

Writeable optical media is more stable than rewriteable optical media, so if
you're storing something for the long haul, you want a writeable media. For
backups it doesn't matter much, but I only use writeable media for my
backups. I'll take that extra little bit of security, thank you.
Click to expand...
 
PUZZLER8 said:
As a beginner I am confused about the differences between rewriterable
and non rewritable CD's and rewriterable and non rewritable DVD's What
disc do I use in my computer to copy my files and folders which I used
to copy onto a floppy disc. It is sometime since I backed up my files
my transferring them to a floppy disc and where I believe that if any
amendments were made to files already transferred to a floppy disc you
could if you wanted to simply delete them completely on the floppy
disc and replace them with the amended files
Your help would be appreciated
Click to expand...

I am very grateful to you DIXONIAN69 and TED ZIEGLER I wish I had
stumbled onto this forum before. It would have saved me a lot of head
scratching THANKS
 
Thanks very much Ted for explaining it so well


Ted said:
The subject of writeable optical media is vast, so here it is in a
squirrel's eye view (i.e., in a nutshell.)

The essential difference between a CD and a DVD is that a DVD hold
much
more data than a CD. CDs and DVDs are called optical media, becaus
they are
written and read with a laser.

As the name implies, writeable optical media can be written to jus
once,
whereas rewriteable optical media can be erased and rewritten, muc
like
that familiar floppy disk.

It's not really that simple because, if you know how to do it, you ca
add
to a writeable disk that already has data written to it. However, onc
the
writeable disk has been filled with data, it cannot be erased an
rewritten,
as can a rewriteable disk.

So far, so good?

There are two standards for writing to DVDs. There is no practical
difference between the two methods (a technophile would scream "yes
there
is!"); it's really just a marketing war. Like VHS vs. Beta, if you'r
old
enough to remember that. The two standards are "+" (called 'plus') an
"-"
(called 'dash', not 'minus'.)

So, in CDs you can choose between CD-R and CD-RW, which ar
non-rewritable
and rewriteable, respectively. And in DVDs you can choose between DVD+
or
DVD-R and DVD+RW or DVD-RW, which are non-rewritable and rewriteable,
respectively.

There are other formats too, like DVD-RAM and double layer DVDs. An
then
there's the red laser vs. the blue laser...but that's something else
altogether.

Rewriteable media came to be because when the first writeable CDs an
DVDs
were introduced, they were expensive. It made sense to have a dis
that
could be written to and erased multiple times. Today, writeable CDs an
DVDs
are cheap as dirt. Today, the only reason for using a rewriteable dis
is
for practice. For instance, if you're trying out different things in
video
or audio recording project, instead of going through CD after CD yo
can
just erase the disk and start over.

Writeable optical media is more stable than rewriteable optical media
so if
you're storing something for the long haul, you want a writeable media
For
backups it doesn't matter much, but I only use writeable media for my
backups. I'll take that extra little bit of security, thank you.

--
Ted Zieglar
"You can do it if you try."

"PUZZLER8" (e-mail address removed) wrote in message

As a beginner I am confused about the differences betwee
rewriterable
and non rewritable CD's and rewriterable and non rewritable DVD's
What
disc do I use in my computer to copy my files and folders which
used
to copy onto a floppy disc. It is sometime since I backed up my files
my transferring them to a floppy disc and where I believe that if any
amendments were made to files already transferred to a floppy dis
you
could if you wanted to simply delete them completely on the floppy
disc and replace them with the amended files
Your help would be appreciated
Click to expand...
 
I have another query concerning DVD discs on which I hope someone ca
help me. I can copy sky programmes from the hard drive and recor
everything else but only onto a rewritable disc DVD-RW. When I try t
record on a DVD-R disc the programme does not come out. The DVD show
it is recording but after a short time I get a message "Please", "Bye"
"Hello", "Check", and then a message "Please change the disc"
I have got a combi panasonic DVD/VCR and everyone told me that I ca
use a DVD-R. I bought Imation DVD-RW and "Best" Premium Grade DVD-R
(On the label for the DVD-R discs it says "for use with stand aloneDV
recorders") Can anyone suggest why I am not able to record on DVD-
please
Am I also right in saying that on both a rewritable and a no
rewritable disc any recording will, if space available, always star
where the last recording finishe
 
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