Laptop & DVD Question

[UK_Terry]

Does anyone know about the different formats of DVD writers?

i am currently about to replace my laptop, with one with higher specs.
so i can download my photos (and edit sometimes) on trips.

i first just looked at some with CD burners...but for a £100 extra i can get a DVD Burner as well. and that means 4.0+ Gb on the disc instead of 700MB.

Conflicting advice from different dealers, one said you need DVD+ as most home DVD players use it....another shop said DVD- as most Home DVD players use it.

anyone have one and know if it will play on home DVD?

also the new laptop processers are called Centrino and are 1.4...1.5...1.6 etc, anyone have any idea what that is in comparison to normal i.e Pentium 4 2.0 ghz etc.

ManyThanks In advance.

[CyberDyneSystems]

DVD-R is the format that most home players support...

That said,. the DVD+R who's very existence is a mystery has managed to catch on to a degree that vitually any NEW home DVD player will support it as well. No Idea if and when these rediculous standards will just merge...

As far as I know ,. all DVD burners now support both? But it makes sense to buy DVD-R media.

There is third one,. DVD-RAM and this is any even bigger mystery as it isn't DVD in any way shape or form and won't play in any player,. even computer DVD drive??? Why it is called "DVD" RAM is anyones guess.

FYI The first DVD burners available were all DVD-R,. including the Pioneer (who literally wrote the original standard for DVD) ..and the Apple I-macs and Power books "SuperDrives" (which were in fact just Pioneer units branded for Apple.)


Centrino are like "Celerons"... slightly slower than there coresponding P4 because of limits in onboard cache as well as slower front side bus.

The Significance of the Centrino is built in wireless suport. Why this is included at the prcessor level I have no idea,. but that what sets the centrino apart from a mobile celeron. The Centrino is also made specifically for mobile PCS,. they draw less power and run cooler.

What I can't remeber off the top of my head is whethter the Centrino is in fact based on the P4,.. or if it is based on the PIII core?????

If it IS based on the PIII architecture,. than in fact the Centrino would be FASTER than a P4 at te same GigaHertz... as PIIIs can obliterate P4s of the same speed. (a hard test to do though as the PIII never scaled up to to P4 speeds,. :) )

[Ikinaa]

One great site with everything about DVDs is DVDRHelp (http://www.dvdrhelp.com)

Here are explanations (http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvd) about the formats...

[UK_Terry]

Thanks CDS, thats what i needed to hear...so all i have to do is buy one that "Writes" DVD- and i should be OK.

from what you say there are 2 different discs as well !! i will have to be careful about buying those in the correct format as well.

Reminds me of VHS..Betamax some years ago.

[UK_Terry]

One great site with everything about DVDs is DVDRHelp (http://www.dvdrhelp.com)

Here are explanations (http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvd) about the formats...

Thanks for this as well...but WOW..what a lot to take in.
but from what i read in a short time DVD- would be a wise way to go.

[PacAce]

One great site with everything about DVDs is DVDRHelp (http://www.dvdrhelp.com)

Here are explanations (http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvd) about the formats...

Thanks for this as well...but WOW..what a lot to take in.
but from what i read in a short time DVD- would be a wise way to go.

The DVD-R vs DVD+R question is a moot one these days as most popular brands support both formats unlike a year or so ago where you HAD to decide on one or the other. So now, the question boils down to which media to get. The answer: why, the one you can buy the cheapest at any given time, of course. :D

But if you ask me, I'll say go with the DVD-R if you have plans of burning movie DVDs (home video or otherwise) for playing on stand-alone DVD players. If not, then it really doesn't matter.

[RichardtheSane]

Plus in my experience DVD-R media is cheaper :D

[CyberDyneSystems]

It's a love hate relationship I have with Sony,. on the one hand they make the best monitors out there,. on the other hand thye're infernal meddling is the cause of this whole can of worms,... Sony "needs" to have it's own everything,. so DVD+R is one of them,. then of course the stupid memory stick (so stupid that Even Sony finally broke down and put CF in there latest camera because even they knew without CF the camera was crippled!)

..etc etc etc

[Vegas Poboy]

Carefull, before you buy. I just recently purchased the Plextor 708 external geat but my Toshiba for the house plays DVD-R & the new Dell 5100 Notebook Plays both types.
DD-R media is cheaper but the DVD+R is becoming more plentiful it looks like it's going to take over the market. A good price is a $1.00 per disk
Also checkout CNET.com for reviews and ratings on Hardware. I'm not to crazy about the software reviews.

[UK_Terry]

I had a look at Dell, but it says their "Write" is DVD+

[Vegas Poboy]

I had a look at Dell, but it says their "Write" is DVD+

I only use the Dell to read not write. It's CD writng & DVD playing & it played both types of Memorex Media.

[PacAce]

I had a look at Dell, but it says their "Write" is DVD+

Yeah, that's a bummer. Dell has always been a proponent of the DVD+ format. Shame they haven't updated their format offering to support both. If you're going to get a Dell laptop and you want it to be an internal DVD burner, then I guess you're stuck with the DVD+ format. However, if you opt for an external unit, you can get ready-made external units that support both formats or you can get an internal unit and encase it in a Firewire or a USB 2.0 (not 1.1) case.

[UK_Terry]

Well i finally gave up on the Internal DVD, i will get an external one when the most succesful format is known (as with Betamax & VHS).

i did however order a laptop from Dell.
15.4 Screen, Intel 1.4 (Centrino Mobile Proccessor)
80gb Hard Drive, 512mb RAM
128mb Radion Graphics Card.
WUXGA Screen with 1900 x 1200 resolution.
Firewire, USB 2 Slots, wireless enabled. Cd Burner & DVD ROM.

That should do me fine on my trips.

I hear you can connect to the Internet via a Nokia phone on Vodaphone network.....anyone have any experience of this? (possibly to retrieve my e-mails on trips)

Thanks to you all for your advice.

[Jonas]

Yes, UK_Terry, Betamax sounds so familiar.... especialiy here in Europe :) The 80ies, good times ....
Jonas

[UK_Terry]

Yes, UK_Terry, Betamax sounds so familiar.... especialiy here in Europe :) The 80ies, good times ....
Jonas

yes i remember it too, bought a system only to find out VHS was the one to go for.

that is why i am definately going to wait for the DVD + & - to sort themselves out.