DVD burning - RW vs. R

rlc1 · 01-13-2006, 03:53 PM

I'm a bit of a newbie to burning DVDs, I have done it several times on my PC, but I don't have a Tivo/DVD player yet - just two standalone Tivos. I'm thinking of getting a Humax Tivo DVD recorder (soon as my Tivo Rewards points get up there).

My question is about using DVD-RWs vs. DVD-Rs. I have noticed that if I format a DVD on the PC, to use to transfer files to (for backup of digital photos, etc.), then I can write to it over and over again. But if I take the same type of DVD-RW and burn a movie onto it (using Sonic MyDVD for example), then that DVD can never be written to again - I can't later re-format it or re-burn another movie on it.

Am I just crazy or is this just how things work? Is this a DVD format issue or an issue with my PC, or how I am actually burning the movies to the DVD? My guess is that something in the format which is needed to make it playable in a standard DVD player makes the DVD not-rewritable.

Johnny Quest · 01-13-2006, 04:34 PM

I think you're just mistaken. A DVD-RW can be re-written many times over. I'm not quite sure what you're doing when trying to re-format the disc but as to the Humax Tivo Recorders, this step is unnecessary as the unit will simply ask you if you wish to record over the previously saved material.

As for your computer, try Record Now to erase you existing DVD-RW's, that's what I generally use, but I believe that any reputable burning program would have the option to erase a disc. In Nero for example, just click on Recorder, then there is an option to erase disc.

FatherTed · 01-13-2006, 07:50 PM

I've had the Humax recorder for a couple weeks and you have no worries. It will format a blank disc, record to it and, when you want, erase it and start recording again. When it finishes saving shows from your Now Playing list to the disc it finalizes the disc so that it can be played in other standard DVD players. I've also reformatted -RW movie discs I had from another recorder on a PC using Nero and then reused them successfully with the Humax.

TiVoEvan74 · 01-14-2006, 05:55 PM

We found that a -RW didn't work on our Macs, while two -Rs burned from the Humax worked fine.