Need some help...plz!

[jrodbrown58]

I have a Gateway laptop w/ a cd/dvd burner and i bought some HP dual layer dvd+r blank dvds to burn larger files. well one day i tried to burn a lot of stuff for a friend and it happened to be a GB over a single layer's capacity. when i put the blank dvd in a error came up saying invalid format or something like that. is there a way i can get the HP dvds to work or did i waste my money on them? i can use the dual layer dvds or am i stuck w/ the single layer???? i hope i can use them just in case i need to.

plz help!!!!! and any advice is appreciated!

thanks!

[ANZAC_ELITE]

Is your rom drive dual layer capable?

If it isn't then there is no way you can use dual layer disks to their full capacity.

Check your Laptop model specs at the Gateway site to ascertain if the burner is DL capable.

[jrodbrown58]

I checked out gateway's site for my laptop...its the Gateway MX6214 Notebook and under optical drive it says:

DVD+/-RW Multi-Format Double Layer
Write maximum: 8X DVD+/-R, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 2X DVD-R DL, 2.4X DVD+R DL, 5x DVD-RAM, 24X CD-R and 16X CD-RW discs
Read maximum: 24X CD-R/RW/ROM, 8X DVD-R/RW/ROM, 4X DVD+/-R DL, RAM discs

-im guessing im DL capatible, and that the only reason why i can't use the HP DL discs is b/c its HP formatted....right?

reply if you have anymore advice....thanks!

[fritzi93]

What burning software are you using and what type of files are you trying to put on the DL discs?

A few general observations:

1) DL recordables are inherently less reliable than SL. Only Verbatims have a fairly good success rate, that's not just my opinion, go to videohelp and do a search.

2) Keeping in mind point one, it only makes sense to use DLs for video, where you do not want to compress for SL, nor do you want to split to more than one disc.

3) What software you use is important. When I first burned DL recordables at approx $20/ea., you needed to have a properly authored project, which you opened in PgcEdit. (Pgc refers to program chain, i.e. navigation). Thereupon you manually reset the layer break and all nav pointers, and outputted an ISO to be burned with DVDDecrypter. DL discs are cheaper now, but still pricier than SL discs.

Now it's easier. You can use IMGBurn (free), which will automatically calculate and set a proper layer break. You can take files already in an ISO image and burn it, or use build mode and burn the project you built. You can also build data discs with it, if so desired.

Any other method is still problematic, you may be successful, but the odds aren't as good. Again, not just my opinion. Keep in mind also that some set-top players are more tolerant than others.

4) It may well be that your blanks are junk. You need to find the media I.D. code (MID) with something like DVDinfoPro or Nero CD/DVD Speed. Brand means absolutely nothing, you need to see who actually made them and compare to the list at nomorecoasters. Marketers change suppliers often and without warning. I dunno who HP currently sources from for DL discs, but in the past they've tended to market junk from Ritek and/or CMC.

[jrodbrown58]

i use DVDfabdecrypter to "backup" my videos and i use CDburner XP Pro 3 to burn them.