DVD-ROM and DVD+R

[digitalman]

Now I know you will say, "Why don't you just buy a cheap DVD+R burner?", but here is my question\problem anyways. My Dell DVD-ROM reader does not read DVD+R disks.(I believe it is manufactured by LG). But on an IBM notebook CD-RW\DVD-ROM(reader only), DVD+Rs play perfectly. It is manufactured by Matshita. I am looking for a DVD-ROM(reader only) that will play DVD+R. I could not find any DVD-ROMs directly sold by by Matshita, or any resellers that did, since they are probably rebranded. Does anyone know of any DVD-ROMs that can play DVD+R. Thanks.

[Seimour]

I was also looking for a DVD-Rom, which was capable of reading either DVD +/-R. I've gone to a lot of shops, but if one reader only support -R, then it doesn't read +R and viceversa. I thought that both formats were incompatible, but most of the new DVD-Burners give support to both formats (man I don't know why there was no reader, yes was because there is one ;) ).

A friend of mine has a DVD-Rom of Pioneer, the most famous (slot-in) no tray. It reads both formats + and - R. The only problem is that it doesn't read 90 minutes and above cd-r. Here you have a picture:
http://www.batch-pc.com/batchpc/fotos/051024G.jpg

Good luck

[writersblock29]

@digitalman

What brand of drive is your current burner? Many will support a process known as "bitsetting," which formats a DVD+R as DVD-ROM when a disk is burned. Since pretty much any player out there will recognise DVD-ROM (and the reflectivity of a DVD+R is identical to a studio disk), the logic is that this formatting change will increase compatibility. Speaking for myself, since making this change to my own burner, my disks now even play in set tops that aren't rated for playback of recordables in the first place. However, not all burners will enable you to do this outright... You may profit from typing "bitsetting," or "book type field" in a search engine and see what you get; may well give you a way to solve your problem with the material you've already got on hand.

Also, what burning software are you using for your +R projects? Some offer a way to bring the DVD-ROM format into use -- but again, it depends on your burner's brand and firmware as to whether or not it'll support it.

It'd be my bet that a disk formatted as DVD-ROM will play in your Matshita drive without complaint.