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Double layer DVD and DVD Rom

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:15 am
by deonholt
Hi there.

I know this might be a bit OT, but I know that someone will know.

If I write a movie to a 8.5GB Double layer DVD, can it be played back on a "normal" PC DVD Writer?

Thanx so long for your help.
Deon

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:39 am
by Ron P.
What DVD Player(s) do you have installed? I think that most players like WinDVD, and Cyberlink Power DVD should.

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:09 pm
by DVDDoug
Double layer DVD and DVD Rom
Generally, yes. "DVD-ROM" usually implies a "data" formatted DVD. If you directly copy a video file from your hard drive to a DVD, you have a "DVD-ROM", and you can play that file from the DVD just as you could from the hard drive. But, a DVD-ROM (generally) won't play on a stand-alone DVD player....

The computer needs the right CODEC for the choosen audio/video format... If it can play the file from the hard drive, it can play the same file from the DVD drive.

Or, you can make a standard "video DVD" (with VIDEO_TS & AUDIO_TS folders). As vidoman said, that will play just like a commercial DVD, with your DVD-player software.

There is one issue... Some stand-alone players have trouble with "burned" dual-layer discs. I don't think this is a generally a problem with computer DVD drives. But, if I was distributing DVDs to lots of people with "unknown" DVD drives, I'd try to avoid dual-layer. (Most commercially released DVDs are dual layer, and all DVD players can play these "stamped" discs.)