Simple question I hope.

On my Sony RDRVX410 DVD recorder, I have the option of formatting new DVDRW as either VR or Video. I can't find the difference between the two formats mentioned in the manual.

Help please

Thanks

Phosphoric

Edit:
I looked everywhere except the sticky at the top of this forum, sorry.

That information is for +R/+RW format discs. You have a -RW disc, for which you have a choice about what format to set up, prior to making the recording.

Basically it depends on what you want to do:

1. Record and edit the content, such as removing adverts, changing the order of play of sections etc. For this, choose 'VR mode'. The drawback is that your disc will not be compatible in standalone DVD players.

2. Make a basic recording, without editing. You may be happy just watching a 2 hour TV programme, then be able to re-use the disc again. For this, use 'Video mode'. You lose the editing capabilities, but the compatibility in standalone DVD players is very good as long as you finalise the disc first.

Err... that's it.

Thanks for the info imkidd57, not sure it's very good news.

I am actually going to use +RW disks as this machine apparently will take either........ when It comes back from the menders, brand new and needing a firmware upgrade already
That's another story.

Cheers.

Sorry to hear of your Sony DVDR woes; what was wrong with it?

It's true that your machine will take either disc-format type, but all the Sony DVDRs offer only a very limited range of editing facilities with +RW (+VR). On some models you can't even divide a title. Obviously this won't be a problem if you are simply recording and watching.

For some reason a lot of the Sony machines insist on 'formatting' the +RW first, although this should not be necessary at all under the published +VR standards. Additionally, this 'formatting' can lead to problems in trying to re-use the +RW discs on a PC or other brand DVDR, so you should dedicate individual discs for Sony DVDR and PC use.

With that machine, if you are going to do any editing at all then you'll need to use -RW discs.

Essentially, I want to copy my VHS tapes directly on to a rewritable disc. Stick the disc in my PC and carry out any editing. Then burn the finished video to DVDR.

My first attempt at direct dubbing from VHS tape to DVD +RW simply didn't work. The VHS was 2:30 long so I set up the recording bit rate accordingly. The Sony automatically inserts chapters at either 5 or 15 minute intervals. I selected 15 mins. At the end of the recording session I tried to play the disc in both the Sony recored and my PC. In both machines, the video hung after the third or forth chapter, crashing both machines.

Sony helpline eventually recognised the problem and said that I would need a firmware upgrade and to take it to a service centre. That's where it is right now, but the service engineer didn't hold out a lot of hope saying that Sony had released this model too early and that it was riddled with bugs.

I hope to get the machine back in the next couple of days to try it thouroughly before the 16 day "no quibbles" money back offer from Argos (UK) runs out.

Cheers