hi. i am new to the dvd burning stuff. i filled my 80gig hd in my xbox, now im thinking of getting a dvd burner. this may sound like a dumb question..but thats how we all started out..right? lol.. okay.. when i go to get a dvd burner, should i get a dvd+ or a dvd- ? also.. do rw's or r's work better? does the xbox read both? and finally.. a friend was telling me that he bought a pack of data dvds. i guess they can only be used to burn data, rather than video (he backs up movies, so he cant use the data dvds). would i need them for backing up games? or will any type of blank dvd do just fine? thanks for the help guys!!!

QUOTE (hyfall381 @ Aug 9 2003, 04:11 PM)

1)do rw's or r's work better? does the xbox read both? 2)a friend was telling me that he bought a pack of data dvds. i guess they can only be used to burn data, rather than video

1) depends on wot dvd-drive you have in your xbox samsung work with any dvd-r

2)No data dvds work with anything you put on them

3)should i get a dvd+ or a dvd- ? Sorry dont no the diffrence

you could always buy a dvdr writer that does both - and + formats like;
the pioneer ao6/106 ,
TEAC 4x Multi Format DVD-/+R/RW Writer (This drive is a rebranded Pioneer 106)
the sony DWU-10A

the best source for hardware and media in uk i have found is http://www.blankdiscshop.co.uk/
why cant he use the data disc for video,he should be able to if its - media not sure about + media

hey guys thanks for the replys. im not sure what type of drive i have in my xbox. i know its not a samsung. i saw pics of the 3 different drives in xboxs', and i think mine might be a thompsons. i remember someone had a link with the 3 pics, but that was months ago. anyways... does anyone know if thompsons and/or philips reads dvd-r/rw, dvd+r/rw or whatever? also... i will look into that universal dvd burner that does both formats. but im just looking to buy something very cheap thanks again for all the help. take care

philips reads dvd/cd's better than tompson. i think you sould get a samsung somewhere if you are going to backup your games if i where you

I personal prefer dvd-r.

im not expert and i might be wrong, but the differences include:

-dvd-r is cheaper, but generally burns slower
-dvd+r claims to be more compatible and is supported by MS and sony
-dvd-r is actually more compatible according to Slashdot
-dvd+rw is better than dvd-rw, more compatible, multi-session, etc.

but really when it comes down to it, dvd-r media is at least $.50 to a $1 cheaper than dvd+r... so economies of scale and that crap..go for dvd-r...or shell out the cash and get a +/- burner. Do people use RW regularly?

sto..thanks again for the advise. and phy..great facts there! that link definitally helped. from what ive read.. many people seem to be using -r/rw for games. so if i decide to be a cheap ass and not buy a universal +/- burner, ill go with the -. lol. thanks again guys.