DVD RAM/ROM recording

pranyi · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:51 pm Post subject: DVD RAM/ROM recording

I am planning to buy a DVD-recorder.

On Windows it is really cool to use DVD-RAM. Essentially, it behaves like a winchester: you can write it on it without additional utilities.

Has anybody used DVD-RAM on (gentoo) linux?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 5:13 pm Post subject:

pranyi,

DVD-RAM is a dying format. Look at DVD-R/RW or DVD+R/RW. Both of these formats allow you to record a DVD that will play in a DVD player but I don't have it working on linux yet.

See this page for a good grounding
http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/
Don't worry about the kernel patch - its already in Gentoo, so you can have packet writing to CD-RW (nor CD-R yet) too.

Regards,

NeddySeagoon
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

pranyi · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 7:08 pm Post subject:

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 7:44 pm Post subject:

pranyi,

You have a way out if your drive will do the other DVD formats as well.

Like the web page says, you can deploy any filesystem you want on DVD+RW.
I use UDF. There is one bug you need to watch for with 2.4 kernels, the machine will appear to lock up when you write data larger that physical RAM.
what happens is the memory gets filled with dirty buffers waiting to be written.

Its supposed to be fixed in 2.6 but kerenls come out so fast just now that I've not tested it yet.

Regards,

NeddySeagoon
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

pranyi · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 9:55 pm Post subject:

Thanks!

So it would not be wasted money to buy a drive.

pranyi · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:21 pm Post subject:

Now, I am using DVD-RAM on my gentoo box, and it works really wll with UDF file-system.

Basically, it behaves like a winchester. I have not experienced any bug yet (with 2.4).

pranyi · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:30 pm Post subject:

Now, I am using DVD-RAM on my gentoo box, and it works really wll with UDF file-system.

Basically, it behaves like a winchester. I have not experienced any bug yet (with 2.4).

Trebiani · Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 5:23 pm Post subject:

Trebiani · Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:03 pm Post subject:

ratsche · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 4:33 pm Post subject:

can i mount my dvdram as a normal user?

sklettke · Guru Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 352 Location: Madison, WI

So, if I've got this correct, you just need to emerge udftools to be able to write to DVDs? (Is this only when UDF packet writing is enabled?) Also, any special programs needed to backup a DVD to another DVD?

Thanks,
Scott
_________________
Jab.ID: scottk@jabber.org

Kernel: 2.6.11-rc3-nitro0
KDE 3.3.2 with Xorg
MythBox: 2.6.5-gentoo-dev-r2 (LVMed 360GB in XFS; Athlon 2500+)

afabco · Guru Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 380

I'm reading this topic with interest, having been working with dvd-ram and dvd+rw for about a month now. So all disclaimers apply, ymmv, seek independent counsel, all that stuff.

It is a shame that the dvd-ram is going away, because it works, and works well, much better than dvd+rw for random access read/writes. It is one of the few things I've come across that Just Worked (tm). Easy formatting, treat it like any other removeable drive.

DVD+RW isn't even close. Formatting is a bitch, for example. Additionally, my reading (including the reference above ( fy.chalmers.se ) indicates that the DVD-RAM is capable of orders of magnitude greater rw cycles (>100,000) than dvd+rw (maybe 50-100 depending)

So it's a shame, but it isn't the first time the industry takes a bonehead turn, and it won't be the last.

jpc82 · Guru Joined: 09 Mar 2003 Posts: 326

I have to disagree about DVD-RAM being a dying format.

First off, for backups it is the most secure of all formats since the error correction is best of all formats, and other factors. Because of this many sys admins use it for backups, and don't plan on moving to a less secure format. Also, its estimated max rewrite is far higher them DVD-/+RW, which makes it idea for very frequent backups.

Also, On the PC DVD-RAM is not as popular, however if you take a look at alot of the set top DVD-PVR/DVD-Recoreders many use DVD-RAM.

DVD-RAM is not as popular a format but I don't see it ever disapearing.