DVD+RW blanking?

[th0th696]

Ok so I have a DVD+RW I am using to learn the process of DVD authoring in linux I am following this wonderful guide:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=117709&highlight=dvdauthor

I have a tiny script that is blanking and writing the dvd for me when I inevitably screw the DVD up and must re-author. In it I have this line:

growisofs -Z /dev/dvd=/dev/zero

What I am wondering is this the proper method for blanking the media before calling

growisofs -Z /dev/dvd -dvd-video DVD/

If I don't do the former blank line growisofs throws an error. Is this leading to a premature death of the media? Do I have no other choice considering what I am doing with the media?
_________________
Immanuel doesnt pun cuz he Kant!

[jdgill0]

th0th696,

The man page for growisofs seems to indicate what you said as being proper. You can also blank DVDs with dvd+rw-format, from the app-cdr/dvd+rw-tools. There is also means of blanking with the app-cdr/cdrecord-prodvd package.
_________________
Vim has excellent syntax highlighting for configuration files: emerge gentoo-syntax
Learn how to use Vim: vimtutor

[th0th696]

Yes, this is the problem apparently you should only dvd+rw-format a dvd+rw once. As I understand it. But if you do:

growisofs -Z /dev/dvd=/dev/zero

then you are physically writing a zero to every bit on the dvd+rw media, no? And does using dvd+rw-format in some write to fewer sectors therefore prolonging the life of said dvd+rw? Or does any other utility do this more efficiently?

[Cintra]

There is an authoring page here you may find interesting.. in it, use of dvd+rw-format /dev/xxx is mentioned.
http://www.tappin.me.uk/Linux/dvd.html and http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/

I use this as the first stage of preparing +rw media for packet writing too.
Mvh
_________________
"I am not bound to please thee with my answers" W.S.

[th0th696]

Would you mind giving the command you use to blank your media?

[dh3rm3]

Using cdrecord-prodvd

[mnxAlpha]

Don't bother. Just write over the top of them. Unlike CD-RWs, DVD+RWs do not need to be blanked before you use them. I think DVD-RWs do (I've not written over any of the ones I have yet), but DVD+RWs certainly do not. Just write the new image over the top of the old one.

If you actually want to erase the contents of the disc, just write the contents of /dev/zero to the disc, as you're already doing. But you only need to do that if you want to end up with a blank disc.

[Cintra]

[mnxAlpha]

You only need to do that with new media. If you're overwriting an old one, you don't need to do that again (and, in fact, you can't do that again - it won't work).

[th0th696]

Let me sum up

dvd+rw-format is to be used only once on dvd+rw media, afterwhich you SHOULD be able to just write over the old data.

However, when I run this command to create my new DVD:

growisofs -Z /dev/dvd -dvd-video DVD/

I get an error telling me that an iso filesystem is already there and growisofs refuses to burn.

So at this point I am using this command to blank:

growisofs -Z /dev/dvd=/dev/zero

Which physically writes a zero to every bit on the disc (as I understand it). What my question is, is whether or not this line (or any other):

cdrecord-ProDVD -v dev=ATAPI:0,1,0 -blank=fast

is better on the lifespan of the media?

[Darknight]

Someone may find this topic, so I add my 2c.

I've been investigating this, my reasoning is that using growisofs with /dev/zero as input is as good as it can be.
Even if I'm not an expert I've come to the conclusion that it will burn a new blank file system in the already formatted media without rewriting the "format area".
If this wasn't true then every growisfs, even those with proper iso images, would imply a reformat of the media.

From http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/