i could google this, but i don't feel like wading through the proliferation of "COPY DVDS LEGALLY!" or "BUY DVDS ONLINE FOR PENNIES" or "CLICK HERE TO ALERT THE RIAA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING UP ANYTHING THAT EVEN REMOTELY HAS TO DO WITH BURNING DVDS"

so i've backed up all my parents' old home movies from when they were kids (they were on beta tapes) and i want to put them onto dvd's...i know how to convert the files, but my question is whether or not their old (about 3 years old) dvd player will play dual-layer discs (because i'd rather pay the $2/disc price and have half the dvds lying around)

at first, i thought that it wouldn't, but we were watching some rented dvd recently and i was looking on the back and saw that it said "dual-layer format"...it worked just fine in the dvd player...will this hold true for burned dual-layer discs or only retail ones? i'm assuming, of course, that you can burn a dual-layer disc in book-type mode (rom as opposed to +r or whatever)...

1/26/2006 4:06:28 PM

If it's only 3 years old, is highly likely that it will.

If not, a new DVD player is ridiculously cheap.

[Edited on January 26, 2006 at 4:15 PM. Reason : ]

1/26/2006 4:15:37 PM

the original dvd spec contained dual layer discs.

ALL dvd players support dual layer discs. ALL. Every one.

now it may be possible that it wont support the burned dual layer media, but it will support the format.

[Edited on January 26, 2006 at 5:14 PM. Reason : .]

1/26/2006 5:14:17 PM

^ as for that, the older players only read booktype (dvd-rom) instead of the newer spec which is dvd+r, dvd+rw, etc...as long as i make the dvd in dvd-rom format, i think i should be good...

thanks!

[Edited on January 26, 2006 at 5:20 PM. Reason : l]

1/26/2006 5:19:02 PM

yeah, dual layer dvds are your standard variety for retail release of movies

just the widespread ability to burn dual-layer discs at home is new

1/26/2006 5:22:10 PM