What is the most reliable "packet writing" softwar

[3to4]

Hi, I would like to have some feedback concerning "packet writing" software.
I used to use DirectCD with CD-RW's to backup data. Then, I started using DVD-RW's. Then, formating took almost 2 hours, and sometimes it failed. So, I started using DLA (with DVD-RW's). Formating takes 2 minutes, and everything was OK in the beginning, or so I thought. Then, sometimes, the DVD-RW's are not readable anymore with a message saying the disk is corrupted or something like that. This way, I lost data on 2 or 3 DVD-RW's. So, I just cannot keep on using DLA with DVD-RW's. (Maybe, I should use DVD+RW's instead of DVD-RW?)

What is the most reliable "packet writing" software, if any?
Or what is the best combination of the software and the media type for this purpose?

How about "WriteDVD"?

Can you give your recommendations? Thank you.

[dr_st]

The best combination of media and software is DVD-RAM and the standard DVD-RAM driver.

[Nolonemo]

I have never used packet writing software and never will. I don't burn multisession either. If I want to put something on optical media, I burn it on and close the disk. The media's so cheap now that I can't see any reason to do otherwise.

[yossarian]

DLA has been good to me :S But I haven't done too many writes on CDRW.

It could be a media problem? [regarding corruption]

[3to4]

Thanks for the feedback.

dr_st,
Unfortunately, I use Pioneer DVR-108 and DVR-109, which cannot handle DVD-RAM.

Nolonemo,
Yes, I am beginning to think you are right. Maybe there is just no perfectly reliable "packet writing" software. However, it is not really easy to say if it is the software, or the media or even the drive, which is causing unstability.

yossarian,
Well, I tried DVD-RW's from TDK and Maxell, and the results are the same. For an unknown reason, the media become unreadable with DLA spradically.

[dr_st]

The thing about packet writing with CD-RW or DVD-RW is that it basically tries to cheat you to believe you are getting random access writing with a media that inherently cannot do it due to being sequential by nature. So there are bound to be issues with it. It's not the case with DVD-RAM, which really does allow you to write wherever and whenever you want.

But, your drive cannot write DVD-RAM, so may be your option may be DVD+RW. This media supports what's called "lossless linking", which makes it possible to use it for random access write, similarly to DVD-RAM (there are, of course, differences, but I'm not familiar with the technical specs enough). As such, DVD+RW should be better than DVD-RW for packet writing, but as far as I know it will still require some software, unlike DVD-RAM, which with the driver, will allow writing to be done through the OS routines, in a way transparent to the user. I'm not familiar enough with packet writing software to recommend you, so listen to the others and experiment yourself.

[3to4]

dr_st,
Thank you for your very instructive information. I think I will try the combination of DLA and DVD+RW's.