[dual layer - in general / and LB positions]

[suggestion1: there should be a non-imgburn topic here, as many thread don't closely relate to imgburn "problems", but drive, disk, etc. problems and questions - like this]

 

I'm wondering what is other people's experience with the playability of disks, dual layer/layer break wise.

I'm creating an own, it is approx 6.3GB (~3.000.000 sectors) - I made 4.7 version too, but I'm the kind of a guy who likes to live on the edge.

Also already got 30pcs of fullprint Ricoh DVD+DL, no problems with the drive or disk, details see below.

 

If I understand correctly, a "seamless" master means that there is no LB info in the IFO files, and ImgBurn usually says somehting like this on the disk:

 

"Optimal L1 Data Zone Start LBA: None Found! (VTS_02)

This image has not been mastered correctly for burning onto a double layer (OTP Track Path) disc.

None of the cells meet the "DVD-Video specification" criteria for a potential layer break position."

 

Besides that I didn't see any problem with none of my players.

(For the record: Yamada DVX-6700 - approx 3 years old, LG RH199S - approx 6 months old).

I could skip-skip-skip to the end, and playing seemed fine, when I left it unattended it played at the end, and returned to the menu, no freeze or eject or so.

 

Then I decided to find out where is the layer break and watch that part closely (instead of watch the whole 130 minutes...)

 

I calculated the timecode position of the LB based on the

Layer 0 Sectors, Title and Cell (chapter) Starts/Finish sectors (with IFOEdit) and calculated at which second the LB position is in that Cell (chapter). If it is not a fixed bit rate, you can only get an approximate value, but it will be close to it.

Any utility which does it for me automatically?

(Suggestion2: ImgBurn should/could...?)

 

So I got Chapter 5 / 3:06 and I played the disk first in the Yamada skipping to chapter 5.

At 02:44 I noticed the time counter to "hold-on" for 1-2 secs, then video continued, but sound stopped. After a skip to chapter 6, sound restored.

I then checked LG RHS 199S at the same position, everything looked fine (no any notice of layer switching).

Then I tried Yamada again, but this time it played the disk fine too. Then I tried it several more times, powering off the player, but I was never be able to reproduce the issue.

 

[i also found a player on which the disk didn't play, but because it didn't support DVD+ at all... (I'm wondering what was the earliest, standard DVD+ 4.7 or DVD-DL, eg.: which is the more likely with older player, a) they don't play +s, or they don't play DL-s...)]

 

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Then as Lightning UK suggested, I did an ImgBurn Build/Write, selected an offered LB (wasn't too much choice - should I have entered one manually instead somewhere???).

Then I ended up some more thing I don't understand...

First, the 6.3GB "seem to" became like 8GB, eg.: 4.047.424 sectors (was approx: 3.000.000) with LB at 2.023.712.

I guess that would be some kind of a pad, but where is the "pad" area and what is on in?

Also, ImgBurn says;

LBA: (green star) 2023712 (50/50%)

VTS_02

LU: N/A, PGC:1, Chapter 1, Cell 1, V/C ID 1/1,

start time: 00:00:00, SPLIP: No

So where is my LB now, in Carmen, San Diego? :-)

(I mean timewise. According to IFOEDIT and excel, it is in T2/C8 ~3:00). That would mean, that there is much more data on L0 than before, then padding could only be on L1, which I don't understand why, so I assume I go totally wrong somewhere.

Can somone kick me into the right direction?

 

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And just for the record, used drive and media:

 

Drive Information:

HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H44N RB00 (ATA)

 

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):

Disc ID: RICOHJPN-D01-67

Book Type: DVD-ROM

Part Version: 1

Disc Size: 120mm

Maximum Read Rate: Not Specified

Number of Layers: 2

Track Path: Opposite Track Path (OTP)

Linear Density: 0.293 um/bit

Track Density: 0.74 um/track