Quick start

Instructions

Requirements

Release history

Links

License

martijn@plak.net

Instructions

Before you use this tool you should determine if you need it at all. If you can burn DVD+RW (or DVD+R) disks and use them in your DVD player (or reader) without trouble you don't need to use this feature to create non-standard disks.

After you start DVDPlusTool, you may have to select the drive you want to use. As soon as a drive is selected, DVDPlusTool tries to remove the disk from the desktop (if it's mounted). It then tries to determine the current settings of the disk and the drive.

Basically, there are two ways to control the compatibility setting: before or after burning the disk.

before burning:
The selection below the DVD+R and DVD+RW logos is the setting the drive will use during formatting of disks. Press the DVD-ROM item to activate the compatibility setting, press the DVD+R(W) item to reselect the standard setting.

after burning, DVD+RW only:
The selection below the disk icon is the current setting of the disk in the drive. Press the DVD-ROM item to activate the compatibility setting, press the DVD+RW item to reselect the standard setting.

Compatibility setting background

DVD disks contain a special area called the Control Data Zone, which includes Physical Format Information. One of the fields of that information block represents the type of the disk, called 'book type'. The purpose of DVDPlusTool is to force this field to 'DVD-ROM' even if our disks are actually DVD+RW or DVD+R.

DVD+RW formatting

You can also initiate a background format of a DVD+RW disk. This takes a while to start, so be patient when you see a 'busy' cursor.