HP dvd ds8a8sh specs & Choosing DVD's Help

[camelotshadow]

I'm lost. I have had my laptop for 3 years 2 of which were under warranty but I never have made a back up yet.

I'm stuck at selecting dvd's to use in my dvd drive HP dvd ds8a8sh.

I've searched everywhere & only spec I can find is for a litteon which may be the same?

It lists this:

DVD A DS8A8SH

Detail Specifications

DVD Family:

 Write : DVD+R 8X maximum, DVD-R 8X maximum, DVD+R DL 6X maximum DVD-R DL 6X maximum, DVD-RAM 5X maximum

ReWrite : DVD+RW 8X maximum, DVD-RW 6X maximum

Read : 8X maximum

Access time : 150ms

CD Family:

Write/Rewrite/Read :24X maximum

My first question is getting the right dvd type to do a back up DVD +-R, DVD +-RW.

I also am concerned if I get a DVD +-R that current speeds are 16X where as this device speed is 8X max.

I was reading that burning a dvd made for a faster speed could prematurely wear out the laser. I don;t know if this is true as I thought they just burned at the speed of the burner but want to make sure as its been hard to find dVD+-R 8X

whic was slow even when this dvd was installed by HP in this laptop in 2012. Maybe the litteon specs I found are wrong?

I just read as its a laptop the dvd could be a slimline & they may have maxed at DVD +-R 8X so maybe it was made to handle the 16X DVD+-R OK?

I was leaning toward the DVD+-R as I read its a better format to save for long term as it uses a dye rather than a particle layer which degrades faster as the DVD+-RW but don't know if this is true but seems my dvd will burn DVD+8X & availble DVD+RW are rated as 4X so my dvd maybe is better at writing the RW format? Still would the DVD+-R 8X be faster than the DVD+-RW 4X?

I also have been trying to research better/quality dvd media. Seems verbatim is very good as well as JVC.

I need to get DVD's to make back up's & system recovery/image discs as I got this computer refurbished at 1 year old & I don[t have a revovery manager so can't make the recovery discs to restore the computer to original setting if I ever had a problem. I guess I could try to call HP to see if I could get a copy of those?

Hoping for advice so I can but some DVD's & then start to get this laptop backed up & able to restore is I have a problem.

Any help is appreciated to get tarted here as I am lost.

Thanks

[WAWood]

camelotshadow

#HPExpertDay

Hello;

Allow me to welcome you to the HP forums!

I read your post about using DVDs for backup and wanted to help.

Until my backups got so large that they took several DVDs, in which case I switched to using Blue-Rays, I used to use DVDs for backups every week.

I chose DVD+R because I found them to be more reliable over the DVD-R.

Since you are making use-once backups, you can buy the +R instead of the RW.  They are cheaper and you don't need the rewrite capability unless you intend to recycle the DVDs (i.e., use them over and over).

As to write speed, I know the general advice is to use a low speed, but I always burned mine at the max speed the media and burner would support, which was 16x, and I never had any trouble recovering data from those DVDs later.

Also, even if the media will handle it, you won't be able to burn DVDs as speeds exceeding those supported by your burner.

Good Luck
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