On Sun, 2005-07-24 at 22:22 +0300, Romeo Ninov wrote:
IMHO k3b is the best, don't search for alternative :-)
K3b uses logical block records (and rewrites for MO media like CD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, etc...). While this is easiest, it's not always the most compatible. I.e., it's typically more than adequate for data, if that's what you want it for. But if you're looking for the utmost player compatibility, you don't want to use logical block writes.
You want to use the CDRecord family to programs for physical (i.e., the drive is directly driven by the program, via a generic device interface), byte-by-byte (character) recording in Disc-at-Once (DaO) mode. Note DaO is mutually exclusive with burn-proof type technologies, because the laser never leaves the media. You want to use the especially when recording CD-Audio or DVD-Video for older players that are not very intelligent, and just have a simple laser that just wants to follow a simple groove.
NOTE, for pretty much all post-2003 DVD players, this is no longer required. Most new DVD players are embedded systems, so they can read media far more intelligent (and even non-ROM/R media, like -RW/+RW MO media which is _physically_different_ than ROM/R media, these days).
The problem with CDRecord is that the Sony/Philips (HP, other DVD+R/+RW licensees) firmwares typically don't support byte-by-byte recording. Even +R/+RW drives that also do -R/-RW do not support it. You have to be using a DVD Consortium firmware (typically -R licensees, although 3rd gen Matsushita -RAM drives also do -R/-RW) for this mode.
I've been going with the LG GSA-4xxx series of drives. They are the lowest price (~$50 for 16x/4xDL capable GSA-4163), do _all_ formats (5x DVD-RAM, 16x DVD-R, 16x DVD+R, 4x DL DVD+R, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+RW), available in beige or black, and AnandTech found both the -R and +R to be very fast and fairly low in error rates (although he did have a problem with one of his favorite media brands): http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2470
It works with either approach (let alone legacy DVD-RAM packet write if you need that for compatibility with discs going back 8+ years now).