VR mode or Video Recording mode is a feature on stand-alone consumer and computer
DVD recorders that allows video recording and editing on a DVD rewriteable disc.
In VR mode, users can create and rename titles for the scenes. Also, if a scene is deleted, the space allocated by it will be utilized later without the need of reformatting a disc.
If the user would like to record on the same disc again in later time, on VR mode, users may eject the disc and it will not be finalized by the recorder until it is manually initiated. For the sake of comparison, any DVD disc recorded in VR's competitor
V mode (or
Video mode) will be automatically finalized before it is ejected by the recorder. Disc finalization is still required if the disc formatted for VR mode will be played in another DVD player.
Currently, users can only record in VR mode with the use of
DVD-RW,
DVD-RAM and
DVD+RW discs, (updated in 2000 to accommodate
DVD-R (General)) [DVD players marked “RW compatible” and “DVD Multi” can play DVD-VR recorded discs] and on some recorders, also on hard-disk drives.
Blu-ray Disc and
HD DVD also support VR mode-like features.
Accordingly when DVD recorders became a viable option the features offered by <Video Mode> were minimal - the linear structure did not allow post recording editting or non-linear playback. Thus the DVD Forum devised Video Recording (VR) mode.
Unlike DVD-Video this uses a much simplier file structure that allows non-linear modification to the recorded data. This means features such as
partial erase, editting, playlists, simulataneous record/playback, mixing of different media types (JPEG, MPEG1/2/4, MP3, WMA, WMV etc) and, in future models, dual record are all possible."
That basically summerises the differences: video is a linear recording that should end up DVD-Video compatible, VR is a digital recording mode that allows HDD-like functionality on disc.
Do you need to always be able play your recorded DVD-RW discs on other DVD Players? If
yes you have to use
Video Mode, although some players will play VR mode discs, and you can test this easily by giving it a go.
The main differences are:
DVD Video mode on DVD-RWPlus points: Provides good compatibility (70% plus). That’s the only plus, plain and simple.
Negative Points: Only simple linear editing possible, really just hiding a title. You can reuse space only when you delete the last title or completely reformat but lose everything in the process. No defect management. Requires finalisation to play in other DVD Players. No possibility of time-slip, i.e. recording and playing back at the same time.
DVD VR mode (Video Recording)Plus points: Better use of recording rates by having intermediate resolutions. Defect management so reliable. Time-slip on 2 speed media if supported by the recorder, allowing record and playback at the same time. Non-linear editing. Any space freed is reused automatically (think hard-drive or Mini-Disc) and added to the remaining time.
Negative Points: Not very compatible with existing DVD Players, plain and simple.
Of course if you have a hard-drive based recorder then all the negatives are wiped out, as you use VR mode on the hard-drive which gives you all the pluses of VR mode, then record to DVD-RW in Video Mode to give you the compatibility to play the disc elsewhere.
- A recording on DVD-RAM will always use VR mode
- A recording on DVD-R will always use Video mode
- A recording on DVD-RW can be
either Video or VR depending which is set
before the recording is made.
- A recording to DVD+RW or DVD+R will always use Video mode
- Many HDD/DVDR combi recorders will record to the HDD in VR mode and allow you to dub (digitally) to DVD-R in Video mode.
Here is your manual:
http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/d/dvdr3545v_37/dvdr3545v_37_dfu_aen.pdf
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