Is it possible to make a +R drive into a +/-R drive?

Is it possible to "convert" a +R drive (HP 200i and HP 300c = Philips?) to a +/-R drive via a firmware hack? I would be even happy with a -R drive.

It is possible if your manufacturer has released such a firmware update. I do not think urs can be tho Unless maybe someone has made a patch

WDA

It is possible with some DVD+R/+RW drives but not with the rest, at least not yet.

A firmware cannot add - capabilities to a + drive unless this drive was built
from the start to burn - also (ie with a dedicated chipset). Regarding these
2 drives, even if they were able to burn - discs there's very little chance
HP will ever tell you how to do it.

I think +R is a bit better compared to -R.
So if you have the choice of having only one, +R would be the way to go....

Is there a reason why you say that you want to make it just -R ( if you can't make it dual that is )?
Just curious ...

I think +R is only better than -R if you are able to change the booktype of the written disc. I know too many people who are not able to play DVD+R that don't have their booktype changed on their standalone players.

Liggy:

I thought +R had other advantages as well ( better error correction/checking for one ... )

Is it true - Or am I dreaming ?!?!

I was originally interested in +/- R, but would have settled for -R since my Panasonic standalone can only read -R discs.
BTW - the HP 200 is a Ricoh, and the HP 300 is a Philips. Haven't seen any firmwares on the usual links which would convert it over....

Liggy , gave you a god answer...bitsetting.

- All Ricoh/Philips drives ie. your HP, can use Ricoh/Nero booktype bitsetting.
- All DVD-players accept DVD-ROM booktyped DVD+R´s.
- Easy and painless...

BTW, DVD-R´s are normally cheapo, useless, bad media!

Hmm, I tried setting the +R to DVD-ROM on using my BTC 1004IM (I was burning CompUSA +R media = Optodisc) and it still would not play in my Panasonic RV30

I'll have to give it a shot with the HP DVD writers.

Just an update...the HP 300c burned the DVD+R automatically with a booktype of DVD-ROM. It plays perfect in my Panasonic standalone (RV30)

This is awesome! Now I have to figure out why my BTC 1004IM was not able to do the same. I had set the booktype to DVD-ROM but it would not play in the Panasonic standalone. Same type of media (Optodisc 2x +R).

Thanks for the advice! Now I have to figure out what to do with the Ritek 4x G04 -R media I have.....

yes it is possible.

My NuTech DDW-081 was a + only drive and now it is a + & - drive with the firmware of DDW-082

Blah. Again, if BenQ and NuTech drives are now able to burn - it only means
they were built to do so from the start, ie with specific hardware. A firmware
update alone cannot bring + or - capabilities to a single format drive, so your
example proves nothing for an HP drive (and even less for other brands).

Listen to spath! First the HP DVD Writer dvd200i/e is an OEM Ricoh MP-5125A drive which was never designed for -R writing and never will. The good news there is a new firmware upgrade for this drive on rpc1.org, ver 1.72. I'm in shock that any new firmware at all has been released for that 2.4X drive. You may want do download it and be happy. I'm not familiar with the HP 300C, it appears to be an OEM Philips of some sort, almost certainly the same story there. The bottom line as has been repeated twice before is that if the drive was not designed to write -R from inception in hardware; then no firmware upgrade can make that happen! Drives like the LiteOn 401S were designed with -R abilities from the start and thus at some risk can be upgraded.

The 200i can't be made into a DVD-R Drive, I have one.
It can burn +R discs with a DVD-ROM header though which is the source of many compatibility issues with DVD+R if that's what you're worried about. If you just wanted to use cheap DVD-R media, forget it, won't happen.

Thanks for the replies. Yes a HP 200i is a Ricoh M5125A, and the HP 300c is a Philips DVD8301/44. Both are able to burn +R as DVD-ROM which works great.

Now I need to figure out what to do with the 90+ Ritek G04 -R blanks I have....

I could use them in my BTC 1004@1008 I suppose.....