Can someone explain diff between iso 9660 & hybrid

vbimport
#1

I now have a mac & a pc and need to burn data discs that can be read on either. In my ignorance I thought cd/dvd formats on the optical discs were os independent - until I started looking for burning software for the mac and started reading about hybrid format. Wikipedia and other posts have only gotten me more confused.

Can someone explain what formats I need to be able to burn? Is hybrid a subset of 9660?

Also there was mention of sealing multi-session discs to make them readable in different OS’s. With nero on my pc I could seal multi cds but not multi dvds. I thought it was something about the dvd format, but maybe it was just nero.

#2

You want to burn and swap data on DVD between both computers?

What you mean is RockRidge and HFS combined with ISO9660.

#3

Newer MAC OS will read 9660, UDF, HFS etc. so it shouldn’t matter unless you’re running a very old MAC OS?

#4

Thanks chef & tubebar,

I have a new macbook pro w/ 10.6 [first mac] and an older thinkpad x41 w/ winxp tab ed sp3. I need to burn CD/DVDs that can be read by either. I’m trying to find burning software for the mac to do multisession and that saves compilations. When reading about what different software did they mentioned “hybrid” cd’s when talking about pc/mac compatibility so I googled hybrid. One definition was that it contained multiple file systems for windows & mac. At one time I had optical disc file systems and formats straight, but now I don’t.

Previously I mostly burned using nero and 9660 on my pc’s. I thought 9660 was os-independent [you lost some metadata from ntfs volumes], but now I see there are apple extensions for 9660, I guess the extensions make it possible for macs to read files burned on 9660 on a mac [mac must need the metadata retained to read the file] and the 9660 makes it possible for a pc to read the disc?

I’ve been able to read my pc-burned dvds that are sealed or one session on the mac. Some dvd multisessions haven’t been readable by the mac - don’t know yet if all multisessions will be a problem because multisessions dvds aren’t sealed. At least nero didn’t have that option when burning MS dvds. So I’m guessing that mac can read files from an ntfs volume burned on 9660, but for files from an HFS+ volume it needs the extensions used. Or maybe the extended journaled format no longer requires the extensions to read 9660 files from a pc or a mac.

Either way, I’d think mac burning software would automatically burn “hybrid” cd/dvds.

#5

[QUOTE=AnnieMS;2559358]Either way, I’d think mac burning software would automatically burn “hybrid” cd/dvds.[/QUOTE]

Well, what have you tried so far? Disk Utility, Disk Copy, Toast, etc?

#6

Mac burn software should allow you to burn kinda hybrid CDs and DVDs, the problem on “PC” systems is just the HFS part.

#7

Yes, Toast is your best choice for MAC it has a hybrid option.

#8

Thanks everyone,

I haven’t burned any dvds w/ the burn software I downloaded. After I installed the software and set up a compilation I knew I couldn’t save a compilation with that software. BurnX was the last one I tried. I finally just burned a couple of DVDs to back up my personal files on the mac [new mac, can still fit on 2 dvds] before disaster struck using mac’s native burn function. I can open text and jpgs from the dvd on the pc. I don’t have Word on the pc at the moment, so I couldn’t test those but I assume they will also open.

I really don’t get the hybrid issue now. Maybe it was a problem before mac os x and the hybrid burn feature is for earlier mac oses? Burnz says it burns “strict ISO-9660 discs that anything can read”. Does “strict” mean w/ or w/out the apple 9660 extensions? Anyway, it seems like current burning software for the mac will burn discs readable on a pc.

Does Toast burn multisession dvds and allow you to save compilations? There doesn’t seem to be a trial download anymore.

#9

[QUOTE=AnnieMS;2559988]
I can open text and jpgs from the dvd on the pc. I don’t have Word on the pc at the moment, so I couldn’t test those but I assume they will also open.
[/QUOTE]

Yes if the PC can read the disc then you’re fine. :slight_smile:

[QUOTE=AnnieMS;2559988]
I really don’t get the hybrid issue now. Maybe it was a problem before mac os x and the hybrid burn feature is for earlier mac oses?
[/QUOTE]

Yes it’s for older MAC support as I said before, there’s no problem w/ os x it will read 9660 fine. :wink:

[QUOTE=AnnieMS;2559988]
Burnz says it burns “strict ISO-9660 discs that anything can read”. Does “strict” mean w/ or w/out the apple 9660 extensions? Anyway, it seems like current burning software for the mac will burn discs readable on a pc.
[/QUOTE]

9660 never used to be supported on older MACs and is not an Apple format so not sure about that? MAC doesn’t use file extentions like windows so not sure what you mean? Either way you don’t need to worry about it.

[QUOTE=AnnieMS;2559988]
Does Toast burn multisession dvds and allow you to save compilations? There doesn’t seem to be a trial download anymore.[/QUOTE]

Not sure about multi-session DVDs as it’s really not reccomended. You are better off burning a full disc in DAO and close it.

#10

If I remember correctly, Mac OS doesn’t support multisession DVD’s. It’s a bad idea anyway.