Hi
i have a Hitachi DZ-BX35E and when i insert a brand new mini DVD it requires formatting, the options are VF or VR, can someone please tell me the difference and which format is best to use? There is nothing in the manual about the 2 types of format lol
many thanks
Sid

In my 730 owners manual it mentions VR as video record mode.
What VF is I can only guess as to maybe photo's?????
Best to check with Hitachi tho !!!

Had a thought...the new hitachi's are 1 button to finalize ..
so therefore the VR may be video record..
and VF may be video finalize...
It should say something somewhere in the owner's manual.
Hitachi has a very good owner's manual but you must read all the footnotes etc..

thanks for the reply Jimbos
sounds pretty logical to me as well
ive fromatted the disk in VR mode but not filled it yet so ill look at VF when i get there
there is a slot for an SD card for photos but i havent put one in yet maybe VF is something to do with that
thanks again
sid

I think that VR is similar to Sony's Video-VR mode while VF refers to Sony's video mode.
If this is the case then VF requires finalization and the disk gets a DVD-R folder structure with VOB files.
And using VR should result in a DVD-RAM folder structure with .VRO files.
I personally would use the VR mode because it lets you do basic editing directly on the cam. For example, once you have recorded a clip you can then split it into two parts and delete one part(the uninteresting one). Then you you have more space left for further recordings.
All the above works on a Sony DVD403 and I can only assume that the BX35 behaves similar.
Disadvantage of the VR mode is that not many editing programs support VRO files. I know that the folloing sw supports this format:
-TMPGEnc DVD Author
-Videoredo
-Womble MPEG-VCR

Hope that helps

__________________
Regards
Sektionschef

Panasonic SDR-S100
Sandisk Ultra II 2GB SD Card
Raynox QC-505 0.5 WA
IBS 5X Tele
Velbon Ultra Maxi F Tripod
Magix Video deluxe 2008plus

SEKTIONSCHEF,
Appreciate your input, but since you have a Sony what you suggest may not apply to Hitachi..
They are 2 differant animals...

Sektionschef
Very interesting thread
thanks for the input
i will mess around with both formats and see what results i get
thanks
sid

Actually he was exactly right. It doesn't matter that it's a Sony. They both have the same kind of media and he's right about VR and VF modes. To summarize it though I will just say, VR mode is mainly for convenience. If you want to record, edit, and delete on the camera then do it in VR mode. As for VF, that's mainly for using a program to edit. Both of them are reusable. And just so people don't think what I say is invalid, I have a Hitachi DZ-MV780A

In practice I would use VR mode because:
The miniDVDs have a very limited recording length of about 20minutes.
VR mode lets you cut out unwanted portions of your clips immediately after you have shoot them. This gives you free place back for the next shooting.

__________________
Regards
Sektionschef

Panasonic SDR-S100
Sandisk Ultra II 2GB SD Card
Raynox QC-505 0.5 WA
IBS 5X Tele
Velbon Ultra Maxi F Tripod
Magix Video deluxe 2008plus

The problem in using the VR mode is that DVD player compatibility is limited. It allows editing but I cant play VR formated discs in my sony DVD player. which leads me onto my own problem...
I cant get my computer to recognise VR or VF formatted discs on my computers DVD drive (Dell 5100).
Any tips or ideas etc. I realise that its probably my dvd drive and I will replace it with a decent one but I dont know which DVD Drives are compatable with 8cm DVD-R/RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM.
If theres anyone who can recomend a DVD drive it would be appriciated.
(I have posted this in a different thread)

Hi
Take your miniDVD-RW and your miniDVD-RAM to a computer store and put it in a drive of a PC that is present there. If it works ask the salesman what type and brand it is.

__________________
Regards
Sektionschef

Panasonic SDR-S100
Sandisk Ultra II 2GB SD Card
Raynox QC-505 0.5 WA
IBS 5X Tele
Velbon Ultra Maxi F Tripod
Magix Video deluxe 2008plus