[ltp] another poll: how much data fits on your DVD-RAM? (capacity problems with Thinkpad Multiburner UJ-812 ?)

[Fionn Behrens]

Hello all,

recently we have begun to use DVD-RAM at work so I was glad to have the
multiburner at hand. Unfortunately it turned out that the DVD-RAMs were
seemingly written different in the Desktop Drives (mostly LG) and in the
Thinkpads UJ-812 drive.

Formatting a DVD-RAM in the desktop drive yields:

#> mke2fs -m0 -L test /dev/hdc
#> mount /dev/dvd /dvd
#> df /dvd
Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hdc               4403064        20   4403044   1% /dvd

Formatting the same media in the Thinkpad gives me:

#> df /dvd
Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hdc               4128444        20   4128424   1% /dvd

That is roughly 300MB less capacity in the Multiburner!!

In addition, when trying to access data in those last 300MB on the
DVD-RAM (written in the desktop drive) on the Notebook I get hardware
errors ("trying to read beyond end of device"). I reported this to IBM
and they promptly sent me a new replacement drive - but it shows exactly
the same behaviour.

So there. And I was thinking that DVD-RAM is kind of a standard!? What
are your experiences? What capacity do YOU get out of your desktop
drives and how much from your Multiburner?

For a 4.7GB media, I'd rather expect about 4.4GB formatted capacity, not
only 4. IBM support has offered me to "escalate" the issue which would
mean I'd have to send in my drive along with some media to some service
center in Scotland for (some weeks of) further testing... 
But before I go that far, I'd be glad to hear your opinion about the
case. What would you do?
Do you know anything about DVD-RAM standards? Is the drive ok or not?

thanks for all answers!

			Fionn
-- 
 "I feel like God wants me to run for President. I can't explain it, 
  but I sense my country is going to need me."  *** George W. Bush, 1999
   Quoted from the book "The Faith of George W. Bush" by Steve Mansfield