you guys are always talking about which brand of DVDs are better and the burn speed of the DVDs. Now i JUST realized i was not using my fujifilm DVDs i am using my RiData DVD+R and i always burn at 8x. is it possible that the DVDs or the burn speed could ACTUALLY be whats causing some of my game crashes

Yes it's very possible... what's the media ID of those discs?

Plus, personally I only use dvd-r on my PS2, they're much less likely to have problems than the dvd+r format...

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really? But i have been reading everywhere that the +Rs have are better. and what do you mean by media ID

+R's are technically of better quality. The reason has to do with the manfacturing process. It's very long, and very boring. However, the bottom line is this: +R vs -R doesn't matter nearly as much as media quality. Taiyo Yuden, Verbatim, and Ritek have proven to be reliable over the long haul on a wide variety of different setups, especially for game backups. PS2 backups are a whole different ball game than DVD movies. The PS2 laser is picky and will work better with high quality media. A standard stand alone DVD player will play just about any god awful (CMC Mag, Dynex, Optodisc, etc) media, The PS2 will not. The best thing to do is get some Taiyo Yuden's or Verbatim's cheap online, and figure out if +R or -R works better on your PS2.

91. Q. What is the Media ID of a DVD and how can I find it?
A.The Media ID of a DVD is the true measure of it's quality. It contains prerecorded info about the disc's manufacturer. The quality of the disc will vary depending on the media code. The media code isn't visible on the disc or the packaging. To check the media ID, Open DVD Decrypter, insert your disc, and check what it says under Media ID or Manufacturer ID. You can also use a program called DVD Identifier which is very useful. You can find it here: http://dvd.identifier.cdfreaks.com/
Compare the Media ID to this link: http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm
Huge List of Media ID's (Thanks to DogBomb): http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/155431

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I told you in another thread that +R isnt necessarily the best media....disk quality and your version ps2 should dictate whether you use -R or +R. Dont always believe what you hear, the n00b population is steadily increasing.

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From what I've seen, DVD+R works well on most PS2, from v4-v9. -R and +R playability can also be based on what modchip you have. Also adjusting the laser can shorten the laser life span, or cause an instant burnout if done wrong, (it has happened to me). Another thing is that not all burner can burn correctly for the DVD media, its always important to keep your burner firmware up to date. I always burn at max speed, never have a problem, but I know some people are cautious.

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Yeah, sorry if my response wasn't extensive enough, I was saying MY PS2 prefers dvd-r and doesn't like dvd+r much at all to be honest.. mine is a version 5 PS2.
For 8x media I use 4,6 or 8x burn speed... for 16x media I use 8x burn speed only. The media IDs that I use are TYG02, MCC0RG20,RITEK g05 and a couple of others.. the branding of the media can vary greatly, but have found that some RiVision discs use good dyes as above and are cheap too.. almost half the cost of Taiyo yudens or verbatim (here in the UK anyway) and they work perfectly.. if looking for new discs the main thing to do is get them from an online shop that tells you the media ID of the discs before you buy them.
As the others have said above, with most newer PS2s the format (DVD-R or DVD+R) isn't as important.. just find something that works for you and stick with it... but I would suggest starting with the named brands of Taiyo Yuden, Verabtim or Ritek to start with.. but still check the media ID before buying. Then if all goes well and you are confident in your backup skills, you could experiment with some cheaper media as I said above, but still according to the media ID of the discs.

Sorry for the long explanation, but it's a contentious subject amongst many of the PS2 community about which discs should be used etc.. although most long time users will agree with us here at XS.. hope that helps

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yeah... i fixed it. it was overheating...kinda strange! all i had to do was flip the ps2 up on its side because there is one spot that no air was getting to. kinda strange but i now have been playing for HOURS and everything is working fine