For DVD hardware to identify the type of disc that it is reading, it can check the Book Type Field located in the lead-in section of the disc. From here it can be determined if the media is DVD-ROM, DVD-RW, DVD+R etc. These few bits that help with the identification are known as "compatibility bitsetting". BookType manipulation has become important recently for increasing compatibility with certain DVD players, PS2 consoles and Xbox 360 consoles.
Some DVD Players will report a disc error if the inserted media is not read as "DVD-ROM", even though the player is capable of reading the disc perfectly. In most cases, updating the firmware of the DVD player fixes the problem permanently. With many DVD burners equipped with DVD burning software like ImgBurn, the booktype setting can be changed for the drive.
