Patent ID: 7496017

Claim:
Device for recording information on a record carrier of a re-writable type by writing marks in a track on a recording layer via a beam of radiation, the recording layer comprising a pre-track pattern indicating the position of the track, the device comprising a head for providing the beam, recording means for recording the information in the track according to a predefined recording format for constituting a recording area containing user data preceded by a lead-in zone located at the start of the recording layer, and formatting means for formatting the record carrier, the formatting comprising writing data on the record carrier indicating that the recording area does not contain user data, and providing on the record carrier status information indicating a size of a contiguously written area that extends from the beginning of the recording area in dependence on detecting a pre-existing contiguously written area that extends from the beginning of the recording area, wherein the formatting means are arranged for recording a shortened lead-in starting at a shifted starting position beyond a predefined starting position and/or ending at position before a predefined ending position, in particular the predefined recording format being DVD and the shifted starting position being 23.4 mm radial.