Abstract: The position of a write spot on an optical record carrier, during a write operation by an optical recording device, is important for the quality of the data recorded. Radial positioning of the spot may be facilitated by means of tracking spots, signals from which identify the location of the write spot. Signals from the tracking spots may be affected by the characteristics of the optical record carrier in the their vicinity. Specifically, effects arise from the recorded or unrecorded nature of the tracks adjacent each spot. The invention comprises rotation of the means to generate tracking spots such that tracking spots may be placed in an optimum position for recording, regardless of which data layer on an optical record carrier is to be recorded or the recording direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for writing data on a record carrier (1) by using a radiation beam, wherein at least one of a writing power and an asymmetry of data written on the record carrier (1) is determined and a radial error offset, applied to the radiation beam with respect to a writing track of the record carrier (1), is controlled in response to at least one of the determined writing power and the determined asymmetry. Thereby, the radial error offset can be linked to at least one of the applied writing power and the obtained asymmetry of the written data, and can thus be altered before or during writing to maintain reasonable tracking in cases where writing is done on record carriers with variable radial error offset.