Test disc and drive verification method

A test disc used in operation verification of an optical disc apparatus for a recordable optical disc, said test disc comprising a recording layer to which a data format of the recordable optical disc is applied, on the recording layer, to verify playback operations of said optical disc apparatus, data is recorded by using a data structure in which:

• (i) a recording management zone (RMZ) for recording information for management of a recording condition (RMD) is set in each of a data lead-in region, a border region located at a session delimiting position, and a user data region in which user data is recorded;
• said management information (RMD) is updated in accordance with a record of the user data and recorded in recording management zones (lead-in recording management zone (L-RMZ), border-recording management zone (B-RMZ), and user-recording management zone (U-RMZ)) which are set in said data lead-in region, said border region, and said user data region, and
• information which identifies a position of said last updated management information (RMD) is recorded in a corresponding zone in said data lead-in region;
• (ii) a test zone in which trial writing is performed in setting of recording laser power is separately extended and set besides a zone generally set at an initial stage of recording, and
• information indicating that said test zone has been extended is contained at least in said last updated management information (RMD);
• and
• (iii) next to the last user data recording position, an unrecorded region is left unused.

A drive verification method for verifying operations of an optical disc apparatus for a recordable optical disc by using a test disc, wherein in said test disc:

• a recording management zone (RMZ) for recording information for management of a recording condition (RMD) is set in each of a data lead-in region, a border region located at a session delimiting position, and a user data region in which user data is recorded;
• said management information (RMD) is updated in accordance with a record of the user data and recorded in recording management zones (lead-in recording management zone (L-RMZ), border-recording management zone (B-RMZ), and user-recording management zone (U-RMZ)) which are set in said data lead-in region, said border region, and said user data region while keeping linkage between the pre-update management information (RMD) and the post-update management information (RMD);
• and
• information which identifies a position of said last updated management information (RMD) is recorded in a corresponding zone in said data lead-in region, and
• the device verification method comprises a step that the playback operations of the optical disc apparatus being verification target are verified by determining whether the optical disc apparatus can appropriately play back the latest management information (RMD) from the test disc.