Patent attributes
A recording power determining method comprises writing data consecutively into a plurality of test blocks of an optical disc while changing recording power in such a manner that the arrangement of recording power values is distributed over the arrangement of the test blocks, reproducing the information recorded in the test blocks written into consecutively, determining an asymmetry value for each of the recording power values on the basis of the information in each of the test blocks reproduced, determining an approximation characteristic of the asymmetry value for a recording power on the basis of the asymmetry value for each of the recording power values, and determining a recording power for realizing a specific target value of the asymmetry value from the obtained approximation characteristic.