DVD+R..DVD-R - what's the difference?

[camioneur]

jusy want to know which to buy and why?

[dodamaksoud]

dvd + r means it's a rewritable dvd which means you can record over things you have already recorded on the disk itself however dvd-r is a once only use. hope this helps dodamaksoud xx

[camioneur]

thanks but even I know that neither of them are re-recordable, you'll need a DVD RW for that surely

[icemaiden]

I don't think there is a difference. Just the way it is shown on the makers box. Your right, RW are re-writable, can be recorded on more than once.

[newquizzer]

There are separate DVD+ and DVD- formats and each has R and RW options.

If you just want to play DVD's rather than record onto them, then it does not matter, virtually all DVD players play both types.

If you want to record just for your own use, again it does not matter as you are recording and playing back on the same machine/format. If you record onto + or - R discs others can play them but if you use RW then only compatable DVD's can play them. Some DVD recorders cater for both formats but these are more expensive.

There is probably not a lot of difference in the two formats. DVD+ seems to be becoming more popular.

[surfer mike]

http://www.dvdrecorderworld.com/articles/choosing_a_dvd_recorder.php

[spaced]

in a nutshell - DVD-R or DVD-RW are compatible in more DVD players than DVD+R or DVD+RW.

[spaced]

what dodamakasound said is completely incorrect. He/she is think of Recordable and ReWritable CD/DVDs

[PhilBy]

- or + is the media!

Are you sitting comfortable, then I shall begin:

DVD-R and DVD-RW

DVD-R and DVD-RW are both sanctioned formats of the DVD Forum, a consortium of companies involved in the development of DVD standards. Both formats generally use 4.7 GB discs.
DVD-R is a write-once recordable format which allows excellent compatibility with both standalone DVD players and DVD-ROM drives.

DVD-RW media uses rewriteable discs which are rated for more than 1000 rewrites in ideal situations. The majority of standalone DVD players will play video recorded on DVD-RW discs, but the compatibility is not as high as with DVD-R.

Current DVD-RW recorders also record to DVD-R. However, the reverse is not always true. Some of the older DVD-R recorders are not capable of writing to DVD-RW discs (although some may be able to read DVD-RW discs burned with other drives).

+R and +RW
These two formats are backed by the DVD+RW Alliance. While these formats are not sanctioned by the DVD Forum, several members of the DVD+RW Alliance are also members of the DVD Forum. Technically, �DVD� is not to be used in the names for these formats, since they are not approved by the DVD Forum. However, in reality, these discs are very similar to DVD-R and DVD-RW in design, usage, and compatibility.

+RW, like DVD-RW, is a rewriteable 4.7 GB format, and overall it has similar functionality to DVD-RW. One potential future advantage of the +RW format is the optional Mount Rainier drag-and-drop file access support (also known as +MRW) planned for future versions of Windows. However, current drives do not support Mount Rainier on +RW. The level of compatibility of +RW discs in standalone DVD players is similar to that of DVD-RW. The rewritability of +RW is also said to be similar to that of DVD-RW