DVD-R vs DVD+R

[helen]

What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R? (This would be the disc and/or the drive).

[Konaguy]

Re: DVD-R vs DVD+R

What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R? (This would be the disc and/or the drive).

http://www.videohelp.com/dvd

DVD stands for Digital Versatile/Video Disc, DVDR stands for DVD Recordable and DVDRW for DVD ReWriteable. If you're familiar with regular audio/music CDs or regular DVD-Video discs, then you will know what a recordable DVD looks like. A recordable DVD stores up to 2 hours of very good quality DVD-Video, including several audio tracks in formats like stereo, Dolby Digital or DTS and also advanced menu systems, subtitles and still pictures that can be played by many standalone DVD Players and most computer DVD-ROMs. If you choose to lower the video quality it is possible to store several hours video on a recordable DVD using low bitrates and low resolution with video quality more like VHS, SVHS, SVCD, CVD or VCD. It is also possible to have up to 4.37* GB ordinary data or mix DVD-Video and data on a recordable DVD that can be played by most computer DVD-ROMs.

There are three competing DVD Recording standards, DVD-R/DVD-RW and DVD+R/DVD+RW have pretty similiar features and are compatible with many standalone DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs while DVD-RAM has less DVD Player and DVD-ROM compatibility but better recording features.

DVD-R and DVD-RW
DVD-R was the first DVD recording format released that was compatible with standalone DVD Players.
DVD-R is a non-rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 93% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD-RW is a rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 80% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD-R and DVD-RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-5) and double sided 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10).
These formats are supported by DVDForum.

DVD+R and DVD+RW
DVD+R is a non-rewritable format and it is compatible with about 89% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD+RW is a rewritable format and is compatible with about 79% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD+R and DVD+RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-5) and double side 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10).
These formats are supported by the DVD+RW Alliance.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: DVD-R vs DVD+R

In other words Helen, one stay plus and the other stay minus. Most of today's DVD burners can burn either format +/- and because of that data written one way can be viewed on these dual format dvd drives including some of today's home dvd players.

I was told about a year ago that if you had to choose one format over another, to choose (-) because of it's wider acceptance. Now however I'm seeing an embracing of both formats. Which is better? I'll leave that up to the experts on this board. For me I'm okay with CD-ROM and can wait until Blue-Ray technology comes down in price and makes it availability here in the US. Blue-Ray is to DVD as DVD was to...hmmm the 1.44Mb floppy (I was going to say CD but that wouldn't be a fair comparison)