DVD formats

[shotgun456]

What is the difference between DVD-R/-RW and DVD+R/+RW.

[RJ]

The DVD-R/-RW format was the first DVD format, developed by Pioneer.
The DVD+R/+RW format was introduced in late 2001 (DVD+RW) and early 2002 (DVD+R). It does everything that (-) does but has advantages for PC (Quick Format for packet writing, defect management, Mount Rainier, 4x speeds for both DVD+R and DVD+RW) and standalone video recorders.

DVD+R/+RW is the better format, see http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/113

Even Pioneer had to accept that fact and their newest burner, the A06, is a dualformat writer.

If you think that you want the (-) format too then go with a dualformat writer (they're more expensive, though). Otherwise, a (+) only will do fine.

Oh, and some (-) promoters will say about "DVD-R has higher compatiblity with standalone players". Don't believe that, it's not true. Compatibility of DVD-R and DVD+R are about the same (80 to 90%). If you like to see a few statistics about that look here: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60469

And some will also tell you about cheaper DVD-R. That is only partially true, as the cheap DVD-R can only be burned at 1x speed, and you will need an hour to burn it completely full. Faster rated DVD-R are not cheaper than equal rated DVD+R, so cheap means slow.

RJ

[Iman74]

Most importantly, DVD-R DVD's are cheaper.

[Xayd]

http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/113 is talking about RW disks, which are horribly expensive. I don't know anyone who buys RW disks versus single write disks personally, I only own one, the one that came with my drive. That article is slanted, it only concerns RW disks which few people use, except for data backup because of the price of the media.

- is more compatible with standalones for video by about 10% of the players out there right now. See the database of tested standalone DVD players at http://www.vcdhelp.com

All DVD and CD drives have some type of error correction or other means to ignore/overcome errors on disks, the only difference in DVD+ is it has a proprietary Philips chip in the drive to do it with, which your standalone will not have.

The numbers about standalone compatibility don't lie.

The organization that deals with DVD standards, who is responsible for the little DVD logo you see on movies signifying that the disk meets media standards required to play in any standalone player with the DVD logo on it, does not recognize either + format as DVD compliant.

If you want a DVD drive to write RW disks for data backup, get a + drive, it has more data writing options.

Why you inisist on trying to pass off + as a better format for video when it obviously is not, however, is beyond me.


Originally posted at http://www.vcdhelp.com
997 DVD Players support DVDPLUSR 85%
174 DVD Players do not support DVDPLUSR 15%
1171 DVD Players tested (1471 DVD Players are not tested).

1423 DVD Players support DVDR 90%
164 DVD Players do not support DVDR 10%
1587 DVD Players tested (1055 DVD Players are not tested).


Weight the above numbers to the same amount of pre-2000 tested players and you have a rough estimate of standalone compatibility.

[shotgun456]

Now i understand. Thanx everyone for your replies.

[RJ]

Well maybe it also depends on where you live.

A DVD+RW is far from being horribe expensive. A DVD-RAM, that is horrible expensive. And I use 4 DVD+RWs for testing purpose, I use them quite often.

And about the DVD Forum: I find that a real joke. How come that the approved media with the official logo has no 100% compatibility, and I mean 100% for both ?

And the statistic posted above is just unfair. With more players tested of course you can get a different percentage. For a real comparasion *all the same standalones must be used for both media *, otherwise the statistic is for the trash, and that one is as they have no (full) relation to the other, and I could do the same by saying: 20 players tested, 20 played DVD+R, 0 rejected DVD+R, compatibility of DVD+R with standalones: 100% :D

And I am saying that (+) is also for video the better format because I have a (+) burner and burned alot of DVD+R for many other people and no one ever had a problem. So I don't see that it is "obviously not", I see that it's true that DVD+R is the best format out there. It's my personal experience and actually that's all that matters to me to confirm that DVD+R is the best. Coz why should I think DVD-R was better if I experience it different with my owh DVD+R ?
Look at the statistics of Pioneer, the numbers are indeed different ;) Now it's only a question which one you want to believe. . .

RJ