Help with +R, -R formats and media - confused newbie

[steveg99]

Hi, Can anyone help a confused newbie on this:

I have just bought a Liteon 5006 DVD recorder, basically to copy a lot of old VCR stuff to DVD because it is a dual format DVD recorder. The spec gives the impression that it records in both –R (&-RW) and +R (&+RW) formats. However when I actually got the manual I found that whilst it can use both media it actually records (it says) in DVD+VR Mode.

As I only have –R blanks I tried a test & it seems to work fine, and the resultant DVD plays in my DVD player, and in my PC using Windows Media Player (though Cyberlink’s PowerDVD doesn’t play it). I have copied the disc from the Sony DVD-ROM DDU1612 to the Pioneer DVDRW DVR105 (in the PC), again using a –R blank, and using Nero Burning program. And again all seems to be OK. I need to do this as I want a spare copy of the DVD before I get rid of the old video tape.

So questions are:
1. What is going on (is it actually writing +R format on –R disc?)
2. Is the DVD copying on the PC changing from +R to –R format?
3. Would I be better using +R discs in the Liteon and –R in the Pioneer drive?
4. What is the relationship between –R/+R media and –R/+R formats that are written on them?
5. Am I just lucky that this works, or is this all OK?
6. Am I totally misunderstanding this?

I’ve tried to find answers in the forum, and elsewhere on the web but I can’t anything that helps me understand this.

[Captain315]

1. What is going on (is it actually writing +R format on –R disc?)
2. Is the DVD copying on the PC changing from +R to –R format?
3. Would I be better using +R discs in the Liteon and –R in the Pioneer drive?
4. What is the relationship between –R/+R media and –R/+R formats that are written on them?
5. Am I just lucky that this works, or is this all OK?
6. Am I totally misunderstanding this?

I’ve tried to find answers in the forum, and elsewhere on the web but I can’t anything that helps me understand this.

1. It writes in the format that your blanks are automatically.
2. No
3. Check the media forum but -r is more universally playable than +r unless you do a "bitset" to make the +r a DVD-ROM disk. This may be a little confusing but you will soon understand.
4. Just different ways of doing the same thing. +R is supposed to be technically superior to -r but is not as compatible with players as the -r is unless you do the bitsetting as mentioned in question 3.
5. All is OK
6. No, just learning like all of us did.

Good luck!

[Nilfennasion]

Short story: if your player can support it, move to +R as quickly as possible. -R is a stopgap supported by the DVD Consortium, whose idea of consumer choice is "the consumer is free to choose whatever we give them". If bitsetting is necessary, bitset the +R discs. You'll be thankful you did this in years to come.

Long story: -R might be more compatible, but this advantage is fading fast because more and more players are coming out in support of both. The people who make players, with some notable exceptions like Toshiba (who claim they founded the DVD Consortium, surprise surprise), are aware that the more choice they give the consumer, the more likely the consumer is to choose them. It has reached the stage here where I will burn only to DVD-R if I am sending the disc to someone who absolutely cannot play back DVD+R. And even then, I encourage them to expand their ability to do so.

[steve2713]

Someone will be bashing you for saying all of that Nilfennasion, and I know who it will be. Get ready for it There's someone that will ridicule you for your comments, they are pro -R. Just letting you know ahead of time.

[Nilfennasion]

Well, Steve, I am all too happy to let the pro -R camp have their say. Apparently, they lack that same courage. Maybe I should put it a bit differently, in that my experiences with +R have been overwhelmingly happier than those with -R, but I have also had a lot of face time with the people who support both formats. In person, I have found the Australian branch of the -R camp especially to be a mob of anti-choice jerks. Funny, that.

[steve2713]

Hopefully you didn't misunderstand, I'm not questioning your comments at all, not personally. I prefer +R myself, although I use almost equal amounts of both formats.

[Nilfennasion]

Not at all anymore. Some clarification of my comment was in order, anyway.

I have recently found that of the players I know that could not play back +R, bitsetting took care of one. So every day brings me that little bit closer to doing away with -R. Especially given that my DVD burner can only bitset +R and +R DL.

[Marvingj]

The War will start pretty soon, again what is the best - or the +? Oh Boy!

[Nilfennasion]

I think by now we've all learned the proper answer is "who gives a toss?". Both formats keep the makers of the other on their toes, which is ideal as far as I am concerned.

[blinky88]

I have just purchased the Pioneer 108D and have the Piodata 1.08 F/w installed which auto changes the +R format to DVD ROM. Since commercial DVD's are that format and play in all DVD players regardless of the age of the player, my future buys will be +R media.

Seems to me, the DVD ROM format is a BIG bonus and there does look like there are less fake blanks in the +R format.