+R/RW for data & note video?

[wetcamelfood]

This will prove I'm a REAL newbie (blush) but someone told me when considering which disc format I should use for my video collection that they "recommend using DVD-R/RW" because, according to them, "DVD+R/RW are used for data and DVD-R/RW is used for videos".

Is this right? I haven't made many discs yet and I've only gone with +R/RW's so far because my equipment seems to react less finicky with the pluses than it does with the minus compatibility wise (even though all my readers and writers docs state that they use plus & minus R/RW's), but the videos I've saved on pluses seem fine to me, though I'm not a high def kinda guy so maybe for that is what they meant?

Anyways, thought I'd bounce it off you here to see if this theory is true or not since I couldn't find any writeups about this in the "DVD Media" section of the VideoHelp site.

Thanks in advance for the replies.

[Cornucopia]

Either can be used for either. End of story.

Scott

[Noahtuck]

according to them, "DVD+R/RW are used for data and DVD-R/RW is used for videos".

"Them" are completely clueless 8)

[jman98]

It's a LONG story and I don't feel like going into the details (and it might just confuse you), but your "friend" may be seriously confused about how years ago DVD-R (and only that format) used to have 2 different types of discs for sale.
Your friend is so wrong on this that I would advise you to not listen to this person when it comes to video matters.

[wetcamelfood]

OK thanks.

[lordsmurf]

Not so fast, guys....

The RW Alliance attuned their disc types for data, while the DVD Forum attuned their media for video.

DVD+R and DVD+RW was originally built with data in mind.
DVD-R and DVD-RW was originally built with video in mind.

That is not to say that both cannot be used interchangeably, but the compatibility ratings of how each performs in a DVD-Video player devices is proof of this. It is no coincidence that DVD+R/DVD+RW works less often than a DVD-R/DVD-RW in the same machine.

There is a reason professional duplication only uses DVD-R (when not pressed), and why DVD-RW based home recorders receive less complaints than DVD+RW based home recorders -- even in cases where people fail to understand the concept of finalization.

We all know that you can use both for both, but one is clearly a tiny bit better, at least for video needs. Inversely, there is a high preference for DVD+R being used for data, based on the sole fact that user data often shows better scan data from DVD+R even from the same manufacturer. Data, which is read bit-for-bit, is less forgiving to errors than a player that will simply "glitch over" a bad spot in many cases.

It's minimal these days, but it does hold some truth.