did i buy the wrong format

[unstuck2]

Hi guys, I bought a Verbatim DVD+RW because of a good deal after rebates, and have been busy converting old movies to DVD+R disks.
SO far so good, things are burning ok and my Apex AD660 plays them. What's more even taking the disks to circuit city, most of the new players semed to play them (no TV attached to the players, but no error messages )
Anyway, here's the thing. Now that I'm running out of the first batch of DVD+R disks, I've started looking for and pricing DVD+Rs online. I was shocked that most of the searches returned DVD-R items. Is the +R format the less common/popular of the two?
In 5+ years will all my hard work be wasted and the disks be obsolete?
Finally, where do you guys get DVD+R media for <$1 each?
thanks.

[AndThenSome]

You have no idea what youre opening up with this thread! People on here take the format wars very seriously...there may even be blood shed.

[unstuck2]

oh no!

[cplevel42]

Both formats are now supported by Microsoft, but only one is supported by the DVD forum. Guess which one? Yep DVD-R! DVD-R is currenty cheaper, more available (online), and more compatable with older and newer DVD players. Let the wars begin! Or Not!

[Bob W]

Nothing wrong with the format you have other than what you have already discovered that it costs more.

[burnmaster2003]

All that really maters is that your burned DVDs play on your home player and in retail store players. Your burning technique must be good when they play on many stand alone players. There are many good arguments for the "+" and "-" formats. The important thing is that your DVDs play and since the war of words over the formats has been going on for some time now, there really isn't a "wrong" type of burner. If your happy with your burner, stop worrying and enjoy it. The only thing I will say about the different formats, is that Microsoft has adopted the "+" format for their endevers, if this means anything.

[FulciLives]

You have no idea what youre opening up with this thread! People on here take the format wars very seriously...there may even be blood shed.

Shall we begin then?

I like the DVD-R format for MANY reasons I don't even feel like getting into for the bazillith time but in the end it will make very little difference if you use DVD-R or DVD+R because right now the compatibility of both is nearly on par.

Yes the DVD-R format was and still is more compatible. Many older models of DVD players can handle DVD-R but not DVD+R. But most if not all current new models can play DVD+R and as time goes on and people replace older players with newer players I suspect that we will get to the point that both are equally compatible.

But overall DVD-R is where it's at if you ask me
Especially when it comes to stand alone DVD recorders (like thos made by PANASONIC). They use DVD-R and DVD-RAM and DVD-RAM is just a SUPER format and although DVD+RW attempts to mimic DVD-RAM it just can't cut it.

OK I said my peace.

Let the ware flame on !!!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I still say the DVD+ products are bastard children but DVD+ people never seem to want to care or hear that they got ZAPPED by the marketing crapola of scruplious Corporate Bigwigs.

[Jayhawk]

You will get a huge number of folks that will argue the merits of both formats (endlessly). -R was out first and most members of these forums are early adopters so you tend to get a -R bias.

My recorder can record both but I have settled on +R. I have yet to see media at the $1 mark but doubt that I would buy it as it is sure to be of suspect quality. I buy Verbatim mostly and pay $1.50 in quantities of 15, 30, or 100. Occasionaly a rebate comes along and I can get the unit cost down to $1.30. Never a failure with Verbatim.

I buy mostly from Best Buy or MicroCenter but have scored a couple rebate deals at Office Depot and Office Max. Meritline.com is currently selling Verbatim +R for $1.79.

I wouldn't worry about which format will fold first. The players coming out now play both and it really doesn't cost anymore to build in the dual functionality (it's just firmware code).

Hope this helps.

[unstuck2]

geez. you're nto kidding there's a lot of passion about this.
I guess I'm glad the formats are "on par" for now.
I am disappointed that the-R media is cheaper and more easily found.
Where do you guys get the +R media from?
thanks

[version20]

I'm not sure about online purchases but I can walk into BestBuy or Fry's and buy a 50 pack of Verbatim or Fuji DVD+R for the same price as any spindle of DVD-R, the only time price difference has been an issue is when the DVD+R's were 4x which made them nominally more expensive than the DVD-R's.

I have the Sony dual format burner and my stand alone plays all four formats +-/r/rw so I have no reason to care one way or another. I have burnt probably somewhere near 200 dvd's, around 180 of them have been +R just because pricing/brand options for me have been better on the +R side so far. I am not willing to risk a bad burn by saving .05 per disc so I buy only high quality discs and I have yet to make a single coaster ever.

You have already stated that your stand alone can play the format you burn so that is the bottom line - your choice was as good as any.

-v20

[txpharoah]

The +R discs are more expensive because they can charge more, and because the -R sells way more discs. You're buying a consumer format, and as with all things consumer, you pay more. That's the cold, hard truth right now. And until business pick up the +R format (unlikely due to DVD-Video compatibility issues) it won't change much.

You can either buy Ritek +R in bulk (not much choice in brands as there is with DVD-R), or you can buy what you see in Best Buy or your other favorite consumer electronics store.

There just isn't a demand for bulk +R or cheaper prices. For that, you'd need to go DVD-R and take the buying habits of a business rather than an individual (wholesale, online, bulk, and NOT walking into a store to buy things).

[AndThenSome]

It's simple capitalism really. We pay more for the "plus" version of anything marketable...whether its software, women's clothes, or tampons. Since I am not a fat cross-dresser and I already have TMPGenc+, I wont need the plus-size tampons after finishing this post.

[version20]

Besides online cheapo bulk brands, DVD+R discs can be found in spindles for as cheap as DVD-R if you dont mind burning at slower speeds. Try using the phrase "thats my cold hard OPINION" instead, sir.

How you can say there is no demand for +R in bulk or cheaper prices is beyond me but they say ignorance is bliss.

As far as choosing the right format , I posted this in another thread but think its worth a read:

I have sold more than 80 dvd's on ebay to buyers worldwide. All of them have been on +R discs. Of all of these dvd's I have had exactly 2 people ask if I could reauthor the disc to -R for them (which I can, and did).

If you understand statistics at all, you will realise that the whole "-R is n% more compatible than +R" may be true in theory, but is irrelevent.

The reason is, although DVD players have been around for years now, they have only become widely accepted by consumers within the past 2 years at most. DVD-R compatibility on players before that is nifty, but unimportant because you are essentially looking at a very small portion of DVD players actually in homes.

That is, the number of brand X dvd players that can play DVD-R that sold in the year 2000, would be completely dwarfed by the number of brand Y players released in 2001 that would most likely play both formats, simply because of the tremendous growth in consumer acceptance of the DVD format over the course of that year (not to mention brand X would likely have a new 2001 model which supports both formats as well).

So yes, in a lab setting consisting of one each of every DVD player ever made there might be 7% more players capable of DVD-R than of DVD+R in that lab, but in the real world you might find within a given population that 10 people own that brand X year 2000 model, while 5000 own the brand X or Y year 2001 model.

-v20

[vance43211]

version20 quote

I have sold more than 80 dvd's on ebay to buyers worldwide. All of them have been on +R discs. Of all of these dvd's I have had exactly 2 people ask if I could reauthor the disc to -R for them (which I can, and did).

If you understand statistics at all, you will realise that the whole "-R is n% more compatible than +R" may be true in theory, but is irrelevent.

The reason is, although DVD players have been around for years now, they have only become widely accepted by consumers within the past 2 years at most. DVD-R compatibility on players before that is nifty, but unimportant because you are essentially looking at a very small portion of DVD players actually in homes.

That is, the number of brand X dvd players that can play DVD-R that sold in the year 2000, would be completely dwarfed by the number of brand Y players released in 2001 that would most likely play both formats, simply because of the tremendous growth in consumer acceptance of the DVD format over the course of that year (not to mention brand X would likely have a new 2001 model which supports both formats as well).

So yes, in a lab setting consisting of one each of every DVD player ever made there might be 7% more players capable of DVD-R than of DVD+R in that lab, but in the real world you might find within a given population that 10 people own that brand X year 2000 model, while 5000 own the brand X or Y year 2001 model.

watch how many people ignore this

i'm done with this

[txpharoah]

I have sold more than 80 dvd's on ebay to buyers worldwide. All of them have been on +R discs.

watch how many people ignore this - i'm done with this

Wow. 80 whole discs. He/she must feel special. I've easily had 80,000 or more pass out of my home and office. The -R vs +R compatibility is a real-world consideration. And even players that ship today have problems with non-ROM (pressed-disc) formats.

Ignore may not be the right way to put it. Maybe reading it then laughing would be more appropriate.

[vance43211]

that's exactly what i meant

let's try this again

version20 quote

If you understand statistics at all, you will realise that the whole "-R is n% more compatible than +R" may be true in theory, but is irrelevent.

The reason is, although DVD players have been around for years now, they have only become widely accepted by consumers within the past 2 years at most. DVD-R compatibility on players before that is nifty, but unimportant because you are essentially looking at a very small portion of DVD players actually in homes.

That is, the number of brand X dvd players that can play DVD-R that sold in the year 2000, would be completely dwarfed by the number of brand Y players released in 2001 that would most likely play both formats, simply because of the tremendous growth in consumer acceptance of the DVD format over the course of that year (not to mention brand X would likely have a new 2001 model which supports both formats as well).

So yes, in a lab setting consisting of one each of every DVD player ever made there might be 7% more players capable of DVD-R than of DVD+R in that lab, but in the real world you might find within a given population that 10 people own that brand X year 2000 model, while 5000 own the brand X or Y year 2001 model.

get stuck off the past

this is the future

what might have been true last year

isn't necessary so now

[The village idiot]

Ouch! I just got a paper cut And it's bleeding Damn you people and your format wars. And I was an innocent bystander too

[version20]

I have sold more than 80 dvd's on ebay to buyers worldwide. All of them have been on +R discs.

watch how many people ignore this - i'm done with this

Wow. 80 whole discs. He/she must feel special. I've easily had 80,000 or more pass out of my home and office. The -R vs +R compatibility is a real-world consideration. And even players that ship today have problems with non-ROM (pressed-disc) formats.

Ignore may not be the right way to put it. Maybe reading it then laughing would be more appropriate.

You are a chimp arent you. That can be the only explanation for your ignorance.

Incidentally, if you read any of my other posts, you will see that I am not particularly in favor of either format. I just want to spread the fact to new users that they have no reason to be concerned with either decision in the current market, rather than keep kicking the dead horse arguments of yesteryear.

But then kicking horses is what texans do for fun isnt it?

-v20

[andkiich]

Actually, I'm surprise this has stayed civil for as long as it's been running.

[txpharoah]

But then kicking horses is what texans do for fun isnt it?

It's called "tipping cows". You get drunk, find a sleeping cow out in the field, run like hell, then knock it over. Great entertainment, at least when your blitzed. And it takes several people. I've seen kids break arms trying to do it on their own. It's been quite a few years since I've seen or heard of any cow-tipping going on around here.

Until DVD-Video compatibility changes, and you use your DVD drive for products that are not just for yourself, you need to stick to DVD-R. That's how it goes. There's at least a 10% difference, and for a business, that much is unacceptable. If you only use your drive for yourself, then do whatever you want.

[House de Kris]

I was at Fry's yesterday and saw a 25-spindle Fuji DVD-R being about $1.50 MORE expensive than a 25-spindle of Fuji DVD+R. If your criteria for format validation is price of media, doesn't sound like you made too big of a mistake.

[unstuck2]

geez guys I'm really sorry I asked!
where's the moderator? please delete this string and I swear I'll never ask anything like this again
Meanwhile.....Am I stuck with $2/ DVD+R or is there a good source out these somewhere?
thanks.

[vance43211]

dvd video = udf 1.05 = compatibility for both formats

now if it don't have the dvd video logo it's up in the air

all new dvd players are heading to dvd video

so compatibilty is becoming a moot issue

even though some people don't want to admit to that

they will swear by their format to the grave

[vance43211]

geez guys I'm really sorry I asked!
where's the moderator? please delete this string and I swear I'll never ask anything like this again
Meanwhile.....Am I stuck with $2/ DVD+R or is there a good source out these somewhere?
thanks.

i actually don't mind paying 15 to 25 cent more for dvd+r

i usually get them from microcenter 10 for 14.92 which include a $5.00 rebate

actually last week i got 100 for $129.00 from best buy


costs over $2 media never a concern to any body in the computer business.

most of these people are spending $100-$250 (some even more)a month on software and hardward

[txpharoah]

geez guys I'm really sorry I asked! where's the moderator? please delete this string and I swear I'll never ask anything like this again Meanwhile.....Am I stuck with $2/ DVD+R or is there a good source out these somewhere? thanks.

Just keep watching sales. $2 is about normal price. Maybe $1 or $1.50 on sale, but not often. I pay $1 to $4 per discs on DVD-R, depending on what I get (speed and brand).

Your format is fine. You won't notice any problems unless you distribute discs. As long as your player plays the discs, then no worries.

[version20]

As mentioned above, your format is also fine even if you DO plan to distribute discs. Unless you have managed to establish a 100% dvd-r only distribution list, like mr. texas must have, you will run into few or no issues. You know, there also exist people with players who can only play +R so the much touted 10% compatibility goes both ways.

I seriously wish people like txpharoah, or whoever is equivalent on the +R side is would stop perpetrating the falsehoods that one format is more compatible than the other.

-v20

[poopyhead]

gey, gey ... and guess what??? completely gey ... let's hope this isn't gonna be like that "is it legal" thread

anywayz, as quoted from https://www.videohelp.com/dvd

DVD-R is a non-rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 90% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.

DVD+R is a non-rewritable format and it is compatible with about 85% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.

whoop di do!!! a 5% difference....and that's most likely considering the older dvd players out there.... most current DVD players will either support both formats or none at all...

also, why not just make sure the dvd player you're about to buy is compatible with whichever format you're burning on?

keep in mind, i'm a DVD-R user....i paid more...much more for a DVD-R/W (~$160) vs. the current DVD+R/W deals for <$100....there seems to be no good deals lately on DVD-R/W drives....

however, the reason i paid more upfront for DVD-R/W burner is because the discs are cheaper....not by that much...maybe ($0.81/DVD-R vs. $1.50/DVD+R) however, if you burn nearly 100 of these/month, i.e. me, the price difference will add up in the long run.

as mentioned in another thread, DVD+R media will never be as cheap as DVD-R media because of royalties...them greedy bastards

so, in answer to unstuck2's question...you did not buy the wrong format....DVD+R will not go away anytime soon..in fact, in terms of spec, DVD+R has slightly better features than DVD-R....however, they are more expensive...so, in that case, you may have gotten the wrong format if you plan on burning alotta DVDs, i.e. me

[mkelley]

Hmmm -- fools rush in where angels fear...

Let me give the original poster some practical advice (others tried, but it seems to have gotten buried). +R media, even in bulk (well, 100 disk bulk) can be purchased at your local Best Buy for at least as cheap as -R and perhaps cheaper if you watch sales. Just recently, for example, TDK +R 4x was going for $1.50 a piece for 100.

My advice would be to watch your Sunday papers for the tech ads and the odds are very good you'll be able to get quality media for under $2 -- indeed, the odds that it will be +R are actually greater (since as others have pointed out, it's a media that's favored by consumers and therefore the local stores which cater to those types will stock). Don't buy if it ain't on sale (I recently got over 500 pieces by carefully watching the sales for a few weeks, and the highest I paid was $1.50 -- most averaged $1.30. And that's all within about 30 miles of the hickest capital in the U.S.).

Me, I'm glad both my burners (Sony and Pioneer) are dual format. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy anything else, but OTOH I wouldn't be worried if they did. Just make your disks and enjoy life.

[poopyhead]

Let me give the original poster some practical advice (others tried, but it seems to have gotten buried). +R media, even in bulk (well, 100 disk bulk) can be purchased at your local Best Buy for at least as cheap as -R and perhaps cheaper if you watch sales. Just recently, for example, TDK +R 4x was going for $1.50 a piece for 100.

cheapo DVD-R media (non-sale) goes for $81/100 pack after taxes. $0.81 vs. $1.50 makes a big difference if you burn alotta of them

(since as others have pointed out, it's a media that's favored by consumers and therefore the local stores which cater to those types will stock).

i wouldn't go as far as to say DVD+R is favored over DVD-R....DVD+R/W drives may have been selling more recently, but DVD-R/W drives started earlier and does have deeper market penetration...especially with much cheaper media

[txpharoah]

DVD-R is a non-rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 90% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD+R is a non-rewritable format and it is compatible with about 85% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.

whoop di do!!! a 5% difference....and that's most likely considering the older dvd players out there.... most current DVD players will either support both formats or none at all...

Couple things to consider:

1. People only buy VCRs, TVs, and DVD players a few times a decade, at most. Those are the stats. So people with "old" players still have years to go. Why do you think HDTV is not catching on faster?

2. This is technology. The compatibility list changes every day. But then again, this site is a NON-SCIENTIFIC poll, so it is actually quite a bit off. The difference is around 12% at the moment.

2. Going off the number I gave above, 80,000 DVD discs, if it were a mere 5% as you said, it means almost 4,000 of my discs wouldn't work if I opted to use +R over -R. That's not good. This is a business attitude here. Sorry.