What is the difference between DVD-RW and DVD+RW?

[raf1]

Looking at new HP 200i and Pioneer A04 burners. Want to make sure that I know what the heck I am buying. Appreciate any comments.

Thanks,

raf

[AntnyMD]

I cant speak to technical specifications, but one of the first differences I saw between minusRW and plusRW was price of media. Yikes! plusRW media prices amount to extortion! Also, you're more likely to find compatibility in newer settop DVD players with minusRW media than with plusRW.

I bought five pieces of no-name minusRW media and was disappointed to learn they work in none of my three DVD players.

Can anyone recommend minusRW media for a JVC settop player?

[Scooby111]

Some things to remember right now about DVD burning. It's still in it's infancy, but the hardware is getting better with each new point release...

There are two major camps on DVD burning hardware.

First there's Pioneer, Compaq, Sony(Some),Apple, and a couple others that are supporting the DVD-RW and DVD-R standard. Notice the "-"(minus) sign it's important.

Second there's everyone else...HP, Microsoft, Dell, Sony(Some) that are supporting a different standard called DVD+RW and DVD+R. Notice the "+"(Plus) sign.

These are completely different standards and are not compatible.
Truth is no one knows yet which will be dominant but my guess is the + standard becuase microsoft is forcing it down your throat.
Personally, right now I like the "-" standard better as it's made for digital movie production, where-as the "+" standard is more for data backup which is what MS thinks you'll want to use it for....

Be careful when buying right now as the "+" DVD writers only work with DVD+RW disks. THere are NO DVD+R writers on the market yet

Correction: HP has now released the DVD200i for recording +R/RW and it costs approx $399......

Of the DVD-RW writers the best on the market is the Pioneer-A04/104
The A04 is the retail version and the 104 is the white box OEM version. This unit will write both DVD-RW and DVD-R disks.

Also, as far as price goes,
DVD-RW Burners ($320-$2499)The pioneer A04 is available for under $350 if you look hard enough:
Media:
High Price = Quality in most cases
The best media is also made by Pioneer but you'll pay for it.
Avg High-End DVD-RW disk: $20.00/each(Pioneer brand)
Avg High-End DVD-R disk: $10.00/each

Avg Medium DVD-RW disk: $15.00/each (Memorex)
Avg Medium DVD-R disk: $7.00/each

Low Price DVD-RW disk: $6.95/each (misc brands)
Low Price DVD-R disk: $2.50/each

DVD+RW($299-$400)Popular model HP-DVD1000i:
Media:
High End DVD+RW: $15.00/each(Sony)
Medium DVD+RW: $8.00/each(Memorex)
Low DVD+RW: $2.50/each(misc brands)
Remember there is no DVD+R media or burners at this time.


Remember right now there IS A HUGE discrepancy in media quality. In a year or so that will go away in most cases...Right now you get what you pay for.

[shardison]

Be careful when buying right now as the "+" DVD writers only work with DVD+RW disks. THere are NO DVD+R writers on the market yet(Update: there is now a settop recorder for DVD+R. It runs about $1200).

Where have you been?
http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/product_detail/product_de...me=product.cgi

Perhaps you can't trade data discs back and forth between the formats; as you pointed out that's a low priority. Video is the thing. But once a video DVD is completed by either device type, the difference between +R and -R no longer exists. Don't bother worring about compatibily issues, they both work fine in many old and most new DVD players. If you know that one type or another work in your and your friends current DVD players, then by all means buy that type burner. Both types make video DVD's just fine. I'm really sick of the +/- debate. There really isn't one.

[Scooby111]

Shardison, the debate is a real issue. The hardware manufacturers will soon ally one way or the other, not both. This is a another Beta/VHS issue unless they can come to some sort of an agreement.

I don't want to be on the short end of the stick a year from now if all new DVD players won't play DVD-R/RW disks. If that is the case I've just wasted $300.

My hope is that the manufacturers will support both, but past history points to them choosing one or the other.

As far as my cost statement about the DVD+R recorder, I stand corrected, and I thank you for that, but the 200i was released to correct the problems HP had with consumers thinking their 100i's would burn DVD+R's and the DVD200i was just released.

Just my 2 cents....

[shardison]

No, really. It doesn't matter. Whether or not your video DVD plays in any certain DVD player is a matter of disc reflectivity and the player's sensitivity to it, not the way it is burned by + or -R. Both formats can write "R" discs that will play more or less equally in DVD players. I won't debate percentages of compatibiltity, it's a waste of time...

Do all DVD players play SVCD? No. Do all DVD players play VCD? No. Do all players even play the latest commercial DVDs? NO.

There will ALWAYS be some DVD player somewhere that won't play something. There is even a great deal of debate over media brands that play, don't play, play poorly, etc.

It is NOT a Beta/VHS issue. When the video DVD disc is burned by either competing format, it (most of the time) plays in a DVD player. If it were a Beta/VHS issue, then there would be 2 types of DVD players, one that read +R and one that read -R. But that's not the case. The next generation of DVD players are NOT going to suddenly reject +R or -R burned media.

[kabanero]

Hi guys,

Check out this web site:

http://www.dvdplusrw.org/pc/pccomparison.html

[MOVIEGEEK]

After reading kabanero's article and others and the fact that DVD+R is more compatible with players,I'm sold on DVD+R.

[invisibler]

MOVIEGEEK & kabanero -
you have to be aware of your sources...I'm not saying -R or +R is better, I'm just saying that www.dvdplusrw.org is generally considered a DVD+R/W propaganda site...just look at the domain name...don't you think that www.sony.com is going to list alot of reasons why Sony products are better than their competitors?

[RAAGAAman]

I have personally tried -R and +R and the Compatibility is the same. For the Money, DVD-R is the way to go. Also, remember the DVD Forum supports DVD-R/RW so you will not see support for these formats dropped from DVD players. I cannot say the same thing for DVD+RW.

RG

[TheInformer]

kabanero:

Hi guys,
Check out this web site:
http://www.dvdplusrw.org/pc/pccomparison.html

Not to give you a hard time kabanero, but going to that site to read a comparison between the - and + format would be like going to www.microsoft.com to read their comparisons between the X-Box and the PS2.

[shardison]

Also, remember the DVD Forum supports DVD-R/RW so you will not see support for these formats dropped from DVD players. I cannot say the same thing for DVD+RW.

Why do people think that +R(W) or -R(W) are "supported" formats for DVD players? The only "supported format" is the DVD format.

+R(W) and -R(W) are just methods for writing video data to a DVD disc so that the DVD player is convinced that it is reading a commercial disc. That ability will only be improved with time... just like early CD drives had trouble with CDR(W).