DVD Burner HELP! +/- oh my

[Overclocker456]

I'm so confused... they had to make it so complex. I just got a Dell 300m and it came with a DVD+RW. Here are my questions..


What is the difference between +/-?

Am I limited to only one thing with my DVD+RW, What can't I do with it?

Will the DVD+R's I burn work in made for TV DVD players?

Will DVD-R media work in my DVD+RW.

thanks..

[shiyan]

hmmm... lemme dig up a few threads for you...

but before I do that, lemme just say that you won't have many problems as most of today's standalone DVD players can play either + or - format DVDs.

you won't be able to burn DVD - R, DVD - RW, and DVD RAM.

You will be able to burn DVD + R, DVD + RW.

+ is the technically slightly better format from the design point of view.

edit:

found it! Difference Between DVD-RW and DVD+RW (http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=240501&highlight=format)

[Overclocker456]

Thanks for the link.. you da man.

[Damage.Inc]

And one other advantage of DVD+R is that in a few weeks philips (one of the founders of both dvd and cd tech) are going to release duel layer dvd+r media, so you will be able to burn 9.4G per disk :)

One trick for DVD+R compatability is the "bit trick", you need to tell your burning software to set it to DVD ROM not DVD +R

EDIT

just found that pioneer are going the same way, so it still comes down to how do you like your disks, cheap? or safe? :)

[shiyan]

Originally posted by shiyan actually, both consortiums have recently presented dual layer writeable DVDs, for 8.5GB of data, within days of each other.

http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=236438

actual products should be available some time in 2004.

Originally posted by shiyan
Philips has just announced a dual layer, 8.5GB DVD+R, which will probably be available next year!

check it out http://www.research.philips.com/InformationCenter/Global/FNewPressRelease.asp?lArticleId=2822&lNodeId=13',%20550,450);



Originally posted by shiyan
cool! It looks like Pioneer is responding to Philips, and announced a dual layer, 8.5GB, DVD-R!

http://www.pioneer.co.jp/press/release125.html

the format war goes on!

[vejita-sama]

Yeah the DVD-9 burners are still vaporware right now, so I wouldn't make my choice based on that. You'll need to buy a new burner and new media anyway so it doesn't matter.

You're Dell comes witha +R, but most of the new burners are dual format (-/+) so it doesn't matter as much as it use to.

Until the DVD-9 burners show up there are ton of ways to backup a DVD-9 movie to a singe DVDR disc, or you can always just spilt it onto two DVDR discs.

[shiyan]

I hope for all the present DVD burner owners' sake, that dual layer DVDs can be burned after they do a firmware update on their drives.

this probably won't be the case though

[Overclocker456]

not to mention how much they will cost..