New to the dvd rw -/+

[PottaCoola]

Ok i just ordered a lighton dvd re-wrighter DVD±R/±RW 8x for £60 and was wondering what all the -/+ was all about, i know there diffrent media and a dvd rw- wont burn a dvd rw+ cd and viser versor but i got a dvd -/+ so i can do both. I see the + dvds seem to cost more to and thats all i know.
can anyone help me with this topic thanks?

[Sophisticated]

www.howstuffworks.com might have something

[MisterEd]

Ok i just ordered a lighton dvd re-wrighter DVD±R/±RW 8x for £60 and was wondering what all the -/+ was all about, i know there diffrent media and a dvd rw- wont burn a dvd rw+ cd and viser versor but i got a dvd -/+ so i can do both. I see the + dvds seem to cost more to and thats all i know. can anyone help me with this topic thanks?
It came about because of disagreement among manufacturers that caused some to come up with their own format that ended up being called +. For a while there were burners that would do just -R and -RW and others that would do just +R and +RW. Within the last year they started making burners that could do both + and -. Technically the + and - formats are not that much different. For consumers it is just an anoyance. A few years ago more DVD players could read the - format than the + format. I am not sure if that still hold true.

[wquiles]

Good point about the home players. My home DVD players line up with the "averages" in which they like DVD-R's more often than DVD+R's, so I am staying with the "-" variety for now :)

A tip is to try (and what I did myself) is to go and buy a few of each type. Make a backup of your own movies (or create DVD's with your own content) and try burning them on the "+" and "-" types of DVD. Try to play them in every home DVD player you have access to (yours, your friends, family, etc.). The type that works best (or that plays at all) is the one you should buy more off.

Also, newer drives/software allow you to write a "compatibility bit" on the DVD's which makes it more likely that they will play on home DVD players. Read your hardware/software manuals carefully to see if this is supported for you.

[PottaCoola]

Thanks man, that site didnt help much thanks for tryin anyway, and testing both dvd -/+rw is a good idea but i would still like to know what the diffrence is :D

[MisterEd]

Thanks man, that site didnt help much thanks for tryin anyway, and testing both dvd -/+rw is a good idea but i would still like to know what the diffrence is :D
I have not seen the actual specification for each published but it would probably be a dry read anyways.
DVD-R was developed by Pioneer. It was approve by a group called the DVD Forum. Since the standard involved patents by Pioneer some manufactures decided they did want to pay all the royalties involved if they produced DVD writers using that format. That is why they got together and created the DVD+R format. It is nothing more than that.

Usually the marketplace decides that one format or the other will survive like what happend with Beta and VHS. This time both fomats have survived. With dual-layer DVDs and other formats on the horizon who knows how many other formats we will have to contend with.

[PottaCoola]

thanks, im thinkin dvd - r is for standered dvd players for tvs and so on and dvd + r is for the pcs and consol games? (what game makers use for there games btw)

[PottaCoola]

Haha i just seen how to burn a dvd forum and it tells ya what the diffrence is in there lol if only i had looked in there first :D