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Only the new DVD+MRW format (note the M) has defect management.

That's not correct. DVD+RW has it, too. See this:
http://www.dvdplusrw.org/Article.asp?mid=0&sid=3&a id=12

This has more to do with set-top recorders than computer drives, in that you can add chapter marks whenever you want, split titles and hide selected chapters after the recording is done.

For example, with my Philips DVDR985, I recorded The Oblongs during "Adult Swim". Started the recording just before the opening sequence, paused during the commercials, then resumed recording to just past the end credits.

I return to the beginning of the recording and split the title right at the beginning of the opening sequence and delete the track containing the material preceding the opening sequence. I then fast-forward to the first commercial break, drop a chapter marker at the first commercial break, just as the program fades to the "black card", and another just before the program resumes. I go back to the chapter thus created and mark it as "hidden".

Upon playback, the deck now skips the chapter containing the black cards/commercials, and the program plays without interruption. By applying the "Make edits compatible" process in the edit menu, any DVD player that recognizes the disk will also observe the edits I made. With a -RW deck, the above could not be done due to limitations in the format as implemented by -RW set-top recorders.

Now, I suppose you could do the same with a hard disk-equipped deck, editing on the HD and spitting out the edited video on a -R disk (Panasonic's technique), but the decks thus equipped cost more.

This article was instrumental in getting me to pick a +RW deck over the others, since I would be doing a lot of editing of old VHS archives and unedited recordings as I converted them to disk.

As an aside, on the same site, learned later that the Sony dual-format decks omit some of the editing capabilities of +RW, supposedly to avoid confusing consumers unaware of the differences between the +RW and -RW formats.

As for compatibility, I know a friend's X-Box played my first +R disk, but without audio, my brother's PlayStation2 played the same disk without a hitch. I recently picked up a Panasonic DVD-LA95 portable DVD player after extensive research. It's manual declares that +RW disks "cannot be played", but my experience (and dvdplusrw.org's tests) show otherwise.

Much of this is probably unimportant to those intending to use their computer to burn DVDs, but I primarily use the set-top box. I did get a HP 300e burner for the PC this fall, but if past usage habits is any indicator, I might get around to actually using it this summer.

---PCJ

There is a bit on the dvd that tells the software what kind of media it is. and naturally dvd+r's will say 'dvd+r' but you can override that with 'dvd-rom' and finicky dvd players will play the discs in blissful ignorance.

Quoted from dvdplusrw.org:

Most DVD players will read a DVD+RW or DVD+R disc without any problems, however a small minority of them report a disc error when a disc is loaded that is not marked as a "DVD-ROM" disc in the compatibility bits. Ususally, these players are physically able to read the disc (since DVD+RW reflectivity is identical to that of a dual layered DVD-Video disc, which all players must be capable of reading), but their compatibility problems are due to different interpretations of these bits in the various firmware versions.

So, just use the book type setting changer in nero and youl be just fine.

From what I understand, you *can*. Check out this page. Have you tried setting the book type? You can flag a DVD+RW to look like a DVD-ROM. This is something you *can't* do with a DVD-RW.

Worth a try.

From what I understand, you *can*. Check out this page. Have you tried setting the book type? You can flag a DVD+RW to look like a DVD-ROM. This is something you *can't* do with a DVD-RW.

Worth a try.

• Don't get cheap DVDs. Especially rewriteables. DVDs are more sensitive to flaws in the media than CD-R/RWs are. If you buy a spindle of 25 DVDs but 75% of them are coasters after 1 write or 5 re-writes then you really haven't saved any money.
• Unless you start getting into details that only an engineer would care about (e.g. how many nm are between pits, where the sparing areas are on the disk.) , there is little physical difference between +RW and -RW.
• +RW's can be quick formatted without having to overwrite the entire disk. Some drive manufacturers have recently added quick format for -RWs, but AFAIK this is not officially supported by the -RW spec. A lot of manufacturers implement this by allowing a write session to be started while a full track format takes place in the "background".
• -RW's don't need to be formatted before first use, +RWs do.
• Phillips created the +RW spec with real time recording in mind.

One important point I didn't see in the article was that many old dvd players will only play disks that have a "book type field" of DVD-ROM.
See this link.

My old Toshiba SD2100 is that way. So it wouldn't play DVD+R disks that I made on my Memorex 4X DVD+RW burner (actually a rebranded NEC) until I reflashed the NEC firmware with HP firmware (written for HP by NEC). The HP firmware causes DVD+R disks to be written with a DVD-ROM bitsetting (for maximum compatibility). Those DVD+RW drives that default to a DVD+R bitsetting cause problems with old home DVD players. For what it's worth, I bought a DVD+RW only because that's what I have to use at work and I wanted to avoid compatibility issues.

Ed.

Some other helpful sites:
Unofficial DVD+RW site
linux dvd+rw info and tools

Some choice quotes from linux info page:

The key feature of DVD+RW/+R media is high [spatial] frequency wobbled [pre-]groove with addressing information modulated into it. This makes it possible to resume interrupted [or deliberately suspended] burning process with accuracy high enough for DVD[-ROM] player not to "notice" anything at playback time. Recovery from buffer underrun condition in DVD-RW/-R case in turn is way less accurate procedure...

As already mentioned, DVD+ groove has "addressing information modulated into it," ADIP (ADress In Pre-groove). This gives you an advantage of writing DVD+RW in truly arbitrary order, even to virgin surface and practically instantly (after ~40 seconds long initial format procedure). In addition, DVD+RW can be conveniently written to with 2KB granularity(***). DVD-RW in turn can only be overwritten in arbitrary order. Meaning that it either has to be completely formatted first (it takes an hour to format 1x media), or initially written to in a sequential manner...

The bottom line is that for all users who don't need to stream MPEG directly to the DVD (which probably includes most Linux users), there is very little practical difference between the formats.

First, my post was a retort of some very negative DVD-R comments. A lot of the misinformation about DVD-R/-RW has been spread by the DVD+RW manufacturers, through their website dvdplusrw.org, a site that pretends to be independent and yet existed before the first models existed, and has spread quite a lot of lies.

lies? Yes, like saying:

• DVD+RW is "2.4 times faster than DVD-R".
  Sounds like a blanket statement to me, and deceptive to leave out DVD-RW 2X statistics
• DVD-R cannot record variable bitrate movies (dvd+rw can).
  Whups!! This one got pulled. Wish I still had the Google cache
• DVD+RW drives will support DVD+R through a firmware upgrade.
  Suure it will... :-) We all remember how THAT one was covered up at the request of those that paid dvdplusrw.org's bandwidth bills...
• dvd-r lacks error management
  Not sure what they're up to here... sounds like they are saying DVD-R doesn't have standard error-correcting bits, which is untrue.

And so on. The DVD Forum and the DVD-R community have no such need to lie: their product arrived on time and with full support of the DVD Forum, instead of rebelling and creating a new format, like the Circuit City/DIVX DVD fiasco.

DVD+RW, however was late even BEFORE the false-starts and further delays... they NEEDED to lie in order to slow DVD-R growth. I certainly held off on my DVD Recordable purchase for 6 months until I got enough information from cdinfo.com to make a judgement.

I stand by my statement -- DVD+RW and +R has wayyy less compatibility. Want proof? Just browse the CD compatability database of cdinfo.com.

Uncle Bob owns a $350 Sony DVD player from 2000 and is NOT going to switch to a $60 Apex DVD player. ANY player anyone can name that supports DVD+R, ALSO supports DVD-R. The reverse is NOT true.

Of course, if both formats work on everyone's you know's players... great! Just get a dual-format recorder that does both DVD-R and DVD+R. That way, when your friends buy blank discs for you to record things, they can vote with their wallet (which probably is not DVD+R at 300% more per disc!). :-)

I've found to get compatibility with most dvd players all you need to do is set the book type to DVD-ROM. Then dvd players who's hardware can play +-R media but their software doesn't tell them that they can play +-R media will happily play them because it thinks it's a DVD-ROM.

The new versions of nero lets you set the book type, before that you would want to use DVD Bitsetter to set it on the drive prom itself.

www.dvdplusrw.org has info about setting the book type.

Try some of these:

• dvdrw.com - Official DVD+RW Site
• dvdrhelp - lists some differences
• dvdplusrw.org - has some info on dvd+r plus some comparisons
• DVD FAQ
• Pioneer's Info
• DVD Forum - consortium supporting DVD and DVD-R, but not DVD+R

My NEC DVD+R/RW that came with Dell burns DVD+R at 4x and I buy DVD+R discs at BestBuy and CompUsa, with holiday discuonts, they cost $19.99 for a pack of 10. Not bad !!
And the DVD+R's play on most DVD players.
To find out your player compatibility, go to:
http://www.dvdplusrw.org/resources/compatibilityli st_dvdvideo.html

One of the selling points of +R/+RW technology was a higher writing speed than the competing -R/-RW standard.

First -R/-RW wrote at 1X, then they got to 2X/1X and now it's 4X/2X while +R/+RW stayed at the same 2.4X speed.

Since most users will not be using a lot of rewritable media, it seems that DVD-R is now both faster and cheaper (drive and media) than DVD+R. Those "features" appeal more to the average customers than the advantages that the other format may offer.

I don't mean to troll, but have you ever heard of google? :)

Try the FAQ on dvdplusrw.org

DVD+R (DVD+Recordable) is defined as a subset of DVD+RW. Using dedicated DVD+R write once discs, which will be substantially cheaper than DVD+RW discs, users can record material in the same way as with DVD+RW discs without the ability to erase the disc or re-record onto them. DVD+R discs can be recorded by any DVD+RW PC drive or video recorder, except for the first generation of DVD+RW PC drives (manufactured before April 2002). First generation DVD+RW video recorders need a simple firmware upgrade. DVD+R shares most of the characteristics of DVD+RW, such as the same storage capacity of 4.7 GB and the same usage applications, combined with an ever higher level of compatibility due to a higher reflectivity factor of the disc. DVD-R was originally mainly targeted at authoring applications, and was not optimized for consumer usage. Therefore, various formats ('General' and 'Authoring'), sizes (3.95 GB and 4.7 GB) and versions (1.0, 1.9, 2.0) of DVD-R exist. As with DVD+RW, there will only be one format of DVD+R discs, which are usable in both video recording and data applications.

It's true they are a little more expensive - though I've seen 2nd-gen Ricoh drives for $284 on pricewatch, and DVD+R discs for under $3 from www.shop4tech.com. I wouldn't really call that overpriced.

But frankly, I'm happy to pay a little extra. The DVD+R/RW drives are simply superior. I couldn't bear to wait an hour and a half to burn a rewritable disc - but that's what you're stuck with if you buy a DVR-A04. My 200i will do it in under 40 minutes, and the next-gen DVD+R drives will do it in under 25. Add that to the other advantages, and I'm a happy camper :-)

DVD+R got a different media id than DVD-R. Older drives only know the media id for DVD-R and get confused when they read the DVD+R media id. But there are utilities for most DVR+RW burners to fake the media id they write to the discs.

If you use a DVD+R with a DVD-R media id, all drives that are able to read DVD-R can read these DVD+R too. All newer devices know about the DVD+R media id and don't need the faked media id. A little more info about it. (includes tool downloadlink)

However, DVD+R is just as compatible with DVD-R, i.e. with nearly 100% of players.

Both rewritable formats suffer from lower compatibility because older players are confused by the media's lower reflectivity into thinking it's a dual layer disc.

However, both write-once formats use a normal-reflectivity media, and both are more or less equally compatible. In fact, DVD+R has the theoretical edge due to its lossless linking method of writing, which is more like printed DVD-Video discs.

The answer is simply, don't buy a 1st-gen DVD+RW drive since they couldn't write DVD+R discs. However, the 2nd-gen drives (HP 200i, Ricoh 5125 etc) do burn write-once DVD+R discs, and are at least as compatible as DVD-R as this list shows.

I'm getting very tired of all the misinformation and FUD floating about this issue, and I'm starting to wonder who's behind it all...

It's actually called the DVD Forum, but so what? The same people tried to tell us that DVD-RAM discs were DVDs too - try playing one of those discs (or cartridges!) in your player and see how far you get. Clearly, the support of the DVD Forum doesn't count for much as far as compatibility goes. In my books, the greater industry weight on the side of the DVD Alliance counts for more.

It's true that the rollout of the 1st-gen DVD+RW drives was a joke. Thankfully, Philips and other manufactures did stand by their customers & offered refunds & exchanges - the notable exception was HP, who were eventually pressured into offering a paid "upgrade" to the 2nd-gen drives after much consumer backlash.

As for DVD+RW home entertainment devices, I count 8 different models on this list. They've been available for some time.

There's an awful lot of FUD surrounding the DVD+R/RW format, but why? It's just as compatible (2nd-gen drives at least), it's faster, it's more flexible, and it's almost the same price. I've seen more misinformation in this slashdot article than I have in the past 3 months of slashdot put together, which is saying something. Is someone spreading this doubt deliberately?

I don't know why people keep accusing DVD+R of poor compatibility. The fact is, write-once discs of each standard are readable in close to 100% of drives & players, while rewritable discs of each standard are both less compatible. See here for a list.

The older 1st-gen DVD+RW drives that could not burn write-once discs did suffer, since rewritable formats of each type are inherently less compatible, but since 2nd-gen drives became available that could write DVD+R discs, they've been pretty much identical.

As for advantages, how about DVD+R/RW drives just burn discs faster? Especially rewritable discs. They also allow you to append video to a disc without having to reformat & rewrite the lot. There are other advantages too.

I don't know why people keep accusing DVD+R of poor compatibility. The fact is, write-once discs of each standard are readable in close to 100% of drives & players, while rewritable discs of each standard are both less compatible. See here for a list.

The older 1st-gen DVD+RW drives that could not burn write-once discs did suffer, since rewritable formats of each type are inherently less compatible, but since 2nd-gen drives became available that could write DVD+R discs, they've been pretty much identical.

As for advantages, how about DVD+R/RW drives just burn discs faster? Especially rewritable discs. They also allow you to append video to a disc without having to reformat & rewrite the lot. There are other advantages too.

What's more, it burns discs faster (especially rewritable discs), it's just as compatible, and I've seen drives (the Ricoh 5125A - 2nd gen DVD+R/RW, the drive OEM'd to other vendors) on Pricewatch for as low as US$284.

So? DVD+R is the officially supported standard of the DVD Alliance. They use a different logo, but IMHO the DVD Alliance members (HP, Phillips, Ricoh, Sony, Mitsubishi, Dell, Thomson, Yamaha, Verbatim etc) have at least as much industry clout. Certainly the approval of the DVD Forum means nothing as far as compatibility goes, or they wouldn't be putting the "offical" DVD logo on DVD-RAM drives (try reading a DVD-RAM disc [or cartrige!] in your home player sometime).

I just ordered a DVR-A04 for $299 I've seen the OEM for $249.

I've seen DVD+R discs for $3 from Meritline, and the Ricoh 5125A DVD+R/RW drive for $284 from Elegantshopping.com.

DVD-R discs are cheaper, true, since they have a year or two head start in scale, but the + discs have been dropping extremely fast considering they've only been on the market since April. Same with the drives. They are rapidly reaching price parity.

I myself paid more than that for my HP dvd200i 4 months ago (though it was the same price as the DVR-A04 at the place I bought it), and I've been very happy with it too. I would have been willing to pay a premium, since the 200i burned discs faster (more than twice as fast, in the case of rewritable discs) and it allows me to append video without having to reformat & rewrite the lot. There are other advantages too.

The reality is, DVD-R got there first and has had time to build a good-sized market base, but DVD+R is a better standard - equally compatible yet more flexible - and has been rapidly catching up in terms of price. I put my money on DVD+R and haven't regretted it since.

Really? According to this page, older Sony PS2s did have trouble with DVD+RW discs (does yours read DVD-RWs?), but newer ones don't. And both types have been reported to successfully read DVD+R discs, which is exactly what I'd expect.

Sony is a member of the DVD Alliance (as well as the DVD Forum), and they sell DVD+R/RW drives. Since they are pushing the PS2 as a general purpose platform (e.g. Linux), it's in their interest to ensure compatibility with home-burned discs of both types, which they appear to have done.

The DVD Forum backs the DVD-R format, the DVD Alliance backs the DVD+R format, and consumers couldn't give a damn about either of them, except apparently you. The DVD logo is only usable by DVD Forum-approved products, the DVD+RW logo is only usable by DVD Alliance-approced products, and again you dredge up another meaningless legal distinction.

But where you get the idea that DVD+RW products "technically" aren't DVDs and can't even be called DVDs, I still don't know. The letters "DVD" are not a trademark, so it's not even a legal issue. Technically, since DVD+R discs more closely resemble DVD Video discs due to how they're written, that makes them more a DVD that DVD-R, but again - who cares. They're both equally compatible with DVD Video players & DVD ROM drives, even with each other - they both read each other's discs.

Since "better" is a very subjective term, it's pointless arguing over that. One could say that DVD+R/RW writers are faster & more flexible than even the 2nd gen of DVD-R/RW writers, but then DVD-R/RW writers & media are still a little cheaper, so maybe that's "better" for some. Or maybe just that Apple is backing DVD-R (since it was available first) and not DVD+R, is enough for you.

In any case, get over it. Both standards have their advantages, and since each will read the other's discs, the only real concern consumers need have is where to get the appropriate media. There's no need for such blatent FUD, even here on /.

The DVD Forum backs the DVD-R format, the DVD Alliance backs the DVD+R format, and consumers couldn't give a damn about either of them, except apparently you. The DVD logo is only usable by DVD Forum-approved products, the DVD+RW logo is only usable by DVD Alliance-approced products, and again you dredge up another meaningless legal distinction.

But where you get the idea that DVD+RW products "technically" aren't DVDs and can't even be called DVDs, I still don't know. The letters "DVD" are not a trademark, so it's not even a legal issue. Technically, since DVD+R discs more closely resemble DVD Video discs due to how they're written, that makes them more a DVD that DVD-R, but again - who cares. They're both equally compatible with DVD Video players & DVD ROM drives, even with each other - they both read each other's discs.

Since "better" is a very subjective term, it's pointless arguing over that. One could say that DVD+R/RW writers are faster & more flexible than even the 2nd gen of DVD-R/RW writers, but then DVD-R/RW writers & media are still a little cheaper, so maybe that's "better" for some. Or maybe just that Apple is backing DVD-R (since it was available first) and not DVD+R, is enough for you.

In any case, get over it. Both standards have their advantages, and since each will read the other's discs, the only real concern consumers need have is where to get the appropriate media. There's no need for such blatent FUD, even here on /.

The DVD Forum backs the DVD-R format, the DVD Alliance backs the DVD+R format, and consumers couldn't give a damn about either of them, except apparently you. The DVD logo is only usable by DVD Forum-approved products, the DVD+RW logo is only usable by DVD Alliance-approced products, and again you dredge up another meaningless legal distinction.

But where you get the idea that DVD+RW products "technically" aren't DVDs and can't even be called DVDs, I still don't know. The letters "DVD" are not a trademark, so it's not even a legal issue. Technically, since DVD+R discs more closely resemble DVD Video discs due to how they're written, that makes them more a DVD that DVD-R, but again - who cares. They're both equally compatible with DVD Video players & DVD ROM drives, even with each other - they both read each other's discs.

Since "better" is a very subjective term, it's pointless arguing over that. One could say that DVD+R/RW writers are faster & more flexible than even the 2nd gen of DVD-R/RW writers, but then DVD-R/RW writers & media are still a little cheaper, so maybe that's "better" for some. Or maybe just that Apple is backing DVD-R (since it was available first) and not DVD+R, is enough for you.

In any case, get over it. Both standards have their advantages, and since each will read the other's discs, the only real concern consumers need have is where to get the appropriate media. There's no need for such blatent FUD, even here on /.

The DVD Forum backs the DVD-R format, the DVD Alliance backs the DVD+R format, and consumers couldn't give a damn about either of them, except apparently you. The DVD logo is only usable by DVD Forum-approved products, the DVD+RW logo is only usable by DVD Alliance-approced products, and again you dredge up another meaningless legal distinction.

But where you get the idea that DVD+RW products "technically" aren't DVDs and can't even be called DVDs, I still don't know. The letters "DVD" are not a trademark, so it's not even a legal issue. Technically, since DVD+R discs more closely resemble DVD Video discs due to how they're written, that makes them more a DVD that DVD-R, but again - who cares. They're both equally compatible with DVD Video players & DVD ROM drives, even with each other - they both read each other's discs.

Since "better" is a very subjective term, it's pointless arguing over that. One could say that DVD+R/RW writers are faster & more flexible than even the 2nd gen of DVD-R/RW writers, but then DVD-R/RW writers & media are still a little cheaper, so maybe that's "better" for some. Or maybe just that Apple is backing DVD-R (since it was available first) and not DVD+R, is enough for you.

In any case, get over it. Both standards have their advantages, and since each will read the other's discs, the only real concern consumers need have is where to get the appropriate media. There's no need for such blatent FUD, even here on /.

I had to take the plunge due to my having many GB's of digicam generated photos. My DLT backups were just using too many tapes.

Some random thoughts:

The second generation DVD+RW drives are just coming out. The only one availasble is the HP 200i. Here's an overview of the 2nd gen drives, and here's an overview of the 1st gen drives.

The 2nd generation drives support DVD+R, many of the 1st do not.

TheNerds.net have the best media prices. I looked a lot and could find no better.

The HP drive, which I bought, comes with "drive letter access" software. Basically, a packet writer so you can just use the Windows explorer (yes, where I use the drive) to drag and drop files onto it. I have the suspicion that my McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1 stopped working when I installed the HP software. McAfee has not been able to figure out why their software is not working (service error 5011, which is a timeout of some sort).

I've been trying to author some DVD's, and I had good luck playing my DVD+RW's in my DVD player. I used a trial of Uleads DVD Workshop.

I held off until the 2nd gen drives were available, and was forced to purchase the HP because it's the only one out. I would have prefered the Philips DVDRW228 over the HP, but no one has the Philips drive in stock, that I could find.

So far, I'm happy, and I'm hoping HP will update their drivers and VirusScan will start working again.

I had to take the plunge due to my having many GB's of digicam generated photos. My DLT backups were just using too many tapes.

Some random thoughts:

The second generation DVD+RW drives are just coming out. The only one availasble is the HP 200i. Here's an overview of the 2nd gen drives, and here's an overview of the 1st gen drives.

The 2nd generation drives support DVD+R, many of the 1st do not.

TheNerds.net have the best media prices. I looked a lot and could find no better.

The HP drive, which I bought, comes with "drive letter access" software. Basically, a packet writer so you can just use the Windows explorer (yes, where I use the drive) to drag and drop files onto it. I have the suspicion that my McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1 stopped working when I installed the HP software. McAfee has not been able to figure out why their software is not working (service error 5011, which is a timeout of some sort).

I've been trying to author some DVD's, and I had good luck playing my DVD+RW's in my DVD player. I used a trial of Uleads DVD Workshop.

I held off until the 2nd gen drives were available, and was forced to purchase the HP because it's the only one out. I would have prefered the Philips DVDRW228 over the HP, but no one has the Philips drive in stock, that I could find.

So far, I'm happy, and I'm hoping HP will update their drivers and VirusScan will start working again.

Take a look at this thread over on dvdplusrw.org.

It's quite clearly written on the box of the Philips DVDRW208 unit: "Archive up to 4.7GB on DVD+RW or DVD+R discs" and "Burn directly from your camcorder or VCR to your DVD+RW or DVD+R disc."

... or any other manufacturer (Philips, for example) that put out a 1st generation DVD+RW drive and refused to honor their promise to support DVD+R on those drives.

To make a long story short, HP, Philips, and others marketed their 1st gen drives as being DVD+RW, with DVD+R supported by a to-be-released firmware upgrade. Now, six months later, they (quietly) claim that the drives are physically unable to write to +R media, and are being elusive in making good on their promise to support that cheaper, more compatible media.

dvdplusrw.org is a great place to get more information on the media and current state of the community. It will also give you updates on what these manufacturers are doing to support their early-adopter customers.

... or any other manufacturer (Philips, for example) that put out a 1st generation DVD+RW drive and refused to honor their promise to support DVD+R on those drives.

To make a long story short, HP, Philips, and others marketed their 1st gen drives as being DVD+RW, with DVD+R supported by a to-be-released firmware upgrade. Now, six months later, they (quietly) claim that the drives are physically unable to write to +R media, and are being elusive in making good on their promise to support that cheaper, more compatible media.

dvdplusrw.org is a great place to get more information on the media and current state of the community. It will also give you updates on what these manufacturers are doing to support their early-adopter customers.

Even if the DVD+ format wins out, there will still be quite a few people making disks down the road.

It's not that big a deal, actually. I've heard a lot of "Beta vs. VHS" talk, but since both formats are quite readable by each other's drives, all you have to worry about is availability (& perhaps price) of the media for writing.

Compatibility was a huge issue for me.

For drives bought today, sure. DVD-R is more compatible than DVD-RW or DVD+RW, since the rewritable formats have a different reflectivity which confuses older players into thinking the disc is dual layer.

However, since DVD+R/RW models were announced today by HP, available mid-April, and since DVD+R should be just as compatible as DVD-R (or perhaps more so, due to its lossless linking feature), that should no longer be an issue.

...companies promising DVD+R upgrades (HP included) have quietly removed this notice from their websites and their products.

Yeah, they did do this, and this did get a number of people upset. However, the word is that "HP will within the next week or so announce either a buy back or trade-up policy for existing 100i owners (they haven't decided which one at this point) to the next generation device (200i I assume) which is promised to have +R compatibility". So we'll see. From past experience, I personally held off purchasing until DVD+R writing was confirmed.

Best Buy had one on the shelf for $300 with an additional 10% off at the register.

Well, that's a good incentive, sure :-) I'm willing to pay a little extra for the faster burning speed, background formatting & more flexible rewriting of DVD+RWs, but not everyone needs that.

Given all the other advantages that DVD+R/RW has (greater compatibility, more flexible recording, faster recording, background formatting, etc etc), Panasonic are going to have to drop the prices on the DVD-RW units even more to stay in the market, IMHO.

The DVD-R drive is good, but limiting in making of actual "DVD" compatable disc. They do not suppport lossless linking or variable bit rate MPEGs. I think a DVD+RW drive would have been the better choice.

Check out DVDplusRW.org for more info.

...here.

Checkout the DVD+RW Alliance's page for more info.

Here is a lot of good info about DVD+RW.

From what it says there, DVD+RW is both cheaper and more compatible than DVD-RW, for about the same capacity. DVD+RW uses a slightly different technique that reduces gaps between data to give compatibility with the "vast majority" of existing DVD players. It is also apparently more flexible in burning compatible discs, 7x faster to close the session, and allows erasing of individual sections, rather than just the whole disc.

HP are shipping their first dvd100i DVD+RW drive this month for US$599. DVD+RW media will reportedly sell for about US$16 (compared to the US$24 I've seen for DVD-RW media). Philips have announced their standalone DVD+RW unit, and will ship the bare drive in October.

Apparently, initial units will only support DVD+RW/DVD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW/CD-ROM, but DVD+R (analogous to DVD-R, but apparently also cheaper/more compatible) is promised shortly via a firmware upgrade. DVD-R media support may also be available.

FWIW, my own experiences with DVD-R are mixed; 2 of the 4 DVD players and DVD-ROM drives I've tried DVD-R discs with would not recognise the discs at all. I plan to get a dvd100i as soon as they're available :-)

Summary:
DVD+RW is the only format that is able to properly record fully DVD-Video compatible MPEG-2 with Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoding.

Basically, if you want to make DVD-Video disks with the full DVD-Video quality, you can either use DVD+RW or send your incompatible DVD-RW disks to a shop for some very expensive mastering into actual DVD-Video.

Now, for people who think SVCDs with 2.5 Mbit/s is OK, this really is not much of an issue. But real DVD-Video uses VBR with a maximum transfer rate of up to 10 Mbit/s. I personally want to author my DVD-Video disks with material filmed with my miniDV handycam without having to reduce the resolution and the transfer rate.

DVD-RW seems to have added a "DVD-Video compatible" mode because of the specs that DVD+RW presented, but the DVD-RW "compatible" mode comes with several drawbacks. Constant Bit Rate, for one.

DVD+RW provides both DVD-Video backward compatibility and high-performance data recording. For me, that sounds like the best of both worlds. Now I just need to decide which drive to get, Philips or HP.