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Choosing Between DVD+R and DVD-R?
Pieroxy asks: "Most people like to make the analogy between DVD+/-R and the old VHS/Betamax/V2000 battle. This analogy is not applicable here, because whether you choose DVD+ or DVD-, you burn DVDs that are readable in most existing DVD players. Even if you buy today, the burner based on the technology that will die tomorrow, all your DVD*R will be readable in most DVD players. That said, what other argument than technical superiority can drive your choice? We know the DVD-R compatibility on existing players is better than DVD+R, we know that DVD+R as well as DVD-R have dual layers plans. What else can help me choose between either format? Are prices that different? Reliability? Speed?"
Format (+/-) doesn't matter unless you are concerned about read compatibility. If it's just for your own use, then you can get away with anything. Right now, pricing for each type of media seems to have finally gotten to be about equal, so price really should not be a factor any longer. But watch out for older recorders being liquidated at a too good to be true price, these will typically only suport one format, they won't write both. If you are using just for DVD-ROM, data storage, then either should be fine, as both media can be read reliably in most DVD-ROM drives. If you are interested in created DVD video, then the -R media is drastically more compatible with a variety of DVD Video players. Note: we're not talking about Divx movies on CD-ROM/DVD-ROM here, we're talking about video recorded in the same format as a commercial DVD video disc you would get from Circuit City (er, ack! oh, nevermind - that's another story alltogether). I experienced this firsthand as I have both media and have tested videos on DVD on a wide variety of DVD players. I have yet to come across a player that will not read a DVD-R disc at all. The worst I have found is my 1st generation Pioneer Laserdisc/DVD Combo player, it recognizes and plays the DVD-R media just fine, but on occasion seems to get confused and stops playing when using FF. Even a cheapie $50 Apex DVD player purchased just one year ago plays all my DVD-R video's like a champ. But both the above players do not recognize DVD+R media at all. With my +R discs, the people I've given them to in order to have them test in their players, about 20% of them have problems viewing, while no problems reported at all with the video I have done on -R media.