Just bought an LG gsa4160B tri format DVD burner.

Here is the Q: what the hell is the difference between a DVD+RW and a DVD-RW?

The wife let me spend the $$ at the Future Shop Sale as long as I dont make any porno`s. [img]graemlins/banghead.gif[/img]

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DVD+RW is an erasable format based on CD-RW technology. It became available in late 2001. DVD+RW is supported by Philips, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Ricoh, Yamaha, and others. It is not supported by the DVD Forum (even though most of the DVD+RW companies are members), but the Forum has no power to set standards. DVD+RW drives read DVD-ROMs and CDs, and usually read DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs, but do not read or write DVD-RAM discs. DVD+RW drives also write CD-Rs and CD-RWs. DVD+RW discs, which hold 4.7 billion bytes per side, are readable in many existing DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM drives. (They run into the same reflectivity and disc format recognition problems as DVD-RW.)

DVD+RW backers claimed in 1997 that the format would be used only for computer data, not home video, but this was apparently a smokescreen intended to placate the DVD Forum and competitors. The original 1.0 format, which held 3 billion bytes (2.8 gigabytes) per side and was not compatible with any existing players and drives, was abandoned in late 1999.

The DVD+RW format uses phase-change media with a high-frequency wobbled groove that allows it to eliminate linking sectors. This, plus the option of no defect management, allows DVD+RW discs to be written in a way that is compatible with many existing DVD readers. The DVD+RW specification allows for either CLV format for sequential video access (read at CAV speeds by the drive) or CAV format for random access, but CAV recording is not supported by any current hardware. DVD+R discs can only be recorded in CLV mode. Only CLV-formatted discs can be read in standard DVD drives and players. DVD+RW media can be rewritten about 1,000 times (down from 100,000 times in the original 1.0 version).

DVD+R is a write-once variation of DVD+RW, which appeared in mid 2002. It's a dye-based medium, like DVD-R, so it has similar compatibility as DVD-R. Original DVD+RW drives did not fulfill the promise of a simple upgrade to add DVD+R writing support, so they have to be replaced with newer models. The original Philips DVD+RW video recorders, on the other hand, can be customer-upgraded to write +R discs.

Philips announced a DVD+RW home video recorder for late 2001. The Philips recorder uses the DVD-Video format, so discs play in many existing players. HP announced a $600 DVD+RW drive (made by Ricoh) and $16 DVD+RW discs for September 2001. HP's drive reads DVDs at 8x and CDs at 32x, and writes to DVD+RW at 2.4x, CD-R at 12x, and CD-RW at 10x.

In 2003 DVD+R discs cost around $2 to $6 and DVD+RW discs cost around $5 to $10. DVD+RW media is produced by CMC Magnetics, Hewlett-Packard, MCC/Verbatim, Memorex, Mitsubishi, Optodisc, Philips, Ricoh, Ritek, and Sony.

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Essentially +r is the better media utilizes more of the dvd surface where as -R it kinda burns every other space or something, same idea with +rw and -Rw they work the same way.

DVD+R and DVD-R are write-once discs, where DVD+RW and DVD-RW are eraseable and re-writeable. Unless you plan to reuse discs or create "directCD" style backup discs, go with the R media.

Compatibility with video player units (if you plan on creating any DVD-Video discs) is the next thing to be concerned about. I have read that DVD+R is a better media for error correction and it has been my preferred media, but I have run across a home DVD player that would not read a DVD+R but would read the same video written to a DVD-R.

My advise: pick up a small spindle of each (DVD-R and DVD+R) and do a couple recordings, then test them out on the different drives you will use them on. Worst case, if one media doesn't work for you for video, you can use it up as data discs.

Mark

nice, thats the same burner i bought.

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Or you can goto the list of dvd players that play +R/-R they have them on the web and if u look up ur model it will usually say. I have JVC and it reads both media types including -/+ rw

I can never get +rs to work in out dvd players. We have 4 in the house and they don't work on any of then. Rangign from Apex..Panasonic to Toshiba. [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img]

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I just got that same exact burner also. I got the DVD+R to work on my dvd player which is a multi format Philips

Zach from what I read awhile ago DVD players will recognize DVD-R and in the later models now a days are becoming compatible with the DVD+R. I suppose DVD-R was always a default before they came out with the +. I alway's buy DVD-R. Just to be on the safe side.

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