What is the difference between?

Question

What is the difference between DVD+R and DVD-R?

Answer 1

The above poster's lengthy history lesson is correct.

To summarize, DVD-R is an older format which is widely supported. Around 95% of DVD players can play movies which have been written in DVD format to DVD-R discs.

DVD+R is newer, supports faster read/write times and is supposedly more reliable, but a smaller percentage (closer to 70%) of DVD players support DVD+R discs.

So for computer use they are both fine- if you want to view your DVD on a standalone DVD player, DVD-R is the way to go...

Answer 2

I was wondering this exact same thing when I just went out a couple of days ago to buy some more DVD's - two bundles were on sale for a great price and were not my normal brand but they were a +R and a -R sets - so I asked. They explained it to me that there has always been both (guess I just didn't notice before) and that at one time the industry thought one of them would just die out (because they are the same) but it hasn't yet. What they suggested to me is to contiue recording with the one I am accustom to - which is the -R so that is what I ended up buying.
Here is the info I did find for you though

DVD-R
(DVD-Recordable) A write-once (read only) DVD disk for both movies and data endorsed by the DVD Forum. DVD-Rs are often called "DVD Dash Rs" or "DVD Minus Rs" to distinguish them from the competing "Plus R" format (see DVD+R).

DVD-Rs are the DVD counterpart to CD-Rs and use the same dye-layer recording technology to "burn" the disc. Pioneer was the first to introduce DVD-R drives, which recorded 3.95GB. By 2000, the capacity was increased to the industry standard 4.7GB.
DVD-R for Authoring, DVD-R for General
In 2000, DVD-R was split into two types to deal with copy protection. The original DVD-R, which uses a 650 nm recording wavelength, was dubbed "DVD-R for Authoring." A different format with copy protection that records at 635 nm is called "DVD-R for General." Although DVD-R(a) and DVD-R(g) can read each other's format, they cannot write each other's format.
A Small Fortune in the Beginning
DVD-R machines (DVD burners) cost as much as $17,000 in their first incarnations back in 1997, but dropped to under $500 by 2002 and less than $100 two years later


DVD+R
(DVD+Recordable) A write-once (read only) version of the DVD+RW optical disk from the DVD+RW Alliance. DVD+Rs hold up to 4.7GB of data per side and can be read by DVD-Video players and computer DVD-ROM drives. A DVD+R DL disk is a "dual layer" DVD+R that holds a total of 8.5GB.

Answer 3

They are all the same thing.