When DVD technology first appeared in households, users were simply popping DVD discs into their DVD players to watch movies — an attractive option to the then-conventional VCR. But just as compact disc technology evolved so that users could record and erase and re-record data onto compact discs, the same is now true of DVDs.
With so many different formats — DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-ROM — how do users know which DVD format is compatible with their existing systems, and why are there so many different formats for DVDs? The following information sheds some light on DVD's different flavors, the differences between them and the incompatibility issues that the differing technologies have sprouted.
The crucial difference among the standards is based on which standards each manufacturer adheres to. Similar to the old VHS/Beta tape wars when VCRs first hit the markets, different manufacturers support different standards.
DVD+R and DVD+RW
DVD+R and DVD+RW formats are supported by Philips, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Ricoh, Yamaha and others.
DVD+R is a recordable DVD format similar to CD-R. A DVD+R can record data only once and then the data becomes permanent on the disc. The disc can not be recorded onto a second time.
DVD+RW is a re-recordable format similar to CD-RW. The data on a DVD+RW disc can be erased and recorded over numerous times without damaging the medium.
DVDs created by a +R/+RW device can be read by most commercial DVD-ROM players.
DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM
These formats are supported by Panasonic, Toshiba, Apple Computer, Hitachi, NEC, Pioneer, Samsung and Sharp. These formats are also supported by the DVD Forum.
DVD-R is a recordable DVD format similar to CD-R and DVD+R. A DVD-R can record data only once and then the data becomes permanent on the disc. The disc cannot be recorded onto a second time. There also are two additional standards for DVD-R disks: DVD-RG for general use, and DVD-RA for authoring, which is used for mastering DVD video or data and is not typically available to the general public.
DVD-RW is a re-recordable format similar to CD-RW or DVD+RW. The data on a DVD-RW disc can be erased and recorded over numerous times without damaging the medium.
DVDs created by a -R/-RW device can be read by most commercial DVD-ROM players.
DVD-RAM discs can be recorded and erased repeatedly but are compatible only with devices manufactured by the companies that support the DVD-RAM format. DVD-RAM discs are typically housed in cartridges.
DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL
Dual layer technology is supported by a range of manufacturers including Dell, HP, Verbatim, Philips, Sony, Yamaha and others. As the name suggests, dual layer technology provides two individual recordable layers on a single-sided DVD disc. Dual Layer is more commonly called Double Layer in the consumer market, and can be seen written as DVD+R DL or DVD-R DL.
DVD+R DL (also called DVD+R9) is a Dual Layer writeable DVD+R.
DVD-R DL (also called DVD-R9) is a Dual Layer writeable DVD-R. The dual layered discs can hold 7.95GB
The dual layered discs (DVD+R9 and DVD-R9) can hold 7.95GB and double sided dual layer (called dvd-18) can hold 15.9GB.
HD-DVD
Short for high definition-DVD, a generic term for the technology of recording high-definition video on a DVD. In general, HD-DVD is capable of storing between two and four times as much data as standard DVD. The two most prominent competing technologies are Blu-ray and AOD.
Blu-ray Disc (BD) - uses a 405nm-wavelength blue-violet laser technology, in contrast to the 650nm-wavelength red laser technology used in traditional DVD formats. The rewritable Blu-ray disc, with a data transfer rate of 36Mbps (1x speed) can hold up to 25GB of data on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. On a 50GB disc, this translates into 9 hours of high-definition (HD) video or approximately 23 hours of standard-definition (SD) video. The Blu-ray format was developed jointly by Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Thomson, Hitachi, Matsushita, Pioneer and Philips, Mistubishi and LG Electronics.
Advanced Optical Disc (AOD) - AOD and Blu-ray are similar in that they both use 405nm-wavelength blue-violet laser technology. while Blu-ray has a storage capacity of 25GB on a single-layer disc, AOD has a storage capacity of 20GB on a single-layer disc. and the capacity to hold 30GB on a dual-layer disc. AOD was developed jointly by Toshiba and NEC.
DVD-ROM
DVD-ROM was the first DVD standard to hit the market and is a read-only format. The video or game content is burned onto the DVD once and the DVD will run on any DVD-ROM-equipped device.
A Note on DVD Burners
Until 2003 consumers would have to choose a preferred DVD format and purchase the DVD media that was compatible with the specific DVD burner. In 2003 Sony introduced a multi-format DVD burner (also called a combo drive or DVD-Multi) and today many manufacturers offer multi-format DVD burners which are compatible with multiple DVD formats.
tech connect
sty cnnctd
2007-03-09 03:48:23
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answer #1
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answered by hpdsd_mcd 2
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DVD-RW: DVD-R is short for DVD-recordable. (Note the dash before the R; it's pretty important.) Like your old friend the CD-R disc, a DVD-R disc can be recorded only once. However, the DVD-R can hold a whopping 4.7GB per side of the disc, for a total of 9.4GB of data on a double-sided disc. DVD-R is the darling of the video-editing crowd, because it allows you to record a disc that you can use in a standard DVD player. Naturally, the DVDs that you create with a DVD-R drive can't be read on a standard CD-ROM drive (but you can burn regular CD-R and CD-RW discs).
On the rewritable side, the DVD-R disc format is called DVD-RW. These discs can also store 4.7GB, and you format them much like you format a CD-RW disc. Any DVD-ROM drive should be able to read a DVD-RW disc. Unfortunately, not all DVD players can read DVD-RWs, so if you're an up-and-coming Hollywood type that's interested in producing your own movie discs, you should stick with the DVD-R standard (which is compatible with all DVD players).
DVD+R/W: The other independent DVD standard, DVD+R/W, is widely available as well. This more recent format is being touted by an entirely different group of computer hardware manufacturers. DVD+R discs and DVD+RW discs can store 4.7GB, and a DVD-ROM player can read both types of discs. Again, however, you run into the same problem - DVD+R discs are compatible with most DVD players, but DVD+RW discs aren't widely supported by DVD players. Plus, DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W are incompatible
2007-03-08 01:28:37
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answer #2
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answered by doggiesdude 2
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*DVD-RW
On the rewritable side, the DVD-R disc format is called DVD-RW. These discs can also store 4.7GB, and you format them much like you format a CD-RW disc. Any DVD-ROM drive should be able to read a DVD-RW disc. Unfortunately, not all DVD players can read DVD-RWs, so if you're an up-and-coming Hollywood type that's interested in producing your own movie discs, you should stick with the DVD-R standard (which is compatible with all DVD players).
Pick DVD-R/W if you're looking for the highest level of compatibility with all DVD-ROM drives or you're distributing discs to others.
* DVD+R/W: The other independent DVD standard, DVD+R/W, is widely available as well. This more recent format is being touted by an entirely different group of computer hardware manufacturers. DVD+R discs and DVD+RW discs can store 4.7GB, and a DVD-ROM player can read both types of discs. Again, however, you run into the same problem - DVD+R discs are compatible with most DVD players, but DVD+RW discs aren't widely supported by DVD players. Plus, DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W are incompatible.
Pick DVD+R/W if you're looking for compatibility with the latest DVD-ROM drives or you want to spend a little less on media.
Source(s):
http://tinyurl.com/2fbcjt <-- Understanding the Difference Between DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM by dummies.com: Yahoo! Tech
2007-03-08 01:33:06
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answer #3
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answered by BISWADUT 2
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*DVD-RW
On the rewritable side, the DVD-R disc format is called DVD-RW. These discs can also store 4.7GB, and you format them much like you format a CD-RW disc. Any DVD-ROM drive should be able to read a DVD-RW disc. Unfortunately, not all DVD players can read DVD-RWs, so if you're an up-and-coming Hollywood type that's interested in producing your own movie discs, you should stick with the DVD-R standard (which is compatible with all DVD players).
Pick DVD-R/W if you're looking for the highest level of compatibility with all DVD-ROM drives or you're distributing discs to others.
* DVD+R/W: The other independent DVD standard, DVD+R/W, is widely available as well. This more recent format is being touted by an entirely different group of computer hardware manufacturers. DVD+R discs and DVD+RW discs can store 4.7GB, and a DVD-ROM player can read both types of discs. Again, however, you run into the same problem - DVD+R discs are compatible with most DVD players, but DVD+RW discs aren't widely supported by DVD players. Plus, DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W are incompatible.
Pick DVD+R/W if you're looking for compatibility with the latest DVD-ROM drives or you want to spend a little less on media.
2007-03-08 01:20:41
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answer #4
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answered by RadMatt 2
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They both are format for writing data on dvd....+RW is compatible with -RW but not vice versa...hence prefer making dvd in +RW format
2007-03-08 01:45:33
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answer #5
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answered by Lala 1
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Maybe this link might help
2007-03-08 01:19:43
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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http://tinyurl.com/2fbcjt
check this link
2007-03-08 02:19:17
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answer #7
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answered by AJ 2
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One you can record and erase, other one only single use.
2007-03-08 01:18:31
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answer #8
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answered by Expression 5
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