Please Help !What is the difference between Dvd -r and Dvd+r ?

Question

I by accident bought a dvd-r instead of dvd+r and I didn't notice until it was to late to take them back. It seems easy to burn on to dvd+r instead of dvd-r. Why? What is the differnece but please in plain english thanks. Anyway I can't seem to burn onto them like dvd+r. I use Nero So How can I download on them I bought a 30 pack and I have ruined 6 cds now. I got them to put my music and photos. Does anyone know what I can do to use them or understand whats the problem. By the way I managed to burn one on the dvd-r and I have no clue how I did it or remember what I did.

Answer 1

DVD-R:
Benefits: Better DVD playback compatiblity within home DVD players.
Drawbacks: Older technology and less money behind the format means that they come out with faster media and burner technology slower. You will frequently see DVD burners that will support (for instance) 16X DVD+R and only 8X DVD-R.

DVD+R:
Benefits: Faster speeds, more inovations like Double Layer discs (8.5 GB)
Drawbacks: Will not play is some home DVD players. If you know your home DVD player will play DVD+Rs then there is no reason to not use them.

They are competing formats...the main difference is how the info is written to the disc (sector use).

The DVD-R format was developed by Pioneer in the autumn of 1997. It is supported by most DVD players, and is approved by the DVD Forum.

A DVD+R is a writable optical disc with 4.7 GB (4.38 GiB) of storage capacity (more precisely, 2295104 sectors of 2048 bytes each). The format was developed by a coalition of corporations, known as the DVD+RW Alliance, in mid 2002. Since the DVD+R format is a competing format to the DVD-R format, which is developed by the DVD Forum, it has not been approved by the DVD Forum, which claims that the DVD+R format is not an official DVD form.

Take alook here:
http://www.osta.org/technology/dvdqa/dvdqa6.htm
and you will see that there are a different number of sectors used in each format which means you need a machine capable of adjust to each.

I'm actually VERY surprised that yo have machine that reads +r and not -r since -r has been around alot longer...every machine I've ever seen plays at least -r and MAYBE +r.

What is the exact model of machine? You can check it out at videohelp.com too see what other people are saying about your machine's ability to read +r or -r.

Answer 2

DVD-R is a DVD recordable format. A DVD-R has a larger storage capacity than its optical predecessor, the 700 MB CD-R, typically storing 4.71 GB (or 4,488 MiB), although the capacity of the original standard developed by Pioneer was 3.95 GB (3.68 GiB). Pioneer has also developed an 8.54 GB dual layer version, which appeared on the market in 2005. Data on a DVD-R cannot be changed, whereas a DVD-RW (DVD-rewritable) can be rewritten multiple (1000+) times. DVD-R(W) is one of three competing industry standard DVD recordable formats; the others are DVD+R(W) and DVD-RAM.

[edit] History
The DVD-R format was developed by Pioneer in the autumn of 1997. It is supported by most DVD players, and is approved by the DVD Forum.


[edit] Technical specifications
The larger storage capacity of a DVD-R compared to a CD-R is achieved through smaller pit size and smaller track pitch of the groove spiral which guides the laser beam. Consequently, more pits can be written on the same physical sized disc. In order to write smaller pits onto the recording dye layer a red laser beam with a wavelength of 650 nm (for general use recordable DVD, versus a wavelength of 780 nm for CD-R) is used in conjunction with a higher numerical aperture lens. Because of this shorter wavelength, DVD-R and DVD+R use different dyes from CD-R to properly absorb this wavelength.

DVD-R discs are composed of two 0.6 mm polycarbonate discs, bonded with an adhesive to each other. One contains the laser guiding groove and is coated with the recording dye and a silver alloy or gold reflector. The other one (for single-sided discs) is an ungrooved "dummy" disc to assure mechanical stability of the sandwich structure, and compatibility with the compact disc standard geometry which requires a total disc thickness of about 1.2 mm. The sandwich structure also helps protect the data containing layer from scratches by a thick "dummy" disk, a problem with CDs, which lack that structure. Double-sided discs have two grooved, recordable disc sides, and require the user to flip the disc to access the other side. Compared to a CD's 1.2 mm of polycarbonate, a DVD's laser beam only has to penetrate 0.6 mm of plastic in order to reach the dye recording layer, which allows the lens to focus the beam to a smaller spot size to write smaller pits.

In a DVD-R, the addressing (the determination of location of the laser beam on the disc) is done with additional pits and lands (called land pre-pits) in the areas between the grooves. The groove on a DVD-R disc has a constant wobble frequency used for motor control etc.

Answer 3

They're just slightly different standards. Some drives can only record onto -R disks, and some can only record onto +R, while some can record onto both. All machines can play back both formats.

If you have bought some -R disks you'll need to burn them on a drive that supports -R. If you don't have one, you're stuck.

Answer 4

Check out the following link for the differences.

As for the mistaken machine, if it is still within the retailers return policy, either exchange the machine or get the right discs!

As for your "burn" problem, it might be due to the disc and machine, but it could be that you are not doing it properly. You need to consult the machine or burn software, or ask the retailer for help.

P.S. We're here to answer questions, so it is not necessary to say, "Please Help", or any other plea or superfluous statement.

Answer 5

Some DVD players only play + or - DVDs, some play both.

Answer 6

If your burner can do both , no problem but I find -r works better ,. you need to watch it when you buy them if your burner can only handle the one type. I have done same. see if a friend has that type and give them to them.

Answer 7

http://www.videohelp.com/dvd