Multimedia forum: What is the difference between DVD-R vs. DVD+R?

http://www.google.com/search?q=What+is+the+difference+between+DVD-R+vs.+DVD%2BR%3F&start=0&start=0

When I bought my first DVD burner, I made sure it was dual format because I wasn't sure what I would be needing in the future. As it turned out, every DVD player we had would play either format except one. My son's portable will only play DVD-R (and pre-recorded of course). For that reason, I always try to buy DVD-R for recording, but occasionally get a pack of +R for data backups if it's a really good sale & they're out of the -R. Early on, I did a lot of research only to be more confused. Most articles said that the DVD+R was supposed to be more compatible with more different devices, but experience has told me the opposite was true. I read that you could have more "features" on a DVD recorded on +R media, but I have yet to figure out anything that could be put on +R that could not be put on -R. Somewhere else I read thqt the -R start recording from the center and file out toward the outside edge, while the +R start recording at the outside edge filling toward the center. Now I do not believe this either because, using both, when you look on the recorded side and hold it with the light hitting it a certain way, you can see how much of it is used (unless you burn to the brim and it all looks the same). Anyway, both types appear to have the unused area around the outside edge. All I can figure, it's like the battle between VHS & Beta vcr tapes. The Beta were supposed to be higher quality, but went extinct - now there's only VHS and the younger generation never heard of the Beta tapes. At least the DVD recorder manufacturers were smart enough to start making dual format burners, so both formats can survive. But if it came down to a similar battle of the formats, next time there's a really good sale on blank DVDs, wait a few days into the sale, then go to the store & see wich one they ran out of! Sometimes they specify only the +R on sale because people are buying the -R and not the +R. I always make sure that any burner I buy will support both, and now, I make sure all players I buy will also support both. The last portable play I bought my daughter will play wma on DVD, mp3 on DVD, photo cd's -even if it's just a backup disk of digital photos (no slide show program included), the player will automatically start up it's on slide show of the pictures on the disk. BTW, my first vcr was a Beta!

Until present, I don't know what is the difference between DVD-R vs. DVD+R. I cann't see all the replays to the subject. But I give many thanks, who can explain me what is the difference.
Benjamin,
e-mail: bjtruden@gmail.com

I have found the digitfaq.com website to be a WEALTH of information regarding CDs and DVDs. Here is a link to the specific question you asked: http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdformats.htm

Happy reading! It's like drinking from a firehose...

DJ

Both +R & -R are considered to be "one-use" as you cannot erase them as with + & - RW. You can continue to add stuff to both -R & +R until it's capacity is filled so long as you don't "close" or "finalize" the disk, but often another player will not read the disk until it is "closed" or "finalized"

Both -R and +R can recorded recorded as multi-session disks. That means you can close them out, and then return later and burn another session.

all disks ,-r,or +r will only record once.-rw and +rw will record as many times as you want untill you close the disk
disks with + will do error checking when recording.disks with - will not do error checking. most windows applications advise the use of +disks

This is more info. than I needed! Lucky for me though, my DVD-Recorder supports both.

I 'axed' a floor sales girl in the camera department at Best Buy what the difference was, and she said that one records from the center out, and the other records from the out to the center. I've read all of these posts. One said that's not true. There are so many different answers. Who's right?

Anybody out there know of freeware to convert divx or avi to dvd ..

Windows xp using Cucusoft software to convert avi to dvd but it will
play on some Dvd players but not all , what am I doing wrong?