DVD burner question: DVD +R vs DVD -R?

[Jim Bancroft]

I recently bought an NEC 3500A DVD burner but haven't had the chance to use it yet for anything besides reading. Now I'm going to buy media and I'm a little confused about what to get.

What are the differences DVD +R and DVD -R? Which is more likely to be readable by today's DVD players? Sorry if this question has been asked before.

My goal is to convert some old VCR tapes to DVD, and I'd like something "good enough" to do this.

 

[akira34]

-r is more compatible with older drives/players on tv's. If you don't want to have to worry about what the people getting the media has for a player/drive, use -r. If they have a recent drive/player, then +r should work fine... Generally, I 'backup' movies to -r media. I put xbox games and other things (like data) onto +r since my burner can burn those faster.

 

[Jim Bancroft]

Thanks, akira. -R it is, then.

 

[akira34]

No problem...

I'm about to order up my new Plextor PX-716 drive... That does 16x on +r and -r media as well as 4x on the dual layer... With the Plextor drive, I'll be able to burn 8x +r media at 16x speeds. As far as I know, these are the only drives out there that can do the faster burning on slower media with NO software or hardware hacks/cracks/modifications. I can even do it with Roxio 7 (it just sees that the burner can do it faster, and cranks the speed).

 

[MaverickBP]

i've used over 200 of each on that burner jim. Never had a problem in many players (except a cheap portable but that was both + and -). I've been sticking with ridata dvd+r from newegg. Cheap, reliable, and known good media.

As far as plus or minus is concerned. Everywhere i've read on the web the % difference is 2-3% and those numbers are in the 90%'s. Wouldnt worry too much. Find one that works with your player and your good.

 

[akira34]

I've seen computers have issues reading the +r media. I've not seen any computer drives have issues with -r media... In my experience -r media is 100% compatible. I would believe the 90% rating for the +r media (+/- 2-3%)... It's just a pain if you're sending out a disc to someone only to have them come back with a drive that can't handle the +r media.

 

[MaverickBP]

Originally posted by: akira34
I've seen computers have issues reading the +r media. I've not seen any computer drives have issues with -r media... In my experience -r media is 100% compatible. I would believe the 90% rating for the +r media (+/- 2-3%)... It's just a pain if you're sending out a disc to someone only to have them come back with a drive that can't handle the +r media.

i agree. if i HAD to choose one, i would go with -r. Like Akira said, it works better with older machines. The ratings online were very close in %. -r was always higher though by 1-2%. Like i said, i wouldnt be worried with either but if they are the same price. Get some -r and cover your bases.

 

[Jeff7]

DVD-R for video, +R for data.

Also, it sometimes helps to burn at 1x. My set-top player can't read anything if it's burned higher than 1x.

 

[akira34]

Man, you must have one crappy set-top player... My 4+ year old dvd player doesn't have any issue with the speed I burn media at. If I burn -r at the max (only 4x for now) it reads it just fine. I can put in the max speed burned media into the xbox and it doesn't even bat an eye... For my dvd player (connected to the tv) it more depends on the software used. When I tried dvd xcopy it would produce wide ranging results. Sometimes it would read no issue, other times it wouldn't read no matter what I put it into. Since I started using dvdshrink to backup and then burned with Roxio (6 and/or 7) it's not been an issue...

I do have issues when I try to burn tv shows to dvd to watch on the tv (from the computer)... I can't use the software that comes with WMCE05. I have to use some other software to create the image for Roxio to burn. It's enough of a pain that I'm about to just connect the computer to the tv and surround sound system and play recorded tv that way.

 

[LuNoTiCK]

Woah woah woah. +R is a SUPERIOR format. I don't know where you guys get the idea that -R is more compatible, but any dvd burner that allows you to set the bitsetting to -rom will make +R even more compatible than the crap -R format. I can't believe that people still think that -R is better.

Heres an article. http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/113

 

[akira34]

I can tell you for a FACT that there are drives out there that will NOT read +r media no matter what you do. Those same drives have NO issue with -r media...

 

[daniel1113]

I use +R for everything. It is a superior format, and used along with bitsetting, it shouldn't have any compatibility problems (except perhaps in very old DVD players, but they won't be any better with -R anyway). Also, +R DL is now available... can't say the same for -R. -R seems to be lagging behind both in speed and improvements lately.

 

[akira34]

I've encountered more than a few computer dvd drives that couldn't handle the +r media at all. While new systems won't have the issue, if you're trying to get the media to the most people, without needing to worry, I'd use the -r media. If you're only giving the media to people that have purchased a brand new computer in the past 18-24 months, then either will work. If people that will be getting the media have had a computer for longer than that, use -r media. Otherwise, you run a very real risk of having them bitch at you for sending media that they cannot read.

As for dual layer media... Who the F can afford that??? I'm not going to pay ~$10 per disc for media, I don't care how much it will hold. For the cost of a 5 pack of the DL media, I can get a 100 count spindle of 8x rated single layer media.

Also, I've seen the same speeds for both -r and +r dvd media, so saying that one is leaving the other behind is talking out of an orfice other than the one on your face.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: LuNoTiCK
Woah woah woah. +R is a SUPERIOR format. I don't know where you guys get the idea that -R is more compatible, but any dvd burner that allows you to set the bitsetting to -rom will make +R even more compatible than the crap -R format. I can't believe that people still think that -R is better.

Heres an article. http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/113

Agreed

-r is cheaper
+r more compatible

at least from what I have read.

Tom

 

[ribbon13]

My buddy owns an electronics store and him and I did some massive testing with about 60 dvd players.

The verdict was in favor of +R

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: akira34
IIf you're only giving the media to people that have purchased a brand new computer in the past 3-4 years, then either will work.

Fixed that for yah

+R isn't nearly as "new" or "less-compatible" as most people think. For the most part, the only players that have trouble with +R media are those made before 2000.

 

[akira34]

Originally posted by: ribbon13
My buddy owns an electronics store and him and I did some massive testing with about 60 dvd players.

The verdict was in favor of +R

I'm not talking about new players or systems. I'm talking about the vast numbers of computers out there that people are holding onto because they do the job that they need them to. Not everyone upgrades/updates as often as people that post here do. In fact, I know several people that have systems dated from before 2000/2001 that are perfectly happy with them.

AS I've also mentioned, I've encountered several people that have dvd drives (either readers or burners) that can't handle the +r media at all. Those exact same drives have NO issue (at all) with -r media.

Something else to note... I just recieved a software dvd in the mail (pre-release software from the vendor) and it came on -r media...

BTW, testing at an electronics store that probably has all the new/recent players in stock is not a way to test for older drive/player compatibility. I've already stated that new players/drives shouldn't care which media you use. IF you're sending the items to people that keep technology (either dvd players on tv's or in computers) then you're better off using the -r media. People that were the first (or early) to get dvd players will probably only be able to read -r media reliably...

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: akira34
I've seen computers have issues reading the +r media. I've not seen any computer drives have issues with -r media... In my experience -r media is 100% compatible.

May I present... (drum roll please)... my Creative 2X DVD-ROM, MK2240E. It reads DVD-ROM, single and dual-layer, CD-R, CD-RW, but no burned DVD discs of any type.
So make those -R discs 99% compatible, I guess.

I've tried Fuji T-Y +Rs, Fuji Prodisc -Rs, Princo -Rs (wouldn't even read back in my ND1300A until I updated the firmware), CMC +Rs, etc. Nothing seems to work. I haven't tried any bit-set discs yet, since my burner can't do that. Wondering if the drive has a firmware lockout against burned discs or something.

 

[LuNoTiCK]

http://www.signvideo.com/btst-d.htm

 

[LuNoTiCK]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: akira34
I've seen computers have issues reading the +r media. I've not seen any computer drives have issues with -r media... In my experience -r media is 100% compatible.

May I present... (drum roll please)... my Creative 2X DVD-ROM, MK2240E. It reads DVD-ROM, single and dual-layer, CD-R, CD-RW, but no burned DVD discs of any type.
So make those -R discs 99% compatible, I guess.

I've tried Fuji T-Y +Rs, Fuji Prodisc -Rs, Princo -Rs (wouldn't even read back in my ND1300A until I updated the firmware), CMC +Rs, etc. Nothing seems to work. I haven't tried any bit-set discs yet, since my burner can't do that. Wondering if the drive has a firmware lockout against burned discs or something.

Your ND1300A should be able to do bitsetting.

http://www.booktypefaq.com/
http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=86

I won't testify for it, but http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=125463

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, I would try flashing a 3rd-party bitsetting-capable firmware, except that the last version it seems was based on official 1.08, and I need official 1.0C for better media-compatibility. Thus far, I haven't really needed bitsetting, I doubt that old DVD-ROM drive will be able to read even bitset discs.

 

[justlnluck]

Akira,

You mention that you have experienced problems with DVD+R media in older drives. But do you experience these problems even when the disc is burned as a DVD-ROM? You haven't mentioned if you use bitsetting.

 

[akira34]

Since I do cross platform burning, it all depends on which OS/system I'm burning from. I've had more difficulties with older Mac's combo/dvd-rom drives reading +r media. Then again, I've not had to work on all that many old windows boxes (people usually toss them when they get that old).

Before anyone starts trash-talking Mac's, each platform has it's uses. For some people, the Mac does the job better and longer. Just as some people use Linux or Windows for what they do. I work on both, depending on what I need to do.

As for bitsetting, I wouldn't even know where to look under Roxio or Toast to find it. Probably because by using -r media I don't need to bother.

 

[justlnluck]

Yeah, the great thing about bitsetting is that it allows you to burn DVD+R discs as DVD-ROM discs. So other drives that read the discs, read them as standard DVD-ROMs which all DVD players can read regardless of their age.

Not all dvd burners support bitsetting though. I purchased my BenQ 1620 specifically for its bitsetting capability. It is able to burn +R media as DVD-ROM right out of the box. Hopefully other drive makers like NEC, LG, and Pioneer will realize the importance of this feature and incorporate it into their newer drives.

 

[randomlinh]

you know, your best bet is to try both, and see what works for YOU. Everyone is going to throw their opinion. the whole +/- thing seems so evenly spread.... and no talk of DL capabilities, cost doesn't warrant it for most people