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

[n7]

This question gets asked a zillion times, & there really is no truely acccurate answer.

Unless one doesn't work & the other does, it really shouldn't matter.

 

[RichMitt]

I just got on this forum and hope I'm not too late to ask a couple of questions relating to this subject.

I have a NEC DVD+ read/write (ND-1100A) drive on my machine as well as a Samsung 5D-616T read-only drive. I purchased the computer just over a year ago. I am considering buying a Toshiba DVD/VHS recorder. The manual quite emphatically says NOT to use DVD+R adn DVD+RW discs. Are they serious, or are they either (1) trying to protect themselves if something doesn't work), or (2) just strongly anti-DVD+? I realize that one would have to use DVD-R/RW discs for recording, but how about playing?

Now assume for a moment that this is just a smokescreen and that the Toshiba will indeed play DVD+R/RW discs. The next question is would I be able to play DVD-R/RW discs recorded on the Toshiba on either or both of my computer drives?

 

[Nucleus111]

Originally posted by: RichMitt
I just got on this forum and hope I'm not too late to ask a couple of questions relating to this subject.

I have a NEC DVD+ read/write (ND-1100A) drive on my machine as well as a Samsung 5D-616T read-only drive. I purchased the computer just over a year ago. I am considering buying a Toshiba DVD/VHS recorder. The manual quite emphatically says NOT to use DVD+R adn DVD+RW discs. Are they serious, or are they either (1) trying to protect themselves if something doesn't work), or (2) just strongly anti-DVD+? I realize that one would have to use DVD-R/RW discs for recording, but how about playing?

Now assume for a moment that this is just a smokescreen and that the Toshiba will indeed play DVD+R/RW discs. The next question is would I be able to play DVD-R/RW discs recorded on the Toshiba on either or both of my computer drives?

If the manual states no +R/W then you can't use them. Not all drives are capable of reading either format. As for your NEC drive, you'll have to look up the model and see what the specs are. If you have a program like nero there is a tool that can tell you what the drive is capable of too. If you burner only supports the + format, then look for tools that allow bitsetting so the discs will play in the combo unit.

 

[imported_Kojack]

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

Lol Im sure a lot of people can't believe you either, no one is saying either format is better than the other(apart from you) & -R has always up to now being the more compatibly format, as far as one format being better than the other, we can all find a forum that says one thing or another.

http://www.digitalfaq.com/othervideo/dvdformats.htm

It sounds like to me you went out and bought a +r burner & now trying to justify your choice by saying -R is crap & +R is the better.

We can all read one thing or another, like -R/-RW is still the most popular format in the world todate.

As this kind chap akira34 pointed out his suggestion was based on compatibility issues with older players.

I started out with a +R burner & changed to one that does all -R +R & Ram because the + would not play on my 2 home DVD players & - would.

Rgs
Kojack

 

[AMD NUBI]

I agree that -R is more compatible than +R. If you own a Panasonic model DVD home player (very popular among home theater folks and is one of the top selling DVD home player in states if not #1) don't go with +R to burn your movies as back-up because Panasonic DVD home players don't support +R. New or Old doesn't matter.

 

[angi4him]

Does anyone know if My new NEC 3520 Dual DVD/CD burner can do the bitsetting?

I had heard on a 2003 forum that no dual burners could. But that was then...

Just Curious, Thanks

 

[lapierrem]

Strange, but I have the exact same model drive, and it reads burned +R discs fine. Specifically I've used memorex 4x +R discs, for things like loading my linux OSes. My burner only does +R discs so that's all i've ever used. Not sure about bit-set, as I just burn from nero, no settings. My old DVD player was first gen and won't read burned discs of any type.

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.

 

[LuNoTiCK]

Originally posted by: Kojack

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

Lol Im sure a lot of people can't believe you either, no one is saying either format is better than the other(apart from you) & -R has always up to now being the more compatibly format, as far as one format being better than the other, we can all find a forum that says one thing or another.

http://www.digitalfaq.com/othervideo/dvdformats.htm

It sounds like to me you went out and bought a +r burner & now trying to justify your choice by saying -R is crap & +R is the better.

We can all read one thing or another, like -R/-RW is still the most popular format in the world todate.

As this kind chap akira34 pointed out his suggestion was based on compatibility issues with older players.

I started out with a +R burner & changed to one that does all -R +R & Ram because the + would not play on my 2 home DVD players & - would.

Rgs
Kojack

Actually I have a dual format burner with + and -R discs. I prefer +R's because they are better. It's as simple as that.

 

[akira34]

No matter what format you prefer it ultimately comes down to what works most with the drives/devices it will be used in. If -r works in most/all your devices, you'll love that. The same is true for +r.

Since there are computers that I deal with often that don't like the +r media, I stick with -r media. Also, the burners I have do both equally fast, so there's no speed difference (you can get 8x media in both). I can't see either format NOT being supported by burners in the near future (or next couple of years), so you're safe no matter which you use.

Of course, all computer drives I've put media into that have come out in the past 12-18 months deals with either +r or -r equally well. That is, except for burners that you're trying to use the burning function that's built into xp. To get true burning capabilities you need burning software. Some like nero, I prefer Roxio products. In fact, you won't find nero install on any systems I either own or work on... Even if it came with a burner that is in the system.

 

[imported_Kojack]

Im more Inclined to believe this part of his statement/findings

Disclaimer
This article is meant to be a list of technical arguments showing some of the advantages of the + format over the - format, and it reflects only my personal opinion, and not the one of CD Freaks. It is not a detailed comparison of the two formats, and it does not take into account specificities of drives, media or third party software : only the format differences are compared here, as described in the DVD-R 2.0, DVD-RW 1.1, DVD+R 1.1 and DVD+RW 1.1 standards. Corrections are welcome by email, but questions and contradictory opinions should be posted to our forum, so that everyone can benefit from an open discussion.


The fact that this is the only piece of information you can find on the internet also speaks for it self, a one off finding by some Joe Blow, lol, who is also probably trying to justify why he use + to burn/backup 100's DVD.

Oh well thats life, good luck to you. hehehe

 

[NateSLC]

Originally posted by: RichMitt
I just got on this forum and hope I'm not too late to ask a couple of questions relating to this subject.

I have a NEC DVD+ read/write (ND-1100A) drive on my machine as well as a Samsung 5D-616T read-only drive. I purchased the computer just over a year ago. I am considering buying a Toshiba DVD/VHS recorder. The manual quite emphatically says NOT to use DVD+R adn DVD+RW discs. Are they serious, or are they either (1) trying to protect themselves if something doesn't work), or (2) just strongly anti-DVD+? I realize that one would have to use DVD-R/RW discs for recording, but how about playing?

Now assume for a moment that this is just a smokescreen and that the Toshiba will indeed play DVD+R/RW discs. The next question is would I be able to play DVD-R/RW discs recorded on the Toshiba on either or both of my computer drives?

The only set top DVD player I've tried that won't play +R is a Toshiba. Only a couple years old at that.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: lapierrem
Strange, but I have the exact same model drive, and it reads burned +R discs fine. Specifically I've used memorex 4x +R discs, for things like loading my linux OSes. My burner only does +R discs so that's all i've ever used. Not sure about bit-set, as I just burn from nero, no settings. My old DVD player was first gen and won't read burned discs of any type.

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
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.

Really? That's quite interesting. What firmware version are you running? I upgraded mine, back when it was fairly new. It's not in my machine currently, otherwise I would check, but I think it was 1.8 or something. If you have newer firmware, then I would definately like to find out about getting a copy.

I've tried Princo 1X/2X -Rs, Fuji T-Y +Rs, CMC E01, F01 +Rs, ... nothing writable will read in that drive. But pressed, even dual-layer DVD-ROMs - fine. CD-Rs/CD-RWs - fine. I don't get it.