What’s the difference for my computers DVD writer (which takes both types). Is one better than the other?
The difference is just that two competing coalitions had slightly different standards for a re-writable DVD format. As far as I have read, there is no noticable difference in the performance or usability for the average home user. Buy whichever media type the drive manufacturer recommends.
Since my new (and first) DVD Recordable should be waiting for me when I got home tonight, I had the same question.
Here was the most helpful link I could find. It does a fairly good job at explaining all three formats of DVDs.
They are generally about the same as for reliablity. It depends what you play them on. dvd-r is generally cheaper online but they jack up prices in chain stores so +r & -r are the same.
I believe DVD-R discs are easier for older DVD players to read than DVD+R.
Welcome to the current Beta/VHS race!
(ok, it might turn out more like Mac/PC, but I doubt it.)
i got a +RW burner and i think i made a mistake. my own Acer DVD reader doesn’t play them, but Toshiba does 
i would’ve definitely bought a dual-format burner if i was buying now.
I have a dual format burner, and I have used all 4 formats (+R,-R, +RW, -RW), and they have no noticable differences. My old DVD player would play only 2x or lower DVD-R. Now, my new DVD player plays all of them, and it’s really nice, since I can do test DVDs on +RW discs and then burn the permanent one later. Supposedly, +R works on more players overall, and +RW and +R have shorter formatting speeds, so they burn a bit more quickly, but I’ve only noticed about a 30 second difference at 4x, which takes about 26 minutes to burn a full DVD.
+r is ahead in the speed race now doing 8x. I haven’t priced 8x media yet, but some can write a full disk @ 8x on 4x media. YEstereday I saw a 8x +r writer for $139. I read in theory the max writing speed is supposed to be 16x.
well Jman its not so much a question whether my own drive can read it, its whether everybody else’s drives can read it.
cuz in my own home i can play a movie straight off a pc without even burning it.
and there is no guaranteeing that everybody else has the latest dvd drives.