# DVD-R or DVD+R **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364 "2003-10-24T18:22:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/1 "2003-10-24T18:22:04Z")
What’s the difference for my computers DVD writer (which takes both types). Is one better than the other? ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/2 "2003-10-24T19:37:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![More\_Cowbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@More\_Cowbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/More_Cowbell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/3 "2003-10-24T19:43:35Z")
Since my new (and first) DVD Recordable should be waiting for me when I got home tonight, I had the same question. [Here](http://www.timefordvd.com/tutorial/RecordableDVDTutorial.shtml) was the most helpful link I could find. It does a fairly good job at explaining all three formats of DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/4 "2003-10-24T22:01:54Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/5 "2003-10-24T23:50:49Z")
I believe DVD-R discs are easier for older DVD players to read than DVD+R. ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/6 "2003-10-25T00:01:06Z")
Welcome to the current Beta/VHS race! (ok, it might turn out more like Mac/PC, but I doubt it.) ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/7 "2003-10-25T05:22:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/8 "2003-10-25T10:23:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/9 "2003-10-25T13:31:01Z")
+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. ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-r-or-dvd-r/209364/10 "2003-10-28T18:08:31Z")
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.