# Questions about DVD formats.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-dvd-formats/331998>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 20, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-dvd-formats/331998 "2005-11-20T23:54:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-dvd-formats/331998/1 "2005-11-20T23:54:43Z")

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My wife and I are in the market for a new DVD player and so I thought we might as well get a recorder. I did a bit of research by going to several electronic stores, but I came away with an important question.

Which is best out of DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW? I specifically want to know which is more widespread and which will work on a wider variety of players. Also, which is likely to work on more players in the future. I know there probably is no definitive answer for this last question, but what do you guys think?

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-dvd-formats/331998/2 "2005-11-21T00:13:02Z")

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[DVD FAQ](http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html)

You’ll learn more about DVDs than you ever wanted.

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**Author:** ![Southessex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Southessex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southessex)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-dvd-formats/331998/3 "2005-11-21T13:49:19Z")

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If your DVD player was made in the last couple of years, then + or - really doesn’t matter; they’ll work in just about any DVD player. For instance, both types of disc work in my two newest players (both made in the past two years); neither type will work in my oldest player (from 1998? 1999?).

AFAIK, using RW discs (in either + or - format) is somewhat problematic. Far more DVD players support “regular” +- discs than RW +- discs.

On one of the geek boards I spend far too much time at, the general consensus is that + is better due to a “better error connecting mechanism”, although the people that advocate that position have never been able to provide a cite for their assertion.