# ? Re: Recordable Media cd's & DVD's
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-recordable-media-cds-dvds/262883
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 3, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-recordable-media-cds-dvds/262883 "2004-09-03T01:35:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-recordable-media-cds-dvds/262883/1 "2004-09-03T01:35:16Z")
Where can I find a lucid explanation of the various types of recordable media.
They are advertised/sold with + an - signs, some designated for data others for who knows what. Surely there must be a table or chart somewhere to explain it all.
All the sites visited are interested in sales not information. Any and all help appreciated. Thanks,
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### Author:  [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-recordable-media-cds-dvds/262883/2 "2004-09-03T02:01:15Z")
You might try the [DVD FAQ](http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html).
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-recordable-media-cds-dvds/262883/3 "2004-09-03T02:16:57Z")
From my reply on DVD authoring in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=273640):
There are three competing camps of manufacturers of recordable DVDs.
One camp makes the discs known as DVD-R and DVD-RW (“dash” discs).
One camp makes the discs known as DVD+R and DVD+RW (“plus” discs).
A third camp makes the discs known as DVD-RAM.
-R and +R discs are recordable once only, like CD-R.
-RW, +RW, and -RAM discs are recordable and erasible, like CD-RW.
Problems arise because the discs are very similar to the consumer’s eye, but many older DVD recorders and standalone DVD players will handle “plus” discs but not “dash” discs, or vice versa. Newer devices can handle all the disc formats.
You can check machines’ compatibility with different recordable-disc formats through the database search at [http://www.videohelp.com](http://www.videohelp.com).
This format difference has nothing to do with the movie studios’ DVD “Region Codes”. Recordable DVDs available to the consumer are not encumbered by region coding or the encryption that goes along with it. The DVD you make on your computer will play on any machine that can handle your television standard.
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-recordable-media-cds-dvds/262883/4 "2004-09-03T02:27:37Z")
[Here’s](http://www.videohelp.com/) a great site that provides a lot of info about formats/players/etc. Docs, reviews, the works. It’s also known as [DVDRhelp.com](http://DVDRhelp.com) and [VCDhelp.com](http://VCDhelp.com).
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### Author:  [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-recordable-media-cds-dvds/262883/5 "2004-09-03T06:28:50Z")
[A CD-Recordable FAQ](http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq.html)
[A DVD FAQ](http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html)
I’ve linked to the contents page of these FAQ’s and sections on the various types of media are present as well as answers to qustions about disc formats, equipment, compatability, and authoring/burning programs.
A google search for **CDR faq** and **DVD faq** turned up the links as the first hits respectively. When you want detailed info on how something works, chances are someone has written an FAQ page so “FAQ” should be one of your search terms in the future.
Hope this helps,
-DF