[Bc]

Help please I am looking to buy a dvd player which only records in DVD+R/RW but I don't really know the difference between - and +. They all seem the same to me. It does play back dvd-r/rw so I think it wil be ok. But I still don't know what the difference is between DVD+ and DVD- can someone enlighten me please.

[Paul Moran]

I'd like to know, too!
I buy -R/-RW discs, because my Sony recorders will only record in 16:9 anamorphic on -R/-RW discs. With +R/+RW, they only manage 4:3 letterbox with 16:9 broadcasts. (BTW, they are recent models - RDR-GXD310 and RDR-HXD710 - and the limitation is mentioned in the Operating Instructions. No software update downloads available, AFAIK.)

[Scott_F]

Courtesy of Wikipedia, I'm still non the wiser though

There are a number of significant technical differences between the "minus" (or often and incorrectly "dash") format and the "plus" format, though most consumers would not notice the difference. One example is the ADIP system of tracking and speed control being less susceptible to interference and error than the LPP system used by DVD-R, which makes the ADIP system more accurate at higher speeds. In addition, DVD+R(W) has a more robust error management system than DVD-R(W), allowing for more accurate burning to media independent of the quality of the media. Additional session linking methods are more accurate with DVD+R(W) versus DVD-R(W), resulting in fewer damaged or unusable discs due to buffer under-run and multi-session disks with fewer PI/PO errors.[citation needed]

Like other "plus" media, it is possible to use bitsetting to increase the compatibility of DVD+R media.

As of 2006, the market for recordable DVD technology shows little sign of settling down in favor of either the "plus" or "minus" formats, which is mostly the result of the increasing numbers of dual-format devices that can record to both formats; it has become very difficult to find new devices that can only record to one of the formats. However, because the DVD-R format has been in use since 1997, it has had a five-year lead on DVD+R. As such, older or cheaper DVD players (up to 2004 vintage) are more likely to favour the DVD-R standard exclusively, and when creating DVDs for distribution (where the playing unit is unknown or older) the DVD-R format would normally be preferable

[Bc]

Thanks Scott lol but it is very confusing eh