I understand that DVD-R is more often "compatible" among the world of players...than perhaps DVD+R. What, if any, is the distinction between them (beside the group setting the specification) and what benefits does DVD+R offer?
I have some detailed tech documents on this, but I can't seem to locate them right now. So we'll go with my memory.... apologies if it's not 100% precise or detailed.
DVD+R was mostly created to avoid paying royalties to the DVD Forum, by a coalition established by Sony and Philips (the RW Alliance). Originally the DVD+R format was going to be a smaller data-only DVD, mostly meant to compete with the DVD-RAM format often used for data. That was scrapped, however, and it eventually turned into a direct DVD-R General competitor.
The one lingering aspect of the "data only" era was it used a slightly different style of writing/burning, and had physical difference from DVD-R. The spec sheets for DVD+R/DVD+RW actually had quite a few benefits for error correction and readability, but most of them never materialized. While DVD+R technically writes better, it's not as easy to read as DVD-R, nor as compatible in readers/players (especially older ones, 5+ years or more in age). A lot of the "what's the difference" articles you see online still mistakenly show aspects that never got included into the final DVD+R/DVD+RW spec revisions.
For a long time DVD+R was simply more expensive than DVD-R, but that ended years and years ago. Some people stupidly thought it was better simply because it was more expensive. In an effort to keep up drive sales, and keep down production costs -- and to avoid a stupid format war -- dual-format burners came out pretty early on, before most people had even adopted DVD burning tech. Many DVD-R only manufacturers have gone out of business in recent years, but DVD-R still outsells DVD+R by a wide margin.
Aside from drinking company kool-aid or nitpicking tech specs, the formats are more or less identical, with the nod going to DVD-R for the best DVD-Video "DVD player" compatibility.
Ahhh...I see.
So I should burn my project to a TY DVD-R and copies on Verbatim DVD-R. I'm also going to push the folder to an archive data DVD and back-up HDD. Anything else?
I burn masters to Verbatim's Mitsubishi (MCC) DVD-R and Pioneer's (PVC) DVD-R. PVC no longer available, of course, I have a special stash for masters. I also use Taiyo Yuden DVD+R for masters and/or backups. Verbatim DVD+R, TY DVD-R and Sony DVD+R all work great as secondary/tertiary backup copies of the masters -- or the main play copies.
The push to DVD-R is mostly for customers, for distribution, or for primary play copies. For archival discs, any good blank will work, DVD-R or DVD+R.
I've quoted the most important parts, removed the techie jargon that you probably don't care to read.
Quote:
Pre-pits versus ADIP
To help its recording, a blank disc usually gives 3 kind of information to the drive: tracking (so that the pits are correctly written along a track), addresses (so that the drive can write at the good location) and speed (so that the disc is spinned at the correct velocity).
...
DVD-R(W) format uses a slow wobble (140,6kHz) for tracking and speed, and the addressing (and additional) information is carried by the land pre-pits (pre-recorded pits between grooves). On the groove signal, pre-pits give amplitude spikes.
DVD+R(W) format uses a much faster wobble (817,4kHz), and the addressing (and additional) information is carried by a phase modulation of this wobble called ADIP (ADdress In Pre-groove).
As taught by signal theory, the phase modulation method has a better noise immunity than the pre-pits method, and therefore ADIPs are generally more robust than LPPs against all external disturbances (electrical noise, disc tilting, focusing problems, etc).
...
Not only are the pre-pits more error prone than phase modulation, but data they carry are also less protected.
The "defect management" section does not apply, it's the tech I referred to as being "on paper" only, not actually found in consumer drives we buy and use.
He seems to use just as many () as I do in writing.
This is one reason I keep a DVD+R as an "additional backup" for my archives. The main archive is still on DVD-R, inferior burn method and all, is still more compatible with readers and players.
I keep an ISO image on backup too -- onsite and offsite -- for the most important archives.
When to use DVD+R versus DVD-R ?
Linear Mode
