A spindle of blank DVD discs
When DVD burners first became available, compatibility was an issue. Knowing what was compatible and what was not was important. These days it makes almost no difference, but there are still notable differences between the + and - camps.
Initial compatibility
DVD-R was the first format released (1997) and for the time was the most compatible with home players. DVD-R is backed by the DVDForum. DVD+R was released later (mid-2004), and was backed by the DVD Alliance. DVD+R can be problematic for home players from before 2004.
Capacity
Recordable DVDs have standardized capacity (measured in gigabytes): DVD-5 (4.8GB), DVD-9 (8.5GB), DVD-10 (9.7GB) and DVD-18 (17GB). DVD-5 and -9 are the two prevailing capacities.
Features
DVD-R has no special features as it was designed to fit the DVD standard. DVD+R made improvements such as ADIP (ADdress In Pregroove) tracking and speed control, making recording more accurate and reliable. More robust error management was also implemented to aid more accurate burning. Lastly, DVD+R also brought bitsetting, which allowed for greater compatibility.
DVD Alliance members
The members of the DVD Alliance are: Dell, HP, Mitsubishi/Verbatim, Philips, RICOH, Sony, Thomson and Yamaha.
DVDForum members
The DVDForum members are: Hitachi, Ltd., IBM Corporation, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Intel Corporation, LG Electronics Inc., Memory-Tech Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, NEC Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Pioneer Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., LTD., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., SHARP, Sony Corporation, Thomson, Toshiba Corporation, Walt Disney Pictures and Television, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Tags: DVDForum members, home players, more accurate