Recordable DVD Guide

A quick comparative guide to different recordable DVD formats.

DVD-R - the standard for home DVD recording. Discs are record-once. Any decent modern DVD player will happily play a correctly recorded DVD-R disc.

DVD-RW – re recordable version of the DVD-R format which enables support of various advanced record and playback functionality, including "chase play" (watch from the start of a recording whilst the end is still being recorded on the same disc), simultaneous record of a programme whilst watching another and other non-linear style editing possibilities.

DVD+R - Recordings do not officially comply with the "DVD" specification, hence they use a different logo. The motivation for the format is that discs recorded in this mode trick low-quality, non-compliant DVD players - which were not specified to play back correctly authored DVD-R discs - into playing such discs.

DVD+RW – re recordable version of the DVD+R format.

DVD-RAM - supported by Panasonic as a means to enable many of the functions of the DVD-RW format. Playback requires specific DVD-RAM support and is not widely supported beyond the recorders which make such recordings.

And good DVD player will happily recognise DVD-R/RW discs. Many will not specify compatibility with DVD+R/RW, as this is not a specified "DVD" format, however the nature of such discs dictates that most will play back in most DVD players anyway.

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*Correct as of October 2007.