DVD + R or DVD-R - which ones to buy?

Whether you should better buy a DVD + R or DVD-R and where the differences are - we will explain it to you.

DVD-R or DVD + R - what's the difference?

The "R" behind DVD stands for "recordable" in both versions. This means that a blank DVD is marked on which you can burn data:

• DVD-R: The DVD-R is the official successor to the CD-R from the industry association "DVD Forum". This developed a certain area on the DVD that the burner cannot read. This created a copy protection. Since the DVD-R is the officially recognized standard of DVDs, both older and newer burners can handle the format. For this reason, only DVD-Rs may bear the official DVD logo.
• DVD + R: Some manufacturers of the "DVD Forum" were annoyed by the relatively high license costs of the DVD-R. In addition, you did not find the integrated copy protection beneficial because it reduced the sales of DVD burners. So they founded their own industry association, the "DVD + RW Alliance". This developed its own data carrier, the DVD + R.
• Today there is no longer a difference between a DVD-R and a DVD + R. Only burners that were bought before 2003 cannot handle the DVD + R properly. In the meantime, however, all DVD burners produced later are compatible with both the DVD-R and the DVD + R variant. When buying, you can confidently opt for the cheaper format without having to worry about sacrificing quality.

Tip: This practical tip shows you whether you can remove the write protection from a DVD.