Confusing DVD Formats Explained

Have you ever tried to buy a blank DVD to back up your files, but couldn’t figure out which DVD format works in your optical drive? Yes, but it wasn’t a disaster, as I later discovered that my DVD drive supports almost all types of discs. Otherwise, it would have been a waste to buy disks in bulk only to find out that the disk drive cannot read or write to those disks. With all the confusing DVD nomenclature, which one should you buy?

So let’s talk about DVDs first. I was totally blown away when this technology came along, as it offers over six times the capacity (single-layer, single-sided type) of old CD-R discs. I was able to fit a lot of data onto one disk, so I had fewer disks to keep in my workspace. Capacity actually varies depending on the number of sides and layers of DVD you buy, but I won’t go into detail about the technology behind it. Price, as well as capacity, should also influence your decision, but what you need to consider is the DVD format your optical drive supports.

The least common format is DVD-RAM, which has better recording capabilities but is not compatible with many disc drives and stand-alone DVD players. If your DVD-ROM drive supports this format and you plan to use the disc as a backup medium for your personal files, you’ll be fine with DVD-RAM. But if there is a chance that you want to insert the disc into someone else’s computer or want to burn movies so you can watch them on your video player, stay away from this format.

The safest DVDs to buy are the “minus” formats, namely DVD-R and DVD-RW. Personally I would recommend you buy this unless you are sure about the other formats. The “minus” formats came out first and are compatible with almost all video and DVD-ROM players. The difference between “R” and “RW” is that the latter allows data to be rewritten up to a thousand times. DVD-R is cheaper than DVD-RW but the data is frozen on the disc once it is written. Therefore, it is excellent for backing up static data such as your personal videos and music.

The “plus” formats, on the other hand, are almost the same as the “minus” formats at the surface level. The distinction lies in the technology, as it supports faster writing and file drag and drop, making it much like a removable drive. This format is designed to be compatible with all DVD-ROMs and video players, but at the moment, the plus and minus formats have almost the same level of compatibility.

To check if your player supports the mentioned formats, it is usually indicated on your optical drive. But sometimes this information is hidden, so you should do a little online search for your drive and once you find the page about the DVD-ROM model, you will most likely see a summary of the drive formats. DVD that supports.