DVD Media

Blazing Trails with DVD Media

DVD media may be some of the hardest to interpret in the electronics industry. DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW – what do these terms all mean? With home DVD recorders becoming more inexpensive by the day due to the introduction of new Blu-Ray technology in the near future, there is added confusion over the different kinds of DVD recorders and disks when picking a model. What are the differences amongst the top DVD media right now?

To start, each one provides its own set of versatility and flexibility in electronic media. A DVD-R disk is a complete 180 degree turn opposite from its DVD+R cousin. For starters, a DVD-R has a capacity of 4.8 gigabytes and cannot be recorded over twice. DVD-R media falls into two categories – DVD-RA and DVD-RG. DVD-RA are media that disks that are used by official factories that produce DVDs for sale in the market. For example, that Collateral or Top Gun CD straight from the manufacturer would qualify as a DVD-R. The DVD-RG media is designed for home use. These are the DVDs you use to record your own movies and songs. Keep in mind that older DVD players may lack playability with these, so always aim for a top of the line DVD player model when trekking through Circuit City.

On the flop side, DVD+Rs are DVD media that are also the same 4.7 GB capacity, with the exception being that they could only be played in DVD+R recorders. The distinct difference between the two is that DVD+R disks read data faster than DVD-R media. However, this difference is felt best when you use the DVD+R disk to record backup data. Movies on both DVD+R and DVD-R have exactly identical playback performances. Today, there are many recorders that could play both types of DVD media and these are the ones you should seek.

The DVD+RW is another piece of DVD media jargon. This DVD media is simply the re-recordable version of the DVD+R. When movies are placed in this format, expect only the newest DVD players to be able to play it back. The upside to these is that it can be reformatted to add more data, but it needs to be full if anything needs to be played. The DVD-RW, respectively, is the re-recordable version of the DVD-R.

With all of these plusses and minuses on DVD media phrases and words, it is hard to be misled and confused. However, with the explanations provided above, you should get a better sense of what DVD media is all about. After all, DVD media is the new wave of the digital future.