CD Duplication – Abbreviations Of Different Terms Used In Duplication

When you have been shopping for blank CDs or blank DVDs recently, you may have found yourself a bit puzzled by all of the options - CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. Trying to figure out the abbreviations between them can be a bit mind racking indeed.

To make matters worse for those who aren't up on the latest sensations of technology is the rate at which the industry of technology is evolving. Just when you think you've caught on to the concepts of MP3s and burning CD and DVD media, new twists on blank media hits the market and you found yourself puzzled more than you were to start with.

R - Recordable

The "R" found in CD-R and DVD+/-R media stands for recordable. It will tell customers that these disks are blank recordable media. You can record data, music, movies, and photos on these discs, but the discs cannot be erased.

RW - Rewritable

The "RW" on CD-RW and DVD+/-RW media stands for rewritable. This lets you know that media with RW on them can be recorded and erased many times. You can expect to pay a bit more for RW type media, although the prices for blank CD and DVD media are cheap.

DVD+R / DVD+RW - Advanced Features

The difference between DVD-R / DVD-RW media, and DVD+R / DVD+RW media is the biggest source of confusion. You simply need to know that each DVD types can record movies just like the next type in order to avoid a long technical speech on the differences.

DVD+R and DVD+RW are a newer more expensive technology that offers a few technical benefits over DVD-R and DVD-RW. None the less, DVD-R has greater compatibility with more DVD players than any other format of blank DVDs.

You should have no problems with DVD+R/DVD+RW media if you have a newer DVD player or if you use your computer to play back media. Some say that they provide a better range of quality, although the quality is indeed similar.

Keep in mind that all recordable CD and DVD media do the same thing in spite of their specific brand or extension. Because there is not an industry standard that involves DVD technology, not every DVD player is compatible with each and every format you see on retail store shelves.

You should always verify with DVD player manual to see which type of recordable media it will play back due to the above mentioned reason. This way, you'll know what to buy the next time you go shopping for blank CD or DVD media.