Home Theater & Entertainment DVDs, DVRs & Videos 127 127 people found this article helpful What Are All the Recordable DVD Formats? DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM: What's the difference? by Sal Prince Writer Sal Prince is a former Lifewire writer and a video production professional and tech enthusiast who has written extensively about electronics and DVRs our editorial process Sal Prince Updated on November 15, 2019 kyoshino / Getty Images DVDs, DVRs & Videos TV & Displays Audio DVDs, DVRs & Videos Tweet Share Email There are five recordable DVD formats for set-top DVD recorders and computer DVD burners: DVD-RDVD+RDVD-RWDVD+RWDVD-RAM DVD-R and DVD+R can only record data once. DVD-RW and DVD+RW can be rewritten thousands of times, just like the CD-RW format. Some manufacturers offer set-top DVD recorders and DVD burners that record in both "dash" and "plus" format. DVD-RAM is less compatible than the others, as it includes a removable storage device for burning and recording. Here we'll look at each format in detail. DVD-R/RW will not record in a DVD+R/RW recorder or burner, and vice-versa. This is not an issue when using a multi-format recorder or burner, and most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives will read either format. If you record as DVD-RAM, it will likely only playback in a DVD-RAM recorder. DVD-R DVD-R is a "write-once" format compatible with most existing DVD players, recorders, and DVD-ROM drives. It can only be formatted from DVD recorders and burners that support DVD-R recording or multi-format recording. It can hold up to 4.7GB of data or video, or two hours of MPEG-2 video on the standard (SP) speed setting. DVD-RW DVD-RW is the rewritable version of DVD-R. It allows for approximately 1,000 re-writes before it is used up. In general, DVD-RW discs are slightly less compatible than DVD-R, and like any other only works with DVD recorders and players that support DVD-RW. Like DVD-R, it can hold up to 4.7GB of data or video. DVD+R Another write-once format, DVD+R is functionally no different than DVD-R. These discs hold 4.7GB of data or video and are compatible with most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives. The only way DVD+R differs is in how the device determines the location of the laser beam when inserted in a player or recorder. More important is its compatibility, or whether or not the format is meant to work with the hardware you're trying to use. DVD+RW This is the re-writable version of DVD+R. It can record approximately 1,000 times and hold up to 4.7GB of data or video. Like DVD+R, the only technical difference between DVD+RW and DVD-RW is that the latter has slightly shorter burn times, and is slightly more compatible with DVD players. Like other formats, though, it's more a matter of matching the format with the hardware. DVD-RAM DVD-RAM comes in two varieties and storage capacities. The discs come in both cartridge and non-cartridge varieties, as well as single-sided or double-sided. Offered by only a few manufacturers (Panasonic, Toshiba, and a few other minor ones), DVD-RAM is useful if used like a hard drive. Because it supports up to 100,000 re-writes, you can use the disc to record TV shows, view them, and then re-write over them. Single-sided discs hold 4.7GB and double-sided discs hold 9.4GB, allowing for longer recording times. The downside is that DVD-RAM is the least compatible of the five recording formats, typically used for recording and playback on the same set-top DVD Recorder. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit