DVD recorders: How to buy the best DVD recorder Disc formats explained

There are seven formats of recordable DVD

Seven disc formats

There are seven formats of DVD recordable discs available. Each format offers different features and functionality.

DVD-R 

This is one of the most widely available formats. The DVD discs can be used for recording in either standalone DVD recorders or computer DVD drives. The discs are cheap, write-once-only discs – so you cannot re-record on them. However, new recordings can be added later to the remaining blank section.

Recordings cannot be erased, though unwanted titles can be hidden by deleting them from the listings in the table of contents.

To play the disc in other DVD players, that is, not in the one you recorded with, the recorded disc has to be ‘finalised’. This means no further recordings can be made to that disc.

DVD-RW 

These are rerecordable versions of the DVD-R discs – you can overwrite existing recordings with new ones. The DVD discs can be used for recording in either these standalone DVD recorders or in DVD drives on computers. DVD-RW has two different modes of recording:

DVD-RW video mode 

In ‘DVD-RW video mode’, programmes are saved in the order you record them and new recordings can be added later to the remaining blank section.

Individual recordings (titles) can be deleted and replaced with new recordings. But, if subsequent recordings are put in the space left by an erased title, care must be taken to ensure the recording is no longer than the space available, so it doesn't continue copying over the next recording.

In this sense, they’re similar to replacing a recording on a cassette tape. However, it’s not possible to erase and replace part of a recording. It’s possible, though, for the whole disc to be erased and re-used.

As with DVD-R discs, the blank disc has to be formatted before use and the recorded disc has to be ‘finalised’ to be able to play in DVD players other than the one it was recorded in.

DVD-RW VR mode 

If you record DVD-RW discs in ‘VR mode’, there’s greater versatility for replacing and adding new recordings.

If one recording is deleted and replaced with a new recording, the new recording will use the available space as normal but, if the recording is longer than this gap, the recorder jumps to the next available blank space – rather than overwriting the next recording.

This format also allows more editing, such as joining recordings, cropping recordings and playlists. The discs can be finalised so they’ll play in other DVD players.

VR mode also allows the disc to be ‘read’ at the same time as it is recording, so you can start watching a programme before it’s actually finished recording.

However, the drawback is that VR mode recorded discs aren’t compatible with as many other DVD players as disc recorded in Video mode.

DVD+R 

The DVD+R disc capabilities are very similar to the DVD-R discs. They can be used for recording in either standalone DVD recorders or computer DVD drives on computers.

The discs are write-once-only discs and programmes are recorded in the order you record them, and new recordings can be added later to the remaining blank section.

Recordings can’t be erased, though unwanted titles can be hidden by deleting them from the listings in the table of contents. Once again, the recorded disc has to be ‘finalised’ before it’ll play in other DVD players.

DVD+RW 

These are re-recordable versions of the DVD+R discs. They can be used for recording in either standalone DVD recorders or in DVD drives on computers.

Programmes are saved in the order you record them, and new recordings can be added later to the remaining blank section.

Individual recordings (titles) and parts of titles can be deleted and replaced with new recordings.

However, subsequent recordings cannot be longer than the space left by an erased title or A-B space. In this sense, they’re similar to replacing a recording on to cassette tape.

It is also possible for the whole disc to be erased and re-used. The recorded disc is ‘finalised’ so it’ll play in other DVD players.

Dual layer discs 

Dual layer discs in both +/-R and +/-RW formats are available, which gives them twice the recording capacity as single layer discs but not all recorders are compatible with them. Once finalised, they’ll play back on most modern DVD players.

DVD-RAM 

The DVD-RAM format allows random access to the disc, which means that programmes aren’t saved in the order you record them but any available blank space is used. 

This means that a recording may start off in one part of the disc and, when that’s full, it’ll skip to the next available blank space rather than needing a single space on the disc big enough to store the whole of the recording.

DVD-RAM disc compatibility is less-common than with the other formats. The discs sometimes come in a protective caddy to prevent damage to the surface of the disc, which is more delicate than other types of disc. 

Some DVD players have a disc tray shaped to be able to accommodate the caddy. But discs can be removed from the caddies and put into some other DVD players too.

Being true random access discs, they offer various title-erase and edit facilities and are the most versatile type of disc in this respect. They also allow the disc to be ‘read’ at the same time as it’s recording, so you can start watching a programme before it has finished recording.