For recordable DVD disc, there are seven formats: DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, BD-R and BD-RE (Blu-ray discs). They offer different features and not all are compatible with all recorders.
If you are interested in getting a DVD or Blu-ray drive to burn some data off to an external disc that you can store in a safe deposit box or for some other reason, then the sheer number of formats and versions can make the task quite confusing.
For example, there are five different formats for DVDs and Blu-ray discs have even more formats! In this article, I’ll try to break down the different types of formats without worry about a lot of technical details that you’ll find when you read about the differences on other sites. I personally just want to know the main differences, what works better and what’s best suited for burning as a consumer.
We have introduced DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM in Can I play my recorded DVDs in other DVD players - What are the DVD Formats? and next we will introduce BD-R and BD-RE to you.
Blu-ray discs (BD-R and BD-RE)
When it comes to Blu-ray disc formats, it’s really confusing, so I won’t even mention the stuff that’s really not important. Basically, there are only a couple of formats you need to worry about as a consumer and those are BD-R (Blu-ray disc recordable), BD-RE (Blu-ray disc recordable erasable), BDXL (multi-layer disc recordable), and Mini-BD.
There are two formats of Blu-ray disc capable of recording high-definition programming when used in a Blu-ray recorder. BD-R discs are write-once-only discs whereas BD-RE discs can be recorded on over and over again. These offer typically 6.5 hours of high-definition (HD) quality and between 10 and 13 hours of standard definition (SD) quality. However, both types are also available in dual-layer (DL) formats that offer twice these recording times.
Again, this is a very basic overview of the different formats for DVD and Blu-ray, but hopefully it gives you enough to understand what everything means without getting overloaded in lots of useless details. Any other questions about what type of disc your should burn, post a comment here and I’ll try to help. Enjoy!
Read more:
If you are interested in getting a DVD or Blu-ray drive to burn some data off to an external disc that you can store in a safe deposit box or for some other reason, then the sheer number of formats and versions can make the task quite confusing.
We have introduced DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM in Can I play my recorded DVDs in other DVD players - What are the DVD Formats? and next we will introduce BD-R and BD-RE to you.
Blu-ray discs (BD-R and BD-RE)
When it comes to Blu-ray disc formats, it’s really confusing, so I won’t even mention the stuff that’s really not important. Basically, there are only a couple of formats you need to worry about as a consumer and those are BD-R (Blu-ray disc recordable), BD-RE (Blu-ray disc recordable erasable), BDXL (multi-layer disc recordable), and Mini-BD.
There are two formats of Blu-ray disc capable of recording high-definition programming when used in a Blu-ray recorder. BD-R discs are write-once-only discs whereas BD-RE discs can be recorded on over and over again. These offer typically 6.5 hours of high-definition (HD) quality and between 10 and 13 hours of standard definition (SD) quality. However, both types are also available in dual-layer (DL) formats that offer twice these recording times.
Again, this is a very basic overview of the different formats for DVD and Blu-ray, but hopefully it gives you enough to understand what everything means without getting overloaded in lots of useless details. Any other questions about what type of disc your should burn, post a comment here and I’ll try to help. Enjoy!
Read more:
