Here are some basic differences between the DVD formats you will need to know:
DVD-R This format is non-rewriteable which means that you can only burn information to the DVD once. It is compatible with about 93% of all DVD Players. This disk supports single side 4.37 gigabytes of storage.
DVD-RW is a re-writeable format. These disks can be erased and new data can be burnt onto them up to one thousand times. It is compatible with about 80% of all DVD players. This disk supports single side 4.37 gigabytes of storage.
DVD+R DL (Dual Layer) This format has 2 layers that allow it to hold up to twice the amount of Data (9.5GB). However, you can only burn data to this type of disk if you have a dual layer DVD burner.
DVD+R This format can be written to only once. It is compatible with about 89% of all DVD Players. It is generally faster for accessing data and it can be a bit more expensive. It supports single side 4.37 gigabytes of storage.
DVD+RW This format is a re-writeable format. It can be erased and recorded over thousands of times. It is compatible with about 79% of all DVD Players. It supports single side 4.37 gigabytes of storage.
DVD-RAM. This stands for Digital Video Disc Random Access Memory-discs.
They can be erased and then re-written to 100,000 times. It is different to the DVD-R and DVD+R format. Both the drive and the media disks are much more expensive. They are popular for professional DVD video editing.
DVD-ROM This stands for Digital Video Disc Read Only Memory. It is the format used for commercial DVDs that are stamped, not burned with a DVD writer. The DVD movies that you may buy or rent are in DVD-ROM format.
Blu-ray Disc also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD) This is a type of DVD that allows you to record, rewrite and playback high-definition video. It allows for more than 5 times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs. It can hold up to 25 gigabytes on a single layer. Only use this if you have high definition video and a blu-ray DVD burner.