What is the best standard for CDs and DVDs?

[kwicky]

Am I the only person who feels annoyance and anger about the range of devices and computers that recognise only certain formats? Especially when it comes to +R or -R and +RW or -RW.
If starting from scratch how do you choose your players or recorders so you can play or burn CDs and DVDs without cross contamination. I find my computer will only burn one type which creates conflict when trying to read them elsewhere. Am I creating a mountain out of a molehill but this problem seems to reoccur often?

[Dassie]

It can be confusing to start with, but I have "standardised" on +R and +RW especially as the DVDs don't need formatting all the time.

[pug100]

Hi kwicky,
Sadly there is no 'standard' anymore as it's all down to the manufacturers trying to make us the consumers want the next best thing.
Back in 1999 DVD was the new kid on the block and quickly killed off videotape( which had been around since about 1979), now 8 years later we have Blu ray and HD DVD. There will probably be something even better just a few years from now and the process will start again.
You only have to look at the advancement in mobile telephones over the last 5-6 years to see what I mean.
It's the same with tv's, at the mo everyone is after HD ready plasma tvs, but how many are going to fork out for a Sky HD box and a monthly sub (or Blu ray DVD and discs) to actually watch the few HD channels that are available?
As for DVDrs many will not last half as long as the good old VHS. In a few years pople will find all their precious recordings will be unreadable by the 'latest' machines and a whole new industry will be made out of recovering archived DVD films / family videos etc.

[kwicky]

Yes I suppose technology is here today, gone tomorrow but many of us have DVD writers and also computers with CD and DVD writers that we have to live with for the next few years to store our photos and cam recordings. I once made a list of all the devices I use and no two seem compatible.