History (2002): DVD+R

This article was published by the Museum of Obsolete Media.

DVD+R (2002-)

DVD+R is a recordable optical disc format based on DVD and introduced by the DVD+RW Alliance in 2002.

It is similar to, but incompatible with, the older DVD-R standard.

DVD+R has a capacity of 4.7GB for a single-layer disc and is generally used for non-volatile data storage or video applications.

DVD+R is a write once read many (WORM) format, but the logo of the DVD+RW Alliance is a stylised ‘RW’ which can cause confusion.

The DVD Forum did not recognise DVD+R as an official DVD format until 2008.

Unlike DVD-R discs, DVD+R discs must be formatted before being recorded by a compatible DVD video recorder. 

Many drives are hybrid drives (normally labeled DVD±RW) and can read and write to both formats.

Dual-layer discs with a capacity of 8.5GB were introduced in 2004.