What's the difference between CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, etc?

Question

I'm looking for something cheap to back up my files (mainly pdf, ppt, doc, one, files), and I don't know what to get. What is the difference between -R and +R? What is the difference between R and RW? Also, what is meant by 2X, 4X, etc?

Answer 1

CD-R          CD-rom readable

CD-RW       Cd rom rewritable (burning discs)

DVD-R        dvd readable

DVD-RW     dvd rewritable

DVD+R       dvd readable and writable to my knowledge not sure

2x 4x etc is the speed at which it reads and writes to a disc

Answer 2

+R and -R: Recordable discs that can be burned once. Perfect for permanent storage. +R is superior in quality to -R.



+RW and -RW: Rewritable discs that can be burned multiple times (up to 1,000 times for DVDs), allowing you to continually add more data. +RW is superior in quality to -RW.

DVD-RAM: An optical, high-speed, rewritable disc that can store video with or without using a DVD burner. It's more robust than a traditional DVD, better protects data integrity, and can be rerecorded up to 100,000 times. DVD-RAM comes in two versions: a specially coated disc or a disc cartridge.