History (2001): DVD+RW

This article was published by the Museum of Obsolete Media.

DVD+RW (2001-)

DVD+RW is a rewritable optical disc format based on the DVD, and used in video recorders and computers.

It was created by the DVD+RW Alliance, but although the specification was developed in 1997, it wasn’t introduced until 2001 in a revised form that allowed for increased capacity (4.7GB for single-layer discs).

The recording layer in both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs is a phase change metal alloy whose state can be switched depending on the power of the writing laser, so data can be written, read, erased and re-written.

The DVD+RW format is different to DVD-RW format, but many drives are hybrid drives (normally labeled ‘DVD±RW’) and can read and write to both formats.

DVD+RW discs are more accurate at higher speeds than DVD-RW, and DVD+RW has a more robust error management system, allowing for more accurate burning to media.

A dual layer DVD+RW specification was approved in March 2006 with a capacity of 8.5GB, but support for rewritable dual-layer discs did not materialize due to the cost and expected competition from newer formats such as Blu-ray.