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After some research, I have these questions:

1. What's the difference between the + (plus) and - (dash)?
2. It looks like DVD RAM disks are more archival and read faster. What dvd burner capabilities will I need to burn these disks?
3. If a dvd burner advertises dual layer burning, will it be able to burn a single layer as well?
4. Is it true that the faster the writing speed, the lesser quality it will write to the disk?

Jules wrote:After some research, I have these questions:

1. What's the difference between the + (plus) and - (dash)?
2. It looks like DVD RAM disks are more archival and read faster. What dvd burner capabilities will I need to burn these disks?
3. If a dvd burner advertises dual layer burning, will it be able to burn a single layer as well?
4. Is it true that the faster the writing speed, the lesser quality it will write to the disk?

1. There's very little difference between the DVD-R and DVD+R formats. Both are very common today and the formats were made by competing companies.

DVD-R has been out longer (thereby possibly making it bit more universal) whereas DVD+R is less susceptible to interference and errors. Most DVD writers accept both formats today, since there's virtually no standardization regarding writable DVDs as the moment.

You're more likely to find all three formats (DVD-R, DVD+R and DVD-RAM, in addition to the rewritable versions) when opting for the mini-DVD varieties. These are usually used in camcorders that support immediate disc writing capability. In general, the RW versions are more popular, since they can be rewritten to more than once.

2. DVD-RAM is considered more reliable for data storage, backup and archival. However, DVD-R and DVD+R have become the most widely used formats. Finding an optical drive that can write to DVD-RAM is difficult (most don't support it). In addition, DVD-RAM does not offer dual-layer discs and DVD-R/DVD+R discs do.

3. Dual-layer burning simply means it can burn onto a dual-layer disc. That's all. Single-layer discs are supported, just as CD-R/CD-RW are supported by DVD writers.

4. A drive that writes slower does not indicate superior quaility. In most cases, a drive that writes faster is preferred. The only downside to a drive that writes fast is the increased possibility of a buffer underun error. This is also possible with the CD-R/CD-RW format, as well. Any disc you're writing to may experience a buffer underun error, which is why most discs and writers today support features to help prevent such incidences.

If I were a customer in the electronics store where you work, I'd tell your manager to give you a rai$e!

The difference of the two Pioneer models, it looks like the first model has more reviews and a higher rank. Is that why you said it sounds better overall? The specs look the same.

Jules wrote:If I were a customer in the electronics store where you work, I'd tell your manager to give you a rai$e!

The difference of the two Pioneer models, it looks like the first model has more reviews and a higher rank. Is that why you said it sounds better overall? The specs look the same.

More reviews can help give a clearer idea -- good or bad -- of the product. An item with three or four reviews may give a severely slanted picture. You'll see more positive and negative points with a higher review count.

In addition, the first model allows MacOS X and Linux compatibility. I don't know if that matters to you, but it's always good to have the option. The second optical drive may include those as well, but it's impossible to tell from the information given.