What is the difference between a DVD-R &DVD RW (D)?

What is the difference between DVD+RW and DVD-RW?

• I bought some DVD+RW discs from Tesco. I bought them so they could be used too burn AVI video files from my computer to be played on my DVD player. My DVD player is quite old it is a Pioneer DV-535K nearly ten years I think. DVD+RW: http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-2951.aspx ( the ones I purchased) DVD-RW:http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-7298.aspx If not is their anything else I could use to play AVI files from my computer (Desktop, not near TV) to my TV which is not a HD TV. Thanks for any help

• Answer:

  +RWs can be played on only certain devices. -RW are more universal. If you record a movie onto a +RW, it might now work in a DVD player. If you burn it with -RW, it will then work. Different encoding. My PS2 will not play movies copied onto +R, but will play when encoded onto -R, even though it's the same file.