DVD-R was the first to be introduced and is still the most widely used format among professional users. (2006).  DVD+R is widely sold in retail outlets and has become more popular among home users. 

DVD+R was introduced in early 2002 as a competing format.  ---- Proponents claimed better compatibility among readers, although tests show that compatibility is roughly equal. 

 Hybrid drives that can handle both formats, usually labeled "DVD±RW", are very popular since there is not a single standard for recordable DVDs. There are a number of significant technical differences between the dash (also sometimes called "minus") format and the plus format, though most consumers would not notice the difference.