What Is a DVD Writer?

The capabilities of a DVD writer vary based on the type of media used. An optical drive can only record to a DVD-R disc once, while a rewritable DVD can be recorded, erased and re-recorded. Many DVD writers are also "backwards compatible" with older optical media and are able to read and write to traditional compact discs. Computer users must use care when shopping for blank recordable media to ensure compatibility with a particular DVD writer.