The discharge characteristics of wire-cylinder electrodes dielectric barrier corona discharge （DBCD） and cylinder-cylinder electrodes dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） are studied and compared experimentally

and the differences between their discharge characteristics are analyzed from the point view of discharge mechanism. The results of voltage and current waveforms

Lissajous figures and light-emission phenomena pictures show that the wire-cylinder DBCD is relatively homogeneous and stable

which is different from that of the filamentary discharge in cylinder-cylinder DBD

and under the same applied voltage

wire-cylinder DBCD has larger energy efficiency than cylinder-cylinder DBD.