| DVD
stands for Digital Versatile/Video Disc, DVDR
stands for DVD Recordable and DVDRW for DVD ReWriteable.
If you're familiar with regular audio/music CDs or regular DVD-Video
discs, then you will know what a recordable DVD looks like. A
recordable DVD stores up to 2 hours of very good quality DVD-Video,
including several audio tracks in formats like stereo, Dolby Digital
or DTS and also advanced menu systems, subtitles and still pictures
that can be played by many standalone DVD Players and most computer
DVD-ROMs. If you choose to lower the video quality it is possible
to store several hours video on a recordable DVD using low bitrates
and low resolution with video quality more like VHS, SVHS, SVCD,
CVD or VCD. It is also possible to have up to 4.37* GB ordinary
data or mix DVD-Video and data on a recordable DVD that can be
played by most computer DVD-ROMs.
There are three competing DVD Recording standards, DVD-R/DVD-RW
and DVD+R/DVD+RW have pretty similar features
and are compatible with many standalone DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs
while DVD-RAM has less DVD Player and DVD-ROM
compatibility but better recording features.
DVD-R and DVD-RW
DVD-R was the first DVD recording format released that was compatible
with standalone DVD Players.
DVD-R is a non-rewriteable format and it is compatible with about
93% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD-RW is a rewriteable format and it is compatible with about
80% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD-R and DVD-RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs(called
DVD-5) and double sided 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10).
These formats are supported by DVDForum.
DVD+R and DVD+RW
DVD+R is a non-rewritable format and it is compatible with about
89% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD+RW is a rewritable format and is compatible with about 79%
of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs.
DVD+R and DVD+RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs(called
DVD-5) and double side 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10).
These formats are supported by the DVD+RW Alliance.
DVD+R DL
DVD+R DL or called DVD+R9 is a Dual Layer writeable DVD+R. The
dual layered discs can hold 7.95 computer GB* (called DVD-9) and
dual layered double sides 15.9* computer GB (called dvd-18).
DVD-RAM
DVD-RAM has the best recording features but it is not compatible
with most DVD-ROM drives and DVD-Video players. Think more of
it as a removable hard disk. DVD-RAM is usually used in some DVD
Recorders.
This format is supported by DVDForum.
The
DVD sizes can be a bit confusing. There are basically 4 different
DVD Sizes,
DVD-5, holds around 4 700 000 000 bytes and that
is 4.37 computer GB where 1 kbyte is 1024 bytes* . DVD+R/DVD+RW
and DVD-R/DVD-RW supports this format. Also called Single Sided
Single Layered. This is the most common DVD Media, often
called 4.7 GB Media.
DVD-10, holds around 9 400 000 000 bytes and
that is 8.75 computer GB. DVD+R/DVD+RW and DVD-R/DVD-RW supports
this format. Also called Double Sided Single Layered.
DVD-9, holds around 8 540 000 000 bytes and that
is 7.95 computer GB. DVD+R supports this format. Also called Single
Sided Dual Layered.
This
media is called DVD+R9, DVD+R DL or 8.5 GB Media.
DVD-18, holds around 17 080 000 000 bytes and
that is 15.9 computer GB. DVD+R supports this format. Also called
Double Sided Dual Layered.
* In the computer world is 1 KB data = 1024 bytes so 4 700 000
000 bytes / 1024 = 4 589 843KB / 1024 = 4482MB / 1024 = 4.37GB.
See section 3.3 in the DVDDemystified FAQ here.
DVD+R/DVD+RW/DVD+R
DL and DVD-R/DVD-RW exact sizes:
DVD-R/DVD-RW = 4 706 074 624 bytes ( 4488 MB )
DVD+R/DVD+RW = 4 700 372 992 bytes ( 4482 MB )
DVD+R DL = 8 547 993 600 bytes ( 8152 MB )
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