Making sense of CDs and DVDs
Question:
I just bought a new computer and it has a DVD writer installed in it, but I am also told it can write CD's as well. When I go to Future Shop there are so many different types of CD's to choose from? Can you explain what I need to use for what application?
Answer:
I understand it can be a little bit intimidating when strolling down the isle at Future Shop and you hit the media section (by media I mean the blank CD or DVD). First off there are to major types of media, CD or compact disc and DVD or digital video disc. Both types store data or music but each has its own applications.
CD's - Again there are two sub types of CD's you will see. There is CDR which are CD's that you can write to only once. After that they can no longer be written to again. These CD's are generally the cheapest you will find. The other type is CDRW which can be written to and then erased and written to again. These CD's are generally a bit more expensive but you can use reuse them as many times as you need until it wears out.
CD's generally have 2 purposes, one use is for data storage. A CD will hold up to 700 Megabytes of data which is a lot if you are an average home user with no music or videos. The other purpose is for making music CD's that will play in your standard CD player in your car or at home. You can generally fit about 80 minutes of music or 13-17 songs on the disc depending on how long the songs are. Remember when creating a CD you have to select what type of CD you want to make. For example, if you create and data CD and try to put your music on it, the CD will not play in your car. You must select audio CD in order for the format to be correct.
DVD's - There are two sub types of DVD's as well. You have your write once DVD's or DVDR and your multiple use DVD's or DVDRW's. You might also notice that some are labeled (-) and (+). Most newer DVD players and writers will support both (+) and (-), but if you have an older DVD player or DVD writer make sure to double check your manual so you select the right type.
New DVD writers will also support a new format called "Dual Layer" or DL, again check with your manual to see what type of media your writer supports
When writing a DVD it's usually for one of two purposes. Fist is for data, a DVD will hold 4.7 Gigabytes of data, which is an abundance of storage. If your DVD writer supports Dual Layer DVD's you can write up to 8.5 Gigabytes of data. The second purpose of DVD's is to actually make DVD movies that your DVD player can view. DVD's can store up to 120minues or more depending on the quality of the video while Dual Layer DVD's can store 240 minutes or more. Creating DVD movies can but a bit complex and involved for the average user. Please make sure you read up on how to make DVD movies and also make sure you have the write software to support the burning of CD's and DVD's effectively
Just remember there are 2 major types of media with both CD's and DVD's. Write once and Rewite. As well both CD's and DVD's have different application uses. For more further information contact a professional.
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