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DVD Formats Explained - Learn about the various DVD formats
By Gabriel Nijmeh - DVD-Burner.ca
DVD which in the past has been called Digital Video Disc,
but is more commonly referred to as Digital Versatile Disc is one of the
fastest growing consumer electronic products in history. With that are a
number of competing formats looking to become the de-facto standard, the
way that CD-R/W has become in the computer industry.
In due time, as formats are standardized, inexpensive DVD
burners will become as common as CD burners and along with that will be
the availability of affordable DVD software and DVD blank media.
The method of using your DVD burner on your computer will
be no different than what you are currently used to with your CD-R/W
burners and CD burning software. It's just a matter of patience and time
before the industry sorts things out because DVD burners are set to take
off the same way as CD burners did a few years ago. Let's now take a look
at the various DVD formats available today.
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Format |
Description |
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DVD Audio |
DVD Audio provides higher-quality audio than
available from current CDs. DVD Audio offers higher quality audio
including Dolby Digital AC-3 and surround sound, and a wide range
of options for coding audio at high fidelity, with 24 bits per
sample and 96 KHz sampling frequency and beyond.
In addition, look for features such as still
pictures, text information, menus and navigation, and even video
sequences. The format provides for longer playing times; a dual
layer DVD Audio disc will hold at least 2 hours of full surround
sound audio. For the recording industry, DVD Audio includes copy
protection and anti-piracy measures. Consumer response has been
slow and DVD Audio shouldn't displace CD audio as the standard any
time soon. |
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DVD Video
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This is the format used by Hollywood and by
consumers for viewing movies and other visual entertainment. The
total capacity is 17 gigabytes if two layers on both sides of the
disk are used.
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DVD-ROM
|
Its basic technology is the same as DVD Video, but
it also includes computer friendly file formats which be used to
store data. This product should replace conventional CD-ROMs over
time. |
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DVD-RAM
|
Think of a DVD-RAM as a virtual hard disk, with a
random read-write access. Originally a 2.6GB drive, its capacity
has increased to 4.7GB per side. Double sided DVD-RAM media is now
available with a 9.4GB capacity and can be re-written more than
100,000 times and does not need to be reformatted when you want to
re-write. You can drag and drop files to a DVD-RAM drive as if it
were a regular hard drive. However, DVD-RAM disks can not be played
in existing DVD players and DVD-ROM drives. You will require a
DVD-RAM drive to playback DVD-RAMs.
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DVD-R
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Developed by Pioneer, DVD-R, with a capacity of
4.7GB per side is similar to a DVD-ROM but allows users to write
only once. Originally designed for professional authoring DVD-R(A),
a version for general consumer use is now available DVD-R(G). The
major difference between professional and general authoring is that
professional supports Mastering and Copy Protection. DVD-R disks
can be played in most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives |
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DVD-RW
|
DVD-RW is an extension of the DVD-R format with a
read-write capacity of 4.7GB per side. It can be re-written up to
about 1,000 times. Like DVD-R, DVD-RW disks can be played back in
most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives |
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DVD+RW
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Developed in co-operation by Hewlett-Packard,
Mitsubishi Chemical, Philips, Ricoh, Sony, Dell, Compaq and Yamaha,
DVD+RW is the only re-writable format that provides full
compatibility with existing DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM drives.
Does not read or write DVD-RAM discs but will continue to write CD-Rs
and CD-RWs.
This technology is based on the CD-R/RW format and
has a read-write capacity of 4.7GB per side which can be re-written
up to 1,000 times. A single write version of this technology
called DVD+R is expected in 2002.
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Confused? Don't worry about it because even the most
seasoned professional is trying to get their heads around this. In due
time, a standard will evolve and it will be easier to understand and use
the technology. If you are interested in learning more, visit the
DVD+R/W Alliance
or DVD Forum
to stay informed about the latest industry news.
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