The Difference in CD Writers & DVD Writers
While CD writers can only write data to CD media with a relatively small capacity, DVD writers can write to high-capacity blank DVDs, and usually to CD media as well. Technically speaking, DVD technology utilizes a smaller infrared laser light, which allows DVD drives to access the smaller grooves on higher-capacity DVD media.
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Background
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CD and DVD writers are widely used to store computer data as well as music and video. CD and DVD writers are available integrated with computers and as standalone peripherals. As of March 2011 DVD writers have largely superseded CD writers. Most modern DVD writers can write data to all DVD and CD formats.
Formats
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A wide selection of CD and DVD media formats exists and each has its own blank media. Blank CDs are available as both CD-Rs, which can only be written once, and CD-RWs, which are rewritable.
Blank DVD media is also divided into discs that can be written just once or are rewritable. It is then further split into DVD formats which are not mutually compatible: DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and DVD-RAM.
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Purchasing Media
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When purchasing any blank optical media, ensure it is compatible with your CD or DVD writer. Most modern drives are multi-format, but some will only support a specific format such as DVD-R/RW or DVD+R/RW. Check your drive documentation for details. Some manufacturers also recommend specific brands of optical media as being most effective with their drives.
Capacities
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The key factor that differentiates the capabilities of CD writers and media and DVD writers and media is the volume of data that can be written to a single disc.
Blank CD media is typically limited to 700MB (megabytes). A single-sided, single-layer DVD can hold 4.7GB (gigabytes), nearly seven times as much. Double-sided media is also available, along with dual-layer technology, which allows twice as much data to be store on each side of a single disc. This means up to 17GB of data can be stored on a double-sided, dual-layer DVD disc.
DVD writers must be dual-layer compatible to write to dual-layer discs, so check your specifications before purchasing this media.
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