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 DVDR/W looks like. A recordable DVDR/W 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 DVDR/W using low bitrates and low resolution with video quality more like VHS, SVHS, SVCD, VCD or VCD. It is also possible to have up to 4.38* 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/W and DVD+R/W 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/W 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 78% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs. DVD-R/W 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/W has some "better" features than DVD-R/W such as lossless linking and both CAV and CLV writing. DVD+R is a non-rewritable format and it is compatible with about 87% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs. DVD+RW is a rewritable format and is compatible with about 78% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs. DVD+R/W 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. DVD Sizes, What is DVD-5, DVD-10, DVD-9DVD-18? How much does a DVDR/W fit? Is it 4.7GB or 4.38GB? 8.54 GB or 7.95 GB? The DVD sizes can be a bit confusing. There are basicly 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/W and DVD-R/W supports this format. Also called Single Sided Single Layered. DVD-10, holds around 9 400 000 000 bytes and that is 8.75 computer GB where 1 kbyte is 1024 bytes. DVD+R/W and DVD-R/W 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 where 1 kbyte is 1024 bytes. DVD+R supports this format. Also called Single Sided Dual Layered. DVD-18, holds around 17 080 000 000 bytes and that is 15.9 computer GB where 1 kbyte is 1024 bytes. DVD+R supports this format. Also called Double Sided Dual Layered.  Other non-standard special DVD formats: DVD-VCD is basicly a VCD authored on a DVDR/W. DVD supports the VCD resolution but the audio has to be resampled to 48 khz. If the audio is resampled to 48 khz it is standard DVD-Video. DVD-SVCD is basicly a SVCD authored on a DVDR/W. DVD do not supports the SVCD resolution but it may anyway work and the audio has to be resampled to 48 khz like the DVD-VCD. DVD-MP3 is MP3s burned on a DVDR/W but very few MP3 capable standalone DVD Players supports it because most Players verify DVDR/W as DVD-Video only. DVD-ISO is MPEG,MPG,VOB files burned on a DVDR/W without any DVD Authoring(making the vob,ifo files) but very few standalone DVD Players supports it because most Players verify DVDR/W as DVD-Video only.  Technical Info for DVD-Video   PAL Video: Up to 9.8 Mbit/sec MPEG2 or up to 1.856 MBit/sec MPEG1 video 720 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1) 704 x 576 pixels MPEG2 352 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard) 352 x 288 pixels MPEG2 352 x 288 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard) 25 fps (frames/second) 16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720x576) Audio: 48000 Hz 32 - 1536 kbit/sec Up to 8 audio tracks containing Dolby Digital, DTS, PCM(uncompressed audio), MPEG-1 Layer2. One audio track must have MPEG-1, DD or PCM Audio. Extras: Menus, still pictures, subtitles and more. NTSC (NTSC Film) Video: Up to 9.8 Mbit/sec MPEG2 or up to 1.856 MBit/sec MPEG1 video 720 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1) 704 x 480 pixels MPEG2 352 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard) 352 x 240 pixels MPEG2 352 x 240 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard) 29,97 fps (frames/second) 23,976 fps with 3:2 pulldown = 29,97 playback fps (NTSC Film, this is only supported by MPEG2 video) 16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720x480) Audio: 48000 Hz 32 - 1536 kbit/sec Up to 8 audio tracks containing DD (Dolby Digital/AC3), DTS, PCM(uncompressed audio), MPEG-1 Layer2. One audio track must have DD or PCM Audio. Extras: Menus, still pictures, subtitles and more.   DVD File/Folder Structure Explanation: . BUP = Backup files of the IFO files. . IFO = The IFO files includes information such as chapters, subtitle tracks and audio tracks. . VOB = The VOB files contains the actual video,audio,subtitles and menus. Folder Files Explanation AUDIO_TS (undefined) DVD Audio VIDEO_TS VIDEO_TS.BUP     VIDEO_TS.IFO The first video play item, IFO, usally a copyright notice or a menu   VIDEO_TS.VOB The first video play item, VOB   VTS_01_0.BUP     VTS_01_0.IFO Title 01, IFO, usually the main movie   VTS_01_0.VOB Title 01, VOB 0, the menu for this title   VTS_01_1.VOB Title 01, VOB 1, the video for this title   VTS_01_2.VOB Title 01, VOB 2, if larger than 1 GB it will be splitted into several vobs   VTS_01_3.VOB Title 01, VOB 3   VTS_01_4.VOB Title 01, VOB 4, up to 10(0-9) VOB files if necassary   VTS_02_0.BUP     VTS_02_0.IFO Title 02, IFO, usually movie extras   VTS_02_0.VOB Title 02, VOB 0, the menu for this title   VTS_02_1.VOB Title 02, VOB 1, the video for this title   VTS_xx_x.BUP     VTS_xx_x.IFO And so on   VTS_xx_x.VOB     VTS_xx_x.VOB     VTS_99_9.VOB Up to 99(1-99) titles with max 10(0-9) VOB files each Video File Comparison Format VCD SVCD DVD DivX XviD WMV MOV ASF SMR nAVI RM DV Resolution NTSC PAL 352x240 352x288 480x480 480x576 720x480 720x576² 640x480² 640x480² 320x240² 320x240² 720x480 720x576 Video Compression MPEG1 MPEG2 MPEG2, MPEG1 MPEG4 Sorenson, Cinepak, MPEG4 MPEG4 RM DV Video bitrate kbit/sec 1150 kbit/s 1000~2500 kbit/s 3000~9000 kbit/s 300~1000 kbit/s 300~2000 kbit/s 100~500 kbit/s 100~500 kbit/s 25 Mbit/s Audio Compression MP1 MP1 MP1, MP2, AC3, DTS, PCM MP3, WMA, OGG, AAC, AC3 Sorenson, Cinepak, MP3 MP3, WMA RM DV Audio bitrate kbit/sec 224 kbit/s 128~384 kbit/s 192~448 kbit/s 64~448 kbit/s 64~192 kbit/s 64~128 kbit/s 64~128 kbit/s 1000~1500 kbit/s Size/min 10 MB/min 10 - 20 MB/min 30 - 70 MB/min 1 - 10 MB/min 1 - 20 MB/min 1 - 5 MB/min 1 - 5 MB/min 216 MB/min Min/74min CD 74min 35-60min 15-20min 60-180min 60-180min 120-300min 120-300min 3min Hours/DVDR N/A N/A 2-4hrs (3-7hrsª) 13-26hrs 13-26hrs 26-40hrs 26-40hrs 20min DVD Player Compatibility Great Good Excellent Few None None None None Computer CPU Usage Low High Very High Very High High Low Low High Quality Good Great* Excellent* Great* Great* Decent* Decent* Excellent ² approximately resolution, it can be higher or lower ~ approximately bitrate, it can be higher or lower ª DVD with lower video quality, similiar to VCD/SVCD video quality * the video quality depends on the bitrate and the video resolution, higher bitrate and higher resolution generally means better vid

Enter content here