[NBLUG/talk] CD/DVD question

ME dugan at passwall.com
Fri Dec 5 22:20:04 PST 2003


Jim Bianchi said:
>
> 	As I understand it, the 'format' of both a CD ROM and a DVD is
> implicit in the writer drive itself. The difference is that more data can
> be put on a DVD disc, but the DVD disc itself is 'blank.'

There are 2 formats to consider.
1) The format of the filesystem
2) the format of the disk

Consider this:
CD-R can be read on nearly any CD-ROM drive but CD-RW cannot.

Certainly, many CD-ROM drives can read CD-RW, but not all can.

In the same respect, there are many competing "standards" for DVD:
DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM and probably others I am omitting.

These are physically different disks with different methods for writing.
You cannot expect to write DVD with a drive that is only CD-R/CD-RW

You cannot expect a DVD-R writable disk to also write to DVD-RAM unless it
says so.

Further into this, there are different DVD standards for disks available
to consmers for writing. The most popular one allows for 4GB of storage on
one side.

However, these are not the same format as what most movie DVD use (8GB per
side with multi-layer and 16GB with double sided multi-layer.)

DVD-9 is what I am waiting for before I buy a writer. With It I would be
able to write 8GB of data per side with multi-layers. Sure, no
double-sides, but at least you have enough to write full length films.
(For me, make custom DVD as Region 0 with English subtitles from Region 2
for my own person use in play on a home unit.)

Yes, I read rumors about DVD-9 coming soon, but do not see it.

As for what works with Linux, I am not sure. There are archives in th
LUGOD lists that discuss writing DVD and a user on the #lugod irc channel
has been trying to burn their own DVD, but I have yet to do this.

OK separate from these physical formats and recording systems, there is
also filesystem. Many DVD drives permit reading of DVD as large iso9660
disk, but you can use others too.

> 	I *think* a CD disc is the same. Are they otherwise identical? Can
> I write data on a CD disc and the same data on a DVD disc using the same
> CD R/W drive?

you can write data to both but need drives that can write in the format of
the disk. DVD writers often can write CD but CD-writers usually cant write
DVD (unless theyt explicitly state they are for writing DVD and then also
specify what *kind* of DVD and what DVD format (DVD 4, 8, 9 etc)

> 	Is there a DVD writer drive that will work under Linux?

I am sure there are many, but I have not tried this yet.

HTH,
-ME





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