PrintThis article provides compatibility information to help one understand how the various types of optical discs can be used. Listed below is helpful information to follow when using or purchasing media:
- In general, less expensive media purchased in bulk will have a higher failure rate when burning than higher quality media.
- Poor handling of discs will affect the success rate of burning discs. Hold discs by their edges, never slide the disc across any surface, and never leave them out in the open, especially in direct sunlight.
- For recordable discs, the media type you purchase should match the drive type. That is, you should only purchase DVD+R discs for a DVD+R drive. You can purchase DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW and any in dual layer formats if your PC has a DVD +/- RW DL drive.
- Multiple layer discs generally store about the same amount of data per extra layer. For example a dual-layer (DL) DVD format can store up to 8.5GB* of data on double-layer DVD+R media, about twice that of single-layer DVD+R media. Only a DL drive is capable of writing to DL discs.
- To burn LightScribe labels onto discs, the drive has to be LightScribe compatible, the discs must be LightScribe discs, and the label making software must be LightScribe enabled.
- For better compatibility across devices, do not use RW media for burning. RW media type is designed to be written too many times and many devices will not be able to read the data. RW is very useful for backing up data that is to be used only by one PC.
- In general, an MP3 disc is the same as a data disc and should be burned using CD-R or similar media.
| Disc | Disc Type | Approximate Maximum Storage Size | Can be recorded onto | Plays in PC | Plays in home or car stereo | Plays in home DVD player |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BD-ROM: Blu-ray Disc - Read-Only Memory | Read-only | 25 GB single-layer 50 GB dual-layer | No | Yes. To play movies requires a Blu-ray Disc drive, high-definition display and Blu-ray Disc supported software. To read data requires a Blu-ray Disc drive. | No | Yes, but only in a Blu-ray Disc player. |
| BD-R: Blu-ray Disc - Recordable | Write-once | 25 GB single-layer 50 GB dual-layer | Yes, requires a Blu-ray Disc drive. | Yes. To view recorded video requires a Blu-ray Disc drive and supported software. To read data requires a Blu-ray Disc drive. | No | Yes, but only in a Blu-ray Disc player. |
| BD-RE: Blu-ray Disc - Rewritable | Rewritable | 25 GB single-layer 50 GB dual-layer | Yes, requires a Blu-ray Disc drive. | Yes. To view recorded video requires a Blu-ray Disc drive and supported software. To read data requires a Blu-ray Disc drive. | No | Yes, but only in a Blu-ray Disc player. |
| CD-ROM Compact Disc - Read-Only Memory | Read-only | 700 MB | No | Yes. | Yes. | Varies by model. |
| CD-R Compact Disc - Recordable | Write-once | 700 MB | Yes | Yes | Yes | Varies by model. |
| CD-RW Compact Disc - Rewritable | Rewritable | 700 MB | Yes | Yes | No* | No* |
| DVD-ROM Digital Video Disc - Read-Only Memory | Read-only | 4.7 GB single-layer 8.5 GB dual-layer | No | Yes. To view recorded video or movies requires DVD codec and player software. | No* | Yes. |
| DVD-R Digital Video Disc - Recordable | Write-once | 4.7 GB single-layer 8.5 GB dual-layer | Yes. Requires a DVD-R capable drive. | Yes | No | Varies by model. |
| DVD+R Digital Video Disc + Recordable | Write-once | 4.7 GB single-layer 8.5 GB dual-layer | Yes. Requires a DVD+R capable drive. | Yes | No | Varies by model. |
| DVD+RW Digital Video Disc + Rewritable | Rewritable | 4.7 GB single-layer 8.5 GB dual-layer | Yes. Requires a DVD+RW capable drive. | Yes, compatibility may be less in drives that are not DVD+RW. | No | Varies by model. |
| DVD-RW Digital Video Disc - Rewritable | Rewritable | 4.7 GB single-layer 8.5 GB dual-layer | Yes. Requires a DVD-RW capable drive. | Yes, compatibility may be less in drives that are not DVD-RW. | No | Varies by model. |
| HD DVD High-Definition Digital Video Disc | Data | 15 GB single-layer 30 GB dual-layer | Yes, requires an HD-DVD capable drive. | Yes, requires an HD-DVD drive. To view movies and recorded video requires HD-DVD compliant software and HDCP compliant devices for HD. | No | Yes, requires an HD DVD player. |
| VCD Video Compact Disc | VCD movie | 700 MB | No | Yes, with the proper player and codec installed. | No | Probably - varies by model. |
* Most disc playing devices, CD music players, and DVD movie players cannot "play" most PC data file types (exe, doc, txt, etc.). However, most can now read and play data discs containing compatible multimedia files, such as MP3, WMA, and OGG music files.
NOTE:1 MB = 1 million bytes when referring to storage capacity. Actual formatted capacity is less.1 GB = 1 billion bytes when referring to storage capacity. Actual formatted capacity is less.
