Dvd Burner

The successor to the CD, the Digital Versatile Disk or DVD is a device similar is size to a CD that performs the similar function of data storage. A DVD typically has the capacity to hold 4.7 gigabytes of information and can either be written/burned once (DVD-R), or can be erased and re-written multiple times (DVD-RW). The 4.7 GB capacity is enough to store a three-hour long movie at high quality, or ten TV episodes, or approximately 75 hours of MP3 files.

A DVD burner or writer encodes or 'burns' information onto a blank DVD. Users can achieve various speeds depending on their DVD burner. Typically, speeds of 16x, 8x, and 5x are common in a DVD burner (higher the speed, lesser the burning time). DVD-Rs are coated with an organic dye; the burner encodes data by etching laser patterns into the dye. A DVD-RW uses a metal alloy instead of the dye. This special metal alloy can be switched between a fluid and crystalline phase through the laser. This process allows the DVD to be rewritten several times. Dual layer DVD technology, also known as the 'DVD9', provides disc capacity of up to 8.5 GB of data. For some years now, DVD9s have been used for movies, as a full length film and bonus material can be conveniently accommodated on one disc. Dual layer burners are compatible with both, the DVD9, as well as the single layer DVD discs. In addition, the DVD9s are also compatible with DVD players and PC DVD-ROM drives already settled in the market. Sony, Samsung, and HP are the most popular DVD burner manufacturers in the market.

With DVD burners being made easily accessible to the general public, several piracy issues have been raised. However with most commercial DVDs providing a special safeguard to discourage their copying and with the innovation of copy-protected DVD9 technology, piracy has been made a lot harder, if not impossible.