DVD-Writers  

Are you interested in producing your own DVD movie masterpieces, backing-up large volumes of office data or storing those high-quality digital pics but don't know which DVD writer is right for accomplishing the task?

While read-only DVD drives (which are basically DVD players for the computer) have been readily available worldwide for some time, DVD writers have been considered a luxury item for enthusiasts or commercial users. With the price of such equipment dropping over the past twelve months to around $500 however, these tools are becoming accessible to everyday consumers too.

To help make sense of the multitudes of DVD writing hardware now available, this DVD Writers Buying Guide will explain the technology behind DVDs writers, and take a look at the various DVD standards and media available now. We've also followed up today's technology with that of tomorrow, and included information on the latest DVD technology developments underway.

Last, but most importantly, this guide also takes you through the technical questions you should be asking when you go out to buy a DVD writer, and delves into the additional equipment and software you need to hook up one to your system.

DVD vs. CD drives

Digital Versatile Discs, or DVDs, are a high capacity multimedia storage medium that maintains the same physical dimensions as CDs. Thanks to finer grooves, smaller markings and a special laser to read them, DVDs can store up to seven times more data than their predecessors.

Like CDs, DVDs store data in microscopic grooves or tracks running in a spiral around the disc. All DVD drive types use laser beams to scan these grooves: minuscule reflective bumps (called lands) and non-reflective holes (called pits) aligned along the grooves represent the zeros and ones of digital information.

That's where the similarities end.

DVDs use smaller tracks (0.74 microns wide, compared to 1.6 microns on CDs) as well as new modulation and error correction methods. The narrow tracks require special lasers, which in theory, can't read CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs or audio CDs. DVD drive makers however, have managed to solve this problem and the majority of DVD drives and players today support CD formats as well.

The result is that a single-layer DVD can store up to two hours worth of video on one layer of disc (or 4.7GB), while a CD can only hold 80 minutes, or up to 700MB of data. DVDs also come in dual-layer format, and can take up to 9.4GB of information on a dual-layer, double-sided disc.

A dual-layer disc has two layers of data, one of them semi-transparent so that the laser can focus through it and read the second layer. The DVD specification from the DVD Forum requires that all players and drives read dual-layer discs.

But while the packaging on blank DVD media boasts about being able to offer up to 4.7GB of space, the reality is a little different. When trying to burn on DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R or DVD+RW media, you will only be able to burn a maximum of 4.37GB on those disks, as PC World tests have shown. The reason this difference exists is purely because in computer language 1 kilobyte is actually 1024 bytes. Therefore, 1GB is actually 1.07 billion bytes (1024x1024x1024). In the real world, 1 gigabyte equals 1 billion bytes (1000x1000x1000), and this is the way the manufacturers of DVD media choose to quote their capacities. Standards for specifying digital capacities do not exist. The capacity for DVD-RAM discs will also not be exactly what is stated on their packaging, as the formatted capacity of a 4.7GB disc will be around 4.26GB.

Questions to ask yourself

1. What do I need the writer for?

One of the first decisions you need to make when buying a DVD writer is what you will use it for. There are several benefits associated with purchasing a DVD writer, such as:

• Capturing and editing digital video - the killer application for DVD writers is making your own video discs.
• Storage potential - DVDs are able to store seven times more data than CDs.
• Multimedia capabilities - DVD drives allow you to store longer and higher-quality video clips, while corporate videos can be authored and distributed using DVD cheaply and easily, rather than employing the services of an outside production company.

DVD writers come in either external or internal sizes. Deciding between the two will depend on your budget, as well as your overall system requirements. External drives for example, are easier for novice or non-technical users to set-up because you don't have to open up your PC to install them. External writers can also benefit users who want to share the writer between multiple machines.

Those who aren't fazed by taking off the PC tower case however, or who are happy to have the writer connected to a single system, will save money by choosing internal DVD writers, as they can be $100 to $200 cheaper than their external counterparts. Most external DVD writers also require a FireWire connection, and some use the newer USB 2.0 standard. These could wind up an added expense if your PC is not already equipped with FireWire or USB 2.0 support.

3. What standard is best for me?

DVD writers use three main DVD standards: DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/-R and DVD+RW/+R. Which DVD standard you choose can be decided by the data or information you plan on recording onto DVD media. If you're only using DVDs to store PC data, for example, then you may not need a standard that creates discs for playing in commercial DVD players, such as DVD-RAM.

If, however, you are using the DVD writer to burn your own digital video camera footage and want to watch it on a commercial player, then you will need to ensure the burner you opt for uses a standard that can be read by the DVD player you own, such as DVD-RW or DVD+RW.

Makes Available For DVD-Writer