| DVD drives are available in many different | | | | need an extra CD-ROM drive. Also, the |
| speeds with a variety of options and formats. | | | | x-factor for DVD drives refers to a higher |
| The main factor to consider when purchasing a | | | | transfer rate: 1x DVD-ROM drives transfer |
| DVD drive is its purpose. Usually, a DVD | | | | data at the rate of a 9x CD-ROM drive. |
| drive is intended to play DVD movies and | | | | |
| audio CDs, as well as to read DVD-Rom and | | | | • Most complete systems with DVD-ROM |
| CD-Rom discs. | | | | drives will ship with 12x or 16x DVD-ROM |
| | | | drives today. DVD-ROM drives are dirt cheap |
| Features: | | | | today, so don't even bother with plain CD-ROM |
| | | | drives unless you have no choice. |
| • DVD-ROM is a newer standard than | | | | |
| CD-ROM, able to read 7 times as much data off | | | | • In 2002, Sony and Phillips introduced |
| of a typical DVD disk (4.7 GB) as opposed to | | | | the DVD+R format. All DVD+R formats are |
| the measly 650MB a CD-ROM drive can read, and | | | | compatible with each other. DVD+R has the |
| also able to play DVD movies with the proper | | | | same capacity as a DVD-R, and DVD+RW works |
| decoding software or hardware. | | | | exactly as a DVD-RW. This format also offers |
| | | | DVD+RW DL. |
| • With fast video cards and processors | | | | |
| today, you typically don't need any special | | | | • The DL stands for dual layer, a |
| DVD decoding hardware to play DVD movies. | | | | technology which allows a single disc to hold |
| Microsoft ships a software DVD movie player | | | | up to 8.5 GB of information. The DVD-RAM |
| with Windows XP that works fine. | | | | offers more storage capacity, but it requires |
| | | | a specialized DVD drive which is more |
| • Consumers interested in obtaining a | | | | expensive. |
| more advanced DVD drive will need to consider | | | | |
| other options, such as burners, drives that | | | | • The DVD-RAM format enables the disc |
| support DVD-R technology, and drives that | | | | to be re-written with the DVD drive up to |
| support DVD+R technology. | | | | 100,000 times as opposed to only 1,000 times |
| | | | or so for an average DVD-RW. It can be |
| • The only difference between the two | | | | two-sided, enabling as much as 9.74 GB on a |
| formats is the way the DVD drive determines | | | | single DVD-RAM disc. This disc is best for |
| the position of the laser on the disc. DVD-R | | | | users with mass portable storage needs. |
| discs are read by the DVD drive through | | | | |
| special grooves on the disc known as land | | | | A "dual DVD" drive or DVD±R with |
| prepits, whereas DVD+R measures a disc's | | | | DVD-RAM is very versatile, as it reads all |
| wobble frequency. | | | | formats of DVD technology and is capable of |
| | | | writing to all forms. Typically, a user will |
| • A consumer can also purchase a | | | | achieve speeds of 16x write for DVD , 8x |
| "dual-DVD" drive that supports both the DVD-R | | | | write for DVD+ DL and 5x write for DVD-RAM, |
| and DVD+R format, typically known as | | | | as well as the capacity to write regular CD-R |
| DVD±R. | | | | at 48x with this type of DVD drive. This |
| | | | ensures any format of disc will work when |
| • DVD-ROM drives can read CD-ROM disks, | | | | using the dual DVD drive. |
| so if you have a DVD-ROM drive, you don't | | | | |