The DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) is an enhancement of the CD (Compact Disc). Both look the same, a flat disc, diameter 12 cm. But the DVD offers a lot more storage space. One DVD is able to hold 4,7 and 17,4 GB (gigabyte), while one CD saves only 650-700 megabyte (0,68 gigabyte).

Due to the larger storage space the DVD is more appropriate for multimedia applications and movies. As prices for DVD players continually sink, it displaces more and more the VHS video tapes and the rarely spread videoCDs.

the advantage of a movie on DVD are partially more languages, additional information, trailers and sharper images. Next to several languages the DVD offers up to 9 parallel videostreams which can be changed with the "angle" control key. This way, several camera perpectives can be offered and the viewer decides himself his favourite one - this technology has rarely been used in movies though.

Larger storage space is possible because leads are tighter than the ones on a CD and more data can be saved to a disc of the same size. Moreover, some DVDs are double sided and have up to two layers per side.

DVD drives have two laser, the first one for the finer leads of the DVDs, the second one to read CDs.


DVD-5: single-sided disc with one layer and a capacity of 4,7 GB

DVD-9: single-sided disc with two layers and a capacity of 8,5 GB.

DVD-10: double-sided disc with one layer and a capacity of 9,4 GB.

DVD-18: double-sided disc with two layers and a capacity of 17,4 GB.






DVD im deutschen Lexikon
DVD in het nederlandse encyclopedie