How to Tell the Capacity of Blank CD and DVD

CD and DVD are two different common fiscs. They both have multiple variants with different storage capacities. You may confuse about how to choose a proper CD or DVD with a suitable capacity. This article will introduce you to how to tell the capacity of blank CDs and DVDs.

Part 1. Different DVD Types and Capacity

DVD is a format for digital optical disc data storage. The medium has been widely utilized to store software, video programs, and other computer files, and it can store any type of digital data. There are many different types of DVDs. We will introduce them to help you tell the capacity of blank DVDs.

DVD±R: 4.7GB for single-layer and 8.5GB for dual-layer. It can be written once. It is compatible with the majority of DVD drives and players. The performance and cost of DVD-R and DVD+R vary because of the different laser placement techniques. In general, DVD+R is more reliable and has a greater recording success rate than DVD-R.

DVD±RW: 4.7GB for single-layer and 8.5GB for dual-layer. It is rewriteable and compatible with most DVD drives and players. The DVD-RW format is marginally more compatible with DVD players since it takes less time to burn the lead in/out. However, the DVD+RW format has some unique features, including both CAV and CLV writing and lossless linking.

DVD-ROM: 8.5GB for dual-layer and 4.7GB for single-layer. It is used for commercial content and pre-recorded.

DVD-RAM: It has various capacities, such as 2.6GB, 4.7GB, 9.4GB, etc. It is rewriteable and frequently employed for data backup.

DVD-5: It is a single-layer DVD format with a maximum data storage capacity of 4.7 GB. DVD-5 discs are frequently used to deliver software and games as well as hold shorter films, including movies or TV series. They are compatible with the majority of computers, game consoles, and DVD players, making them the most extensively used DVD format.

DVD-9: It can hold up to 8.5GB of data and is a dual-layer DVD format. DVD-9 discs are frequently used for archiving vast volumes of data and for storing lengthier videos, including full-length films or high-quality video footage. Although they can hold more data than DVD5 discs, they need a dual-layer burner in order to write to both disc layers. Though not all, the majority of contemporary DVD players, game consoles, and PCs can play DVD9 discs.

Part 2. Different CD Types and Capacity

Next, let's see the various types of CDs to figure out their capacity.

CD-ROM: Its capacity is about 700MB. This type of disk contains pre-press content like data, video, or music. Once a disc has been created, it cannot be written to.

CD-R: Its storage capacity is typically 700MB. It is a disc that can be written to and data on this type of disc can only be burned once. If the disk is not sealed or finished when it burns, you can add more content until it is entirely filled. However, you can't take existing content off of a CD-R.

CD-RW: It allows users to erase and rewrite data multiple times. The standard storage capacity of a CD-RW disc is 650MB. When viewing its capacity on a computer, it usually shows slightly less than 650MB of free space due to file system and other factors.

Part 3. CD vs DVD

Even though CD and DVD have been the most popular audio and video formats for years, many people are still unaware of their differences. You can make the greatest decision if you are aware of the similarities and distinctions.

	CD	DVD
Read Mechanism	780 nm wavelength (infrared and red edge) semiconductor laser, 1200 Kibit/s (1×).	300-650 nm laser, 10.5 Mbit/s (1×)
Write Mechanism	780 nm wavelength (infrared and red edge) semiconductor laser in recordable CD-R and CD-RW	650 nm laser with a focused beam using more power than for reading, 10.5 Mbit/s (1×)
Average Capacity	700MB	4.7GB for single-layer and 8.5GB for dual-layer
Usage	General data, music, and lightweight software.	General data, movies, and operating system installation
Copy Protection	No	It has many types of DVD copy protection, including CSS, AACS, etc.

Part 4. How to Compress DVD Capacity

Many people are troubled by the limited capacity of DVDs. And today, we will introduce you to a powerful tool to help you compress DVD capacity to store more content.

AnyMP4 DVD Copy can compress any DVD, such as DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+R, and more, to DVD-5 and DVD-9 to save space. It supports 1: 1 ratio copy to maintain the DVD menu, subtitle tracks, audio tracks, and the original quality. What's more, it offers three copy modes, Full Copy, Main Movie, and Custom, to meet your different needs.

1Download the AnyMP4 DVD Copy using the button below. Install it on your computer and open it.

Don't forget to insert your DVD disc into the DVD drive

Click the Free Trial option to enter the next interface.

Note: It provides a 15-day free trial version for you to try its full functions and you can use it to compress DVDs for free.

2Then, a window will pop up, and you can check whether to load the DVD automatically or not. If not, click File > Select Source to load the DVD disc.

Tip: You can check 'Do not show this message again' to skip this step. We think this function is helpful in loading DVDs.

3Select the Target Size option as D5 or D9 according to your needs. You can choose D5 that has 4.35G capacity and D9 that has 7.95G capacity. When we use it, we always select the D9 option which gives us a larger storage capacity.

Finally, click Next to start the copy process.

These easy steps allow you to compress DVDs and store more content in the DVD disc. You can try its 15-day free trial to evaluate its effect.

Conclusion

Today, we have introduced you to the DVD and CD types to tell the capacity of blank CDs and DVDs, which can help you choose the proper DVD or CD. What's more, we show you how to use AnyMP4 DVD Copy to compress DVD capacity.

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