DVDs (also known as digital versatile discs) have been around for just over two decades and they are used in a variety of different ways, from storing your favourite films to storing your important computer and software files. However, since the invention of DVDs, there have been a few adaptations that are noticeably different, especially when it comes to size.
Here is what you need to know about MiniDVDs.
What are MiniDVDs?
MiniDVDs (circa 1996) are the exact same as DVDs but the main difference is that standard DVDs have a diameter of 12 cm (4.72 in) whereas MiniDVDs have a diameter of 8 cm (3.15 in). The difference in size means that MiniDVDs were originally used for music CD singles. Because of this, they also became known as MiniCDs or the CD single.
The other difference between standard DVDs and MiniDVDs is that standard DVDs can store a maximum of between 4.7 GB and 17 GB of data (this depends on the type of DVD), whereas MiniDVDs can store a maximum of between 1.4 GB and 5.2 GB of data (again, this depends on the type of MiniDVD).
What’s the Difference Between MiniDVDs and Traditional Media?
Other than the two significant differences mentioned in the first section, there are couple of other differences between MiniDVDs and traditional media. In this context, traditional media can be CDs, DVDs, HD-DVDs, etc.
Even though MiniDVDs served the same purpose as CDs and DVDs (to store files and other data), they were considered less popular compared to DVDs because they has insufficient memory, so they couldn’t store as much data, but they were popular compared to CDs as they could store more data, hence they were used more for CD singles.
Even though they are smaller than standard DVDs and CDs, MiniDVDs can still be used in Blu-ray and DVD players, so they are easily compatible with various reading hardware. They can also be used in consoles that can play DVDs and CDs (for example, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii).
In fact, when the Nintendo GameCube was introduced in 2001, it became the first Nintendo console to use optical discs as its storage medium, where the optical discs used were, in fact, a variation of the MiniDVD.
MiniDVDs were also used as storage media in recordable DVD camcorders, because they were small, compact and could be taken around with ease. However, with the introduction of smartphones and the like, they have become more obsolete.
Although MiniDVDs may be largely obsolete, plenty of people still have home videos stored on them but because they are still compatible in DVD players, as discussed earlier, it’s easy to transfer them to a more modern form of media, whether that be on DVDs, hard drives or even the Cloud. For more information, get in touch with us on 0800 592 433.