{"id":233,"date":"2015-04-08T10:44:56","date_gmt":"2015-04-08T09:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.video2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=233"},"modified":"2019-08-02T15:19:35","modified_gmt":"2019-08-02T14:19:35","slug":"dvd-what-you-always-wanted-to-know-but-were-too-afraid-to-ask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.video2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/2015\/04\/08\/dvd-what-you-always-wanted-to-know-but-were-too-afraid-to-ask\/","title":{"rendered":"DVD: What You Always Wanted to Know (But Were Too Afraid to Ask)"},"content":{"rendered":"

As you probably know, we specialise in converting VHS to DVD<\/a> \u2013 so we spend a fair amount of time dealing with our good friend, the DVD. It\u2019s been a ubiquitous media format for 20 years, but how much do you actually know about it?<\/p>\n

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Well, we thought we\u2019d check out all the little facts and figures and other trivia surrounding DVDs. That way, not only will you look like a total whizz on Mastermind (Or in the pub quiz) with your chosen specialist subject: DVD \u2013 you\u2019ll also have a new-found respect for the format, the next time you pop a disc in the tray to watch the movie.<\/p>\n

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The Basics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ok, let\u2019s start with the basics. Ask most people what DVD stands for and they\u2019ll either shrug, or probably say \u2018digital video disc\u2019. Or they\u2019ll tell you that it\u2019s an acronym for \u2018digital versatile disc\u2019. And they\u2019d both be right. Sort of. \u2018Digital versatile disc\u2019 is certainly what it\u2019s formally known as these days, but that wasn\u2019t always the case. DVD doesn\u2019t actually stand for anything \u2013 it started out as just a random series of three letters that sounded good.<\/p>\n

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DVD first came about in 1994, when the two tech firms, Sony and Phillips announced plans to create a disc-based video; then rival companies Toshiba and Time Warner said they were also working on a disc format. There was only one snag \u2013 that sort of competition doesn\u2019t bode well for anyone, least of all consumers.<\/p>\n

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Before then, the movie world was dominated first by VHS and Betamax, and then later, the not-quite-so dominant VCD and laserdisc \u2013 and look how that turned out for three of those four. And thanks to heavyweight hitters like Microsoft, Apple and Dell, the two sides agreed on a single, standard format. DVD was born.<\/p>\n

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The Specs<\/strong><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long before DVD became the format de rigueur. Partly, this was from novelty \u2013 interactive menus, anyone?, partly it was the movie studios choosing a shift from rental to retail, which meant tons of DVDs were produced, and partly, it was the absolute convenience of the technology. They were smaller than VHS cassettes, so could be easily stored, and more could go on the shelf. Mo\u2019 space, mo\u2019 money, if you will.<\/p>\n

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Ok, so let\u2019s take a typical DVD disc \u2013 what\u2019s the craic? Well, a standard, single-sided, single-layered disc holds a whopping 4.7GB of data; more than enough for not only a film, but also all those extras, like trailers and making-of documentaries, that we never knew we needed until DVD came along. You can up that to 8.7GB for a double-layered disc.<\/p>\n

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Double-sided, single-layered DVDs hold a colossal 9.4GB; and the big beast, the double-sided, double-layered disc holds a whopping 17GB \u2013 although these types of DVD are not just rare but also pretty inconvenient, since you\u2019d have to manually flip the disc over to play the other side, like you would a vinyl.<\/p>\n

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So that\u2019s four different DVD types:<\/p>\n