Simple question on DVD+R DL discs/Capacity

[alegator]

I use Verbatim blank media for backup.In a Verbatim DVD+R labeled "4.7GB/120MIN" I can burn a maximum of exactly 4.37 Gb of data. How many Gb of data maximum can I fit in a Verbatim DVD+R DL which are labeled "8.5GB/240MIN"? Thanks.

[Case]

This is a matter of historical "base 2" (2^10=1024 bytes in a kilobyte) vs SI "base 10" (10^3=1000 bytes in a kilobyte) in electronic storage capacity (hard disks, optical discs, flash drives, etc.). You'll understand that marketing guys chose the number that looks like it is more.
Recordable DVD capacity comparison
The label 4.7 GB means 4,700,372,992 bytes for DVD+R SL, which is 4.378*1024*1024*1024 bytes = 4.378 GiB
The label 8.5 GB means 8,547,991,552 bytes for DVD+R DL, which is 7.961*1024*1024*1024 bytes = 7.961 GiB

So, the answer is 7.9 (rounded down to one decimal).

[Seeker47]

I don't think it's quite as simple as a math interpretation. My Pioneer DVDR will burn a max. of 4.3G to a SL disc, or 8.0G to a DL blank. That is all its firmware will allow.

Using ImgBurn on a PC, the SL blank would max. out at something like 4.6, and a DL at somewhere around 8.35G -- perhaps a tad more. These are the practical usages.

[manono]

Case was exactly right. And a DVD-R single layer can burn about 5MB more than a DVD+R single layer. Your Pioneer DVDR is a different case entirely and not at all relevant to the question.

[alegator]

Thanks Case for the info I was looking for. I use ImgBurn in my PC for file burning and Nero Burning ROM for DVD burning.
Seeker47, ImgBurn always reports 4.37Gb as the maximum allowed capacity for SL burning, never more than that, was wondering how you get to those figures of 4.6 to SL and 8.35 to DL....any special settings? Thanks

[lordsmurf]

was wondering how you get to those figures

Mistaken math, I think.
Or simply reading something wrong in software.

It's impossible to overburn a DVD with that amount of data.

[Seeker47]

was wondering how you get to those figures

Mistaken math, I think.
Or simply reading something wrong in software.

It's impossible to overburn a DVD with that amount of data.

I can only tell you what is reported by ImgBurn, Explorer, or my file mgr. -- which I don't think is reading it wrong.

Trying to grab the nearest example that is still handy. Like this one.


Directory of R:\cache\divertimento\video_ts

01/28/2011 02:06 AM <DIR> .
01/28/2011 02:06 AM <DIR> ..
01/28/2011 02:06 AM 8,192 VIDEO_TS.BUP
01/28/2011 02:06 AM 8,192 VIDEO_TS.IFO
01/28/2011 02:06 AM 69,632 VTS_01_0.BUP
01/28/2011 02:06 AM 69,632 VTS_01_0.IFO
01/28/2011 02:06 AM 1,073,739,776 VTS_01_1.VOB
01/28/2011 02:05 AM 1,073,739,776 VTS_01_2.VOB
01/28/2011 02:05 AM 1,073,739,776 VTS_01_3.VOB
01/28/2011 02:04 AM 1,073,739,776 VTS_01_4.VOB
01/28/2011 02:04 AM 334,438,400 VTS_01_5.VOB

9 File(s) 4,629,553,152 bytes


I have in fact burned slightly more than this on occasion with IB. It will report something like 99 % space utilization for the SL blank, and then burn it. No special settings I'm aware of.

On those others, the VOBs alone would have totaled 4.6 something, or maybe a tad more.

(Not saying this is a good thing to do, though. The disc should be fine for a single viewing, but I just don't know what the archival implications might be.)

[DB83]

Are we all just drowning ourselves in figures ?

Imgburn simply reports the available capacity in bytes so in the above example 4.63 is less than 4.7 so it will burn fine.

A dvd-writer, on the other hand would report the same disk at 4.3 (approx) and it would still burn.

[manono]

9 File(s) 4,629,553,152 bytes


I have in fact burned slightly more than this on occasion with IB.

That's all very well and good, but 4,629,553,152 bytes=4415MB=4.31GB.

Go back and read what Case said was the max bytes and then come back here and say you can burn more than that.

[Cornucopia]

9 File(s) 4,629,553,152

4,629,533,152 bytes / 1024 kB/byte = 4,521,028.47 kB
4,521,028.47 kB / 1024 MB/kB = 4,415.07 MB
4,415.07 MB / 1024 GB/MB = 4.31 GB

You just confirmed what Case was saying all along!

Scott
edit: Dangit! manono you beat me to it.

[Seeker47]

Hey, I'm about as far from a math wiz as you can get -- never claimed otherwise. Maybe this will still fall into the same calculations category, but I could have sworn that I made a SL disc a couple years ago that reported itself at 4.8 and change. It was a pure accident, and I have no idea what happened. Should I come across that disc again, I'll add the details to this thread, and probably just give you some more target practice.

[lordsmurf]

but I could have sworn that I made a SL disc a couple years ago that reported itself at 4.8 and change.

It's not possible.
It physically cannot happen.

[[_chef_]]

Imgburn will give you the writeable amount of DATA exactly depending on the file count, Filesystem and media manufacturer/ID.