Dual layer DVD burner?

[drewson99]

Are there consumer level or near consumer level DVD burners that will burn dual-layered discs? Would they use special media? (like the special "Authoring" media) When I say "near" consumer level, I mean under $5000.


Andy

[agzz]

nope

[drewson99]

how about at any cost, then. Or is it something that would be illegal to sell to the public?

[agzz]

i think dual layer is a job for factory presses. not burners. sorry.

[Faustus]

IN order to creat dual layer disk they make the disk on a computer map it out, decide where the disk split is then burn *2* aurthoring disk. At the press they put the 2 layers together take make the final dual layer DVD. At least thats the impression I've been under.

[alkieman]

I'm afraid dual layer recorders do not exist, even in professional circles. Dual layer discs are made by authoring two images to DLT tape, one image for the first layer and one image for the second layer. Your authoring software has to support this feature and only very expensive professional ones do.

The pressing plant then takes the images and creates two separate semi transparent discs, one slightly more transparent than the other (the top one). These are then bonded to a reflective disc and then the whole lot is covered in the familiar plastic coating to create the final DVD.

The only hope for single sided very high capacity DVD lies with BluRay the experimental format being developed by the major companies. This will be recordable right from the start, is very high capacity and can record full high definition but it is several years away from being commercially available and cheap. Unfortunately it's completely incompatible with any dvd players out today so we'll all have to buy a new one when it's out.

At the moment if you want 9.4Gb on a single disc you need to look for double sided DVD-R which are available in the US. I haven't seen any out in Europe yet though although I may be wrong.