DVD storage: 4.37Gb?, 4.7Gb?

[Weto]

Hi, simple question...

I'm reading the description for DVD sizes on "What is DVD" here, it says.

"DVD-5, holds around 4 700 000 000 bytes and that is 4.37 computer GB where 1 kbyte is 1024 bytes*..........This is the most common DVD Media, often called 4.7 GB Media."

4.37 GB are about 4474 Mb, 4.7GB are 4812.8 right?

So, I have here some "Verbatim 4.7Gb". These can store 4.37 or 4.7Gb?
If u can store only 4.37, why are they "often" called 4.7GB media?

[waheed]

There is a difference between the real world and the computer world. In the real world, the terminorlagy 1000 bytes is used while the equivalance is the computer sence is 1024 bytes.

If you do the maths, you will find:

1000 kb x 1000 kb x 1000kb = 1024 kb x 1024 kb x 1024 kb

or 1 GB = 1.073741824 GB

hence 4.7 GB/1.073741824GB = 4.3772 GB

you can store ONLY store up to 4.37GB on a dvd.

media companies use the 4.7GB terminology as this is just all a marketing hype.

[jimmalenko]

It's a marketing ploy based on the metric counting system and not the computer counting system.

Given 1024 Bytes = 1 KB...

4,700,000,000 bytes /1024 = 4589843.75 KB

4589843.75 /1024 = 4482.27 MB

4482.27 /1024 = 4.377 GB

So 4.377Gb is the same as 4482.27MB which is the same as 4589843.75 KB which is the same as 4,700,000,000 Bytes.

So the ones you buy in the shop that say they are 4.7GB, they are really 4.377GB in computer terms.

[freestyler]

Same deal with hard drives, too.

[jimmalenko]

Same deal with hard drives, too.

It's quite shattering when you see a 200GB drive shrink to 184 GB

[Weto]

Thanks all for clearing that up.

[adam]

I think there is a class action suit pending against a number of hard drive manufacturers for false advertising and deceptive trade practices resulting from their mischaracterization of the actual capacity of their drives. I mean think about it, its a hard drive for use on a pc. Why would you use any other measurement then that which the pc uses? If the suit is successful I imagine they will be forced to start using accurate numbers, and that will probably lead to the same result for other things like cdrs and dvdrs. Its about time.

I remember the first time I asked somebody why the capacity decreased after formatting for the first time. The guy told me I'd lose a little bit of capacity each time I formatted. That was the longest I ever went without doing a format/clean install of my os.

[jimmalenko]

I think there is a class action suit pending against a number of hard drive manufacturers for false advertising and deceptive trade practices resulting from their mischaracterization of the actual capacity of their drives. I mean think about it, its a hard drive for use on a pc. Why would you use any other measurement then that which the pc uses? If the suit is successful I imagine they will be forced to start using accurate numbers, and that will probably lead to the same result for other things like cdrs and dvdrs. Its about time.

I remember the first time I asked somebody why the capacity decreased after formatting for the first time. The guy told me I'd lose a little bit of capacity each time I formatted. That was the longest I ever went without doing a format/clean install of my os.

I couldn't agree more.

[p_l]

It's quite shattering when you see a 200GB drive shrink to 184 GB

I wonder what the drive manufacturers would say if, for example, you tried to pay them only $184 for a $200 drive.

[yoda313]

It's quite shattering when you see a 200GB drive shrink to 184 GB

I wonder what the drive manufacturers would say if, for example, you tried to pay them only $184 for a $200 drive.

Hello,

Hmm... Maybe chop up the hard drive and give you 92% of it???

Kevin

---184/200=92%---

[p_l]

...give you 92% of it???

Kevin

---184/200=92%---

My point exactly. Essentially, that's what they already do now.

[overloaded_ide]

Hmm... Maybe chop up the hard drive and give you 92% of it???

That's what they are already doing and the reason you are trying to only pay the $184 for the $200 drive.

200gig drive at $200, $1 a gig right?
But you only actually get 184 gigs when installed, so $184 right!

See, they chopped off 8% of the drive and we chop off 8% of the price.

But you know for awhile there you could actually get a larger drive instead of smaller! Don't remember what brand, Maxtor or WD, but the package was like 80 gig with 20gig free. They also had like 100gig drive same deals. I asked so what they doing putting two drives in the so I could use one in two different systems? I was told they were selling the drives as a smaller drive but it ws actually at least that much larger. I was told some people were buying the 80gig package with a claim of 20gigs free, 100 gig drives, but they wee actually getting 120gig drives and larger for the 80gig price. I know Best buy had those deals, not sure about other stores.

I wonder if they lose a lawsuit about the drive size claims if they will come after those people that got extra large sizes and try to get more money [/code]