Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc (DVD) was invented in 1995 and was first released in Japan. DVDs and DVD videos were exceptionally high in demand till two decades ago. These optical discs are considered the catalyst for the digital revolution in the entertainment industry. While streaming is now a popular way to watch content, people still buy DVDs and Blu-Rays in the US. The following information will shed some light on DVDs and DVD-video formats.

What is a DVD used for?
DVDs are circular optical discs that can store both data and video. They have significantly more storage capacity than compact discs (CDs) and are also more durable than them. Standard DVDs can store 4.7GB of data, which is more than six CDs of data. In the earlier periods, DVDs were widely used to distribute movies. Later, they were also used for storing information like pictures or videos, computer programs, and more. DVD video games also became famous after that, and the first one specifically developed for DVD-ROM was named Tex Murphy: Overseer.

Types of DVDs
There are three main types of DVDs:

1. Read-only
In Read-only DVDs (DVD-ROM), data and videos can only be read and not rewritten or erased. It was the first type of DVD to hit the market. They were mass-produced for distributing movies or recordings of musical programs.

2. Writable
Blank Writable DVDs (DVD-R and DVD+R) record or write information. However, this can be done only once; it becomes read-only after the disc capacity is full. This type of DVD is compatible with different drives and is the least expensive one.

DVD-R
All DVD players accept DVD-R as the DVD Forum supports them, and the data can be recorded only once on this disc type.

DVD + R
The data on DVD+R can also be recorded only once and cannot be erased as the data becomes permanent on the disc. However, most commercial DVD-ROM players can read these discs; the only difference between DVD-R and DVD+R is that the latter works faster when writing files.

3. Erasable
Rewritable DVDs (DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM) can be erased and written as often as required. Again, the data on -RW can only be encrypted in a single layer, while the data on +RW can be recorded in multilayers. Rewritable discs are the most expensive type of DVD.

DVD+RW
The data on a DVD+RW disc can be deleted and recorded any number of times without damaging the medium.

DVD-RW
DVD-RW is similar to DVD+RW, and the data on this disc can be erased and recorded numerous times without damaging the medium.

DVD-RAM
DVD-RAM discs are compatible only with devices that support the DVD-RAM format. The data on the discs can be rewritten numerous times for the lowest write-speed discs.

Capacities of DVDs
A single-sided, single-layer DVD has a storage capacity of 4.7 GB, ranging from 8.5 GB to 8.7 GB for single-sided double-layer discs. The double-sided, single-layer ones have a storage capacity of 9.4 GB, while the double-sided, double-layer DVD comes with 17.08 GB space.

About DVD video formats
DVD video is a format typically used for storing full-length digital movies on DVDs. Discs with this format require DVD players or a computer DVD drive with specific software to read this type. The DVD Forum created this video specification, and DVD-video is an application of DVD-ROM and MPEG-2.

Formats supported by DVD video players
DVD video players are devices that can read DVD videos and DVD-Audio discs. However, they cannot support all of the different formats. Standard DVDs are MPEG-2 format discs, also known as H.222 or H.262, widely used worldwide. Newer versions come with MPEG-4 as standard, also known as Blu-Ray. There are many other formats that DVD players can support, such as Video CDs or VCD, DivX format, DVD+R, or DVD-R. Some premium ones can also play MOV, WMV, WMA, MPEG-4 video discs, and JPEG discs, so check the specifications before buying a DVD player.

DVD video converters
DVD video converters are a great solution to convert all DVDs and videos to watch movies conveniently on your smartphone and other devices. With the help of these tools, you no longer need a DVD video player and can convert your videos to the format supported by your devices. In addition, many online easy-to-use and free DVD video converters are available that can finish the whole conversion process in just a few clicks.

Conclusion
Even though there are successors to the standard DVD, the difference in quality is the prime reason why people are not ready to leave these discs behind. Many fans of this type still enjoy watching rare classic movies and are never tired of building their DVD library.