Many consumers have enjoyed the great benefits of the DVD since this versatile disc was released in the market. Some may already be contented with it thinking that it’s the ultimate in data storage. They are not totally correct, though, because the DVD technology has continued to advance through the years.

The digital video disc or DVD for short has evolved into various formats and one of them is the dual layer DVD or DVD DL. Popularly known as the DVD9, this dual layer disc is called as such because it has a second layer within the disc itself. The first layer is semitransparent so that the laser can still pass through it to access the second layer. This is the reason why people watching their favorite movies in DVD may experience a few seconds of gap or pause. This is a normal occurrence and not a sign of damage or some kind of defect.

The DVD dual layer features two types of modes – the parallel track path (PTP) which is commonly used in DVD-ROM and the opposite track path (OTP) which is utilized in DVD-Video. Recordable discs can store a maximum of four hours of high quality video or 8.5 GB of data. This is for a one-sided disc with two recordable layers. A unique feature of this dual layer disc is that since it complies with the DVD9 specification, it can be played on any DVD player and computer DVD-ROM drives available in the market.

A DVD dual layer writeable disc carries the format DVD-R9, DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL. The single sided dual layered disc type or DVD-9 can store up to 7.95 computer GB or 8.5 GB while the dual layered double sides or DVD-18 has a storage capacity of 15.9 computer GB. Both the plus and minus sign formats are expected to be used for many long years to come. Additionally, drives that support the DVD+R DL also have the capability of recording single layer discs and faster CD-R/RW copying.

A single sided dual layered disc that is recordable is made up of a dummy polycarbonate platter base and a single recording layer. The double sided disc, on the other hand, has two dye recording layers. In the recording process, the drive initially uses the first recordable layer starting from the center going outwards. When it reaches the end, the drive then goes to the second layer to record starting from the outside rim going inwards.

The CD and DVD duplication industry can really make use of this dual layer DVD recording capability. A single sided disc alone can hold up to four hours of video and audio combined and with this reality, movie fans and businesses that need an effective marketing strategy can turn to the dual layer DVD with great confidence. Whether you’re copying just pure audio or pure video does not really matter because there’s always extra space available.

Finally, just think about these facts – a dual layer recordable DVD is capable of storing some 2,000 songs or 17,000 images in the JPEG format. Now who says this is not an amazing technology?