Do I need new equipment to play a recorded DVD+R DL disc?
No. Completely in line with the philosophy of the DVD+RW Alliance, the new DVD+R DL discs can be played on existing equipment. This is because double layer playability has been part of the DVD-Video/DVD-ROM standard since the beginning. DVD+R DL compatibility is about equal to that of current single layer DVD+R.

What products support DVD+R DL?
To record on a DVD+R DL disc, you need a DVD+R DL capable writer. Refer to the DVD+R DL Products listing for an overview of these new writers.

Do I need different media to record a DVD+R DL disc?
Yes. To take advantage of the double layer recording capabilities of the new DVD+R DL writers, you need the highly advanced DVD+R DL media. This media consists of two recordable layers, instead of just one (as with traditional recordable DVD discs). Note that you can still record single layer DVD+R discs and DVD+RW discs on those new DVD+R DL drives. The release of DVD+R DL media has been announced by all major blank media manufacturers, including Philips, Verbatim, Optodisc, Ricoh, CMC Mr. Data, Maxell, Infodisc and Ritek.

Do I need new software to write a DVD+R DL disc?
To write a DVD+R DL disc, your CD/DVD recording software needs to support DVD+R DL. Almost all software vendors have announced support for DVD+R DL in their upcoming versions, and most of them offer upgrades for their existing products to include DVD+R DL writing support. Among the companies that have already announced DVD+R DL support are Ahead Nero, Sonic, Ulead, InterVideo, Roxio and Gear.

What is the capacity of a DVD+R DL disc?
A DVD+R DL disc hold 8.5 gigabytes of data. This is fully equal to the amount of data on a pre-recorded double layer DVD-Video disc, sometimes referred to as DVD9. A single layer DVD holds 4.7 gigabytes. As the track distance on both layers of any double layer DVD is about 10% wider, the total capacity of both layers equals 8.5 GB.

How much video does a DVD+R DL disc hold?
As with DVD+RW and single layer DVD+R, the amount of video one discs holds depends on the quality setting that was chosen during recording. When recorded in the highest possible DVD-Video quality, a DVD+R DL disc holds about 4 hours of video. When video is recorded at VHS quality level, recording time increases to up to 16 hours per disc.

Do I need to flip the DVD+R DL disc over to get access to its full capacity?
No. Contrary to other recordable DVD proposals, where you need to manually turn the disc over halfway through recording or playback, a DVD+R DL disc nearly doubles the capacity on a single recording side. The entire disc’s contents can be accessed without the need to take the disc out to turn it over. Furhtermore, a single sided disc allows for easy identification on the label side.

Will single layer DVD+R continue to be available?
Yes. Because single layer DVD+R media holds up to 4.7 gigabyes of data (equaling about 6 CD-Rs), this technology still provides very high storage capacities suitable for a wide range of applications. Furthermore, the new DVD+R DL writers will still be able to record to single layer DVD+R as well as DVD+RW media.