DVD+R size reporting

[Fraggle]

Hi all...

I am trying to burn some family photos and videos to a DVD for backup storage. I am using PowerISO for the burning. The discs I am using are TDK DVD+R 1-16x 4.7GB

My question is this. Obviously I want to fill up a DVD to capacity to make full use of the storage. Although the disc says 4.7GB and all DVD's I have seen state the same capacity, Windows Vista Basic shows the free space to be 4.37GB, and PowerISO won't let me burn 4480mb to the DVD

What am I doing wrong? I know a Kilobyte is 1024 Bytes etc... but that doesn't explain why Windows is reporting the size as 4.37GB when the disc states 4.7GB.
  I'm so confuzzled!

~Fraggle

[Taipan™]

It is exactly as you think, but you only went down 1 layer. 8 bits = 1 byte, 1024 bytes = kilobyte, 1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte, 1024 megabytes = 1 gigabytes.

HOWEVER most manufactures use 10bits = 1 byte, 1000 bytes = kilobyte, 1000 kilobytes = 1 megabyte, 1000 megabytes = 1 gigabyte etc. So manufactures actually print that DVD's are 4.7GB, however in reality they are only 4.36/4.37GB in size.

It is a marketing gimmick to make it look like DVD's and other storage media can store much more, but it is basically lying directly to the unsuspecting consumer.
 
With DVD's there isn't much loss (333MB), but when you start getting into the 1TB and 2TB HDD then you can loose ALLOT of space from what your actually paying for (up to 100GB for 2TB drives).

It is something that really should be banned in the technology sector.

[Fraggle]

Wow! ok, so I guess I'll just have to fill up the  disc and put the rest on a re-writable until I have another 4GB worth.  Man! that's frustrating!

Talk about lack of transparency... It's a load of rubbish IMO.

Thankx anyway Tai.

[Taipan™]

Indeed it should be banned. I have multiple 1TB drives and since they use that marketing method each only shows 931GB. A loss of 93GB per drive -_-. Probably be double that for 2TB drives.