Re: [CTPP] Census 2000 data on DVD

Chuck, Here is some information regarding DVD's that I received from our computer folks. 1) Will a DVD drive read an "old-fashioned" CD-ROM? If not, will we need a DVD/CD drive? Yes, a DVD can read a CD-ROM. You can get a CD-RW+DVD Player for $249. 2) What are we looking at in terms of cost for DVD writers? You can get a DVD Copier for around $7,000 (they used to cost $15,000 last year). Or you can get a DVD-Writer for around $6,000. 3) What options do we have for DVD writers? I have heard mention of high compression and low compression writers but haven't been able to get a handle on what that means. Compression is any method of reducing the amount of space needed to record or transmit information. In DVDs, video is compressed using a process called variable bit rate encoding, which allots a changing number of bits to enhance resolution in a given scene. Scenes with lots of light or little action require less hits than dark scenes or those with lots of action. For DVD Writers, there are five recordable versions of DVD-ROM: DVD-R for General, DVD-R for Authoring, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. All can read DVD-ROM discs, but each uses a different type of disc for recording. DVD-R can record data once (sequentially only), while DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW can be rewritten thousands of times. 4) What is the cost of blank DVD's? It depends on the brand and capacity. A Panasonic 5.2GB is about $30. A Panasonic 2.6GB is about $19. If you want further information, here's a pretty good site: http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html Javier Minjares Information Services