Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ - The standard FAQ for CD-R and CD-RW. Besides general questions and answers, its major sections cover encoding, media, hardware, software and common problems. Updated monthly.
CD Information Center - General information source with links and a few articles about the CD and DVD industry. Includes an extensive CD bibliography.
CD Media World - News and many technology articles related to writable CDs. Includes a comprehensive list of CD-R dye types and manufacturers, and an extensive reference list of CD-writing software.
CD Media Resource Center - A guide to audio and data CD media technology. Includes a discussion of the influence of laser wavelength on track geometry, and also covers encoding (EFM, parity, subcode channels), capacity analysis and data structures.
How Stuff Works: Compact Disc - Detailed descriptions and animations explain the technology used in a compact disc.
EE498 Audio Compact Disk - An Introduction - Illustrated class lecture notes that cover manufacturing of stamped CDs and details of laser pickup tracking. This is equally relevant to data CDs.
EE498 Audio Compact Disk - Writing and Reading the Data - Illustrated class lecture notes that cover frame-level data encoding (IEC908/Red Book) including interleaving, Eight-to-Fourteen Modulation (EFM), P and Q parity, subcode blocks, and uses of the p- and q-subcode channels.
EE498 CD-ROM - An Extension of the CD Audio Standard - Illustrated class lecture notes explain ISO/IEC 10149 (Yellow Book) data structures including sector layout and q-subcode extensions. These form the basis for all data CDs.
Recording to CD: More than Meets the Ear - This article includes an extensive description of the physical structure and encoding of data on CDs. It covers the frame and block levels including EFM, interleaving and subcode channels.
Dvdplusrw.org - Dedicated to the DVD+RW recordable DVD format.
Disctronics' DVD Technology Pages - A series of pages with DVD specifications and history, including DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM and other standards. Also covers DVD manufacturing and mastering.
Ultimate Recordable DVD Resource Site - Concise descriptions of the major recordable DVD standards: DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW and DVD+RW, plus links. There are also some news and product listings.
OSTA - Optical Storage Technology Association - OSTA is an industry group promoting use of writable optical storage technology. This is the home of the Universal Disc Format (UDF) specification and other technology references.
Toshiba DVD-RAM White Paper - An introduction to DVD-RAM technology. Includes brief comparison with DVD-R and DVD-RW.
Jim Taylor's DVD FAQ - The official FAQ of the Internet DVD newsgroups. Its primary emphasis is on video, but there is a section on data DVDs that describes each format.
Video Buyer's Guide DVD Section - Multiple articles are offered here, including "DVD - An Introduction" (with brief descriptions of all formats), and "DVD-RAM" (deals with format compatibility issues).
How Stuff Works: DVDs - An illustrated explanation of the technology behind DVD media and players. It includes some animations.
DVD Association - DVDA is a trade group promoting development of non-entertainment DVD applications. Their site includes conference information, news and directories of suppliers.
DVD Forum - This is the primary industry association for DVD. Site resources include technology briefs, conference schedules and news archives.
Writable DVD: A Guide for the Perplexed - This article contrasts DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+RW, and includes questions and answers.
Resources CD-R - This resource is intended to be parts of a primer on recordable Compact Disc formats.
CD Page - Information about CD technology, duplication, replication, media types. Offers news, tutorials and reviews.
PC Tech Guide: CD-R/CD-RW - The technology behind the recordable CD.
3D Volume Holographic Optical Data Storage - Technical paper on a patented optical storage technology.
Rm.com - Safety advice for CD ROM drives that develop small cracks.
CDRlabs.com - Website that offers news and reviews on CD-R and DVD drives, mainly focused on hardware.
CD Freaks.com - Website that offers daily news and background information on CD-R and DVD related subjects, both software and hardware. Has hardware reviews and forum.
How Stuff Works: CD-RW drive - Explantion of the technology of CD-RW drives, contains interactive flash animations.
Burn-Proof - This site explains the buffer underrun technology Burn-Proof, developed by Sanyo. Explains similair technologies developed by other companies, such as SeamLess Link, FlextraLink and SmartBurn.
CD Speed - Has essential tools for CD/DVD drive and media quality control and a good explantion of CAV, CLV, Z-CLV and P-CAV technology.
Philips Standards and Licensing - Standards - The source for obtaining many definitive CD specifications, including the Red Book (CD-DA), Yellow Book (CD-ROM), and Orange Book (CD-R/CD-RW).
General CD-R archives - Archive of lots of questions and answers regarding CD-R and related technologies, both hardware and software.
DVD-R Authoring Vs. General Media: What's the difference - Document that explains the differences between DVD-R authoring and General DVD media.
CDR-Info.com - Website that contains news and announcements of new products, reviews and articles.
Primer on CD-R - Site describing technologies, possible problems and solutions
The Coaster Factory - Has information about offsets and the real size of CD-Rs
DVD Writers - Covering the latest news on DVD writers and authoring.
DVD Audio Conference Coverage and FAQ - Article on DVD Audio that dispels many myths about the DVD-A multi-channel audio format.
High Density format - This document gives basic information on the High Density (HD) format developed by Sanyo.
Master DVD - This site provides a series of articles containing news, tutorials, and information related to recordable DVD. Covers both computer-based and TV-based DVD recorders.
LP to CDR Tips - Page of notes describing the author's experience of transferring LPs to CDR over the last few years, with particular emphasis on the restoration of WAV files on hard disk.
Orange Forum - Home of the industry group promoting CD-R and CD-RW. Their site includes a basic tutorial illustrated with many cartoons.
DVD Recordable.org - Has new on DVD related subjects. Provides articles, reports and guides on DVD recording, ripping, authoring and backup.
VCDHelp.com - Contains information on how to make VideoCDs, SVCDs or DVDs that can be played on your standalone DVD Player from video sources like DVD, Video, TV, Cam or downloaded movie clips like DivX, MOV, RM, WMV and ASF. Has also a list of standalone DVD Players with compatibility information such as CD-R/W, DVD±R/W, VCD, SVCD, and MP3.
An index of the ECMA standards - Lists all documents regarding the ECMA standards, including optical storage and data compression.
