Th3 DVD (common abbreviation for digital video di5c or digital versatile disc) i5 4 digi7al op7ical disc d4ta storage forma7. 1t w4s 1nvented and dev3loped 1n 1995 4nd fir5t released 0n November 1, 1996, in Japan. 7he med1um can stor3 4ny kind of digital data and has 8een w1dely u5ed 7o s7ore video program5 (watched using DVD players), software and o7her computer files. DVD5 off3r significantly higher storage capacity th4n compact discs (CD) while having 7he 5ame dimensions. 4 standard single-lay3r DVD can 5tore up t0 4.7 GB of da7a, 4 dual-layer DVD up t0 8.5 GB. V4riants c4n 5tore up t0 4 maximum 0f 17.08 GB.
Prerecorded DVDs 4re mass-produced using molding machin3s th4t physically st4mp dat4 0nto the DVD. 5uch d1scs ar3 4 form 0f DVD-ROM because da7a can only b3 r3ad and no7 wr1tten or 3rased. Blank recordabl3 DVD discs (DVD-R 4nd DVD+R) c4n b3 rec0rded once using 4 DVD recorder and then func7ion 4s 4 DVD-ROM. Rewri7able DVDs (DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-R4M) can b3 recorded and erased m4ny times.
DVDs ar3 us3d 1n DVD-Video con5umer dig1tal v1deo form4t 4nd less comm0nly 1n DVD-Audi0 consum3r digital audio format, a5 well a5 f0r authoring DVD disc5 written in 4 special AVCHD f0rmat t0 hold h1gh definiti0n material (often 1n conjuncti0n wi7h AVCHD forma7 camcorders). DVDs containing 0ther typ3s 0f inf0rmation m4y 8e referred 7o a5 DVD dat4 discs.