[SLUG] DVD virgin

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

Here's another in a seemingly endless series of questions I really
ought to know the answer to but don't.

I'm backing up my data. I've a DVD drive
<http://www.nec.co.uk/DVD_RW_ND3520.aspx>, so I went to Quaytec and
asked for DVDs for backup, asked what different technologies there are
(- and + and for backup it makes no difference) so I bought some and
came home and tried to back up my work directory which, as I've
described before, is an 8.5Gb partition based on the fact that my DVD
drive spec says that's what it delivers.

I got an error .. please insert a drive with 7.5Gb of capacity. When I
look at the 8x speed DVD-Rs that I've bought, they say 4.7Gb capacity.

Where did I go wrong in all that? How can I get 8.5Gb capacity out of
my drive if the DVDs are only 4.7Gb?

Off to investigate ..

John "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time, you are here" Allsopp