Incorrect Dvd Capacity

LitoLito Join Date: 2003-09-04 Member: 20560Members
edited September 2004 in Off-Topic
I bought a DVD burner a while ago, and it works fine. I bought a pack of DVDs with a claim of 4.7 GIG capacity, which was true for a few weeks. Now when I try to burn a dvd, the most it'll give me is 4.3 gigs.

The dvd-burner is brand-spanking new, so I figured it was the DVD's fault, but I look at my other discs from the same spindle and they've burned more than 4.3 gigs. Anyone know of a reason why the discs would be reading wrong?

Comments

  • FamFam Diaper-Wearing Dog On A Ball Join Date: 2002-02-17 Member: 222Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Maybe its just using a different sized gigabyte.
  • EpidemicEpidemic Dark Force Gorge Join Date: 2003-06-29 Member: 17781Members
    OMG, DE EVIL GIGABITES ARE ATTACKING!! HEY ARE EVERYWHERRE!! ARGH!!!
  • antifreezeantifreeze The guy with the goods! Join Date: 2003-05-12 Member: 16232Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Fam+Sep 12 2004, 05:25 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Fam @ Sep 12 2004, 05:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Maybe its just using a different sized gigabyte. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I think not <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Tried all the usual stuff like driver updates and firmware updates?
  • Chaos_LlamaChaos_Llama Join Date: 2004-04-23 Member: 28124Members
    Complain to the manufacturer and get a refund. <!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/nerd-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • taboofirestaboofires Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9853Members
    edited September 2004
    1024 x 1024 x 1024 x 4.3 = 4,617,089,843 ~ 4.7 make-believe manufacturer gigs.

    This is common practice, and it's a downright scam.

    edit: stupid windows calculator
  • SkulkBaitSkulkBait Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13423Members
    edited September 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-taboofires+Sep 12 2004, 10:50 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (taboofires @ Sep 12 2004, 10:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->1024 x 1024 x 1024 x 4.3 = 4,617,089,843 ~ 4.7 make-believe manufacturer gigs.

    This is common practice, and it's a downright scam. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Not really. The literal definition of "Gigabyte" is 1,000,000,000 bytes, the other definition is evolved from long ago when computer geeks realized that 2^10B ~ 1000B (its 1024B), and so called multiples of 2^10 "kilobytes". 6 years ago (if memory serves) SI invented terms to encompass the powers of 2 meanings, these new words are kibibytes, mebibytes, and gibibytes. These were not readily adopted however, so today it is correct to say that a Gigabyte is 1,000,000,000 bytes, but it is also somewhat correct to say that a Gigabyte is 1,073,741,824 bytes.

    <a href='http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html' target='_blank'>SI prefixes for binary multiples</a>
  • panda_de_malheureuxpanda_de_malheureux Join Date: 2003-12-26 Member: 24775Members
    Yep I got a 200 "g" HD and it is actually 200GiB, which comes out to a stupid scammy 195GB.
  • UnderDOGUnderDOG Join Date: 2003-04-05 Member: 15221Members
    Either way would work just fine, but only if everyone just used that one way.
  • taboofirestaboofires Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9853Members
    I'm spoiled and used to having either a graphing calculator or fancy math software on hand. It's hard to extract exactly what you typed in out of windows calculator. Fixed it.

    But every measure of space in the computer is still a power of two. End of story. Only marketing works in base 10, and that's why theres a difference between what they say and what's the truth. That creative rounding exists only to screw the customers.

    Enough to <a href='http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,60505,00.html' target='_blank'>sue</a> over it.
  • SkulkBaitSkulkBait Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13423Members
    edited September 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-taboofires+Sep 13 2004, 10:37 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (taboofires @ Sep 13 2004, 10:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> But every measure of space in the computer is still a power of two.  End of story.  Only marketing works in base 10, and that's why theres a difference between what they say and what's the truth. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Actually, storage media has typically been represented using real kilo, mega, and giga bytes (base 10). This has been true since the days of the floppy, go on pop one in and check, windows reports it to have a 1.38MB capacity. You'll also notice that they use GB, the abriviation for Gigabyte, in the packaging and use the IEEE standard definition of the term when listing capacity. The only reason this causes a problem is that core parts of Microsoft OSs, and many programs on any given platform, still use GB (Gigabyte) when they really mean GiB (Gibibyte). However, they are the ones misrepresenting the actual amount of data by not following an internation standard or an industry standard.

    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Faced with this reality, the IEEE Standards Board decided that IEEE standards will use the conventional, internationally adopted, definitions of the SI prefixes. Mega will mean 1 000 000, except that the base-two definition may be used (if such usage is explicitly pointed out on a case-by-case basis) until such time that prefixes for binary multiples are adopted by an appropriate standards body.  <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    The legal case BTW will not fly. All the defense has to do is call in one expert who will (correctly) claim that Gigabyte means 1,000,000,000 bytes. It can't be false advertising if they're telling the truth now can it?
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