DVD5

DVD5 is a designation in the DVD format family that refers to a standard single-layer, single-sided disc with a nominal capacity of 4.7 gigabytes. In binary terms this corresponds to about 4.37 gibibytes. It is one of the common formats used for DVD-Video and data distribution, offering a balance between capacity and compatibility.

In DVD-Video applications, DVD-5 discs typically store MPEG-2 video at standard definition with multiple audio tracks, subtitles, menus, and other features. The amount of video that fits on a DVD-5 depends on the encoding bitrate; roughly, 1 to 2 hours of SD video can be stored at common bitrates, with longer runtimes possible at lower quality. Data capacity is shared with filesystem overhead from formats like ISO 9660 and UDF, as well as authoring structures.

Compared to other DVD formats, DVD-5 is single-layer on one side. DVD-9 is a dual-layer disc on the same side with about 8.5 GB capacity, while DVD-10 is a double-sided disc with two single-layer sides, and DVD-18 is a double-sided, dual-layer disc. DVD-5 is often used for shorter films, episodic content, or software due to its lower production cost and broad compatibility.

The DVD-5 format was standardized as part of the broader DVD specification introduced in the late 1990s. Although newer formats such as Blu-ray offer higher capacities and resolutions, DVD-5 remains widely used for distribution, playback compatibility, and archival purposes because of its ubiquity in players and drives.