Dual DVDs

Its not quite that "cut & dried"; a single-layer DVD has a nominal data capacity of 4.7 Gigs, while a dual-layer disk has a nominal data capacity of 8.5 Gigs. When used with SOME high-precision burners, SOME upper-end burning software will allow for a modest bit of "overburn", at least theoretically letting you pack a little more data onto a disk, though the results even with the best of gear and software can be iffy. In actual practice, I think you'll find nominal data writing capacity a tad optimistic; expect more satisfactory results if you do not "fill it to the brim", so to speak. For best results, I've found something on the order of 4.3 to 4.5 Gigs pretty reliably writes to single layer, 4.0 to 4.2 Gigs pretty reliably writes to each layer of dual layer. Your mileage may vary. The thing to do is try - experiment. Media is cheap, figure out what works best for you. The investment in time and discarded disks will pay off in the very near term, once you figure out what you've got and what it will and won't do.

Dual DVDs
Timber -The investment in time is the expensive thing - I'm subject to interruptions that absolutely cannot be ignored, but eventually I'll get this CD/DVD thing under control, with help from people like you and Heliotrope, etc.

A great technie I ain't; I know my way around computers a bit better than most of my friends, and do enjoy experimenting, but when I'm asked for my computer experience level I always wish for an option that says "intermediate diluted with low confidence ".

Anyway, I am grateful for your advice on DVD capacity. That seems to be typical of many computer things - over-enthusiastic estimates of capacity, speed, etc.