Noticed that Stephen King's The Stand is going to be released on DVD-18....

Also remembered that DVD-18 was explained to me as dual sided, dual layered....while DVD-9 is single sided, dual layered....I thought I understood at the time, but (obviously not):

If you have a single sided, dual layered disc, if you flip it over and record dual layered on the other side, isn't that dual sided/dual layered?

Or do those titles currently recorded on both sides (like 'Donnie Brasco', 'Man in the Iron Mask') all dual-sided/single layered?

The DVDs you buy aren't "recorded", they're pressed. A normal CD has one pressed layer. A normal DVD also has one pressed layer. The dual-sided DVDs you buy today are two layers bonded back to back and hold 10 gigabytes.

A dual-layered DVD is two layers bonded one behind the other. It holds 9 gigabytes. To read each layer, the DVD player changes the focus of it's laser. That's the short "pause" or delay you experience when playing any dual-layered movies.

A dual-sided, dual-layered disc would have four layers of data and would hold up to 18 gigabytes. Essentially, it's two dual-layered discs bonded back to back (though I haven't actually seen one yet). Up until now, the technology required to produce those discs at satisfactory levels didn't exist. As far as I know, The Stand will be the first DVD-18 disc.

I 'Stand' corrected! :-) (pun intended)

Thanks for clarifying, Daniel. I was hoping you'd still be up to reply. :-)

Speaking of short 'pauses', do you know if these short pauses will go away with newer DVD players?

It could probably be corrected with a larger buffer. Even now, some players are better at it than others. Even the DVD mastering has a lot to do with it - the layer change on Lost In Space is COMPLETELY INVISIBLE on my Sony S500D. Even though I know where it's supposed to be I can't see it.

Bevan,

Just to clarify things a little more, studios are selecting normal "break points, scene transition" in the movies to be the location for layer change now, so the pauses are very hard to notice...

Thanks Daniels! :-)

I noticed the 'normal' break points during scene transitions. One happened during a fade out scene, which I thought the disc had died.

The noticeable one is Face/off, where John Travolta (?) was making an exit, and the scene froze, and then went on. I am trying to think if I saw the one in Lost in Space....do you have the chapter number and rough time so that I check it out?

I think I read somewhere that these 4th generation DVD players with their dual lens pick up and whatever gets rid of these layer change pauses.

Most disc masterers (is that a word?) these days look for a nice clean scene transition. A black or stationary picture isn't the only requirement, since the sound will "blip" as well and would actually be more noticable to viewers than a paused picture.

I don't believe any current player - fourth generation included - completely remove the visible signs of layer changes. Some players are just better than others (a few players, on certain discs, can have REAL problems).

In Lost in Space, I forget the chapter, but it's when Will is talking to Dr. Smith (starts off with him holding the gun on Smith) and they decide to leave the ship. SOMEWHERE during that conversation is the layer change. Poorly placed for those using certain players, but I couldn't find the change anywhere.

...OK... I just read my own review of the disc. It's at 1:30.56 into the entire film.

OK, thanks...from memory, when watching this movie (twice), and I remember that scene you're talking about, there's no pause...but I'll check it out tonight.

Thanks!