An EcoDisc is a patented type of
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
which is thinner than a conventional
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
because it is made from a single layer of
polycarbonate instead of two layers glued together. Because it contains less material, its manufacture produces only around half of the carbon dioxide of a conventional DVD,
and the absence of a
non-biodegradable toxic glue layer makes it easier to recycle.
Ecodiscs are prone to breakage (accidental or otherwise) since they are, as of May 2011, much less stiff than regular discs.
EcoDisc Technology AG licences manufacturers of the discs, and also holds the rights to the EcoDisc logo.
The discs are used for
covermount
Covermount (sometimes written cover mount) is the name given to storage media (containing software and or audiovisual media) or other products (ranging from toys to flip-flops) packaged as part of a magazine or newspaper. The name comes from the ...
s by magazine publishers because their flexibility makes them less prone to damage during handling and transportation than rigid conventional DVDs and shipping costs are reduced because of their lower weight.
The maximum capacity of the discs is 4.7 GB, as of February 2011 double layer 8.5 GB capacity is not available.
Although earlier versions of the EcoDisc occasionally showed problems with
Slot-In drives (especially with those of
Apple's MacBook), these problems have since been remedied.
In 2009 and 2010, Testronic Laboratories, a quality assurance and testing company, performed tests to assess compatibility on around 600 different models of player and drive, representing 80-90% of the installed product base, and found the disc compatible with all but one of the drives (the failing drive was a 1998 Sony DVP-S315).
References
External links
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DVD
Optical disc authoring
Environmental technology
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