[ The PC Guide | Systems
and Components Reference Guide | CD-ROM Drives | Compact Disk Formats ]
CD Format Compatibility Reference
The table below is a basic compatibility reference chart for the various CD formats.
Each column in the chart is a CD format, and each row in the chart is for a specific type
of CD drive. The table should be read by looking at the left-most column for a type of
drive, and then looking across the row to see which formats the drive will usually
support. This table is a guideline only, since any specific drive can have differing
capabilities depending on what the manufacturer decides to allow it to support.
Notes:
- CD-R and CD-RW are included in the table, although they technically aren't
"formats" of course--they write disks using the other formats listed. CD-R disks
are supported by most drives as long as the CD-R created is in a format that the drive
would read if it were a pressed CD. Some drives can be finicky about some types of CD-R
disks, however. Each drive is rated as either "Single" or "Multi",
with the former meaning only single-session disks are supported and the latter meaning
multi-session disks are supported (which of course implies single-session is also
supported).
- For CD-DA, each drive is specified as to whether it can play CD-DA or extract it in
digital form.
- "Some" means that some of these drives support the format, and some don't.
Type of
Drive |
CD-DA |
CD-
ROM |
CD-
ROM XA |
Bridge CD |
CD-I |
Video CD |
Photo CD |
CD-R |
CD-RW |
Audio CD
Player |
Play |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Single |
No |
Standard
(Older) CD-ROM Drive |
Play, some extract |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Single |
No |
(Newer)
CD-ROM XA Drive |
Play, some extract |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Some |
Some |
Single |
No |
Multi-
session CD-ROM XA Drive |
Play, Extract |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Multi |
Some |
CD-I
Player |
Play |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Single? |
No |
CD-R Drive |
Play, Extract |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Multi |
Some |
CD-RW
Drive |
Play, Extract |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Multi |
Yes |
 Next: Recordable CD
(CD-R)
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