CD-R (Compact Disk¸ Recordable)

Refers to compact disks that can be recorded one at a time, or the equipment used to make the recordings. The so-called CD-R disk can only be recorded once; if the recorded content is no longer wanted, additional material can be recorded only on the space remaining subject to the recording method chosen, or if there is no remaining space the disk is discarded. The disks themselves are constructed differently from ordinary non-recordable CD's. Ordinary CD's are stamped like grooved records, and then the silver or gold reflective layer applied. Recordable CD's have the foil layer (gold colored) already applied, and the recording consists of "burning" the pits into that layer one at a time. Current technology allows recordings to be made in 1/4 the time that an audio CD plays (1/4 of 74 minutes or 19 minutes per side) although owners of consumer grade CD recorders have tended to find that recording faster than "2x" often yields a defective disk.