Digital Media Format

CD-ROM

A 12 cm silver disc read by laser from billions of microscopic pits. Games, encyclopaedias, wedding albums and holiday photos of the 90s were burned onto them.

released year
1985
inventor
Sony & Philips
Storage capacity
650–700 MB
Output file format
JPG / MP4
Disc size
120 × 1.2 mm
Read speed (1×)
150 KB/s

Fig. 1 — CD-ROM and recordable discs

CD-ROM
CD-R
Gold CD-R
Photographs1826Negatives1835Slides1936CD-ROM1985CF1994SmartMedia1995MMC1997SD1999xD2002

§ 01 — Timeline

A short life of the disc

  1. Sony CDP-101, the first CD player1982
  2. An early CD-ROM drive with its ISA card1985
  3. A spindle of blank CD-Rs1990
  4. The underside of a DVD1996
  5. A disc with an oxidised reflective layerToday

1982 · 1 / 5

The audio CD

The CD, co-developed by Sony and Philips, went on sale in Japan. The first title was Billy Joel’s 52nd Street.

How does a CD-ROM work?
Fig. 2 — Pits and lands on the disc surface

§ 02 — Learn more about CD-ROM

How does a CD-ROM work?

What is a CD-ROM?

CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) grew out of the audio CD that Sony and Philips launched in 1982, and arrived in 1985 to store computer data. One disc holds 650 to 700 MB, and before USB drives and the cloud it was the main way software, games and multimedia were distributed.

Pits and lands

A CD-ROM stores digital information in the form of microscopic pits and lands on its reflective surface. A laser inside a CD drive scans these patterns, converting them into binary data (1s and 0s) that a computer can interpret. Unlike rewritable CDs, CD-ROMs are read-only, meaning data cannot be modified or erased once recorded.
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§ 03 — The disc family

Discs we can transfer

The common discs, drawn to scale. Capture can read and transfer every one of them.

  • CD-ROM

    CD-ROM

    120 mm · 650–700 MB

    Yellow Book
  • CD-R

    CD-R

    120 mm · 700 MB

    Orange Book
  • DVD

    DVD

    120 mm · 4.7 GB

    DVD
  • Mini CD

    Mini CD

    80 mm · ≤210 MB

    8 cm

Roughly to scale (diameter · capacity)

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: CD — Liamz2r (Public domain) · CD-R — DiscoA340 (CC0) · DVD — Zi7ar21 (CC0) · Mini CD — O mores at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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CD vs CD-ROM

§ 04 — What are the differences?

CD vs CD-ROM

The differences between MMC & SD cards

  • CDs (Compact Discs): Primarily used for audio playback and data storage, some CDs can be rewritten (CD-RW) or recorded once (CD-R).
  • CD-ROMs: Designed specifically for storing and distributing data such as software, encyclopaedias, and games. They are read-only and cannot be modified after manufacturing.

How long do CD-ROMs last?

The lifespan of a CD-ROM depends on its quality and storage conditions. Under optimal conditions—stored in a cool, dry environment away from direct sunlight and humidity—CD-ROMs can last between 20 and 100 years. However, degradation can occur over time, causing data loss.

§ 05 — Preserve

Still have old discs?

Most new computers no longer have a disc drive, and old discs oxidise over time. Copy the photos and videos off while they still read, and open them on any phone or computer.

Digitise Digital Media Now

Disc transfer

HK$200/ disc

One flat price per disc, whether CD-ROM, CD-R or DVD. We read the photos and videos off it and save them as JPG and MP4.

Choose a USB drive or Google Photos for delivery.

Capture · Our team

Any Questions?
Feel free to contact
our Memory Specialists

Not sure what format you have or how best to handle it? WhatsApp us and one of the team will take a look.

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