How DVD Drives Work

D
VD-ROM media, like audio CD,
CD-ROM, CD-R, or CD-RW
media, stores information in the
form of pits and lands. Pits are raised
bumps on the bottom of the disc, and
lands are smooth spaces between the
pits. The pits and lands are the ones and
zeros that make up the binary language
of computing.
DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM drives
read the pits and lands by using a laser
and a sensor. When the computer sends
a command to find data on the DVD, the
drives laser scans the underside of the
disc, searching for the specific pits and
lands that correspond to the command
the drive has received. The laser bounces

DVD Tray

off the disc, and the sensor measures

how much light is reflected back. A photocell inside the DVD drives read head
assembly measures the amount of light
reflected from the DVD, which is how it
distinguishes between pits and lands.
The data is then sent to the processor
from the DVD drive.
It is possible that the DVD media
being read is double-layered. A doublelayered DVD has another layer of pits
and lands embedded below the top
layer, kind of like air bubbles in an ice
cube. The DVD drive simply

Circuit Board
The circuit board
contains a variety
of tiny electronic
components.

Spindle Motor
The spindle motor
rotates the DVD so
that the read head
assembly can read
the data .

refocuses its laser slightly in order to

read the other layer. Obviously, a double-layered DVD contains about twice
as much data as a single-layered DVD.
Both sides of the disc could be doublelayered, increasing the storage capacity
to nearly four times that of a singlesided, single-layered DVD. However,
the DVD drive can only read one side
of the DVD at a time. Youll need to
turn over the DVD to read the other
side.

Read Head Assembly

The read head assembly
contains the laser, lenses,
and photo sensors that
read the pits and lands on
a DVD. The read head
assembly moves back
and forth on tracks while
the spindle motor spins
the DVD.

Ports
There are several
ports on the back of a
DVD drive. The ports
provide the power for
the DVD drive and
are the gateway for
the flow of data to
and from the DVD
drive.

Side View Of A DVD Decoder Card

Line Out
SPDIF Out

TV Out

Video Out

Video In

Most DVD kits include an MPEG decoder

card. The card is necessary if you want
to watch DVD movies on your PC. There
are software programs available that can

The Read Head Assembly consists of several parts. A

laser beam is focused through the lens and strikes the
underside of the DVD. The laser passes over the
pits and lands. The light from the pit or land is
reflected back at different intensities. A prism
inside the read head assembly directs the
reflected light to a photoelectric cell, which
notes the intensity of the reflected light.
The intensity of the reflected light is
converted to a digital signal: either
a one or zero, depending on
whether the drive reads a pit
or a land.

decode DVD movies, but hardware

decoders are generally a better option,
because they provide better performance.

Read Head Assembly

Compiled by Michael Sweet

Graphics & Design by Jason Codr
Source: DVD-ROM drive courtesy of Toshiba