DVD/CD Burning Terms

Curious about the DVD/CD burning process. Here are some basic facts to keep you in the know.

Data burned to a CD or DVD is laid out in sessions. These sessions are composed of a lead-in which holds the table of contents for the disc. Next is the lead out. A blank CD or DVD can only acquire 99 tracks per session. Sometimes multiple sessions are required to burn all content to DVD or CD media. In these cases, the lead in contains an "address" or directions that clue the new session in on the previous burn session history.


TOC
The Table of Contents (TOC) is where the layout of the tracks on the disc is held. It is located in the lead in area of the disc of that latest session.

Lead-In
Again, the lead in is the beginning part of the recordable media. It holds the TOC and the directions to the next session or part of the disc.

Lead-Out
The lead-out area is the ending part of the CD session. When the session is closed, the lead-out area is written.