needed: someone technical to explain DVD-R and CD-R differences

[seldear]

My laptop is CD-R capable but not DVD-R capable. It won't read DVDs. I have data on a DVD-R disc, but my computer won't even read the disc.

I got a work colleague to copy the files from the disc onto his computer, and gave him a CD-R onto which to burn the files. The files won't copy - it says they have to be burned on a DVD-R - or something about an unknown file format. They're in .avi form and won't play on my colleague's computer - I think it's possible that he lacks a codec to actually play them. (Not that he wants to, I want to, but I don't have a DVD-R drive.)

I would really appreciate some help here, because my knowledge of copying files onto discs stops around the "select the files you want to copy and drag them to the media in question and it'll all turn out okay, dude".

ETA: Okay, worked it out and am burning discs like crazy. Don't know what my boss must think of this - he's sitting opposite the guy whose laptop is doing the burning...

Comments

[hwcarnage.livejournal.com]

I mean, on another machine, or a friends you could borrow?

It's easyer than re-encoding the file for a cdr

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Mine doesn't have a DVD drive, although the housemate does. The thing is that I won't be able to watch these files on my computer until I get a DVD-R capable laptop.

Which, you know, will be my next major purchase, just because...