Optical disc image

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An Optical disc image is an archive file that contains all the information necessary to replicate an optical disc such as a CD-ROM or DVD.

Contents

[edit] Uses

  • Storage prevents loss due to physical damage to CDs and DVDs and is easy to back up.
  • Portability multiple images can be carried on lightweight compact and bootable storage devices which have a higher storage capacity (e.g., a USB keydrive).
  • Distribution Provides rapid access to software over the Internet.
  • Virtual disks provide virtual drives to be used by emulators and virtual machines. This prevents physical wear and reduces bulk and noise. Emulation also provides a performance boost, as hard disks transfer data at much higher rates than optical disk drives.
  • Universal Access As most operating systems allow images to be mounted as if they were physical discs, image formats such as .ISO may be used as a universal archive format.

[edit] Formats

- True binary Disk Image

- Single track archive -

- Multi-track archive -

[edit] Software

v • d • e
Optical Disc Image Software (comparison by OS)
Windows
Macintosh
Linux
Unix-like
cdrtools  · dd  · dvd+rw-tools  · EAR  · GEAR PRO Unix  · K3b

Note: most optical disc authoring software is capable of producing optical disc images.

[edit] Imaging Process

1. Select an appropriate format for the type of media you wish to image.

  • a multi-track CD image format is required for multi-track CDs. If a single-track image format like [.ISO format|.ISO] is used, then only the first track will be retained and no other tracks would be replicated.
  • Choose a format that has an appropriate level of accessibility and support, especially for distribution or long-term storage.

2. Select an optical disc authoring software application that supports that format.

[edit] See also

list of optical disc authoring software

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