Howstuffworks.com's "How Compact Discs (CDs) Work"

How Compact Discs (CDs) Work
by Marshall Brain

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Today CDs and DVDs are everywhere. Whether they are used to hold music, data or computer software, they have become the standard medium for distributing large quantities of information in a reliable package. CDs are so easy and cheap to produce that America Online sends out millions of them every year to entice new users. Anyone with a computer and CD-R drive can now create their own CDs and put anything they want on them. In this version of How Stuff Works we will look at how CDs and CD drives work. We will also look at all the different forms CDs take, as well as what the future holds.

Go to the next article about how compact discs (CDs) work or pick from the table of contents:

Introduction to How Compact Discs (CDs) Work You are here
Understanding the CD
How Does a CD Player Really Work?
What Are the Data Formats on a CD?
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