Some people do not realize there is a difference between CD and DVD formats. So, I decided to add this post in an effort to help them understand better.
Technically, CD stands for "Compact Disk" which means the material contained on the disk is formatted for a computer. Meanwhile, others may tell you CD stands for "Computer Data" or "Computer Disk". But, regardless of how a CD is described, the disk is formatted primarily for computer storage/usage.
DVD, on the other hand, stands for "Digital Video Disk" which is primarily formatted for use on digital video machines (dvd players). However, DVDs can also be played on computers, but only if they are equipped with a CD/DVD device.
Descriptions above are very generalized in this post so that readers can understand the differences easier. There are numerous technical differences between CD and DVD encoding that set each apart from the other. But, this is the best way I know of to help people better understand the individual functionality.
A while back a relative of mine came to me puzzled as to why the video she made on her computer would not work in her DVD player. At first I thought it might have been because she owned an older model DVD player that may not accept "burned" DVDs. It wasn't until I noticed the video was burned to CD and not DVD, that the answer became apparent.
I explained to her, that even though she could play the video on her computer, the disk she burned it to could only be used on the computer and not in the DVD player. If she wanted the video to be viewed through the DVD player as well as the computer, she needed to burn it to a DVD (not CD).
Bottom line when it comes to CD or DVD formatting:
If you only want to use it on the computer -- Burn it to CD
If you want to view it on the computer and on TV -- Burn it to DVD