# Enhanced Versatile Disc

> Chinese optical disc format intended to replace DVD

**Wikidata**: [Q1152899](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1152899)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Versatile_Disc)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/enhanced-versatile-disc

## Summary
Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD) is a Chinese optical disc format designed to replace DVDs, offering higher capacity and improved performance for digital media distribution. It is part of the broader family of optical discs, which use laser-readable pits and lands to store binary data for physical distribution and long-term archival.

## Key Facts
- **Format type**: Chinese optical disc format intended to replace DVD.
- **Classification**: Subclass of optical disc, machine-readable medium, computer storage media, and removable media.
- **Aliases**: Also known as Enhanced Versatile Disk (EVD).
- **Wikidata identifiers**: Freebase ID `/m/020jl_`, Wikipedia title "Enhanced Versatile Disc," sitelink count of 13.
- **Wikipedia coverage**: Available in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Ukrainian.
- **Physical form**: Circular disc, typically 120 mm in diameter, with a smaller 80 mm "mini" version also available.
- **Data encoding**: Uses microscopic pits and lands read by a laser to store binary data.
- **Usage**: Designed for distributing software, music, movies, and long-term archival storage.
- **Compatibility**: Requires an optical disc drive for reading and writing, found in computers, game consoles, and dedicated players.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD)?
A: Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD) is a Chinese optical disc format developed as a successor to DVD, offering higher capacity and improved performance for storing and distributing digital media.

### Q: How does EVD compare to DVD?
A: EVD is designed to replace DVD by providing enhanced features such as higher storage capacity and better performance, making it suitable for modern digital media applications.

### Q: What are the physical characteristics of EVD?
A: EVD is a circular disc, typically 120 mm in diameter, with a smaller 80 mm "mini" version also available. It uses a polycarbonate substrate with a reflective layer and protective coating to store data as microscopic pits and lands.

### Q: What devices can read EVD discs?
A: EVD discs can be read by optical disc drives found in computers, game consoles, and dedicated players, similar to other optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray.

## Why It Matters
Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD) represents an effort to advance optical disc technology, particularly in the Chinese market, by offering a higher-capacity alternative to DVD. As digital media continues to evolve, formats like EVD play a crucial role in providing physical distribution and long-term archival solutions, especially in regions where optical discs remain a preferred medium for content consumption.

## Notable For
- **Chinese optical disc format**: EVD is specifically developed as a Chinese alternative to DVD, catering to regional market needs.
- **Higher capacity**: Designed to offer improved storage capacity compared to traditional DVDs.
- **Part of optical disc family**: EVD is a subclass of optical discs, which have been a staple in digital media distribution for decades.
- **Multilingual coverage**: Information about EVD is available in multiple languages, reflecting its global relevance.

## Body

### Definition and Core Technology
Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD) is a Chinese optical disc format intended to replace DVD. It stores data as a pattern of pits and lands on its surface, which are read by a laser in an optical disc drive. This technology allows for the storage of binary data, making it suitable for distributing software, music, movies, and long-term archival storage.

### Physical Characteristics
- **Shape**: Circular disc.
- **Materials**: Typically made of a polycarbonate substrate with a reflective aluminum or gold layer and a protective lacquer coating.
- **Standard diameters**: 120 mm (full-size) and 80 mm (mini).

### Classification and Standards
- **Subclass of**: Optical disc, machine-readable medium, computer storage media, and removable media.
- **Wikidata identifiers**: Freebase ID `/m/020jl_`, Wikipedia title "Enhanced Versatile Disc," sitelink count of 13.
- **Wikipedia coverage**: Available in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Ukrainian.

### Usage and Devices
- **Optical disc drives**: Integrated in PCs, laptops, game consoles, and standalone players.
- **Read-only vs. recordable**: Formats range from read-only (e.g., commercial DVDs) to recordable/re-writable (e.g., DVD-RW, BD-RE).

### Historical Development
- **Early research**: Optical disc technology began in the 1960s, with commercial adoption starting in the late 1970s with LaserDisc and Compact Disc (CD).
- **Evolution**: The 1990s saw DVD replace CD for video, while the 2000s introduced high-definition Blu-ray.
- **Recent focus**: Recent developments have emphasized archival stability, with formats like M-Disc and Archival Disc designed for long-term data preservation.

### Significance and Impact
Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD) represents an effort to advance optical disc technology, particularly in the Chinese market. By offering a higher-capacity alternative to DVD, EVD aims to meet the growing demands of digital media distribution and long-term archival storage. Its development reflects the ongoing evolution of optical disc formats, which continue to play a crucial role in physical media distribution and data preservation.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013