DVD+R DL (DL stands for
Double Layer) also called
DVD+R9, is a derivative of the
DVD+R format created by the
DVD+RW Alliance. Its use was first demonstrated in October 2003. DVD+R DL discs employ two recordable dye layers, each capable of storing nearly the 4.7
GB capacity of a single-layer disc, almost doubling the total disc capacity to 8.5 GB. Discs can be read in many DVD devices (older units are less compatible) and can only be created using DVD+R DL and
Super Multi drives. DL drives started appearing on the market during mid-2004, at prices comparable to those of existing single-layer drives. DL media is up to twice as expensive as single-layer media. The latest DL drives write double layer discs at a slower rate (up to 12×) than current single-layer discs (up to 24×).