(CD-R) A wrITe-once version of CD-ROM. CD-Rs can hold about 650 megabytes of data. They are very durable and can be read by normal CD-ROM drives, but once data has been wrITten IT cannot be altered. Standard prerecorded CDs have their information permanently stamped into an aluminium reflecting layer. CD-R discs have a dye-based recording layer and an addITional golden reflecting layer. DigITal information is wrITten to the disc by burning (forming) pITs in the recording layer in a pattern corresponding to that of a conventional CD. The laser beam heats the substrate and recording layer to approximately 250 C. The recording layer melts and the substrate expands into the space that becomes available. {Phillips: New Technologies (http://www-us.sv.philips.com/newtech/cdrewrITable.html)}. See also CD-RW and DVD-RAM. (1999-08-01)