Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Alec
Type	sexi|usage Standard Definition video Standard definition sound PS2 Xbox Xbox 360 games
Capacity	4.7 GB (single-sided, single-layer – common)8.5–8.7 GB (single-sided, double-layer)9.4 GB (double-sided, single-layer)17.08 GB (double-sided, double-layer – rare)
Read	650 nm laser, 10.5 Mbit/s (1×)
Write	10.5 Mbit/s (1×)
Standard	DVD Forum's DVD Books and DVD+RW Alliance specifications
Owners/creators	Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba, Philips }}

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.

Pre-recorded DVDs are mass-produced using molding machines that physically stamp data onto the DVD. Such discs are known as DVD-ROM, because data can only be read and not written nor erased. Blank recordable DVDs (DVD-R and DVD+R) can be recorded once using optical disc recording technologies and supported by optical disc drives and DVD recorders and then function as a DVD-ROM. Rewritable DVDs (DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM) can be recorded and erased multiple times.

DVDs are used in DVD-Video consumer digital video format and in DVD-Audio consumer digital audio format, as well as for authoring AVCHD discs. DVDs containing other types of information may be referred to as DVD data discs.

History

Before the advent of DVD and Blu-ray, the Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as View CD, Compact Disc digital video) became the first format for distributing digitally encoded films on standard 120 mm optical discs. (its predecessor CD Video used analog video encoding). VCD was on the market in 1993. In the same year, two new optical disc storage formats were being developed. One was the Multimedia Compact Disc (MMCD), backed by Philips and Sony, and the other was the Super Density (SD) disc, supported by Toshiba, Time Warner, Matsushita Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Thomson, and JVC.

Representatives of the SD camp approached IBM, asking for advice on the file system to use for their disc as well as seeking support for their format for storing computer data. Alan E. Bell, a researcher from IBM's Almaden Research Center got that request and also learned of the MMCD development project. Wary of being caught in a repeat of the costly videotape format war between VHS and Betamax in the 1980s, he convened a group of computer industry experts, including representatives from Apple, Microsoft, Sun, Dell, and many others. This group was referred to as the Technical Working Group, or TWG.

The TWG voted to boycott both formats unless the two camps agreed on a single, converged standard. Lou Gerstner, president of IBM, was recruited to apply pressure on the executives of the warring factions. Eventually, the computer companies won the day, and a single format, now called DVD, was agreed upon. The TWG also collaborated with the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) on the use of their implementation of the ISO-13346 file system (known as Universal Disc Format) for use on the new DVDs.

Philips and Sony decided it was in their best interest to avoid another format war over their Multimedia Compact Disc, and agreed to unify with companies backing the Super Density Disc to release a single format with technologies from both. The specification was mostly similar to Toshiba and Matsushita's Super Density Disc, except for the dual-layer option (MMCD was single-sided and optionally dual-layer, whereas SD was single-layer but optionally double-sided) and EFMPlus modulation.

EFMPlus was chosen because of its great resilience to disc damage, such as scratches and fingerprints. EFMPlus, created by Kees Immink (who also designed EFM), is 6% less efficient than the modulation technique originally used by Toshiba, which resulted in a capacity of 4.7 GB, as opposed to the original 5 GB. The result was the DVD specification, finalized for the DVD movie player and DVD-ROM computer applications in December 1995.

The DVD Video format was first introduced by Toshiba in Japan in November 1996, in the United States in March 1997 (test marketed), in Europe in October 1998, and in Australia in February 1999.

In May 1997, the DVD Consortium was replaced by the DVD Forum, which is open to all other companies.

Specifications

DVD specifications created and updated by the DVD Forum are published as so-called ''DVD Books'' (e.g. DVD-ROM Book, DVD-Audio Book, DVD-Video Book, DVD-R Book, DVD-RW Book, DVD-RAM Book, DVD-AR Book, DVD-VR Book, etc.).

Some specifications for mechanical, physical and optical characteristics of DVD optical discs can be downloaded as ''freely available standards'' from the ISO website. Also, the DVD+RW Alliance publishes competing DVD specifications such as DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW or DVD+RW DL. These DVD formats are also ISO standards.

Some of DVD specifications (e.g. for DVD-Video) are not publicly available and can be obtained only from the DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation for a fee of US $5000. Every subscriber must sign a non-disclosure agreement as certain information in the DVD Book is proprietary and confidential.

Etymology

The official DVD charter documents specify that the basis of the DVD name stems from the term "digital versatile disc". Usage in the present day varies, with ''Digital Versatile Disc'', ''Digital Video Disc'', and ''DVD'' being the most common.

''DVD'' was originally used as an initialism for the unofficial term ''digital videodisk''.

A newsgroup FAQ written by Jim Taylor (a prominent figure in the industry) claims that four years later, in 1999, the DVD Forum stated that the format name was simply the three letters "DVD" and did not stand for anything.

The DVD Forum website has a section called "DVD Primer" in which the answer to the question, "What does DVD mean?" reads, "The keyword is 'versatile.' Digital Versatile Discs provide superb video, audio and data storage and access—all on one disc."

Identification (MID)

The DVD is made of a spiral groove read or written starting at the center. The form of the groove encodes unalterable identification data known as Media Identification Code (MID). The MID contains data such as the manufacturer and model, byte capacity, allowed data rates (also known as speed), etc.

Design

As a movie delivery medium

DVD was adopted by movie and home entertainment distributors to replace the ubiquitous VHS tape as the primary means of distributing films to consumers in the home entertainment marketplace. DVD was chosen for its superior ability to reproduce moving pictures and sound, for its superior durability, and for its interactivity. Interactivity had proven to be a feature which consumers, especially collectors, favored when the movie studios had released their films on laser disk. When the price point for a laser disk at approximately $100 per disk moved to $20 per disk at retail, this luxury feature became available for mass consumption. Simultaneously, the movie studios decided to change their home entertainment release model from a rental model to a for purchase model, and large numbers of dvds were sold.

At the same time, a demand for interactive design talent and services was created. Movies in the past had uniquely designed title sequences. Suddenly every movie being released required information architecture and interactive design components that matched the film's tone and were at the quality level that Hollywood demanded for its product.

New DVD releases are released weekly by all major studios. DVDs are typically released on Tuesdays of every week. With the advent of Blu-ray releases, studios now rely on both Blu-ray and DVDs to supplement their revenue for a particular movie.

As an interactive medium

DVD as a format had two qualities at the time that were not available in any other interactive medium: 1. Enough capacity and speed to provide high quality, full motion video and sound, and 2. low cost delivery mechanism provided by consumer products retailers who quickly moved to sell their players for under $200 and eventually for under $50 at retail. In addition, the medium itself was small enough and light enough to mail using general first class postage. Almost overnight, this created a new business opportunity and model for business innovators like Netflix to re-invent the home entertainment distribution model. It also opened up the opportunity for business and product information to be inexpensively provided on full motion video through direct mail.

Capacity

!rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;">1 style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;"

+ Capacity and nomenclature<	SS = single-sided, DS = double-sided, SL = single-layer, DL = dual-layer	Designation	Layers(total) !!rowspan="2"	Diameter(cm) !!colspan="2"| Capacity
(Gigabyte	GB) !!align=right| (GiB)
DVD-1	SS SL		|	8	1.46	1.36
DVD-2	SS DL	style="text-align:right;"	1	2 ||	8	2.66	2.47
DVD-3	DS SL	style="text-align:right;"	2	2 ||	8	2.92	2.72
DVD-4	DS DL	style="text-align:right;"	2	4 ||	8	5.32	4.95
DVD-5	SS SL	style="text-align:right;"	1	1 ||	12	4.70	4.37
DVD-9	SS DL	style="text-align:right;"	1	2 ||	12	8.54	7.95
DVD-10	DS SL	style="text-align:right;"	2	2 ||	12	9.40	8.75
DVD-14<		DS SL+DL	style="text-align:right;">2	3 ||	12	13.24	12.33 <
DVD-18	DS DL	style="text-align:right;">2	4 ||	12	17.08	15.90

!rowspan="2" 1 SS SL (2.0) SS SL SS SL SS SL DS SL DS SL DS SL DS SL SS SL DS SL SS SL (1.0) SS SL (2.0) DS SL (1.0) DS SL (2.0)

+ Capacity and nomenclature of (re)writable discs	Designation	Layers(total) !!rowspan="2"	Diameter(cm) !!colspan="2"| Capacity
(Gigabyte		GB) !!align=right| (GiB)
DVD-R	SS SL (1.0)	|	1	12	3.95	3.68
DVD-R	|	1	1	12	4.70	4.37
DVD-RW	|	1	1	12	4.70	4.37
DVD+R	|	1	1	12	4.70	4.37
DVD+RW	|	1	1	12	4.70	4.37
DVD-R	|	2	2	12	9.40	8.75
DVD-RW	|	2	2	12	9.40	8.75
DVD+R	|	2	2	12	9.40	8.75
DVD+RW	|	2	2	12	9.40	8.75
DVD-RAM	|	1	1	8	1.46	1.36*
DVD-RAM	|	2	2	8	2.65	2.47*
DVD-RAM	|	1	1	12	2.58	2.40
DVD-RAM	|	1	1	12	4.70	4.37
DVD-RAM	|	2	2	12	5.16	4.80
DVD-RAM	|	2	2	12	9.40	8.75*

The basic types of DVD (12 cm diameter, single-sided or homogeneous double-sided) are referred to by a rough approximation of their capacity in gigabytes. In draft versions of the specification, DVD-5 indeed held five gigabytes, but some parameters were changed later on as explained above, so the capacity decreased. Other formats, those with 8 cm diameter and hybrid variants, acquired similar numeric names with even larger deviation.

The 12 cm type is a standard DVD, and the 8 cm variety is known as a MiniDVD. These are the same sizes as a standard CD and a mini-CD, respectively. The capacity by surface (MiB/cm²) varies from 6.92 MiB/cm² in the DVD-1 to 18.0 MiB/cm² in the DVD-18.

As with hard disk drives, in the DVD realm, gigabyte and the symbol GB are usually used in the SI sense (i.e., 10⁹, or 1,000,000,000 bytes). For distinction, gibibyte (with symbol GiB) is used (i.e., 1024³ (2³⁰), or 1,073,741,824 bytes).

Each DVD sector contains 2,418 bytes of data, 2,048 bytes of which are user data. There is a small difference in storage space between ''+'' and ''-'' (hyphen) formats:

Bytes 2,298,496 2,295,104 4,171,712 4,173,824

+ Capacity differences of writable DVD formats	Type	Sectors	|	kB	MB	GB	KiB	MiB	GiB
DVD-R SL	|	4,707,319,808	4,707,319.808	4,707.320	4.707	4,596,992	4,489.250	4.384
DVD+R SL	|	4,700,372,992	4,700,372.992	4,700.373	4.700	4,590,208	4,482.625	4.378
DVD-R DL	|	8,543,666,176	8,543,666.176	8,543.666	8.544	8,343,424	8,147.875	7.957
DVD+R DL	|	8,547,991,552	8,547,991.552	8,547.992	8.548	8,347,648	8,152.000	7.961

Technology

DVD uses 650 nm wavelength laser diode light as opposed to 780 nm for CD. This permits a smaller pit to be etched on the media surface compared to CDs (0.74 µm for DVD versus 1.6 µm for CD), allowing in part for DVD's increased storage capacity.

In comparison, Blu-ray Disc, the successor to the DVD format, uses a wavelength of 405 nm, and one dual-layer disc has a 50 GB storage capacity.

Writing speeds for DVD were 1×, that is, 1,385 kB/s (1,353 KiB/s), in the first drives and media models. More recent models, at 18× or 20×, have 18 or 20 times that speed. Note that for CD drives, 1× means 153.6 kB/s (150 KiB/s), about one-ninth as swift.

1.32 2.64 3.17 3.43 5.28 7.93 10.57 13.21 15.85 21.13 23.78 26.42 29.06 31.70

+ DVD drive speeds	Drive speed	Data rate	~Write time (min)
(Mbit/s) !! (MB/s) !! (MiB/s)	! SL !! DL
! 1×	11.08	1.39	|	57	103
2×	22.16	2.77	|	28	51
2.4×	26.59	3.32	|	24	43
2.6×	28.81	3.60	|	22	40
4×	44.32	5.54	|	14	26
6×	66.48	8.31	|	9	17
8×	88.64	11.08	|	7	13
10×	110.80	13.85	|	6	10
12×	132.96	16.62	|	5	9
16×	177.28	22.16	|	4	6
18×	199.44	24.93	|	3	6
20×	221.60	27.70	|	3	5
22×	243.76	30.47	|	3	5
24×	265.92	33.24	|	2	4

Internal mechanism of a drive

This mechanism is shown right side up; the disc would sit on top of it. The laser and optical system scans the underside of the disc.

With reference to the photo, just to the right of image center is the disc spin motor, a gray cylinder, with its gray centering hub and black resilient drive ring on top. A clamp (not in the photo, retained in the drive's cover), pulled down by a magnet, clamps the disc when this mechanism rises, after the disc tray stops moving inward. This motor has an external rotor – every visible part of it spins.

The gray metal chassis is shock-mounted at its four corners to reduce sensitivity to external shocks, and to reduce drive noise when running fast. The soft shock mount grommets are just below the brass-colored washers at the four corners (the left one is obscured). Running through those grommets are screws to fasten them to the black plastic frame that's underneath.

Two parallel precision guide rods that run between upper left and lower right in the photo carry the "sled", the moving optical read-write head. As shown, this "sled" is close to, or at the position where it reads or writes at the edge of the disc.

A dark gray disc with two holes on opposite sides has a blue lens surrounded by silver-colored metal. This is the lens that's closest to the disc; it serves to both read and write by focusing the laser light to a very small spot. It is likely that this disc rotates half a turn to position a different set of optics (the other "hole") for CDs vs. DVDs.

Under the disc is an ingenious actuator comprising permanent magnets and coils that move the lens up and down to maintain focus on the data layer. As well, the actuator moves the lens slightly toward and away from the spin-motor spindle to keep the spot on track. Both focus and tracking are relatively quite fast and very precise. The same actuator rotates the lens mount half a turn as described.

To select tracks (or files) as well as advancing the "sled" during continuous read or write operations, a stepping motor rotates a coarse-pitch leadscrew to move the "sled" throughout its total travel range. The motor, itself, is the gray cylinder just to the left of the most-distant shock mount; its shaft is parallel to the support rods. The leadscrew, itself, is the rod with evenly-spaced darker details; these are the helical groove that engages a pin on the "sled".

The irregular orange material is flexible etched copper foil supported by thin sheet plastic; these are "flexible printed circuits" that connect everything to the electronics (which is not shown).

DVD recordable and rewritable

HP initially developed recordable DVD media from the need to store data for backup and transport.

DVD recordables are now also used for consumer audio and video recording. Three formats were developed: DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW (plus), and DVD-RAM. DVD-R is available in two formats, General (650 nm) and Authoring (635 nm), where Authoring discs may be recorded with encrypted content but General discs may not.

Although most DVD writers can nowadays write the DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW formats (usually denoted by "DVD±RW" and/or the existence of both the DVD Forum logo and the DVD+RW Alliance logo), the "plus" and the "dash" formats use different writing specifications. Most DVD readers and players will play both kinds of discs, although older models can have trouble with the "plus" variants.

Some first generation DVD players would cause damage to DVD±R/RW/DL when attempting to read them.

== Dual-layer recording == Dual-layer recording (sometimes also known as double-layer recording) allows DVD-R and DVD+R discs to store significantly more data—up to 8.54 gigabytes per disc, compared with 4.7 gigabytes for single-layer discs. Along with this, DVD-DLs have slower write speeds as compared to ordinary DVDs and when played on a DVD player a slight transition can sometimes be seen between the layers. DVD-R DL was developed for the DVD Forum by Pioneer Corporation; DVD+R DL was developed for the DVD+RW Alliance by Philips and Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM).

A dual-layer disc differs from its usual DVD counterpart by employing a second physical layer within the disc itself. The drive with dual-layer capability accesses the second layer by shining the laser through the first semitransparent layer. In some DVD players, the layer change can exhibit a noticeable pause, up to several seconds. This caused some viewers to worry that their dual-layer discs were damaged or defective, with the end result that studios began listing a standard message explaining the dual-layer pausing effect on all dual-layer disc packaging.

DVD recordable discs supporting this technology are backward-compatible with some existing DVD players and DVD-ROM drives. Many current DVD recorders support dual-layer technology, and the price is now comparable to that of single-layer drives, although the blank media remain more expensive. The recording speeds reached by dual-layer media are still well below those of single-layer media.

There are two modes for dual-layer orientation. With ''Parallel Track Path'' (PTP), used on DVD-ROM, both layers start at the inside diameter (ID) and end at the outside diameter (OD) with the lead-out. With ''Opposite Track Path'' (OTP), used on many Digital Video Discs, the lower layer starts at the ID and the upper layer starts at the OD, where the other layer ends; they share one lead-in and one lead-out.

DVD-Video

DVD-Video is a standard for storing and distributing video/audio content on DVD media. The format went on sale in Japan on November 1, 1996, in the United States on March 1, 1997, in Europe on October 1, 1998 and in Australia on February 1, 1999. DVD-Video became the dominant form of home video distribution in Japan when it first went on sale in 1996, but did not become the dominant form of home video distribution in the United States until June 15, 2003, when weekly DVD-Video in the United States rentals began outnumbering weekly VHS cassette rentals, reflecting the rapid adoption rate of the technology in the U.S. marketplace. Currently, DVD-Video is the dominant form of home video distribution worldwide, although in Japan it was surpassed by Blu-ray Disc when Blu-ray first went on sale in Japan on March 31, 2006.

Security

Content Scramble System (CSS) is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) and encryption system employed on almost all commercially produced DVD-video discs. CSS utilizes a proprietary 40-bit stream cipher algorithm. The system was introduced around 1996 and was first compromised in 1999.

The purpose of CSS is twofold:

# CSS prevents byte-for-byte copies of an MPEG (digital video) stream from being playable since such copies do not include the keys that are hidden on the lead-in area of the restricted DVD. # CSS provides a reason for manufacturers to make their devices compliant with an industry-controlled standard, since CSS scrambled discs cannot in principle be played on noncompliant devices; anyone wishing to build compliant devices must obtain a license, which contains the requirement that the rest of the DRM system (region codes, Macrovision, and user operation prohibition) be implemented.

While most CSS-decrypting software is used to play DVD videos, other pieces of software (such as DVD Decrypter, AnyDVD, DVD43, Smartripper, and DVD Shrink) can copy a DVD to a hard drive and remove Macrovision, CSS encryption, region codes and user operation prohibition.

Consumer restrictions

The rise of filesharing and "piracy" has prompted many copyright holders to display notices on DVD packaging or displayed on screen when the content is played that warn consumers of the illegality of certain uses of the DVD. It is commonplace to include a 90 second advert warning that most forms of copying the contents are illegal. Many DVDs prevent skipping past or fast-forwarding through this warning.

Arrangements for renting and lending differ by geography. In the U.S., the right to re-sell, rent, or lend out bought DVDs is protected by the first-sale doctrine under the Copyright Act of 1976. In Europe, rental and lending rights are more limited, under a 1992 European Directive that gives copyright holders broader powers to restrict the commercial renting and public lending of DVD copies of their work.

DVD-Audio

DVD-Audio is a format for delivering high fidelity audio content on a DVD. It offers many channel configuration options (from mono to 5.1 surround sound) at various sampling frequencies (up to 24-bits/192 kHz versus CDDA's 16-bits/44.1 kHz). Compared with the CD format, the much higher-capacity DVD format enables the inclusion of considerably more music (with respect to total running time and quantity of songs) and/or far higher audio quality (reflected by higher sampling rates and greater sample resolution, and/or additional channels for spatial sound reproduction).

Despite DVD-Audio's superior technical specifications, there is debate as to whether the resulting audio enhancements are distinguishable in typical listening environments. DVD-Audio currently forms a niche market, probably due to the very sort of format war with rival standard SACD that DVD-Video avoided.

Security

DVD-Audio discs employ a DRM mechanism, called Content Protection for Prerecorded Media (CPPM), developed by the 4C group (IBM, Intel, Matsushita, and Toshiba).

Although CPPM was supposed to be much harder to crack than DVD-Video's CSS, it too was eventually cracked in 2007 with the release of the ''dvdcpxm'' tool. The subsequent release of the libdvdcpxm library (which is based on dvdcpxm) allowed for the development of open source DVD-Audio players and ripping software, such as DVD-Audio Explorer. As a result, making 1:1 copies of DVD-Audio discs is now possible with relative ease, much like DVD-Video discs.

Improvements and succession

HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc

In 2006, two new formats called HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc were released as the successor to DVD. HD DVD competed successfully with Blu-ray Disc in the format war of 2006–2008. A dual layer HD DVD can store up to 30GB and a dual layer Blu-ray disc can hold up to 50GB.

However, unlike previous format changes, e.g., audio tape to Compact Disc or VHS videotape to DVD, there is no immediate indication that production of the standard DVD will gradually wind down, as they still dominate, with around 75% of video sales and approximately one billion DVD player sales worldwide as of 3 April 2011. In fact, experts claim that the DVD will remain the dominant medium for at least another five years as Blu-ray technology is still in its introductory phase, write and read speeds being poor as well as the fact of necessary hardware being expensive and not readily available.

Consumers initially were also slow to adopt Blu-ray due to the cost. By 2009, 85% of stores were selling Blu-ray Discs. A high-definition television and appropriate connection cables are also required to take advantage of Blu-ray disc. Some analysts suggest that the biggest obstacle to replacing DVD is due to its installed base; a large majority of consumers are satisfied with DVDs. The DVD succeeded because it offered a compelling alternative to VHS. In addition, Blu-ray players are designed to be backward-compatible, allowing older DVDs to be played since the media are physically identical; this differed from the change from vinyl to CD and from tape to DVD, which involved a complete change in physical medium. it is still commonplace for major releases to be issued in "combo pack" format, including both a DVD and a Blu-ray disc (as well as, in many cases, a third disc with an authorized digital copy). Also, some multi-disc sets use Blu-ray for the main feature, but DVDs for supplementary features (examples of this include the ''Harry Potter'' "Ultimate Edition" collections, the 2009 re-release of the 1967 ''The Prisoner'' TV series, and a 2007 collection related to ''Blade Runner''). Another reason cited (July 2011) for the slower transition to Blu-ray from DVD is the necessity of and confusion over "firmware updates" and needing an internet connection to perform updates.

This situation can be best compared to the changeover from 78 rpm shellac recordings to 45 rpm and 33⅓ rpm vinyl recordings; because the medium used for the earlier format was virtually the same as the latter version (a disc on a turntable, played using a needle), phonographs continued to be built to play obsolete 78s for decades after the format was discontinued. Manufacturers continue to release standard DVD titles , and the format remains the preferred one for the release of older television programs and films, with some programs such as ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' needing to be re-scanned to produce a high definition version from the original film recordings (certain special effects were also updated in order to be better received in high-definition viewing). In the case of ''Doctor Who'', a series primarily produced on standard definition videotape between 1963 and 1989, BBC Video reportedly intends to continue issuing DVD-format releases of that series until at least November 2013 (since there would be very little increase in visual quality from upconverting the standard definition videotape masters to high definition).

Holographic Versatile Disc

The Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) is an optical disc technology that may one day hold up to 6 terabytes of information, although the current maximum is 500 GB. It employs a technique known as collinear holography.

5D DVD

The 5D DVD, being developed in the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, uses a multilaser system to encode and read data on multiple layers. Technology could be compatible with current DVD disc-drive technology. Disc capacities are estimated at up to 10 terabytes, and the technology could be commercially ready by 2019.

Use as backup medium

Durability of DVDs is measured by how long the data may be read from the disc, assuming compatible devices exist that can read it: that is, how long the disc can be stored until data is lost. Five factors affect durability: sealing method, reflective layer, organic dye makeup, where it was manufactured, and storage practices.

The longevity of the ability to read from a DVD+R or DVD-R is largely dependent on manufacturing quality, ranging from 2 to 15 years, and is believed to be an unreliable medium for backup unless great care is taken for storage conditions and handling.

According to the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA), "manufacturers claim life spans ranging from 30 to 100 years for DVD, DVD-R and DVD+R discs and up to 30 years for DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM".

See also

Book type

Digital video recorder (DVR)

Disk drive performance characteristics

DVD authoring

DVD region code

DVD TV game

Evita (first film to be released on DVD)

IFO, BUP and VOB

Professional Disc

VCD

References

Further reading

External links

DVD at the Open Directory Project

Dual Layer Explained – Informational Guide to the Dual Layer Recording Process

DVD Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)

DVD Burning and Ripping: A Primer, A Glossary

YouTube: Segment from 1997 Toshiba DVD demo disc – Technical information about the then-new DVD format, from "DVD Gallery," an in-store demonstration disc from Toshiba.

Category:DVD Category:Audio storage Category:Computer storage media Category:Consumer electronics Category:Joint ventures Category:Video storage Category:120 mm discs Category:1995 introductions

af:DVD als:DVD ar:دي في دي ast:DVD az:DVD bn:ডিভিডি bs:DVD bg:DVD ca:DVD cs:DVD cy:DVD da:Dvd de:DVD et:DVD el:DVD es:DVD eo:DVD eu:DVD fa:دی‌وی‌دی fr:DVD fy:DVD gl:DVD ko:DVD hy:DVD hi:DVD hr:DVD io:DVD id:DVD ia:DVD is:Mynddiskur it:DVD he:DVD pam:DVD ka:დვდ la:Discus versatilis digitalis lv:DVD lt:DVD hu:DVD mk:Дигитален видео диск ml:ഡിജിറ്റൽ വെർസറ്റൈൽ ഡിസ്ക് mr:डीव्हीडी ms:DVD nah:Vīdeocaquizcopīnalōni nl:Dvd ne:डि भी डि ja:DVD no:DVD nn:DVD pnb:ڈی وی ڈی pl:DVD pt:DVD ro:DVD qu:Ñit'isqa ñawra phiruru ru:DVD sq:DVD scn:DVD simple:DVD sk:DVD sl:DVD so:DVD sr:DVD sh:DVD fi:DVD sv:DVD tl:DVD ta:இறுவட்டு th:ดีวีดี tg:DVD tr:DVD uk:DVD ur:رقمی منظری قرص vi:DVD yo:DVD zh-yue:DVD zh:DVD

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Don Moen
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	June 29, 1950
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Instrument	Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Violin
Genre	CCM, Contemporary worship music, Gospel
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, worship leader, musician, producer, pastor, businessman, radio hostFormer Integrity Music occupations:President of Integrity Music, President of Integrity Label Group, Executive Vice President of Integrity Media, Integrity Music producer, Integrity Music executive producer, Integrity Media creative director
Years active	1984–present
Label	Integrity Music, Hosanna! Music, Integrity Asia, Sparrow, Star Song, Word, Epic, Columbia, Sony
Website	http://www.donmoen.com/ }}

Don Moen (born June 29, 1950 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter, pastor, and producer of Christian worship music.

Before Moen was hired to work for Integrity Music, he attended Oral Roberts University and became a Living Sound musician for Terry Law Ministries and traveled with Terry Law for ten years. He produced 11 volumes for the ''Hosanna! Music'' series of worship albums. His first album under his own name, ''Worship with Don Moen'', was released in 1992. His music has total global sales of over five million units.

Moen worked for Integrity Media for over 20 years, serving as creative director and president of Integrity Music, president of Integrity Label Group, and an executive producer of Integrity Music albums. He left Integrity Media in 2008 to start a new initiative, The Don Moen Company. The Don Moen Company acquired MediaComplete, the church software company that created MediaShout. Moen became a radio host for ''Don Moen & Friends'' in 2009. Moen received a Dove Award for his work on the musical ''God with Us'' in addition to amassing nine nominations for his songs. Moen is also a prolific songwriter, having worked with Claire Cloninger, Paul Overstreet, Martin J. Nystrom, Randy Rothwell, Ron Kenoly, Bob Fitts, Debbye Graafsma, Paul Baloche, Tom Brooks, among many others. He has also worked with talented musicians, Justo Almario, Abraham Laboriel, Alex Acuna, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Carl Albrecht. His name is associated with some of the most well-known songs in Contemporary Christian Music.

Notable recordings

Moen's first album for ''Hosanna! Music'', ''Give Thanks'', became the label's bestseller. He followed this with a number of successful albums of his own including two, ''En Tu Presencia'' and ''Trono De Gracia'', in Spanish. On an Asian tour in 1999 he recorded ''The Mercy Seat'' at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore and ''Heal Our Land'' at Yoido Park in South Korea, which was released in 2000. One of Moen's albums, ''I Will Sing'', was recorded at Christian Broadcasting Network.

''God Will Make a Way: The Best of Don Moen'' was released in 2003 and features 19 greatest hits. The title song was written for his wife's sister and her husband, who lost their oldest son in an auto accident while three other children were seriously injured. Moen's album, ''Hiding Place'', became his first studio album which was recorded at Paragon Studios in Franklin, Tennessee and was released in the autumn of 2006. ''I Believe There Is More'' released on fall 2008. His third studio recording titled ''Uncharted Territory'' (funded successfully through Kickstarter), plus his Christmas recording, are expected to release on 2011.

Discography

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Give Thanks'' | Released 1986 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Sparrow, Epic, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Michael Coleman (Executive), Ed Lindquist (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification Gold | Tracks Fifteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Steadfast Love'' | Released 1988 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Sparrow, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Michael Coleman (Executive), Ed Lindquist (Executive), Don Moen (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Fourteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Bless the Lord'' | Released 1989 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Sparrow-Star Song, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Michael Coleman (Executive), Ed Lindquist (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Fourteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Christmas'' | Released 1990 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Sparrow-Star Song, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Michael Coleman (Executive), Ed Lindquist (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Seventeen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Eternal God'' | Released 1990 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Sparrow-Star Song, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Michael Coleman (Executive), Ed Lindquist (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Thirteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Worship with Don Moen'' | Released 1992 | Format CD, tape, video, VCD | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Word | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Michael Coleman (Executive), Ed Lindquist (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Twelve | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''God with Us'' | Released 1993 | Format CD, tape, video, VCD | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Sparrow | Writer | Producer Tom Fettke, Tom Hartley (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification Dove Award | Tracks Seventeen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Trust in the Lord - Live Worship with Don Moen'' | Released 1994 | Format CD, tape, video, VCD, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Mark Gasbarro, Don Moen (Producer and Executive Producer), Michael Coleman (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Seven | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Mighty Cross'' | Released 1994 | Format CD, tape | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music | Writer | Producer Tom Hartley, Michael Coleman (Executive), Don Moen (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Eight | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Rivers of Joy'' | Released 1995 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Don Harris, Michael Coleman (Executive), Don Moen (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Fourteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Emmanuel Has Come'' | Released 1996 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Steven V. Taylor, Chris Long (Executive), Michael Coleman (Senior Executive), Don Moen (Senior Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Ten | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	compilation | Name ''Praise with Don Moen'' | Released 1996 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Integrity Asia, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Don Harris, Michael Coleman (Executive), Don Moen (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Ten | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info compilation }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Let Your Glory Fall'' | Released 1997 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Long (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Eleven | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''God for Us'' | Released 1998 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Fettke, Don Moen (Executive), Randy Vader (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Eighteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''God Is Good - Worship with Don Moen'' | Released 1998 | Format CD, tape, video, DVD, VCD | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Eleven | Bonus tracks Twelve (Asia version) | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''En Tu Presencia'' | Released 1999 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Isaac Hernandez, Tom Brooks, Don Harris, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive), Dario Navac (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Twelve | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type

compilation | Name ''More of You, Lord - Praise with Don Moen Volume 2'' | Released 1999 | Format CD, tape | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Integrity Asia | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Russell Fragar, Don Harris, Chris Springer, Darlene Zschech, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Eleven | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info compilation }}

{{infobox discography | type	video | Name ''Give Thanks'' | Released 1999 | Format VCD | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Integrity Asia | Writer | Producer Steve Merkel, Tom Brooks, Mark Gasbarro, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Eleven | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info video }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''The Mercy Seat'' | Released 2000 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Integrity Asia, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Twelve | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Heal Our Land'' | Released 2000 | Format CD, tape | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Integrity Asia | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Don Moen (Executive), Paul Wilbur (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Fourteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''I Will Sing'' | Released 2000 | Format CD, tape, video, DVD, VCD, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Epic, Sony | Writer | Producer Paul Mills, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Nineteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''God in Us'' | Released 2001 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Fettke, Don Moen (Executive), Randy Vader (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Ten | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	greatest hits | Name ''God Will Make a Way: The Best of Don Moen'' | Released 2003 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Epic, Sony | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, Don Harris, Paul Mills, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Nineteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info greatest hits }}

{{infobox discography | type

live | Name ''Trono de Gracia'' | Released 2003 | Format CD, tape, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Miguel Angel "Malin" Villagran, Tom Brooks, Paul Mills, Don Moen (Executive), Keith Manwaring (Executive), Dario Navac (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Twelve | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''Thank You Lord'' | Released 2004 | Format CD, tape, video, DVD, VCD, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, CBN, Epic, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer David Hamilton, Don Moen (Executive), Chris Thomason (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Fourteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info live }}

{{infobox discography | type	EP | Name ''Arise: The Worship Legacy of Don Moen'' | Released 2006 | Format Digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer David Hamilton, Don Moen (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Four | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info EP }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Hiding Place'' | Released 2006 | Format CD, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer David Hamilton, Don Moen (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Twelve | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info album }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''I Believe There Is More'' | Released 2008 | Format CD, digital download | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Columbia, Sony | Writer | Producer Don Moen, Michael Coleman (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Fourteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info album }}

{{infobox discography | type	greatest hits | Name ''With a Thankful Heart: The Best of Don Moen'' | Released 2011 | Format CD | Label Integrity, Hosanna! Music, Integrity Asia | Writer | Producer Tom Brooks, David Hamilton, Don Harris, Paul Mills, Don Moen, Andy Skarda (Executive) | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks Fifteen | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info greatest hits }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Uncharted Territory'' | Released 2011 | Format CD | Label Don Moen Productions | Writer | Producer Don Moen | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name TBA Untitled Christmas Album | Released 2011 | Format CD | Label | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | from Album | Other info }}

Other recordings

''Hatiku'' (1995)

''Behold the Lamb'' (1997)

''Healing'' (1998)

''The Smithton Outpouring'' (1999)

''Hope Changes Everything'' (2000)

''Mas de Ti'' (2000)

''Sing for Joy'' (2002)

''Amor Sin Limites'' (2004)

''American Worship Gathering'' (2005)

''Arise: A Celebration of Worship'' (2006)

''Cool Worship'' (2010)

''A Little Boy's Prayer'' (2010)

Awards and nominations

! Year	! Association	! Category	! Result
	Dove Awards	Song of the Year "God Will Make A Way"
Dove Awards	Creator - Children's Musical Album of the Year "I'm A Helper"
	Dove Awards	Artist - Inspirational Album of the Year "Worship with Don Moen"
	Dove Awards	Creator - Musical Album of the Year "God with Us"
	Dove Awards	Creator - Musical Album of the Year "Mighty Cross"
	Dove Awards	Creator - Musical of the Year "Emmanuel Has Come"
	Dove Awards	Creator - Musical of the Year "God for Us"
	Dove Awards
	Dove Awards	Country Recorded Song of the Year "God Is Good All The Time"
Dove Awards	Creator - Musical of the Year "God in Us"
	Dove Awards

Gold Certification

1986

*"Give Thanks"

Ray DeVries Church Ministry Award

2002

See also

Christian music

Christian music industry

References

External links

Official site

Don Moen Company

Don Moen at Facebook

Don Moen at MySpace

Don Moen at Twitter

Don Moen channel at YouTube

Don Moen on iLike

Integrity Music Artists - Don Moen

Christian Music Central wiki page

Category:1950 births Category:American Christians Category:American male singers Category:American performers of Christian music Category:American pianists Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American singers Category:American violinists Category:Christian religion-related songwriters Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Contemporary Christian music Category:Contemporary worship music Category:Epic Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Alabama Category:Musicians from Minnesota Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:Oral Roberts University alumni Category:People from Minneapolis, Minnesota Category:Songwriters from Minnesota Category:Spanish-language singers

ko:돈 모엔 id:Don Moen ja:ドン・モーエン

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Carlos Hathcock
Birth date	May 20, 1942
Death date	February 23, 1999
Birth place	Little Rock, Arkansas
Death place	Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nickname	Lông Trắng du Kich (White Feather Sniper)
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Serviceyears	1959–1979
Rank	Gunnery Sergeant
Unit	1st Marine Division
Battles	Vietnam War
Awards	Silver StarPurple HeartNavy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Laterwork	}}

Carlos Hathcock (May 20, 1942 – February 23, 1999) was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. His fame as a sniper and his dedication to long distance shooting led him to become a major developer of the United States Marine Corps Sniper training program. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather.

Early life

Hathcock was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on May 20, 1942. He grew up in rural Arkansas, living with his grandmother after his parents separated. He took to shooting and hunting at an early age, partly out of necessity to help feed his poor family. He would go into the woods with his dog and pretend to be a soldier and hunt imaginary Nazis in his "own little Germany". He would hunt at that early age with a rifle that his father had brought back from Europe during World War II. Hathcock dreamed of being a Marine throughout his childhood, and so on May 20, 1959, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Hathcock married Jo Winstead on November 20, 1962. Jo gave birth to a son, whom they named Carlos Norman Hathcock, III.

Marine Corps career

Before deploying to Vietnam, Hathcock had won shooting championships, including matches at Camp Perry and the Wimbledon Cup. In 1966 Hathcock started his deployment in Vietnam as an MP and later became a sniper after Captain Edward James Land pushed the Marines into raising snipers in every platoon. Land later recruited Marines who had set their own records in sharpshooting; he quickly found Hathcock, who had won the Wimbledon Cup, the most prestigious prize for long-range shooting, at Camp Perry in 1965.

Statistics of confirmed kills

During the Vietnam War Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of North Vietnamese Army and Viet-Cong personnel. (During the Vietnam War, kills had to be confirmed by an acting third party, who had to be an officer, besides the sniper's spotter. Snipers often did not have an acting third party present, making confirmation difficult, especially if the target was behind enemy lines, as was usually the case.) He is ranked fourth, behind U.S. Marine Corps snipers Eric R. England and Chuck Mawhinney and United States Army sniper Adelbert Waldron, on the list of most confirmed kills for an American sniper.

Confrontations with NVA snipers

The North Vietnamese Army put a bounty of $30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so many of their men. Rewards put on U.S. snipers by the N.V.A. typically ranged from $8 to $2,000. Hathcock held the record for highest bounty and killed every Vietnamese marksman who sought it. The Viet Cong and N.V.A. called Hathcock ''Lông Trắng'', translated as "White Feather," because of the white feather he kept in a band on his bush hat. After a platoon of trained Vietnamese snipers was sent to hunt down "White Feather," many Marines in the same area donned white feathers to deceive the enemy. These Marines were aware of the impact Hathcock's death would have and took it upon themselves to make themselves targets in order to confuse the counter-snipers.

One of Hathcock's most famous accomplishments was shooting an enemy sniper through the enemy's own scope, hitting him in the eye and killing him. Hathcock and John Roland Burke, his spotter, were stalking the enemy sniper in the jungle near Hill 55, the firebase from which Hathcock was operating. The sniper had already killed several Marines and was believed to have been sent specifically to kill Hathcock. When Hathcock saw a flash of light (light reflecting off the enemy sniper's scope) in the bushes, he fired at it, shooting through the scope and killing the sniper. Surveying the situation, Hathcock concluded that the only feasible way he could have put the bullet straight down the enemy's scope and through his eye would have been if both snipers were zeroing in on each other at the same time and Hathcock fired first, which gave him only a few seconds to act. Given the flight time of rounds at long ranges, both snipers could have simultaneously killed one another. Hathcock took possession of the dead sniper's rifle, hoping to bring it home as a "trophy", but after tagging the rifle it was stolen from the armory.

It was a one in a million shot. I could probably shoot a whole box of ammunition and never hit him again. - Carlos Hathcock.

A female Viet cong sniper, platoon commander, and interrogator known as "Apache", because of her methods of torturing US Marines and ARVN troops and letting them bleed to death, was killed by Hathcock. This was a major morale victory as "Apache" was terrorizing the troops around Hill 55.

Assassination of an NVA commanding general

Hathcock only once removed the white feather from his bush hat while deployed in Vietnam. During a volunteer mission days before the end of his first deployment, he crawled over 1,500 yards of field to shoot an NVA commanding general. He wasn't informed of the details of the mission until he accepted it. This effort took four days and three nights, without sleep, of constant inch-by-inch crawling. Hathcock said he was almost stepped on as he lay camouflaged with grass and vegetation in a meadow shortly after sunset. At one point he was nearly bitten by a bamboo viper but had the presence of mind to avoid moving and giving up his position. As the general exited his tent, Hathcock fired a single shot that struck the general in the chest, killing him. He had to crawl back instead of run when soldiers started searching, and later regretted taking the mission, for in the aftermath of the assassination the NVA doubled their attacks in the area, apparently in retaliation for their general being killed and leading to an increase in American casualties.

After the arduous mission of killing the general, Hathcock returned to the United States in 1967. However, he missed the Marine Corps and returned to Vietnam in 1969, where he took command of a platoon of snipers.

Medical evacuation

Hathcock's career as a sniper came to a sudden end along Route 1, north of LZ Baldy in September 1969, when an amtrack he was riding on struck an anti-tank mine. Hathcock pulled seven Marines off the flame-engulfed vehicle and was severely burned before jumping to safety. Nearly 30 years later, he would receive the Silver Star for this action. All eight injured marines were medevaced to the USS ''Repose'' (AH-16), then to a Naval Hospital in Tokyo, and ultimately to the burn center at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

After the Vietnam War

After returning to active duty, Hathcock helped establish the school for training Marine snipers, the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School, at the Marine base in Quantico, Virginia. Due to his extreme injuries suffered in Vietnam, he was in nearly constant pain, but he continued to dedicate himself to teaching snipers. In 1975, Hathcock's health began to deteriorate and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He stayed in the Corps but his health continued to decline and was forced to retire just 55 days short of the 20 years that would have made him eligible for full retirement pay. Being medically retired, he received 100% disability. He would have received only 50% of his final pay grade had he retired after 20 years. He fell into a state of depression when he was forced out of the Marines because he felt as if the service kicked him out. During this depression his wife Jo nearly left him, but decided to stay. Hathcock eventually picked up the hobby of shark fishing with the locals, which helped him overcome his depression. Hathcock often paid visits to the sniper training facility at Quantico, where he was welcomed by students and instructors alike as being "bigger than life" due to his status in shooting circles.

Civilian life

Hathcock once said that he survived in his work because of an ability to "get in the bubble," to put himself into a state of "utter, complete, absolute concentration," first with his equipment, then his environment, in which every breeze and every leaf meant something, and finally on his quarry. After the war, a friend showed Hathcock a passage written by Ernest Hemingway: "Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and like it, never really care for anything else thereafter." He copied Hemingway's words on a piece of paper. "He got that right," Hathcock said. "It was the hunt, not the killing." Hathcock said in a book written about his career as a sniper: "I like shooting, and I love hunting. But I never did enjoy killing anybody. It's my job. If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids dressed up like Marines. That's the way I look at it."

Hathcock's son, Carlos Hathcock III, would later enlist in the Marine Corps; he retired from the Marine Corps as a Gunnery Sergeant after following in his father's footsteps as a shooter, and became a member of the Board of Governors of the Marine Corps Distinguished Shooters Association.

Carlos Hathcock died on February 23, 1999, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, after a long struggle with multiple sclerosis.

Decorations

60px  Silver Star. Hathcock was awarded a Silver Star in 1996 not for his sniping, but for his act in 1969 of saving the lives of seven fellow Marines after the amphibious tractor (amtrac) on which they were riding struck a mine. Hathcock was knocked unconscious, but awoke in time to race back through the flames to reach his comrades.

Legacy

Hathcock remains a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. The Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock Award is presented annually to the Marine who does the most to promote marksmanship training. A sniper range is named for Hathcock at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

In 1967 Hathcock set the record for the longest combat kill. He used a Browning M2 machine gun mounting a telescopic sight at a range of , taking down a single Vietcong guerilla. This was not exceeded until the War in Afghanistan in 2002. Hathcock was one of several individuals to utilize the Browning M2 machine gun in the sniping role. This success led to the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a viable sniper round. Sniper rifles have since been designed around and chambered in this caliber since the 1970s.

Springfield Armory designed a highly accurized version of their M1A Supermatch rifle with a McMillan Stock and match grade barrel and dubbed it the "M-25 White Feather." The rifle had a likeness of Hathcock's signature and his "White Feather Logo" marked on the receiver.

Turner Saddlery similarly honored Hathcock by producing a line of leather rifle slings based on his design. The slings are embossed with Hathcock's signature.

On March 9, 2007 the rifle and pistol complex at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was officially renamed the Carlos Hathcock Range Complex.

Hathcock was the subject of a number of books including: - Total pages: 277 - Total pages: 315 - Total pages: 336 - Total pages: 288

Weaponry

Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the Browning M2 machine gun, on which he mounted a 10X Unertl scope, using a bracket of his own design. Hathcock made a number of kills with this weapon in excess of 1,000 yards, including his record for the longest confirmed kill at 2,286 yards. Hathcock carried a Colt M1911A1 pistol as a sidearm.

In fictional works

Hathcock's career as a sniper has been used as a basis for a variety of fictional snipers from the "shooting through the scope incident" to the number of kills he made. There is a reference to Hathcock in the television show ''NCIS'' during the episode "One Shot One Kill," when a small white feather is found at the crime scenes of a sniper's victims. Gibbs, a former Marine, credits Hathcock with "39 confirmed kills," apparently having transposed the digits of Hathcock's actual 93 confirmed kills.

The protagonist of Stephen Hunter's ''Bob Lee Swagger Series'' consisting of the novels ''Point of Impact,'' ''Black Light,'' ''Time to Hunt'' and ''I, Sniper'' is loosely based on Carlos Hathcock (Hathcock is alluded to in the book as "Gunny Sgt Carl Hitchcock").

The 1993 movie ''Sniper,'' featuring actor Tom Berenger, is based on Hathcock's exploits in Vietnam. In ''JAG,'' Season 1, Episode 16 ("High Ground"), Gunnery Sergeant Ray Crockett (portrayed by Stephen McHattie) is based on Hathcock. The Gunny is a Sniper Instructor at Quantico Virginia who believes that he is being "forced out of the service" short of his retirement. He makes the statement that he "wrote most of the book" on Sniper Operations. The character, Rabb, refers to an incident where the Gunny pins down an NVA unit by killing their officer with the first shot. Lastly, Gunny Crockett is a winner of The Wimbledon Cup.

In the fourth episode of the first season of the CBS show ''Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,'' the criminal being chased by the Behavioral Analysis Unit's red cell team is a long-distance sniper killer, (played by Noel Fisher). Fisher sends Mick Rawson (played by Matt Ryan) of the BAU team a package containing a pager which he uses to notify Rawson of his next kills; he signs the package "Carlos Hathcock," which Rawson explains by sharing the tale of Hathcock's 93 kills and an incident during the Vietnam War in which he was put up against the best sniper of the opposing army (thus mimicking the incident since Rawson is also a skilled sniper shooter).

Bibliography

;References - Total pages: 277 - Total pages: 432 - Total pages: 315 - Total pages: 336 - Total pages: 288 - Total pages: 372 ;Notes

External links

Marine Corps Sniper Carlos N. Hathcock, ''Marine Corps Heroes''.

Carlos Hathcock, Sniper Central.

Photos and specifications for the Carlos Hathcock "White Feather" Rifle

See also

Jack Coughlin, a retired Marine sniper with over 60 confirmed kills whose service includes Iraq and Somalia

List of historically important U.S. Marines

Chuck Mawhinney holds the highest number of confirmed kills (103) for any USMC sniper in history

Adelbert Waldron, who holds the record for the most confirmed kills in U.S. military history, with 109 kills in Vietnam

Longest recorded sniper kills

Category:1942 births Category:1999 deaths Category:American military personnel of the Vietnam War Category:Guerrilla warfare Category:Military snipers Category:People from Little Rock, Arkansas Category:Recipients of the Purple Heart medal Category:Recipients of the Silver Star Category:Sniper warfare Category:United States Marines

cs:Carlos N. Hathcock it:Carlos Hathcock ja:カルロス・ハスコック ru:Хэскок, Карлос Норман simple:Carlos Hathcock sl:Carlos Norman Hathcock zh:卡羅斯·海斯卡克