Track and Sector Modes


On CD, Blocks and Tracks come in different Modes.  On DVD it is simpler.  There's only one type Track, a data Track, and there's only one Data Block Mode.

To better understand how blocks fit in the picture, read the section about the CD/DVD Layout.

Basically we distinguish two kinds of tracks on CD, Audio Tracks and Data Tracks.  Audio Tracks because they contain audio blocks and Data Tracks because they contain data blocks.

In a Track, the mode can never change.  Either a track contains all Audio blocks, All Mode 1 blocks or All Mode 2 blocks.  In case of Mode 2 there are however also two possible Forms, Form 1 and Form 2.  Both Form 1 and Form2 can exist together in one track.

So, a track made up of only Audio blocks is called an Audio Track.  Audio tracks is what you find on Audio CDs.

A track made up of Data blocks (Mode 1 or Mode2 (Optionally Form 1, Form 2)) is called a Data Track.  Data tracks contain the files and folders and Video data.  E.g. Mp3 CDs contain Mp3 files in a data track, there are no Mp3 tracks or something like that.

The different Modes that can exist on CD :

Audio               (2352 bytes / block User Data,   2352 Bytes / block Raw data)
Mode 1             (2048 bytes / block User Data,   2352 Bytes / block Raw data)
Mode 2             (2336 bytes / block User Data,   2352 Bytes / block Raw data)
Mode 2 Form 1 (2048 bytes / block User Data,   2352 Bytes / block Raw data)
Mode 2 Form 2 (2324 bytes / block User Data,   2352 Bytes / block Raw data)

On DVD :

DVD mode        (2048 bytes / block User Data,   --- Bytes / block Raw data (There's no such thing as Raw on DVD))

Mode 1 (M1) and Mode 2 Form 1 (M2F1) are the two modes that contain the normal data we are all used of.  This is because these blocks are the best protected.  The remainder of the raw data is used to apply a third layer error correction.  The other modes don't have this third layer error correction.  If you read a data CD with Windows, you can bet the data is in M1 or M2F1 sectors.  Windows doesn't allow anything else except on certain CD layouts (VCD).

Video data on VCD and SVCD is mostly located in M2F2 sectors.  This is because more data fits in these blocks.  The disadvantage is no third layer error correction but a green flash once in a while in the Video stream is acceptable I guess.  Windows will normally not allow to read files which are recorded in these kinds of blocks.  Only if a VCD, SVCD layout is recognized will Windows allow to read and play the *.dat files containing the movie.  IsoBuster of course extracts everything.  In this case I suggest you read the Extraction Options part to better understand the options.