I recently had to burn a DVD for the first time in ages and I was wondering why CDs and DVDs start in the centre and go towards the edge.
Older rotating-disc media like vinyl records started from the edge and went towards the centre so it couldn't have been for historical reasons.
I am looking for good sources on the reasoning for this data structure.
Best Answer
Why do CDs and DVDs fill up their data from the middle outwards?
Note the above assumption made in the question is incorrect.
Summary:
For historical reasons writing (and reading) from the inside makes sense (different size disks are possible as explained in other answers).
For read performance reasons modern disks may be written (and read) outside in or even in both directions (dual layer).
Notes:
Most disks are a standard size.
Commercially produced CDs and DVDs are not written but stamped on a press.
Source The Difference Between Commercial and Home-recorded DVDs
The rest of this answer concentrates on the performance aspect.
The exceptions to writing (and reading) from the inside are XBox games (and other games consoles games) and Dual Layer DVDs (movies).
Xbox Games
Xbox games have the data written from the outside in for performance reasons - since the outside is spinning faster than the inside the data can be read faster.
Source Hardware Behind the Consoles - Part I: Microsoft's Xbox
Dual Layer DVDs (Movies)
Dual Layers DVDs can be written in either direction - there are two write modes.
Most movies are written as opposite track path. A movie will be split across across the layers, so no seek back to the inner edge is needed at the layer change.
Source DVD-R DL