CD-ROM is no longer new but it retains a key role in interactive communications. As the first interactive media format that could contain video, audio and graphics, CD-ROM is well-established and used widely in sectors such as education and home entertainment.

CD-ROM is most effectively used as a sophisticated database of audio-visual elements encased in an elegant, easy-to-navigate interface. Due to its limited 650MB capacity, it is less useful as a format for high-quality multimedia content such as full-screen, full-motion video.

The other drawback of CD-ROM is that it will only play on expensive and crash-prone PCs. This limits its use in, for example, museum installations and exhibitions where it needs to run continuously with little or no maintenance.

Both DVD and the World Wide Web are now starting to address the limitations of CD-ROM.