| Understand CD/DVD burners |
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Specs that matter |
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Select the right format |
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Which discs to buy |
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What you can do with your burner |
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The software you need |
Key specs: X ratings | Format wars
X ratings
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Shorthand terms are used to describe how fast a burner performs. A CD-RW drive rated 52X/32X/52X can write a CD-R at 52X, write a CD-RW at 32X, and read a CD at 52X. The X stands for times the original transfer rate of a disc. For a CD, the original transfer rate is 150 kilobytes (KB) per second; so 52X would equal 7.8 megabytes (MB) per second, and 32X would come to 4.8MB per second (1MB equals 100KB). Note that those are only the maximum ratings, however -- you'll need a 52X-rated CD to capitalise on the drive's speed potential; depending on the task, the disc, and the drive, the transfer rate still may not reach 52X. Another thing to know about the max rating: at 16X and above, CD-RW drives write in speed zones. In other words, they start off slow and incrementally increase their speed until they're writing at full velocity.
DVD drives are rated the same way. A DVD burner rated 4X/2X/12X can write DVDs at 4X, rewrite at 2X, and read at 12X. However, newer DVD drives are increasingly referred to by their plus and dash recording speeds only. For example, the latest batch of burners is often called 8X8 drives -- meaning that they can write both DVD+R and DVD-R at 8X. This is to distinguish them from the first batch of 8X drives which burned DVD+R at 8X but DVD-R at only 4X. DVDs' original 1X transfer rate is 1.385MB per second -- much faster than CDs' -- and an 8X DVD drive can transfer data at a whopping 11.08MB per second. Like CD-RW drives, DVD writing at 8X and above occurs in speed zones. The table below translates CD and DVD speeds into their approximate burning times. (Notice that performance gains diminish despite higher ratings, due to the aforementioned speed zones.)
HOW TIME FLIES: APPROXIMATE CD AND DVD BURNING TIMES
It's widely held that CD burners, at 52X, have already reached their maximum speed, but DVD burners are expected to continue to climb to 16X. Unless scientists develop new technology (which they might), 52X and 16X seem to be as fast as the respective media can spin without breaking up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Format wars
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Trying to make sense out of the alphabet soup of DVD formats -- the mysterious jumble of pluses and minuses, Rs and Ws, and RAMs and ROMS -- may trigger a high-school algebra flashback. We won't spend too much time on why these various formats exist -- suffice it to say that competing vendors have differing philosophies and market agendas. Panasonic and the DVD Forum are primarily responsible for the original DVD-RAM and DVD-R/RW formats, while Philips and a splinter group, the DVD Alliance, have pioneered the DVD+R/RW alternative.
CD formats are fairly simple and come in two flavours: CD-R recordable and CD-RW rewritable (note that the dash isn't spoken; it's pronounced CDR and CDRW). DVD's mish-mash of standards features no less than five major formats, however: DVD-R (pronounced DVD-dash-R), DVD-RW (DVD-dash-RW), DVD+R (DVD-plus-R), DVD+RW (DVD-plus-RW), and pronounced-as-spelled (no dash) DVD-RAM. All five DVD formats offer roughly 4.7GB of storage, but they differ in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways. DVD-R and DVD+R may be written to only once, but they offer high compatibility with drives and set-top DVD players. DVD+RW and DVD-RW can be written and erased approximately 1,000 times, but they are a little less compatible with some DVD players. Sturdy DVD-RAM can be written and erased up to 100,000 times, although it's a slower media, and few drives or set-top players can read it. Furthermore, DVD-RAM often comes in protective cartridges that you must remove before inserting the discs into most drives. In removing a DVD-RAM from its cartridge, unfortunately, you significantly cut its 100,000-rewrite rating, due to the likelihood of damage from handling and elements. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Very useful article. Thanks.
Any chance you could do an article reviewing some budget external cd burners - I need one but I have no idea which to buy. Help! Thanks.