CD Rom, DVD +/- RW, 16X Huh?!?
Just want to burn a disc? The options are seemingly endless. Let’s sift through the pros and cons of the different types of CDs and DVDs and their drives.
First, determine the type of drive you have. The CD or DVD device also is called an optical drive in reference to the laser technology it uses to read and burn data. The door of the drive will indicate if it accepts CDs or DVDs. A DVD drive also will accept CDs.
The label will indicate a Rom (R) drive, which only reads, or an RW drive which reads and writes. A third specification is plus or minus, which refers to specific industry standards. A drive specifying “MULTI” will accept either plus or minus CDs or DVDs. Dual Layer recording might also be specified.
Another source of information on your optical drive is through the start menu, then computer. Put the cursor over the CD or DVD drive name, then right click, scroll down to properties, then click on the hardware tab. Here you will see a description or name of your optical drive.
If your computer has only a CD drive, it will not read or write DVDs. If it is only an “R” or “Rom” drive, it will only read and cannot burn or write data to discs.
When purchasing discs on which to record data, music, photos or movies, most significant is the R or RW specification. R indicates “read only” and RW indicates “read/write.” An R disc is intended to be used only once. An RW disc can be burned multiple times, after erasing data if needed. During the burning procedure, when a disc is “finalized” or “closed” no additional data may be added.
Discs vary in price. DVDs are more expensive than CDs due to their capacity. Read/write (RW) discs are more expensive than Read only (R) due to the advanced technology that allows re-writing. The “plus” technology is an improvement over “minus” but cost differences are minimal.
CDs or compact discs, predate DVDs or digital video Discs. CDs hold up to 750MBs, while DVDs hold nearly seven times that, 4.7GB. Dual layer DVDs hold up to 8.5GB.
Our techs’ experience indicates that “minus” discs are best for recording movies, with a better success rate for play on CD or DVD players. Burning software such as Nero or Roxio is required when burning a disc to be used in a player, and the “closing” or “finishing” step must be completed.
Another specification on optical drives and disks is speed. The first CD reader set the standard at 1X. Current CD Rom drives read at 52X. As you might expect, reading is the fastest task, writing is more labor intensive and slower, now up to 16X. When selecting a burn speed, know that a slower speed results in a higher quality recording.
CDs or DVDs are an inexpensive way to backup data, and learning to burn the discs is easy. Make photo discs to share with family and friends, create your own music discs with your favorite songs, and create video DVDs. Advancements are making faster and easier all the time.
Patty Harshbarger, of Computer Renaissance, can be reached at patty@cr-bradenton.com.
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