Hello Gang
I did a search, but couldn't find an answer to my newbie Q. I have a "8x CD/DVD combo burner (DVD+/-RW)". Came with my Dell. I downloaded DVDshrinks and Nero 6.6 OEM will arrive soon. So, I'm learning. This is my Q: Do I have to be careful to purchase only 8x or less media? (Verbatim or Sony - You see I'm learning). If so, does that also mean that as burners get faster 8x media will be more difficult to find? Please and thank you.
If your burner is 8X it will only burn at that speed or less, even if 16X blank disks are use. Therefore, don't waste money on higher speed blanks if the slower ones are cheaper. You should Burn movies at 4X anyway so make sure burning program is not set to burn at MAX or even 8X, when doing a movie. This helps ensure that your set top player won't have problems.
A good rule of thumb is to burn at half the speed of your media when you are doing Video burning ! -- Hence since your burner is able to give you 8x burns -- you can buy 16x media and burn at 8x !
DVD+R 16x are available at the same price of a DVD-+R 8x !
I have typed this before, I think it covers most of the basics. Hope this helps.
Caution!!! Do not be overwelmed by all the information that you may incounter when you research the issue at hand.
There are so many different options that you could choose, but first I recommend you take some time to read through the guides that are available on this site, as well as visiting the "Free" Download section on this site.
I will give my brief pointers, but keep in mind that many other people may do things totally different than I do.
First off, make sure you have all the hardware requirements, such as lots of Ram!, Large Hard drive, etc.
Once you have all your programs in place, make sure everything is up to date, including the firmware of your DVD Burner (Check Manufacturers website), and any software updates for your programs.
**I personally started off by using DVD Shrink and DVD Decrypter (Free Downloads), and using Nero to burn the DVD. Later, I have used other programs when needed, but still use the above mentioned most of the time.**
For example, DVD Shrink will create files on your hard drive, reduced in size/quality so that you can open Nero to burn/back up the files onto you blank DVD. Read though the guides or search through the forums here to get optimum settings for the programs used.
And really there isn't much more to it than that. Once you do it a few times, it is pretty straight forward.
But there are just a few simple rules to remember. ...Hope I don't forget any :(
- Slow and steady is always good. Try not to burn at more than 4x speed. More speed could mean more errors/skips.
- ALWAYS use good media. I personally use Verbatim, and am very happy with it. DO NOT BUY CHEAP MEDIA. I learned the hard way.
- try to use the "Custom Ratio" in DVD Shrink to bring the overall file size below 4300. Some people have issues when you burn to close to the edge of the DVD.
- Try reseaching "Booktyping" on this site. While the -R DVD's are suppose to be compatable with most dvd players (Not for mine), if you use +R DVD's, you can set your DVD Burner to "BookType" which converts the +R disc into a DVD-ROM... which makes your player think it is playing an original disc, not a back up copy. Once again, check the manufacturers website to see if your DVD Burner is capible of doing this.
- DO NOT USE PAPER LABELS!!! Once again I learned the hard way. I purchased a LightScribe DVD Burner, and am very pleased with the results. The other options are to use the "Printable" DVD's with a compatable Printer, or use a sharpie. Sharpie marker is the cheaper solution, with no side effects, but do not look very pleasing. When you apply the Paper Labels, it is possible that it will not be perfectly centered, and depending on your players sensitifity, may cause skipping.
I appoligize for the lengthly post, but I just wish that someone had informed me about some of these issues when I first started "Backing Up" DVD's. I hope this makes things a little easier. Hope I didn't leave anything out.
