Can create DVD using CD-Writer

[Subhash]

I don't have a DVD Burner yet. Till such time I can afford one, can I use my CD Writer to create DVD's. I believe there are some software out there which will let you do that but I do not know which ones.

Thanks for your help.

Subhash.

[daamon]

Hi Subhash,

Welcome to the forums.

No, you can't burn DVDs using a CD writer. Don't be fooled by cleverly worded ads etc. It's just not possible.

What can be done, is burning DVD files in the DVD structure to a CD (called a miniDVD or cDVD), but the playing time will only be a few minutes (around 15 - 20), and experience seems to show that not many DVD players will play them. So, not much point really...

[vitualis]

In essence, no.

Regards.

[darkskies]

I thought vcd and svcds could be burn to cd-rs or am i wrong here

[daamon]

I thought vcd and svcds could be burn to cd-rs or am i wrong here

Lay off the drugs / booze and re-read the original post. Not sure what you thought you were reading...

[darkskies]

well i know u cant put dvd on cd-rs but i was trying to imply that he could still be able to put vcd and svcd files on cd-r discs and play them on his standalone depending on if it can read svcds.

[Shocker Milwaukee]

Can I burn CDs using my floppy drive?

[daamon]

well i know u cant put dvd on cd-rs

Not strictly accurate...:

What can be done, is burning DVD files in the DVD structure to a CD (called a miniDVD or cDVD), but the playing time will only be a few minutes (around 15 - 20), and experience seems to show that not many DVD players will play them. So, not much point really...

i was trying to imply that he could still be able to put vcd and svcd files on cd-r discs and play them on his standalone depending on if it can read svcds.

That is a viable option until a DVD burner comes his / her way.

Can I burn CDs using my floppy drive?

Constructive, and a good way to make a first time poster feel welcome whilst portraying the site in a good light... Excellent work!

[Shocker Milwaukee]

Constructive

Perhaps not, but illustrative nonetheless. My sincere apologies to all, especially our first timer.
At least I didn't ask, "Can I mow my lawn with my vacuum cleaner?"

[presto]

When a newbie asks if he can burn a DVD with his CD writer he probably isn't asking about DVD specifications. He is probably asking if he can use his CD writer to burn a movie onto a disk and have it play in his DVD player.

The answer is yes and no and maybe. Yes you can make such a disk and no it won't be DVD quality (unless you are happy with a 12 minute disk) and maybe it will play in your DVD player (depending on many factors).

DVD writers or so cheap I can't see why any one would bother. A couple of years ago maybe, but not today.

Can I burn CDs using my floppy drive?

I believe I saw some special templates that let you use make what are called XFloppies which supposedly allow you to put two hours of near DVD quality video on a floppy. :P

[dvdguy4]

I wouldnt even bother. Save to get your dvd burner.
There not as expensive as you think. Check online instead of the chain stores

[jimmalenko]

I thought vcd and svcds could be burn to cd-rs or am i wrong here

In essence, you're right ... yes, vcds and svcds can be burnt to CD ... but given the context of the original question:

can I use my CD Writer to create DVD's

... vcds and svcds are not DVDs

[Ward River]

Your CD burner will not recognize the DVD media.

[spectroelectro]

Vitualis is wrong, Presto is right.

Here's what you can do: you can burn what's known as a mini-DVD. This is a disc with full DVD file structure but only a single title set, and typically only about 25 to 45 minutes of video.

Prassi Primo DVD, an obsolete program, and its newer versions Sonic RecordNow 6.X and 7.X will burn a mini-DVD on a CD-R. The procedure is simple: prepare and encode a standard DVD-compliant MPEG-2 file (either 720 x 480 or 704 x 480 or 352 x 480 or 352 x 240 mpeg-2 with audio sample rate 48 khz) and feed it into Sonic RecordNow. Choose "mini-DVD" and tell it to burn. Presto. You've got a mini-DVD.

The big question is, can your DVD player _play_ a mini-DVD? Most of the time the answer is "no." I own 2 DVD players that can play just about anything but they can't play mini DVDs. Only a few brands of DVD players will play a mini-DVD. All computer software DVD players, like WinDVD or PowerDVD or Ravisent Cinemaster, however, *will* play mini-DVDs.

If you use very harsh bitrate limits and then apply ReJig to squeeze down the video even further and if you use 352 x 240, you can shoehorn up to
about 45 minutes of video onto a single CD-R at pretty good video quality. If you use more reasonable bitrate limits like VBR 2k min 3k av 5k max and half D1 35x 480 you'll get excellent quality video running about 25 minutes, enough for a single cartoon episode. Mini-DVD can be useful for archiving single cartoon episodes in high enough quality to later pull out and re-author directly onto DVD. However, as cheap as good DVD-R media have gotten now, there's hardly any point in burning mini-DVDs to CD-Rs anymore. Also, DVD burners like the Nec have plummeted down to around $60 so there's not much excuse for avoiding buying a DVD burner to replace your CD burner.

Mini DVDs and SVCDs are relics of the days back when DVD burners cost $600 and DVD-R blanks cost $5 a pop. Back then, I used to archive stuff in mini-DVD format for subsequent retrieval and re-authoring onto DVDs. I used half D1 format for single cartoon episodes and it worked pretty well. But times have changed and there's truly no reason to do this anymore. CD-Rs typically cost around 10 cents each, while good hi-quality DVD-Rs like ProDisc or Taiyo Yuden 4x cost only about 35 cents each shipped to your door. Clearly it's no longer economical to archive six 25-minute cartoon episodes that clock in at just under 700 megs onto 6 CD-Rs costing 10 cents each when you put those same six 25-minute cartoon episodes on a single high-quality ProDisc or Sony or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R for 35 cents.

[vitualis]

So I'm wrong am I?

mini-DVDs or cDVDs don't work on the vast majority of players. They are far from being the most space efficient way of making a video disc on a CD. You'd be much better served making a VCD or SVCD.

As stated above, a VCD and SVCD is not a DVD.

Is a mini-DVD or cDVD a DVD? No.

And thus my answer as above:
In essence, no.

You cannot make a DVD in the absolute sense with a CD-RW drive.

You cannot make a "DVD" in the pragmatic sense with a CD-RW drive either.

Regards.

[Subhash]

Thank you all for your replies and special thanks to Daamon for welcoming me to the forum.

It really amuses me that how some people so quickly jump to making fun of people like me who are not that knwoledgable in Video making. But little do they realize that the person who is asking the question may have some valid reasons behind it. As Daamon mentioned that some ads of such software that claim that you can burn DVD's using your cd-writer are misleading. Also, just for the information for those who tried to make me look stupid that I am a Software Developer myself but this is the first time I am trying to make DVD's/CD's of my home videos.

As for the affordablitiy of DVD Burner, I know the cost of Burner itself is not that high but I know that I will have to upgrade my computer as well to a much faster machine to make good use of the DVD Burner. Well, I have started saving for a whole new system right as of this moment. For those who think they know it all, just think of the day you first turned on a computer before making fun of others. Maybe some of you were not even born when I first started using a computer. There is a first time for everyone, only yours happened much sooner than mine as far as DVD making goes.

Thanks again for everyone's input and clarifying this issue for me.

Subhash.

[daamon]

Good on you Subhash - I hope you become a knowledgeable and active member of the site.

In fact, if you're getting into making DVDs then you'll definitely be back...!!!

Good luck with, and enjoy, your new system when it comes...

[Ward River]

Lose yourself in the guides section. Read read read read read and then read some more. Got a question? Got a stupid question? Use the search feature in the forum here. You probably aren't the first person to ask it. Maybe not even the first person to ask it that day or week. But whatever you do, whether you use the search feature or not, don't ever be affraid to ask a question. Even a really stupid one.

[mats.hogberg]

Geesh! How can a question that can only be answered with a simple "No. Can't be done." start a debate?

/Mats

[Shocker Milwaukee]

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=157688

Common questions and answers.

Can I burn DVD-Rs in my CD-RW drive?
In short, no. Thats why they are not called CD-RWs.