Burning Speed: "Does it matter?"

[batonrougeTB]

Check this out, I successfully create an image of my dvd movie and I specify it's a region 1 DVD which usually works when I burn the image to the disc (I usually write it at 2.5x) And it will play in my Mintek DVD Player from Best Buy. When I burn the same images at 20x on my grandma's computer, they won't play in my DVD player. This is a real pain in the ass. Someone help if you can! The reason I'm trying to burn it on my grandma's badass P4/512 MB Ram desktop is because my badass P4/512 MB laptop gets too hot and shuts down halfway through the burn process (linked via USB to external HP dc300 DVD-writer) It pisses me off so much, my laptop cost $2,000 but it somehow can't handle staying cool. Even on glass tabletops. Which sucks. Anyway, should I use 2.5x writing speed for the desktop computer too? It'd take a lot longer but I wouldn't mind doing it if it's necessary. Someone let me know what I should do.

[guns1inger]

What media do you use ? Just because a disc is labelled 16x doesn't mean you get successful burns at that speed every time. Personally, I don't see the need to burn at faster than 8x. Life isn't that short.

Have you tried testing the burns from your grandmother's machine. DVD Info Pro or Nero Speed Disc can do read and speed tests of a burned disc to highlight problems.

[Paul_G]

If the media is decent, burn at the rated speed. All this "burn at lower speeds is better" died out in the 90s.

[whitejremiah]

erm.....not nessacerily.....i will tell you this.....my car stereo which plays back wma, mp3, ect....is kinda picky when it comes to the speed the discs are burned at....i CAN burn a disc fullspeed and it will play it back, but then it becomes REALLY sensitive to scratches and smudges...if i burn at like 8x or 16x it isnt anywhere NEAR as problematic (and no, im not talking about outright disc abuse...im talking about the VERY light types of scratches that can happen from normal wear and tear...storing in a cloth cd case, that type of thing....)

[SaSi]

Not all burners are built equal. Some, rated at a certain speed cannot burn succesfully at that. For example, one of my worst buys, a Toshiba TS522B burner, won't burn good DVDs at higher than 4x and even CDs at higher than 8x. Using the same media on a NEC 3520 produces excellent results at 16x for DVD and 48x for CDs.

As for the Laptop overheating, try to put two thick books (~1 inch thick) under the laptop, so that they cover aprox. 1 inch of the laptop base each. This will leave the bottom of the laptop clear of the working surface. If this fixes the overheating problem, search for similar stands for laptops (plastic angled rests) that raise the laptop and provide an angled orientation that helps typing (similar to the keyboards two legs raising the top of the keyboard). These can usually be found in many computer peripheral stores.

[archaeo]

I still find that doing slower burns gives me better disc results. I use TY media and I still see problems with burning at higher speeds, within the disc specs- however, when I burn the same project at 2x, it gives me a flawless disc. I just spend the extra time now to guarantee better playback.

[ROF]

How do you burn a DVD at 20x?

[unclebud]

For overheating get a cool pad. Geeks.com has had them for $7.95 each, run from USB and they work. Others can be found for under $20.

Yea, how DO you burn a DVD at 20x? Maybe he meant 2.0x.

[Bjs]

This running too hot process also appear's to be hard drive related .

I have had a few maxtor and western digital drive's ... running fine for some time .

However , the other day I went to reload a couple of customer's pc's after serious stuff up's ... pain in the butt having to recover file's they wanted as a backup , and they have to be there when this is done .

Anyway , I had noted these drive's running quite hot even after short period's when I built these system's .

After using the old tool's to fdisk the drive's and format them , these drive's now don't run anywhere as hot as before .

I have put this down to the tool's hard drive manufacture's have released to help people install new larger drive's onto their pc's .

As for external dvd unit's linked via usb , I use a powered usb hub so it dosent draw it's power from the notebook's .

As for burning at 20x , where is this media ? , I havent seen this yet .

The question of burning speed's has two part's , the most valid being what the manufacturer state's on a given brand .

The second part is in two sub parts :

1: burning at slower speed's provide's better fixation of file's writen to media , therefore they will be there for some time before the media finally craps out .

2: Burn as fast as you can if you dont care if it's not there when you need it most ..

The whole thing add's up to if it is important that the media retain's what is writen to it for any length of time , should this be a backup for archival purpose's , such as a ghost image of your system for the recovery process should things go peared shape .

Then alway's burn slow , then put it in a hard cover , somewhere safe , and leave it there till it actually is needed .

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I do this for my server backup's ... nope , it's private if any ask's and mostly provide's free software to the local community where I live ...

Not everybody is online so I give this stuff out on cd's , only cost of media is charged ...

[batonrougeTB]

Wow great responses guys I'll take everything into consideration it's too bad I'm busy as hell this weekend with work but I'll see what happens when I go to burn next week.

[batonrougeTB]

If the media is decent, burn at the rated speed. All this "burn at lower speeds is better" died out in the 90s.

Okay so I think I should just keep burning at 2.5x, regardless of what machine I'm on. It's the ripping at 50gazillionX part I like on my grandma's computer anyway. Okay guys, take care. If that goes wrong I'll drop you another line. It's a badass site by the way

[cyflyer]

How do you burn a DVD at 20x?

Yeah, good point. The max rating on any drive, dvd, program, is 16, so how do you figure burning at 20x ? Anyhows, you are asking for trouble burning at the max rated speed. Stick to the lower speeds that work.

[handyguy]

Yep, its all a combination of media, firmware, writer, etc......but there is more wobble at faster speeds & some players don't like wobble.

[goldenvirginia]

i have a nec 3520a, i have 3.06 firmware, i use verbatim photoprinatbles 16x and i burn at 16x

is this a problem because it never gives me issues