can using your computer while burning a dvd make the resulting dvd skip?

[cduval04]

can using your computer or having lots of tasks running in the background while burning a dvd make the resulting dvd skip? my dvd keeps skipping and ive tried everything...and the vob files dont skip when played on my comp. so i know its something in the burn process..ive tried 2 different burners, and with both of them sometimes the dvd comes out fine...other times it skips...the only thing i can think of is im using my computer and running lots of programs while the dvd is burning...can this make a difference??....dont pay attention to my profile..its old...i currently have a pc with an amd 64 x2 processor, 1 gig of ram, and 100 gig hd....

[aedipuss]

no, if the burning completes ok it shouldn't skip. but... that comes with a caveat. the dvd blank must be of the best quality or any burn can skip. my advice is to always use verbatim blanks or don't bother making a dvd to use in a standalone.

[ricoman]

personally, I don't use my computer for anything else during the burning process. During ripping, yes, not burning. I had done a scan on a couple of discs that I had burned while using another app and they showed several large spikes. Coincidence? Maybe, but I just walk away for ten min. now. Use only Verb or TY media, everything else is questionable and if there is a problem you never know if it is the media or something else.

[pinetop]

My answer is a big YES.
I use to do many activities while burning a disk, upon playback I'd find spots during playback where the disk would pause or freeze.
I now do no activities while burning a disc, and I haven't had a problem since.

[celtic_druid]

Well it could cause the buffer to drain, but then the buffer underrun technology should kick in pausing the burn whilst leaving a gap too small to do any damage. So, no it shouldn't make any difference. Shouldn't and doesn't are quite different though.

[guns1inger]

I wouldn't go playing the latest FPS games, but browsing should be OK. as the druid pointed out, the technology is such that is is pretty difficult to screw up the burn process. Of course, poor quality media may well skip no matter how you burn it.

[AlanHK]

When using ImgBurn it displays the disk cache (where ImgBurn puts data before sending to to the burner) and the burner's cache. The burn should proceed smoothly as long as the burner's cache never gets empty. So I keep that ImgBurn window open and if the caches start running low, I abort any process that might be interfering with it -- copying gigabytes of files simultaneously is about the only thing I recall that threatened to drain the caches.

[Nelson37]

Theoretically, it should not.

However, no one I know lives in the theoretical world. I do not judge what I see happen by formulas and equations, I judge it by what I see and can prove.

I do not do any other tasks while burning a DVD.

[tinker]

I do agree with most who do not do anything else while burning.
Specially if you are connected, than update comes, antivirus kicks in and you are done.

[somebodeez]

Because there are quite a few variables that can cause things to go wrong, I try to eliminate as many of them as I possibly can.
I always use TY or Verbatim DVDrs, never burn at the very top speed and never do anything else on my PC during a burn and never use sticky labels.

Edit: I forgot to add that I don't use Nero to burn DVDs. Instead, I like to use ImgBurn (that's what it was made to focus on - not everything else under the sun) and use Nero for other types such as Audio CD and data disc burning .

If I do all of that and something still goes wrong with playback, I figure other possibilities may be I could've goofed during the authoring stage or I accidentally put finger smudges on the disc or perhaps the burner may be dying or the player is being picky (in that case, test your disc on as many other players as you possibly can) or going bonkers (dirty lens perhaps?).

[TBoneit]

I use Verbatim or Sony blanks single layer, Verbatim DLs .

I browse and so forth while burning. I avoid doing things that require lots of disc activity such as transferring large video files. I've even done as a test encodes while burning and they all play fine.

Speed of the computer plays a part in it too. Processor speed and hard drive speed and burner speed and amount of memory.

Low speed computer running Xp with say 256mb memory that is always swapping to virtual memory = a recipe for disaster.

An AMD or Intel Dual core with 1 or 2 gig memory and large fast drives should be no problem. Xp of course. Vista ?

I have had my Av kick in and download a update while burning. I'm not about to turn it off to burn discs so and of course the disc plays fine.

[handyguy]

You can use your computer & get a fine disk at the same time only if you have buffer underrun protection.

Give us the name of your writer so we can compare.

Btw, you did use VERIFY right?

[celtic_druid]

I do all kinds of stuff, however I avoid anything that will max both cores out.

[Seeker47]

Well it could cause the buffer to drain, but then the buffer underrun technology should kick in pausing the burn whilst leaving a gap too small to do any damage. So, no it shouldn't make any difference. Shouldn't and doesn't are quite different though.

What I'm wondering: let's suppose there could be some real world issues: would having a fast dual-core setup with plenty of RAM make any difference, regarding how much or what sort of multi-tasking you could get away with ? Or engage in more / better multi-tasking with far less performance degradation ? I don't know if this ever came to pass, but I thought one of the ideas behind dual-core was that you could (potentially) have one side dedicated to a specific task exclusively ?

[Krispy Kritter]

The burning process isn't cpu reliant (not totally anyway), so dual-core/quad-core whatever, is irrelevant. Buffer underrun is usually the result of too much HDD activity, so your burning app can't pull the data fast enough.

My older Lite-On DVD burner creates a coaster every time the buffer empties.

[TBoneit]

Well to a degree the burn process is CPU reliant.

That is why the boxes have minimum computer specs on them.
The Computer has to be fast enough to operate the burn proof feature. So that running something at 100% CPU usage could cause a problem. And then we run into the USB ports need some CPU usage so that burning from a USB external hard drive or to a External Burner could have problems.

That is beyond the fact that using a usb burner and then using the other usb ports could in theory also cause problems..

[handyguy]

Skipping can also be caused by dirty lasers on the player.

[cduval04]

Well guys i figured out my problem..i think (knock on wood) turns out for me it wasnt the burner...it wasnt the process..it was the media...i tried memorex and dynex and they both resulted in skipping dvds, no matter where i burned them....and was skeptical about trying verbatims cuz i didnt think that would fix my problem but after numerous posts saying to get verbatim i finally went out and got some verbatim single laters and dl's (and also switched from nero to imgburn) and it worked!!! for anyone who is having skipping problems, switching to verbatim should be the first thing you do, not the last like i did...i mustve burned over 10 coasters before finally giving into the possiblilty rhat it could be the media...but take my word for it...if your not using verbatim..its probably the media!!! Ive sucesssully burned 4 of my 5 seasons on both the single layer and the dual layer with no skipping! if you have an older dvd player this post applied even more to you becuase i think older dvd players are more picky..also if you have an older dvd player dont burn any faster than 2.4x for the dl's and 4x for the single layers...I have an older sony dvp 5 disc changer from 2001, and it can be kind of picky, but follow these directions and you should have no problems! GO VERBATIM!!!

[handyguy]

In fairness I have been using hundreds Verbs & they do skip on one of my players, even though I did clean it.

[TBoneit]

Some players do seem to prefer one type, -R or +R, or evn brand over another. However most users here have better luck with Verbatim. Some burners prefer one brand over another too.

However in the case Memorex or Dynex are most likely from the same maker in Taiwan

[theewizard]

I don't do any thing else while burning OR encoding

if I can't wait for the burn, then i do it later, go make a sanwich, or phone call, or a pee break or a beer run.

NON interference is a theory NOT fact.

[lordsmurf]

Yes, doing "stuff" while burning can cause bad burns. The main culprit is access of the hard drives and IDE channels, causing buffer underrun (reported or not!) that can cause imperfect burning scenarios.

Of course, given what I've read, your exact problem might be media-related. Use better discs. www.nomorecoasters.com