New to DVD burning.

[dogbreath]

I've just installed a Plextor 716A in my p.c.. I'm using Nero 6 and XP (Home). So far mixed results- many coasters! Any advice welcome on media to use, burning prog. options, basically anything to improve consistency. I've been browsing this forum and checking out the FAQs but there's a lot to get through. Meanwhile any early pointers would be welcomed!:)

[dogbreath]

I'm never quite sure how much info. to include in a post. If it helps, the main use of the dvd is to back up data and particularly mp3 music files. Although as time goes on I'd like to get into burning home video files.

[The Geek]

Get quality blanks, like Verbatim (MCC) or Ricoh DVD+Rs.
What brand have you used so far ? Do you know the MediaCode of the DVDs you burned ?

The Geek

[dogbreath]

Thanks for getting back, The Geek.:) So far I've used Philips (25xspindle) DVD+R 4.7Gb CMC MAG.E01 8 x burn. I had some early problems of discs initially being read as 'write protected' and apparently successful burns not being read at all and even causing My Computer to deliver the message, 'the programme is not responding' after freezing. I uninstalled Pinnacle (which was installed as well as Nero) and things did improve. Perhaps I'm being naive, but I can't understand why CD burning is so much easier and reliable? Disc, data, software, burner. It's the same (in this simplistic way) whether it's CD or DVD. Is DVD burning technology so much more complex?

[The Geek]

No, DVD burner is just the same as CD burning. You insert the blank, burn something on it, and that's it. All you need is quality hardware, and quality software. I, for example, have a HP dvd200i since June 2002, I use Ricoh DVD+Rs, and burning is easy and reliable, just like with CDs. And my first burns are still readable.

In your case, you're using bad discs. CMC is also referred to as cheaply made crap, you're not the only one who had problems with them.
Pinnacle Studio software, especially Versio 8, is also known to be quite buggy, so I wouldn't use it for burning.
Just use Nero to burn, some versions of it do their job quite well. I think the newest Version of Nero 6 does a good job at DVD burning.

The Geek

[dogbreath]

Yeah, thanks for that, I'll give the Ricoh and Verbatim discs a spin, if you'll pardon the pun.:D

[killingspree]

hi dogbreath and welcome to the forum,

The Geek pointed you to most of your answers anyway, just some short additions: try checking your drive at www.dvdrhelp.com they often have a lot of useful user reviews on the drive alongside with media information (e.g. what media is working well with the drive)

for the dificulties of dvd-r burning: in the early days of cd burning there were exactly the same difficulties as we now encounter in the dvd-r market. it just takes time until the process of manufacturing media is perfected enough so that even the cheap media is reliable enough!

also i wouldn't recommend installing more than one burning app on the computer. i once had nero and record now LX installed on a system at once (both oem) and they constantly kept irritating each other until i got fed up and bought the 6.x version of nero. since then nero is all that i'm using and there has jet to be a case where it let's me down...

kr
steVe

[dogbreath]

Thanks very much for the welcome, killingspree.:) I'll check out the site you referred to.