MyRoxio

With the myriad of CD and DVD recording formats out there, and new drives that support ALL of them, choosing the right media for your project can be a bewildering task. Especially with DVD media, "coasters" (failed recordings) can become a major expense. As if the numerous formats weren't enough (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM, dual-layer DVD, and now Blu-ray), buyers also have to wade through numerous options in terms of speed ratings, capacities, dye colors, label surfaces, longevity/reliability claims, and more. Where to start?

With Roxio's comprehensive guide to choosing recordable media, of course! Read on for all you need to know to buy with confidence and ensure successful burning.

CD & DVD Media Types

* for top multiformat DVD recorders as of mid-2007. CD recording speeds are given for combo CD/DVD recorders.

CD Formats Demystified

There are two basic types of CD recordable discs, CD-R and CD-RW. They can each be recorded in many different data formats, such as CD-Audio, Video CD, MP3 CD, data CD, etc. All the varied types of projects that Roxio's Easy Media Creator 9 for Windows and Toast 8 Titanium for Mac allow you to create.

For audio CDs, both regular and MP3, stick to standard 74-minute CD-Rs unless you really need 80-minute capacity. They are the most universally compatible in home and car players (CD-RWs often won't play). But avoid the new 90-minute CDs, which can literally damage your drives unless your hardware specifically supports them. The few extra minutes you get are just not worth the risks and playback incompatibility. Also avoid using "overburn" on 74- and 80-minute media, for the same reasons, unless you really need it for a specific purpose and your drive supports it. Easy Media Creator supports overburn.

There are also special "Audio CD" blanks that must be used in standalone living room CD burners. They cost more than the regular data CDs used in computers since royalties are paid to music companies for each disc sold. There is no need to buy these unless you have a burner that requires them.

For Video CDs and Super Video CDs, you can use either CD-Rs or CD-RWs, although CD-RWs often play more reliably in set-top DVD players, which are most often used to play Video CDs. Note that Video CDs (and DVDs) can't be "overburned," due to the rigid specifications of video discs.

For data projects, consider whether you will likely want to reuse the disc or not. If you are archiving photos or other data for the long term, CD-Rs are preferred. They are both cheaper and more secure, since they can't be erased. If you are backing up a hard disk, or just moving data between machines, CD-RWs will allow you to keep adding and deleting data over time, saving a lot of money. Learn more about archival-quality discs below.

DVD-R/RW & DVD+R/RW

Choosing DVD media is a much harder task than choosing CDs, due to the plethora of formats. But once you figure out the basics, you can just keep using them. First, a quick primer on the DVD alphabet:

DVD-R/RW discs are the most common, and the most compatible with older players, largely since DVD-R is the oldest recordable format. DVD+R/RW technology is somewhat newer, and has better error correction and burn reliability than DVD-R/RW. We recommend DVD-R for movie discs that will be played back on a set-top player, and DVD+R for archiving purposes. For everyday data transfer and rolling backups, use DVD+RW.

Double-layer DVDs let you record 8.5GB of data on a single disc, almost twice the capacity of single-layer media. They require double-layer capable DVD recorders.

DVD-RAM is the oldest rewritable DVD format, and is available in several capacities (usually 4.7GB single-sided or 9.4GB double-sided media). The format's large capacity, superior error correction, and longevity (it can be rewritten more than 100,000 times) make it a good choice for industrial-strength data-processing applications. Consumers should avoid this format since it is incompatible with many players.

Recorders come in three basic types, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and versatile combination drives that can write all four. Newer drives also support dual-layer recording. Your choice of media will thus likely depend on the hardware you have. Most rewritable DVD drives can also burn CD-R and CD-RW discs, but at slower speeds than dedicated CD burners.

All DVD media formats (DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW) can be read in most DVD players. But some more so than others. CDR-Info, a CD/DVD research firm, has done a study on compatibility, and found that DVD-R is the most universally compatible, being read by 96.7% of players, while DVD-RW came second at 87.7%, then DVD+R at 87.3%, and DVD+RW at 87.1%. Relatively few DVD-ROM drives or set-top players can read DVD-RAM. The lesson here, as we said before, is to use DVD-R for for movie discs that will be played in set-top players or shared with other people.

Does Speed Matter?

Recordable drives typically state three speeds, such as 24X/8X/4X, for either CDs or DVDs. The first number is usually the read speed, the second number the write speed, and the last number the rewrite speed. Be sure you understand the numbers for your drive, and the differences between the speeds for CDs and DVDs. DVD recorders will have different ratings for CD reading/writing than DVD reading/writing. The rated numbers are maximums, actual recording speed will depend on many things, such as the speed of your system and hard drive, the source of your data, whether file conversion is taking place on the fly (such as MP3 conversion), and the media you use. (For more on drives, see our DVD Recorder Buying Guide.)

Recording media of all types also have speed ratings. So if you have a recorder rated at 24X for writing CDs, you should buy at least 24X-rated CD-Rs if you want to record at top speed. Likewise for DVDs. The latest DVD recorders boast 8X and even 18X write-once speeds. But the top-speed media can be relatively expensive and hard to find (media availability usually lags behind drive speeds). You can still use lower-rated media in your drive, but be sure to set the recording speed in Easy Media Creator or Toast at or below the rating of the media.

Archival and Printable Media

In addition to formats and speed ratings, recordable discs come in all sorts of dye colors (gold, silver, blue, green etc.), with varying label surfaces, longevity ratings and reliability ratings. "Data-grade" or "archival" discs are typically manufactured to higher tolerances, and should have fewer overall errors in recording. (All optical discs will have recording errors, but built-in error correction compensates for them. Still, the fewer errors, the better.) Archival discs will also likely be more universally compatible with various players and drives.

Longevity ratings refer to the shelf-life of discs, how long you can store them before they degrade. This number has greatly improved since the early days of CD-Rs, when organic dyes could degrade in as little as 10 years. Manufacturers have now typically rate dye stability at 70-100 years. The other important component of longevity is the quality of the clear coating on the disc. If it has pinholes or separation, the reflective metal layer can oxidize.

Label surfaces options include matte silver, shiny silver, printable white, and LightScribe. Choose discs that match whichever label method you like best. For LightScribe labeling, where the label is "burned" into the disc, you'll need a compatible recorder.

Which Brand Should I Buy?

For routine data sharing, or music discs you don't expect to keep for a long time, by all means shop by price. For important data, such as backups and family photo or video collections, get the highest quality you can afford in a name brand, and record at slightly slower speeds than maximum (recording more slowly generally results in fewer errors.) And NEVER skip the verification step! CDFreaks.com has extensive user ratings of optical media brands.

Finally, while compatibility between drives and media has improved dramatically over the years, you may find some brands that just don't seem to work well in your recorder or player. If you get frequent coasters or playback problems, switch brands. And when you find one that works every time, stick with it.