CD BURNING TIPS: How to avoid making coasters...
Mar 11 '01 (Updated Jan 03 '03)
The Bottom Line Turn off screensavers, use DAO mode, avoid cheapo CDRs, and more tips...
Here are some great tips for CD burning, especially for burning audio CDs...
First off, I'd like to explain what causes most bad burns - the dreaded "buffer underrun". The buffer underrun is an error that occurs when the data flow from your hard drive to the laser in the CD writer is slowed or interrupted. The buffer of data held in the cache runs out, and the laser has nothing to write... this results in a buffer underrun, and a useless disc - a coaster, frisbee, what ever you want to call it.
Now, here are some good tips to avoid making coasters:
1) Turn off your screensavers - if your screensaver pops on during the CD burning process, it could interrupt the data flow to the laser, resulting in a buffer underrun error, and a bad disc. Always make sure they are turned off before you burn.
2) Turn off the "CD auto-play" function - also called "auto-insert notification", which causes a CD to play automatically when you put it in the CDR drive. This is a tip I've heard from relaible sources, and it is mandatory to have it turned off to use CD Architect (which I use for audio CD burning).
3)Defragment your hard drive before a burn - You should always defrag your hard drive before a burn, otherwise the data for each track will be scattered around your hard drive, and the data flow may slow down as the computer attempts to locate all the data. This could cause a buffer underrun.
4) Try burning at a slower speed - If you have a fast burner (4x, 8x) and an older, slower computer, you may get buffer underrun messages using the faster settings on the burner if the computer is not fast enough to transfer the data to the laser. You could try burning at 2x speed, or even 1x speed - this is a much more reliable way to burn, especially with audio CDs.
5)When copying a CD, first copy it to your hard drive -When copying CDs, first copy the CD to your hard drive as an image file, then burn the image file to the CD writer. This method takes some extra time, but is a much more reliable way to copy CDs. I've had problems myself trying to copy CDs from the CDrom drive to my CD writer.
6) Use DAO burning for audio CDs - there are two ways to burn an audio disc - Track at Once (TAO), and Disc at Once (DAO). With Track at Once, each audio track is burned one by one, and the laser shuts off in between tracks, resulting in a 2-second gap of silence between tracks. With Disc at Once burning, the laser doesn't shut off until the entire disc has been burned. No gaps are inserted between the tracks. Both methods will produce a disc that will play in your CD player, but DAO is the preferred method for burning a master CD that will be professionally mass produced (pressed). If you send a TAO burned disc to a duplication plant, it probably will be rejected - the gaps inserted in between tracks will be interpreted as errors, since there is no data in them. If you're burning a CD master, go with DAO burning.
7)Avoid cheapo generic CDRs - all CDRs are not created equal! The cheap CDRs are just not as reliable for holding data as the name brands. It is dyes on the CDRs that hold the data in place, and the cheap ones just don't hold the data as well.. I've burned many audio CDs onto cheap CDRs that eventually went bad - they developed gaps in the audio or developed background distortion that got worse with every play. Stick with the more expensive name brands. I learned my lesson!
Also, you may have noticed that blank CDs are usually sold labeled as "MUSIC" or "DATA" discs... The "Music" CDs are actually intended for stand alone CD burners, NOT for computer CD burners. They may work with some computer CD writers, but my own computer's CD writer will not burn to a "Music" disc.
8) Finalize your audio CD - With most CD burning software, when burning an audio CD you will be given the option of finalizing the disc or not. If you want to add additional tracks to the CD later on, you would want to leave the disc open, and NOT finalize it. However, the disc will probably not play in your CD player unless it is finalized. When you finalize a disc, a table of contents is written at the end of the CD, which CD players need to read them. Many people burn audio CDs without finalizing them, and then wonder why they won't play in their stereo system.
9) The difference between a burned CD, and a pressed CD - Many people don't realize this, but a CD that has been burned is NOT the same as a CD that has been pressed in a factory.
Here's how a pressed CD is made: first, a "glassmaster" is made from the master CDR, which is then used to make a negative plate. This plate is then used to make stampers which stamp all the zeros and ones into tiny pits on the CD surface ( sort of like how they make vinyl records). The data is PERMANENT. Then, a protective coating is put over the CD surface to protect it from scratches and what have you. These pressed CDs should last a hundred years if taken care of.
A burned CD uses dyes on the CD surface to hold the data from the laser in place. If the dyes deteriorate, the data will be lost and the disc will go bad. The cheap CDRs especially have this problem. These CDs will not last as long as pressed CDs, and also have no protective coating over the surface. Don't expect your burned CDs to last as long as your store bought ones.
Two more tips - If your burned audio CD skips while playing, the first thing you should check for is smudges on the surface. Be very careful when cleaning the surface to avoid scratching the disc.
Also, you should not write on a CDR with anything but a water-soluable ink pen. Theory has it that regular ink can eventually eat through the CDR's surface, and damage the data. Special pens are sold for labeling CDRs.
That's all the tips I have for now! Happy burning...
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