Recordable???

Ernie Renn · From: Brainerd, Minnesota USA

I need some advice for all of you.

I'm looking for a CD-R drive. (I'd just go for the more readily available CD-RW, but, I've heard that some CD-RW don't work on some CD players. Is this still correct? I know technology is catching up, so maybe I'm behind on this.)

Here's what I have now:
Pentium III - 650 processor with 128 of RAM.
Sound Blaster Audio PCI 128 Windows 9x driver Legacy Device.
19.0GB hard drive.
I also have to re-register my Cool Edit program. Since my other computer crashed it has limited features, like the demo.

What should I look for? What should I plan to spend? What extra software will I need? Will I need to upgrade my sound card, too?

I'm not up on what I need or what to expect. Any help would be appreciated.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Almost all the CD record drives (burners) now sold will record both CD-R and CD-RW. If you buy a drive and only want to burn CD-R's then only use CD-R blanks.

The rub comes in with some of the cheaper and older CD Readers. Some of the readers (such as the one in my Compaq Presario) will not read some of the CD formats and some will not read CD-RW's.

All of the CD burners come with software, however the Adaptec Easy CD Creator (latest version is 5) seems to be the defacto industry standard and is probably the easiest to use.

What you have to decide is what type you want, internal or external and what kind of interface. The most common is an internal drive with an IDE interface. You have to have an open 5 1/4" bay available in your PC for that type. You can get a fairly decent internal IDE burner for under $200. There are external drives and they usually are USB connected. There are also SCSI interface drives but that usually requires a SCSI I/O interface card (usually an add on to the PC).
The external and SCSI units are higher in price than the internal IDE models.

Go for a brand name unit such as HP, Yamaha, etc. HP seems to have the widest selection of burners. One that I'd be leery of is Sony - I've had several people e-mail me about problems getting Sony's to work, except with their own proprietry S/W, and one couldn't get it working with anything and took it back to the store and swapped it for a HP that works great.

James Bissaillon · From: Omaha, NE, USA

In my experience I've been able to read a
CD-RW in drives I didn't think would work, and not be read in brand new, name brand drives. Considering the price difference between CD-R and CD-RW, and the hassle, I just use CD-R.

My Yamaha 4416 IDE CD-R/RW has performed flawlessly for two years now using Adaptec Easy CD Creator 3,4 and now version 5. Some media works better than others. Since I use my burner mostly for audio, I stick to Sony, Maxell, TDK. Memorex in a pinch. These CD-R's have worked well.

I also know a couple people with Sony burners that have more problems than they should.

James

David Pennybaker · From: Conroe, TX USA

IMO, Plextor makes the best CD-R CD-RW's around.

They've got an IDE version out now that writes at 16x. Unless you already have SCSCI, you can just stick with IDE -- provided you pay attention to the next paragraph.

Whatever you do, make SURE your CD-R or CD-RW has the new "burn-proof" technology. With this feature, you won't make any "coasters" (unuseable CD's due to buffer underruns).

I'd go ahead and get the CD-RW drive, just to be able to read CD-RW's in case you ever need to -- provided you don't pay a huge premium for it. I've never used the CD-RW feature on mine because it's lots slower than CD-R. Plus, -RW media are more expensive than -R media. Although not by much anymore.

And, yes, -RW media will be hard to read in many older CD players (even ones on computers). They have much lower reflectivity than CD's. Don't count on a -RW to be read by anything other than an -RW drive. Sometimes you will be able to read them on other players, but just don't count on it.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Ernie Renn · From: Brainerd, Minnesota USA

Thanks for the replies, guys. Keep 'em coming! The more I know - the better.

------------------
My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Ernie Renn · From: Brainerd, Minnesota USA

Is this one a good one? HP: cd-writer 9350i LMK...
I had a link here, but it didn't work.

------------------
My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

[This message was edited by Ernie Renn on 03 April 2001 at 10:24 AM.]

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

All of the HP's are good. I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about the HP CD writers. (Although there is probably someone that has a horror story about an HP CD Writer).

FIONA TOMANY · From: ISLE OF CUMBRAE SCOTLAND

As a general rule CD-RW won't play in a standard cd-hi-fi player except a Philips forget the number (check out [url=http://www.richersounds.co.uk)]www.richersounds.co.uk)[/url] and a Yamaha to my best knowledge are the only two that will. I have used a CD-RW for storing pictures and it read no problem on my nephew's computer. IT may be audio thats not compatible because of enought light.
I have that HP model and im happy with it. One thing I have found that is not compatible between machine is using a normal CD-R like a flopy to save files. These CD-R will only read in on your own machine.
Beware of Memorex CD-R's they may be cheap (they are in the UK) put the quality is poor while putting on a sticky label the label lifted off all the date adn I ended up with a coffe coaster

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I haven't had any problems with a CD-R data CD's reading in someone else's machine. I just make sure they are closed and formatted to read in any machine (there is an option for this when the CD is ejected using the Adaptec S/W).

As far as labels peeling off, any CD blank that has raised lettering on the non data surface will not hold a label very well. I have some Memorex and I have had no problems with the data side of the CD.

True, CD-RW AUDIO disks will not read in most readers. My Adaptec S/W will not let me burn Audio to a CD-RW, it will just give me a warning message and tell me to insert a CD-R disk.

Jim Baron · From: Madera, Ca.

I have the PH 9300 series burner and use TDK disks. I was having a problem making some coasters while running at the 10x speed. But discovered they have a download fix for that and now it works fine. You can get it at the HP support site.

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