CD Burning

Although CD burning is a common practice in modern society, there are still many people who are unfamiliar with how to go about burning a CD. Some people view CD burning as a difficult and incomprehensible process. The good new is it is relatively easy to create home media when all of the technical necessities are in place.

The basic items needed to burn a CD are a computer with a CD-RW drive, burning software, and blank recordable discs. Most modern computers come with at least a CD-RW drive, and when a computer is already equipped with this device, a burning program usually comes preinstalled. The most common burning programs preinstalled on computers are Nero and Roxio, although there are several others available at computer stores for purchase if these programs are unacceptable for your needs. Most burning programs will take the user step-by-step through the process to ensure success.

A CD has more limitations than a DVD. Still, there is a variety of data types that can be burned on a CD. Photos, audio, and data can all be successfully transferred onto a CD for easy playback in an array of devices, including DVD players, computers, and audio players.

In addition to the above forms of media, a CD is also capable of converting into a video compact disc, or VCD. These discs are designed to hold movies and are the predecessor to the DVD format. A VCD uses a compressed MPEG-1, versus the compressed MPEG-2 that DVDs use. It is possible to play VCD movies using a DVD player or a computer, but it is good to keep in mind that some units will not support this type of format. A VCD is capable of storing up to 70 minutes of video, and its quality is similar to a VHS cassette.