1. What discs to use
1.1 CD-Recordable / CD-ReWritable: What are the differences and
when should you use each type?
For optimum results it is extremely important that you use the right type of disc for your Philips CD-
ReWriter or DVD+RW drive.
First you should choose between using a CD-R or a CD-RW disc, depending on your specific
application. The main difference between the two is that CD-R discs cannot be reused, since the data
can be burned into them only once. CD-RW discs can be erased, however, and used over and over,
hundreds of times. See the table below for an overview of application examples.
Disc Type
Writable
Erasable
Use
CD-ROM
No
No
To distribute information.
CD-R
Yes
No
To archive your data permanently.
To share data with users who have a standard CD-ROM
drive.
For use in older CD-ROM drives (which cannot read CD-
RW).
For audio CDs (most audio players cannot read CD-RW).
CD-RW
Yes
Yes
For work in progress, such as presentations, documents,
etc.
To make weekly archives of your hard drive.
To transport large files between home and office.
For testing purposes before recording on CD-R
You should always use high-quality discs from well-known manufacturers for the best results when
(re)writing disc at higher speeds. The importance of disc quality increases with higher disc writing
speeds (expressed as x times the original standard CD data rate of 150 kB/s, or 1x). Since this Philips
ReWriter drive can (re)write at high speeds, and the faster you write the less time it takes to produce a
CD, we recommend that you use brand-name Recordable/ReWritable discs (preferably from Philips)
for which the speed rating is explicitly specified on the packaging (i.e., Multi Speed, High Speed).
Always use discs with a speed rating that is equal to or higher than the speed rating of your
Philips CD-ReWriter or DVD+RW drive
.
HINTS:
Use CD-ReWritables, which are reusable, until you are comfortable with the recording software. If you
make a mistake, you can redo the recording without wasting a disc. After you record successfully to a
CD-ReWritable, repeat the recording onto a CD Recordable.
But if you want to check whether the actual burning of the disc will be successful, it is better to use the
"test write" option from the recording software, since burning speeds for CD-RW are usually limited to
lower values than burning speeds for CD-R. Most problems that occur during the creation of a disc are
buffer underruns, which occur if the source data cannot be delivered fast enough by your computer to
the CD-RW or DVD+RW drive. (Recent writing technology developments, like the proprietary Philips
“
Seamless Link
” technology, are aimed at eliminating the problems this effect can cause.) The
likelihood of a buffer underrun greatly increases with higher writing speeds. So using a CD-RW for
checking the writing speed is not recommended, because, if the write operation on CD-RW (at a lower
speed) is OK, this is absolutely no guarantee that writing on CD-R (at high speed) will also be OK.
