Is it software or hardware

Art Scott

Is it software or hardware thqat makes the decision of what your burning speed will be on CD/DVD Burners.

My reason for asking is this....I use Roxio Easy Media Creator 7.5 and have an Hpdvd740i dual layer burner.......I got a really good buy on some dvd's a long time ago and bought a couple hundred...made a couple of photo albums and then never burned any more....until today.....and my only choice for burning is 16X or higher....my disks are for 4x and 8x......would going to an earlier version of Roxio help (man I had uninstalling and reinstalling even if I can find the dang code keys)???

Thanx

jdryan3

Art Scott wrote:

Is it software or hardware thqat makes the decision of what your burning speed will be on CD/DVD Burners.

My reason for asking is this....I use Roxio Easy Media Creator 7.5 and have an Hpdvd740i dual layer burner.......I got a really good buy on some dvd's a long time ago and bought a couple hundred...made a couple of photo albums and then never burned any more....until today.....and my only choice for burning is 16X or higher....my disks are for 4x and 8x......would going to an earlier version of Roxio help (man I had uninstalling and reinstalling even if I can find the dang code keys)???

Thanx

Yes, Yes, and Yes. Hardware is the burner itself, and the available RAM and free diskspace (if applicable). The application's drivers and available Codecs impact burn speed. Finally, the media itself can also impact the speed.

Art Scott

jdryan3 wrote:

Yes, Yes, and Yes. Hardware is the burner itself, and the available RAM and free diskspace (if applicable). The application's drivers and available Codecs impact burn speed. Finally, the media itself can also impact the speed.

I guess I ask my questions improperly.....if I have a 40X burner am I going to be able to burn a 4X disk on it?

It had been expained to me by a computer science major (was enroute to his MS) that if a disk said 16X it shoulkd burn on any burner of 16 and below.
So I was presuming that I would be able to burn my 4x and 8x disk on a faster burner, not at the faster speed of course but it (the burner) would recognize the slower burn ability of the slower disk.

It seems to me that I had burned a few disks on this burner, I some how feeel that with one or more of my MS windows upgrades this has be messed up but I am at a loss now....guess I'll try to contact HP and Roxio tomorrow.

Thanx

joshhuntnm

I think they are backward compatable to slower disks. They just won't write any faster than the disk is rated for. I think they will come out better (fewer coasters) if you set it to write at 4X if it is a 4x disk.

BigAl

Most drives can write down to the lowest rated speeds of the disc. However, you can't get CD-writers that can write lower than 4x anymore, so I assume the same will happen with DVD-writers in the future.

My test would be to write to the 4x DVD and then try to read it in another machine with a different DVD-drive.

joshhuntnm

you likely already picked up on this, but also note that in the DVD world thee is a difference between dvd -r and dvd +r. both are 95% or so compatable, but not necessarily all with the same machines. some machines can only read or write one other the other.

jdryan3

joshhuntnm wrote:

you likely already picked up on this, but also note that in the DVD world thee is a difference between dvd -r and dvd +r. both are 95% or so compatable, but not necessarily all with the same machines. some machines can only read or write one other the other.

Art - Sorry I misunderstood. You heard correctly and Josh is correct. If you can, pull out your old HP documentation or go to their website and downlaod the manual. It should tell you which media are compatible. Most dual-layered technology is newer than the time frame most manufacturers put both +/- on all drives.

But maybe not. I have an older (OK, old) Sony Vaio desktop that has a DVD + drive. How fast? 2x. Got it when DVD discs were $25/each and kept in locked cabinets at Best Buy. I now have flash drives with 15GB for $5.

Art Scott

joshhuntnm wrote:

I think they are backward compatable to slower disks. They just won't write any faster than the disk is rated for. I think they will come out better (fewer coasters) if you set it to write at 4X if it is a 4x disk.

yes...backwards compatable, this is what I thought it should be....however the dang drop down in Roxio only list three options, 16X being the slowest and I do always set my burning speed to the slowest as this is too give the best quality.....but for some reason my 4X and 8X DVD's are being recognized (oh yeah my burner is a +/- burner)

BigAl wrote:

Most drives can write down to the lowest rated speeds of the disc. However, you can't get CD-writers that can write lower than 4x anymore, so I assume the same will happen with DVD-writers in the future.

My test would be to write to the 4x DVD and then try to read it in another machine with a different DVD-drive.

This is what I thought, it should be backwards compatable for slower speeds.....expalined above about burner......

joshhuntnm wrote:

you likely already picked up on this, but also note that in the DVD world thee is a difference between dvd -r and dvd +r. both are 95% or so compatable, but not necessarily all with the same machines. some machines can only read or write one other the other.

For some reason I have always been prone to buying only + disks.....gotta be some underlying mental thing about only purchasing positive things

Thing is the disk I am trying to copy is one I copied for a client some time agao and they wanted an extra for the safety deposit box guess it is off to Best Buy to get a 16x disk or 2......

the other thing I do not understand is why my drop down gives me the option of 40X (fastest write speed) but the Burner is only capable of 16X fastest burn speed, or my box and the labels on the burner were
wrong......

As for finalizing the disks (cd or dvd) I always finalizeso the disk will work in ANY player.....this I learned working for the University in the Performance facilities group where we recorded live music and burned upto a few thousand of some of the performances...this has me really baffeled.

Actually this is kinda interesting cause I have never had a problem like this

ivar

I use Roxio software as well, but have no problem selecting lower speeds. Just to confirm, you are burning DVDs (and not CDs) and EMC is understanding that? Especially because you say 40x is available. Make sure you have selected DVD.

7.5 is quite an old version (currently version 10). You have any other burning software available? Or another DVD burner that you could try and see if either of the two makes a difference?

joshhuntnm

the 40x thing is strange. I didn't think DVDs could copy faster than 16X

Art Scott

ivar wrote:

I use Roxio software as well, but have no problem selecting lower speeds. Just to confirm, you are burning DVDs (and not CDs) and EMC is understanding that? Especially because you say 40x is available. Make sure you have selected DVD.

7.5 is quite an old version (currently version 10). You have any other burning software available? Or another DVD burner that you could try and see if either of the two makes a difference?[

Yes I was making sure it knew it was a DVD....yes the 40X thingys is what has me confused also....

Guess I could always reinstall my Nero (don't like it interface or anyting) but the HP is the only burner I have.....did not go to wally world as it looked absolutely crazy from the street, with all the returns and all so will go early in the morn after work and get a 16x DVD disk and see if that does anything.

Thanx for all of the help everyone

BigAl

Art Scott wrote:

yes...backwards compatable, this is what I thought it should be....however the dang drop down in Roxio only list three options, 16X being the slowest and I do always set my burning speed to the slowest as this is too give the best quality.....but for some reason my 4X and 8X DVD's are being recognized (oh yeah my burner is a +/- burner)

Just as a matter of interest, I use Nero 7 software with a Lite-on drive called a Super AIIwrite which is rated as 16x DVD writer and a 48x CD writer. With DVD writing, the only option I get is maximum, with CD writing I can choose just about anything I want from 48x down to 8x in steps of 8. I have written to 8x DVDs with this combo with no problem.

As I said, I'd try burning one to see what happens.

Art Scott

BigAl wrote:

Just as a matter of interest, I use Nero 7 software with a Lite-on drive called a Super AIIwrite which is rated as 16x DVD writer and a 48x CD writer. With DVD writing, the only option I get is maximum, with CD writing I can choose just about anything I want from 48x down to 8x in steps of 8. I have written to 8x DVDs with this combo with no problem.

As I said, I'd try burning one to see what happens.

Roxio is not allowing me to burn....keeps giving me a message to insert a valid dvd disk....to me they are valid....I have tried Sony, Memorex, Fuji and tdk and Imation.....all 8x and none are allowed to burn......:D