DVD burning with a 2010 iMac

[dh2005]

Hey folks,

I realise DVD burning is as old as the hills, but despite having owned five computers in the past ten years, I've never actually done it. Even once!

I understand there are many different standards of disc (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW etc.). Can someone please advise as to which I should buy, and which program I should use to do the burning (I assume there's something in OS X...?).

Anything else that you think is relevant, please feel free. Cheers,



DH.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Do you want to burn data DVDs, a DVD that contains files you want to backup or share or ..., or video DVDs, a DVD to be put into one of those DVD players under the telly?
Mac OS X can do the first with Finder: http://homepage.mac.com/cjrtools/ebooks/howtos/burndiskshowto.html

Burn (free) and Toast Titanium can do both.



Helpful Information for Any Mac User by GGJstudios

 

[dh2005]

Thanks for the reply.

Purely data. Although learning how to write discs to run in DVD players wouldn't do any harm.


As for which type of disc, any thoughts?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks for the reply.

Purely data. Although learning how to write discs to run in DVD players wouldn't do any harm.


As for which type of disc, any thoughts?

DVD+/-R(W) will work, it really doesn't matter.

 

[dh2005]

Excellent. Thank you.

 

[dh2005]

One question to add to this, please: which speed should I use for writing?

These blanks that I have (Verbatim DVD+R DL) claim to be 'x8 speed', and it seems that my SuperDrive is capable of writing at a maximum of x6 (according to Windows 7).

Am I okay to use x6 write-speed, or should I use a lower speed to play it safe? These data backups are going to be shelved as soon as they're burned - I certainly won't have time to test them all.

Cheers.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

6x should be enough, but the SuperDrive is capable of 8X DVD burning.
http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

 

[dh2005]

Really?! Hm. That's odd. I guess that's just Windows being a "sorry, no" git, as usual...

... so, do you think using x6 will be reliable, then? The other options are x4, and x2.4.

Reliability is my key concern.


EDIT: Ah, mate... I just checked that link, and the SuperDrive writes at x8 for single-layer discs, and x4 for dual-layer. These are dual-layer.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Really?! Hm. That's odd. I guess that's just Windows being a "sorry, no" git, as usual...

... so, do you think using x6 will be reliable, then? The other options are x4, and x2.4.

Reliability is my key concern.


EDIT: Ah, mate... I just checked that link, and the SuperDrive writes at x8 for single-layer discs, and x4 for dual-layer. These are dual-layer.

Yeah, misread your post.
But 4x speed is fine, just test them or let the burning software you use compete the verification process.

 

[Tomorrow]

Some older DVD players are only compatible with DVD+R. RW discs are more expensive and might not be as compatible with (video) DVD players.

For data it doesn't make much of a difference - pretty much any computer from the past five years or so reads and writes all those formats.

 

[dh2005]

Thanks.

Do you concur with my learned friend, that writing at x4 should be reliable?

 

[dh2005]

... or let the burning software you use compete the verification process.

Right. Looks like the Windows 7 default burning software doesn't do this.

Is there a burning program (ideally free) that you could recommend for doing this?