Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Best CD burning software?

This is topic Best CD burning software? in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000386

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 03-01-2005, 07:03 PM:

What's your favorite CD burning software? Why?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-01-2005, 07:55 PM:

Nero recent version 6.xxx It is the easiest software out there I have found, it never makes coasters (when used in conjunction with decent media and a good drive) and it offers dual layer DVD burning.

Posted by Don Anderson (Member # 397) on 03-01-2005, 08:53 PM:

I had used Nero, but I switched to Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 for CD burning. I think that its a little easier to use. No coasters here! I use DVD X Copy Platinum for burning DVD's. Oh ya, I guess I shouldn't be doing that! [Smile]

If ya can find it, and activate it, its a great program.

Posted by Stephen Frazza (Member # 2320) on 03-01-2005, 09:05 PM:

Definitely Nero, Same reasons as Brad- quick & easy to use and never makes coasters.

Also I really like it for burning iso's for boot disks.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-01-2005, 10:05 PM:

Nero 6, or whatever the latest version of Roxio is. For routine CD burns, I prefer Roxio EasyCD v5.1.something because it just works and I never get coasters. Very easy to use and very reliable. Nero is probably more capable though.

Stay far away from Sonic RecordNow! Recent versions (as shipped by Dell) seem to be incapable of burning ISO image files. Nothing but coasters. I've been uninstalling the current RecordNow! and replacing it with good old EasyCD (which also does DVDs, though I don't know about dual-layer) and everyone is happy.

EDIT: Apparently Sonic has recently acquired Roxio. [thumbsdown]

Posted by Jarryd Beard (Member # 2543) on 03-01-2005, 10:11 PM:

I've always enjoyed Roxio, but I've heard good things about Nero. I've been wanting to try version 6. The only problems experience w/ Roxio were resolved after an upgrade from tech support. For some reason, discs would be randomly finalized on certain occasions.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-01-2005, 11:15 PM:

Nero for PC
Toast Titanium for Mac (by Roxio)

There really isn't any reason to ever use anything else.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-01-2005, 11:29 PM:

Nero SUCKS! Very complicated and PITA to use. I regret spending the $ for that POS!

Roxio Easy CD Creator is the ticket!

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-02-2005, 12:09 AM:

Nero it is then! [evil]

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 03-02-2005, 12:22 AM:

Roxio Creator 7

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 03-02-2005, 01:08 AM:

Bernz-O-Matic

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-02-2005, 06:25 AM:

William likes to stay warm while burning CDs in his car at the drive-in. [Smile]

As to the original question...define "best": cheapest, easiest to use, most powerful, etc.?

I use mkisofs and cdrecord with Plextor SCSI drives. I've never (yes, never) made a coaster. It works great on Windows, Linux, and Solaris (and probably other platforms, though I haven't used others). I like the command-line interface, but I wouldn't recommend this software to my grandmother for obvious reasons.

Roxio seems OK, as long as you make sure to select "disk at once" and don't use that silly "direct CD" thing that makes non-standard disks that many platforms won't read.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-02-2005, 07:20 AM:

Hey Scott Norwood... what do you do with your fancy command lines when someone e-mails you an .NRG file full of porn? Or a .CDI file full of illegal warez (pronounced War-Ez)? You get your 9mm (or maybe a Daisy BB gun in your case) and blow your brains out because you can't convert the files to burn with your crappy software, that's what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!x1000

With Nero, you can natively burn .NRG files (glad that was incorporated into the software itself for whatever reason). And there is a little app that can convert .CDI (DickJuggler) files to .NRG files. It is also faster than command lines. Command lines suck because of typos. Using Nero is the only way to be sure that you get all of your hardcore porn, illegal warez and secret government codes!

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 03-02-2005, 09:27 AM:

I guess by "best" I mean one that will be the most thorough and versatile when it reads and writes a CD.
Back in the Apple days there was a lot of pirate software that allowed you to manipulate the way things were copied. "Bit copy" and so on. There were setups that allowed you to make dupes of any disk (this was for the original IBM PC) even if it were for an Apple, copy protection intact. I guess software manufacturers thought they could copy protect disks and no one would be able to figure out how to defeat the copy protection
So I guess the best would be "Easy" if it were a straight no problems copy, but be able to manipulate data "if you needed it to do so"

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 03-02-2005, 12:57 PM:

Nero all the way. It may be a little less "easy" to use, but it's much better than anything out there. I don't like programs like Roxio that tend to take over every aspect of your computer by placing links, icons, quick launch bs....

Posted by Paul Vollmers (Member # 927) on 03-02-2005, 02:39 PM:

Nero people say Nero !
Roxio people say Roxio !
I have both........but use Roxio V6.....it works for me, and NO coasters.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 03-02-2005, 09:21 PM:

I have a strange problem with Nero (5.5.9.14, bundle version) now. For a while, it didn't switch from Express to the full program, so I reinstalled it. Now it doesn't recognize my CD-writer anymore as a recording device. It is actually not listed on the Ahead website as a supported drive (Mitsumi CR-48XGTE), but it worked without problems. It is not the original drive, but a replacement. The original died when the Christie support CD exploded in it, BTW.
When I bought the Mitsumi and installed it, I ran the drive identification in the Extras menu. After that, it worked. Now, after reinstalling the program, it doesn't work anymore. Identifying the drive only leads to reading speed identification. The drive as such still works fine with other burning programs.
[Confused]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-02-2005, 09:39 PM:

quote: Michael Schaffer
The drive as such still works fine with other burning programs.

Problem with NERO is that it's picky as hell with certain drives to get along with - like a bad woman.

I had this problem before with NERO and a HP burner.

NERO hated that HP unit. Whereas Roxio (Adaptec) would accept any kind of burner.

Windows Media Player 9 series has no problems with burning with any drive.

Veritas software is pretty compatible with any drive as well.

-Monte

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 03-02-2005, 11:48 PM:

I use nero 6 for everything, my TDK CD, HP CD, and Sony Dual Layer DVD. The SmartStart interface is worthless, but you can't beat the rest of the bundled software. I've found myself using the NeroVision Express program for quick and dirty dvd content and menu authoring recently and it does a decent job of that. I use Roxio at work, but don't see how that is any easier or more difficult than Nero. As far as "no coasters", I haven't had that problem with any burning aps since burn-proof or buffer-underrun drives became the norm.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-03-2005, 12:45 AM:

I can't believe none of the tech-heads here have mentioned Sony's CD ARCHITECT 5.0. This software was originally produced by Sonic Foundry (makers of Sound Forge) and has more features than you can shake a stick at. I've been using it for 6 years and it rocks the house.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-03-2005, 04:12 AM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
NERO hated that HP unit. Whereas Roxio (Adaptec) would accept any kind of burner.

Yet another reason to use Nero. HP makes arguably the worst burners on the market.

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 03-03-2005, 01:18 PM:

I use NERO and it works well.

I've used the Windows Media to burn cds before, but they usually come out sounding quieter then cds burned with NERO.

Has anyone used the Burn CD function with iTunes?
I tried it a few times and one one cd, it put the track breaks anywhere from 2 to 20 seconds out of place.
Strange.

Posted by Ben Holley (Member # 2247) on 03-03-2005, 06:32 PM:

nero, especially if you burn dvds as well

quote:
Nero SUCKS! Very complicated and PITA to use. I regret spending the $ for that POS!

did you use Nero Express(vs Nero Burning ROM)? it doesnt get to much simpler than that

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-03-2005, 06:45 PM:

I've used the CD burn/iTunes function.

It worked fine on regular songs, but I purchased an audiobook with a running time of 2 hours 24 minutes, and it is just one big file with no chapters. When I burn it to CD it just gives me the first 74 minutes and stops. Have not been able to figure out how to get the other half on a disk yet, or how to convert it into a file that's readable by Soundforge so I can chapterize it myself. [Mad]

Of course their website is no help (as far as I've been able to find, anyway.)

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-03-2005, 06:48 PM:

Here you go Mike. This software will do what you need to do, and it's freeware. [Big Grin]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-03-2005, 07:35 PM:

You can burn an MP3 CD with iTunes to get all 2+ hours onto a single disc. But then you'd need a CD player that is capable of reading MP3s. Most DVD players do this as well as newer car stereos. But if you want to burn it to a regular CD, then you ain't never ever ever getting all 2+ hours on a single disc. If CDs let you go the MiniDisc route and record in mono, then you could, but CD is not that versatile.

Also, CDs do not have chapters. They have tracks.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-04-2005, 04:12 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
This software will do what you need to do, and it's freeware.

Excellent software!

-Monte

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-07-2005, 06:57 AM:

quote: Michael Schaffer
The original died when the Christie support CD exploded in it, BTW.

How can a CD explode?

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 03-07-2005, 11:30 AM:

cracked or chipped disc + high RPMs. Not really an explosion but more of a shattering and the resulting plastic shrapnel.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-07-2005, 02:05 PM:

OK, I get it. If it disintegrates at that speed it could write off the drive, I guess.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-08-2005, 01:47 AM:

Thanks Brad, I'll give it a try this week.

quote: Joe Redifer
Also, CDs do not have chapters. They have tracks.

I know that of course, Mister Wizard, but this IS an audio "book" I'm talking about, so they might as well be chapters.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-08-2005, 02:27 AM:

Unacceptable.