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Archive-name: cdrom/cd-recordable/part4
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Last-modified: 2003/11/29
Version: 2.50
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Subject: [6] Software
(1998/05/16)
DOS, Win31, Win95, and WinNT all work well, though some recorders are
more difficult to configure for Win95 and WinNT than others. (Note:
Win95 and Win98 are considered equivalent here.)
Mac System 7.x works well, as should 8.x. UNIX variants (notably FreeBSD
and Linux) work, but there aren't as many people using them to create CD-Rs
as there are on other platforms.
If you're interested in burning CDs with long Win95 filenames, be sure to
get a software package that supports Joliet (see section (3-5-4)).
Otherwise all filenames get mashed down to 8+3.
Subject: [6-1] Which software should I use?
(2002/01/04)
Generally speaking, you get what you pay for: the more expensive software
has more features. However, this isn't always the case, and the software
with more features isn't necessarily more useful or more reliable.
There's little standardization among CD-R drive manufacturers, so not
all devices are supported by all programs. This has changed somewhat
with the development of the MMC specification, but deviations from the
standard are not uncommon.
On the PC, if you're new to CD-R, start with Ahead's Nero (6-1-28) or
Roxio's Easy CD Creator Deluxe (6-1-26). If you just want to "back up"
CD-ROMs try CloneCD, and if you want good "backups" and lots of flexbility
when creating audio CDs go with CDRWIN. If you want to write to a disc as
if it were a floppy, try Roxio's DirectCD (included with ECDC; see section
(6-4-1)) or Nero InCD (6-4-7).
On the Mac, go with Toast (6-1-4) or Discribe (6-1-29).
UNIX users probably ought to start with cdrecord (6-1-20) or CDRDAO
(6-1-47).
Most of the software listed below is for PC running Windows. Use the
search feature of your newsreader or web browser to look for "Mac" or
"Linux" if that's what you're interested in.
Subject: [6-1-1] Adaptec - Easy-CD, Easy-CD Pro, and Easy-CD Pro MM ("ECD")
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT)
[ These have been superseded by Easy CD Creator Deluxe (6-1-26). ]
The software was developed by a company called Incat, which was purchased
by Adaptec in 1995.
Easy-CD Pro 95 v1.2 seems to have trouble writing umlauts and other
non-ASCII characters in Joliet mode. Romeo format will work, but the files
will only be accessible from Win95 and WinNT.
Subject: [6-1-2] Adaptec - CD-Creator ("CDC")
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT3.x)
[ This has been superseded by Easy CD Creator Deluxe (6-1-26). ]
The software was developed by Corel, and published by them until it was
purchased by Adaptec in mid-1996. It was combined with Easy-CD Pro to
form Easy CD Creator.
The package includes drivers that allow several popular CD-R drives to
be used as general-purpose CD readers under Win95. It can also create
VideoCD and PhotoCD discs.
Version 2.x is a considerable improvement over version 1.x. Versions
older than 2.01.079 had some problems inserting "knacks" into audio CDs.
Subject: [6-1-3] Gear Software - GEAR Pro
(2001/12/18)
Platforms supported: DOS, Windows (95, NT, 2K), UNIX
See http://www.gearsoftware.com/
GEAR Software was Elektroson until early 1999. It was a subsidiary
of Command Software Systems, Inc. until May 2001, when it became a
free-standing company.
Full-featured CD recording. Includes unattended CD copying and batch
file support.
Subject: [6-1-4] Roxio - Toast
(2000/02/18)
Platforms supported: Mac
See http://www.roxio.com/
The software was developed by Miles GmbH and published by Astarte until
Miles was purchased by Adaptec in early 1997. In 2000 Adaptec spun
the CD recording software group off into Roxio.
This program is recommended for making Mac/PC hybrids, and is the most
popular package for the Mac. It supports HFS, ISO-9660, and Joliet.
At one time it was sold by an OEM as "CD-It All".
The "Toast DVD" upgrade enables creation of DVD-Video and DVD-ROM.
Software updates are available on the web site.
Subject: [6-1-5] CeQuadrat - WinOnCD
(1999/09/12)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.cequadrat.com/
(CeQuadrat was purchased by Adaptec in July 1999, and is now part of Roxio.)
WinOnCD is the full version. WinOnCD ToGo is a "lite" version that comes
bundled with some drives.
Can create VideoCD discs and bootable CD-ROMs.
Subject: [6-1-6] Young Minds, Inc. - CD Studio+
(2001/12/18)
Platforms supported: Windows (NT), UNIX (Linux, others)
See http://www.ymi.com/
CD recording system with a Java interface. The web site has information
about specialized solutions for things like recording over Novell networks
and working with CD-R jukeboxes.
Subject: [6-1-7] Golden Hawk Technology (Jeff Arnold) - CDRWIN
(2000/05/25)
Platforms supported: DOS, Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.goldenhawk.com/
See http://www.cd-brennen.de/ (german distributor)
(CDRWIN is the name of the Win95 version. I don't believe the DOS versions
have an official name.)
Contains sophisticated CD-ROM duplication programs, track-at-once and
disc-at-once utilities for sound and data, and other goodies. Some of the
DOS-based software is free, the rest is relatively inexpensive.
This comes highly recommended for creating audio CDs, because it gives you
a great deal of control over the creation process. Updates for the
software are available on the net.
The "vcache" tweak from section (4-1-2) is strongly recommended for users
of CDRWIN to avoid buffer underruns.
If you use a Yamaha 200/400 and get "Logical Unit Not Ready" errors, try
disabling the data caching.
Independent cue sheet editors are available from http://www.dcsoft.com/
and http://www.crosswinds.net/~cueed2000/.
Subject: [6-1-8] Optical Media International - QuickTOPiX CD
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT), Mac
See http://www.microtest.com/
[ product has been discontinued ]
Subject: [6-1-9] Creative Digital Research - CDR Publisher
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT), UNIX
See http://www.cdr1.com/ (a/k/a http://www.hycd.com/)
Can create Mac/PC/UNIX hybrid CDs (i.e. CDs that work on all three
platforms), as well as bootable CDs for PCs and UNIX. If you need a
CD that works (and looks good) on Win95, MacOS, and UNIX, this is the
program for you.
The Solaris version should be available through Sun's Catalyst program; see
http://www.sun.com/sunsoft/catlink/cdr/cdrpub.htm.
Subject: [6-1-10] mkisofs
(2000/09/10)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT), UNIX (many)
Sources at ftp://ftp.fokus.gmd.de/pub/unix/cdrecord
This allows creation of an ISO-9660 filesystem on disk or tape, which can
then be copied to a CD-R. It can create discs with Joliet, Rock Ridge,
and HFS filenames, and can be configured to ignore certain facets of the
ISO standard (like maximum directory depth). Recent versions support
multisession and several kinds of bootable discs.
This can be used in conjunction with "cdrecord" (6-1-20) to write discs
under UNIX. For other platforms, chances are good that your favorite CD
recording application is able to write ISO-9660 images. (If not, there's
probably a "cdrecord" port for your platform of choice.)
See http://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/CD-Writing-HOWTO for a
"HOWTO" guide on writing CDs under Linux.
Subject: [6-1-11] Asimware Innovations - MasterISO
(2002/04/07)
Platforms supported: Amiga
See http://www.asimware.com/
[ product discontinued ]
(Asimware was purchased by Iomega in March 2001.)
Full-featured CD-R mastering package for the Amiga.
Subject: [6-1-12] Newtech Infosystems, Inc. (NTI) - CD-Maker
(2002/02/27)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.ntius.com/ (demo available)
Full-featured CD creation and duplication software.
If you get "illegal request, invalid block address" complaints reading
from an ATAPI CD-ROM drive, your ASPI layer may be corrupted. See the
instructions in http://www.fadden.com/doc/ntius-aspi.txt.
Subject: [6-1-13] Cirrus Technology/Unite - CDMaker
(1998/09/05)
Platforms supported: OS/2
See http://www.cirunite.com/ (demo available)
Drag-and-drop CD creation, written specifically for OS/2. Allows creation
of CDs with an HPFS (OS/2) filesystem.
[ product has been discontinued? ]
Subject: [6-1-14] Hohner Midia - Red Roaster
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://hohnermidia.com/proaudio.html [web site gone?]
Windows-based CD-R software that has some nice features for creating
audio discs, including the ability to edit the P-Q subcode data.
The "rrdemo.zip" on the web site is actually a demo of Samplitude Master
from SEK´D Software. Samplitude Master is a fancy audio editing program
that - among other things - allows you to create ISO-9660 images suitable
for writing to a CD-R, but the demo package doesn't include software to do
the actual writing (the full package includes PoINT CDaudio).
Subject: [6-1-15] Dataware Technologies - CD Author
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: DOS
See http://www.dataware.com/site/prodserv/cd_rom.htm
See http://www.dataware.de/untern/index.html
CD creation software aimed at the corporate user. Comes with libraries
for creating custom applications.
Subject: [6-1-16] CreamWare - Triple DAT
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95)
See http://www.creamware.com/
A hardware and software combo for professional-quality sound editing, this
now includes an audio CD creation tool.
Subject: [6-1-17] MicroTech - MasterMaker
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: DOS
See http://www.microtech.com/product/mmaker/
Pre-mastering software that supports the Rock Ridge extensions. The free
demo creates ISO-9660 disc images.
Subject: [6-1-18] Angela Schmidt & Patrick Ohly - MakeCD
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Amiga
See http://makecd.core.de/
CD-R creation software that supports the "AS" extensions (which preserve
the Amiga protection bits and file comments).
You need AmiCDFS, CacheCDFS, AsimCDFS, or something similar
to make use of the "AS" extensions. AmiCDFS is (was?) available from
http://ftp.uni-paderborn.de/aminet/dirs/disk_cdrom.html. Look for
amicdfs*.lha, where '*' is a version number.
Subject: [6-1-19] Liquid Audio Inc. - Liquid Player
(2000/08/05)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K), Mac
See http://www.liquidaudio.com/
A music player that includes the ability to record CDs. You can preview
music and purchase it over the Internet.
Subject: [6-1-20] Jörg Schilling - cdrecord
(2003/05/23)
Platforms supported: UNIX (several), Windows (95, NT), Mac, OS/2, BeOS, VMS, ...
See
http://www.fokus.fraunhofer.de/research/cc/glone/employees/joerg.schilling/private/cdrecord.html
See ftp://ftp.berlios.de/pub/cdrecord/
A collection of freeware software and drivers for burning CDs under an
impressive variety of operating systems. Source code is available. See
the web site for an up-to-date list of features and supported systems.
(Note the package is now called "cdrtools".)
Supports DVD-R as well.
http://sites.inka.de/~W1752/cdrecord/frontend.en.html has a comparision
of front-ends for cdrecord. One of them, X-CD-Roast, is listed in
section (6-1-40).
This is commonly used with "mkisofs" (6-1-10) for creating ISO images.
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Sector/5785/cdrecord/cdrecordmain.htm
has an OS/2 port.
Subject: [6-1-21] Prassi Software - CD Rep and CD Right
(2003/07/08)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
[ product has been discontinued ]
CD mastering bundled with SCSI Rep, which allows you to write to more than
one SCSI CD-R at once. See also section (3-17).
Subject: [6-1-22] Zittware - CDMaster32
(2000/08/05)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.zittware.com/Products/CDMaster32/cdmaster32.html (shareware)
Specializes in recording audio CDs from MP3s.
Subject: [6-1-23] Dieter Baron and Armin Obersteiner - CD Tools
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Amiga
See http://www.giga.or.at/nih/cdtools.html
Free CD writing tools, with source code.
Subject: [6-1-24] PoINT - CDwrite
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95)
See http://www.pointsoft.de/
Full-featured CD recording.
Subject: [6-1-25] PoINT - CDaudio Plus
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95)
See http://www.pointsoft.de/
Creates audio CDs, with full control over P/Q subcodes.
Subject: [6-1-26] Roxio - Easy CD Creator Deluxe ("ECDC")
(2002/01/04)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT4, 2K)
See http://www.roxio.com/
[ Adaptec spun off Roxio as a subsidiary in 2000. All of Adaptec's CD
recording software products were moved to the Roxio label. ]
Adaptec/Roxio's all-singing, all-dancing combination of Easy-CD Pro
and CD Creator. Combines the best features of both and costs less,
including the ability to create PhotoCDs, VideoCDs, and jewel case inserts.
Also includes some new features, including an application called "Spin
Doctor" that helps convert from old LPs to CD.
ECDC up to v3.5a has a "two-second truncation" problem, where extracted
audio tracks end up missing two seconds. This doesn't happen for every
system or every disc, but is 100% reproducible in situations where it
arises. Version 3.01d fixed the problem for some users but not others.
One other note: CD Copier Deluxe in ECDC v3.x does *not* do disc-at-once
recording when copying from disc-to-disc (the web site is right, the manual
is wrong), but ECDC itself does. If you want to make a disc-to-disc copy
with disc-at-once recording, you should set up ECDC to copy the disc
without buffering to the hard drive. ECDC will refuse to use DAO if your
writer doesn't support it reliably or the source drive is too slow.
Recent versions of ECDC can be used to write to 80-minute discs. For v4.x
and earlier, don't use the "wizard", and ignore any complaints about being
over the maximum time.
Uninstalling ECDC v4.02c up to and including v5.01 may disrupt access to
CD-ROM drives under WinXP and Win2K. See section (4-49) for details.
See http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/23448.html for an opinionated
piece about the trials and tribulations of ECDC and WinXP/Win2K.
Subject: [6-1-27] Padus - DiscJuggler
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.padus.com/ (demo available)
Allows you to write to more than one SCSI CD-R at a time. See also
section (3-17).
Subject: [6-1-28] Ahead Software - Nero
(2002/03/18)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.ahead.de/ (demo available)
See http://www.nero.com/
Full-featured CD creation and duplication. Fairly popular among the
Internet community.
Supports the "variable-gap track-at-once" feature of drives like the Sony
926S and Mitsumi CR-2801TE when creating CDs (but not when copying them?).
Comes with "MultiMounter", which appears to be similar to Roxio's
"Session Selector".
NOTE: Nero may not work correctly if DirectCD is installed. You may need
to uninstall DirectCD to get Nero to work. (This was especially true with
older versions of the software back in 1999, but may still be the case now.)
NOTE: Some shrink-wrapped copies of Nero that were originally bundled with
CD recorders have been turning up at flea markets and computer shows.
These may only support the device that they were initially sold with,
but there is no such indication on the disc or packaging.
Subject: [6-1-29] CharisMac Engineering - Discribe
(1999/02/26)
Platforms supported: Mac
See http://www.charismac.com/Products/Discribe/index.html
CD creation for the Mac. Supports creation of hybrid CDs and disc-at-once
recording. This is a popular alternative to Toast for the Mac.
Subject: [6-1-30] István Dósa - DFY$VMSCD
(1998/04/06)
Platform supported: VMS (VAX, Alpha)
See http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/vms.html
Construct CD-ROMs under VMS.
Subject: [6-1-31] RSJ Software - RSJ CD Writer
(2001/05/10)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, OS/2)
See http://www.rsj.de/
CD writing with support for ISO-9660, Joliet, and Rock Ridge extensions.
Uses a buffering scheme to allow drive-letter access without packet
writing.
Subject: [6-1-32] James Pearson - mkhybrid
(2000/05/05)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT), UNIX
See http://www.ge.ucl.ac.uk/~jcpearso/mkhybrid.html
This is a mkisofs variant that creates discs in ISO-9660 format with
Joliet, Rock Ridge, and HFS extensions. HFS files can be encoded as an HFS
"hybrid" or using Apple's ISO-9660 extensions.
[ This has been merged with "mkisofs" and "cdrecord", section (6-1-20). ]
Subject: [6-1-33] JVC - Personal Archiver Plus
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT), Mac
See http://www.jvcinfo.com/archiver.html
See http://www.jvc-victor.co.jp/english/cdr/cdrext-e.html
JVC's CD-R software, frequently bundled with JVC recorders.
Includes "CD-R Extensions" packet-writing software for Win31/Win95 (also
known as "FloppyCD"?).
Subject: [6-1-34] Roxio - Jam
(2001/01/04)
Platforms supported: Mac
See http://www.roxio.com/
An updated version of Astarte's "CD-DA" package, intended for creating
professional audio CDs.
Subject: [6-1-35] Pinnacle Systems - InstantCD/DVD (was VOB)
(2002/12/02)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.pinnaclesys.com/
[ VOB was purchased by Pinnacle Systems, Inc. in October 2002. Previous
sites were http://www.vob.de/ and http://www.vobinc.com/ ]
A package that includes:
- InstantCD Wizard: full-featured CD recording software
- MultiCopy: fancy disc copier that can skip ranges and patch on the fly
- InstantWrite: packet writing, see (6-4-5)
- InstantBackup: backup software based on InstantWrite
- InstantVideo: VideoCD and DVD creation
- InstantMusic: arrange and record audio CDs
- InstantDrive: CD-ROM drive emulator
- WebXtension: save Internet data on CD
Subject: [6-1-36] Sony - CD Architect
(2003/10/14)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.sonicfoundry.com/
Fancy audio CD creation, including PQ editing and cross-fades. The
original product was popular among people who regularly pre-master discs
for mass production.
The product was discontinued in 1998 or so, but returned to the market in
late 2002. Sonic Foundry's product line was purchased by Sony Pictures
Digital in August 2003.
Subject: [6-1-37] Eberhard Heuser-Hofmann - CDWRITE
(1998/05/10)
Platforms supported: VMS (VAX, Alpha)
See http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/9999/vmscdwri.html
Get ftp://v36.chemie.uni-konstanz.de/cdwrite/
Construct and write CD-ROMs from VMS.
Subject: [6-1-38] CeQuadrat - JustAudio!
(1998/06/14)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.cequadrat.com/
(CeQuadrat was purchased by Adaptec in July 1999, and is now part of Roxio.)
Audio CD creation. Includes de-noise program for data digitized from
tapes or records, and a layout tool for creating booklets, inlay cards,
or labels.
Subject: [6-1-39] Digidesign - MasterList CD
(1998/08/16)
Platforms supported: Mac
See http://www.digidesign.com/prod/mlcd/
Full-featured audio CD creation.
Subject: [6-1-40] Thomas Niederreiter - X-CD-Roast
(1998/10/18)
Platforms supported: UNIX (Linux)
See http://www.xcdroast.org/
This is a Tcl/Tk/Tix front-end for mkisofs and cdrecord.
Subject: [6-1-41] Jesper Pedersen - BurnIT
(1998/10/12)
Platforms supported: UNIX
See http://sunsite.auc.dk/BurnIT/
This is a Java front-end for cdrecord, mkisofs and cdda2wav.
Subject: [6-1-42] Jens Fangmeier - Feurio!
(2002/06/24)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.feurio.de/
Audio CD creation.
(As of mid-2002, Feurio! was also being sold on the Ahead web site.)
Subject: [6-1-43] Iomega - HotBurn
(2001/06/25)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT4, 2K, XP), Mac
See http://www.iomega.com/software/hotburn/
See http://www.asimware.com/
(Asimware Innovations was purchased by Iomega in March 2001.)
Looks to be a solid data and audio recording program.
Subject: [6-1-44] DARTECH, Inc - DART CD-Recorder
(1998/11/18)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.dartpro.com/ (demo available)
Audio CD creation with wide support for both analog and digital sources.
Subject: [6-1-45] Interactive Information R&D - CDEveryWhere
(1999/02/07)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT), Mac, UNIX (Linux, Solaris)
See http://www.cdeverywhere.com/
This is a Java application that creates hybrid disc images with Rock Ridge,
Joliet, and HFS support. The image can be written with any application
that can handle ISO-9660 disc images.
Subject: [6-1-46] DnS Development - BurnIt
(1999/04/11)
Platforms supported: Amiga
See http://www.titancomputer.de/
Simple but powerful recording for the Amiga.
[ no longer listed on their web site? ]
Subject: [6-1-47] Andreas Müller - CDRDAO
(2002/12/02)
Platforms supported: UNIX (several), Windows (cygwin), OS/2
See http://cdrdao.sourceforge.net/
Linux application that does disc-at-once audio recording. Good for
copying many types of discs. Source code is available.
See http://users.forthnet.gr/ath/axatis/XDuplicator/ for a GUI front-end.
Subject: [6-1-48] Tracer Technologies - (various)
(1999/06/30)
Platforms supported: UNIX (several)
See http://www.tracertech.com/
Business-oriented CD-recordable applications, ranging from single user
CD recording to data migration and archiving with CD and DVD jukeboxes.
Subject: [6-1-49] SlySoft - CloneCD
(2003/10/02)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, ME, NT4, 2K, XP)
See http://www.slysoft.com/ (demo available)
[ Originally developed by Elaborate Bytes (http://www.elby.ch/) in Germany,
the software was sold to SlySoft in September 2003. Apparently the folks
at Elaborate Bytes were concerned about legal action after Germany passed
a copyright law similar to the USA's DMCA. ]
CD copier that can copy just about anything. Check the web site for a
list of supported hardware.
There are some "unofficial" CloneCD discussion forums that may be of
interest when trying to copy something tricky:
CD-Freaks.com (english & dutch)
http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=18
CDR-Info.com (english)
http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=16
Brennmeister.com (german)
http://www.brennmeister.de/forum/viewforum.php?forum=4
Subject: [6-1-50] IgD - FireBurner
(2001/12/08)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, Linux)
See http://www.fireburner.com/ (shareware)
Simple disc recording software that takes image files (BIN/CUE, ISO, WAV)
as input and writes a disc. The "binchunker" program, which converts to
and from BIN/CUE files, is incorporated. Can record audio CDs from MP3s.
Subject: [6-1-51] Jodian Systems & Software - CDWRITE
(1999/12/19)
Platforms supported: Windows (NT, NT-Alpha), UNIX (several)
See http://www.jodian.com/
Somewhat limited recording software available for a broad range of
platforms.
Subject: [6-1-52] Erik Deppe - CD+G Creator
(1999/12/31)
Platforms supported: Windows (95)
See http://users.pandora.be/erik.deppe/cdgcreator.htm
Create your own CD+G discs.
Subject: [6-1-53] Micro-Magic - CD Composer
(2000/01/24)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.cdcomposer.com/
Audio CD creation. Extracts audio from CDs, MP3s, LPs (via a sound card),
and allows you to construct custom CDs. Also copies CD-ROMs and writes
ISO images.
Subject: [6-1-54] Earjam, Inc. - Earjam IMP
(2000/02/07)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.earjam.com/
An "Internet Music Player" that can record to CD-R.
Subject: [6-1-55] Emagic - Waveburner
(2000/03/06)
Platforms supported: Mac
See http://www.emagic.de/
Full-featured audio CD creation for the Mac. Can do cross-fades and other
fancy tricks.
Subject: [6-1-56] Zy2000 - MP3 CD Maker
(2000/05/25)
Platforms supported: Windows (95)
See http://www.zy2000.com/ (shareware)
Recording application dedicated to writing MP3 songs onto CD-R.
Subject: [6-1-57] Integral Research - Speedy-CD
(2000/08/05)
Platforms supported: PC
See http://www.speedy-cd.com/
Fast CD-R duplication, with support for up to 6 CD recorders running
simultaneously.
Subject: [6-1-58] Desernet Broadband Media - Net-Burner and MP3-Burner
(2000/08/05)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.net-burner.com/ (demo available)
Net-Burner lets you wrap up data into a self-extracting -- and
self-recording -- downloadable file. For example, Music Net-Burner lets
you wrap up MP3s, jewel case art, and a track listing into a single
executable file. When run, the program unpacks itself and writes to
a CD recorder. It does on-the-fly MP3 decoding, supports overburning,
and can do disc-at-once recording. Data Net-Burner does the same sort
of thing for CD-ROMs.
MP3-Burner creates audio CDs from MP3 files.
Subject: [6-1-59] Stomp, Inc. - Click 'N Burn
(2000/09/21)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.clicknburn.com/
Full-featured CD recording. Creates CDs and CD-ROMs, with all the
trimmings.
Subject: [6-1-60] Steinberg Media Technologies - Clean! plus
(2000/11/10)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.steinberg.net/products/
Audio restoration and CD recording. Designed specifically for transferring
music from analog sources such as cassette tapes and vinyl records.
Subject: [6-1-61] Enreach - I-Author for VCD/SVCD
(2000/11/13)
Platforms supported: Windows?
See http://www.enreach.com/Products/products/etv1/iauthvcd.htm
See http://www.enreach.com/Products/products/etv1/iauthsvcd.htm
Authoring tools for VCD and SVCD.
Subject: [6-1-62] VSO Software - Blindread/Blindwrite
(2002/11/12)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.blindwrite.com/
Disc copier; does "raw" reads and writes. Can be useful for analyzing
copy-protected discs.
Subject: [6-1-63] Microsoft - Windows XP
(2001/08/16)
Platforms supported: Windows (XP)
See http://www.microsoft.com/
Windows XP has built-in support for recording to CD-R and CD-RW. See
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/bridgman/august13.asp
for an overview.
Subject: [6-1-64] An Chen Computers - CD Mate
(2001/12/19)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, ME, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.cd-mate.com/ (demo available)
See http://cdmate.copystar.com.tw/
Full-featured data and audio CD recording software. Competes with
CloneCD and Nero.
Subject: [6-1-65] E-Soft - Alcohol
(2002/10/11)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.alcohol-software.com/
Disc copying and drive emulation software.
Subject: [6-1-66] Stomp Inc. - RecordNow MAX
(2002/10/15)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, ME, NT4, 2K, XP)
See http://www.stompinc.com/recordnowmax/
Fancy CD recording intended to compete directly against Easy CD Creator.
Supports DVD+R. Includes "Drive Letter Access" packet writing software
for CD-RW drives.
Subject: [6-1-67] James Mieczkowski - Cheetah CD Burner
(2003/03/25)
Platforms supported: Winodws (95, ME, NT4, 2K, XP)
See http://www.cheetahburner.com/
Straightforward CD recording.
Subject: [6-1-68] Blaze Audio - RipEditBurn
(2003/07/08)
Platforms supported: Windows (98, ME, 2K, XP)
See http://www.blazeaudio.com/
Audio CD extraction and recording software, designed for people moving
music between CDs and MP3 files.
Subject: [6-1-69] Acoustica, Inc. - MP3 CD Burner
(2003/11/29)
Platforms supported: Windows (98, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.acoustica.com/ (demo available)
Burns music and MP3 CDs/DVDs from MP3 and WMA files. Includes a music
library manager and a CD label maker.
Subject: [6-2] What other useful software is there?
(1998/04/06)
Software related to CD-Rs that isn't a direct part of the premastering
process.
Subject: [6-2-1] Optical Media International - Disc-to-Disk
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT), Mac
See http://www.microtest.com/html/optical_media.html
[ product has been discontinued ]
Subject: [6-2-2] Gilles Vollant - WinImage
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.winimage.com/
Among other things, this lets you list and extract the contents of an
ISO-9660 image.
Subject: [6-2-3] Asimware Innovations - AsimCDFS
(2001/06/25)
Platforms supported: Amiga
See http://www.asimware.com/
(Asimware was purchased by Iomega in March 2001.)
Allows the Amiga to read High Sierra, Mac HFS, and ISO-9660 (including Rock
Ridge extensions).
[ product has been discontinued? ]
Subject: [6-2-4] Steven Grimm - WorkMan
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: UNIX
See http://www.midwinter.com/ftp/WorkMan/
In addition to its primary role as an audio CD player for UNIX workstations,
version 1.4 (still in beta) allows SPARC/Solaris2.4+ workstations to extract
digital audio into ".au" files.
Subject: [6-2-5] Cyberdyne Software - CD Worx
(2001/03/03)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.cyberdyne-software.com/cdworx.html
Full-featured extraction and manipulation of audio data from CDs.
Subject: [6-2-6] Arrowkey - CD-R Diagnostic
(2002/08/01)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.arrowkey.com/ (or http://www.cdrom-prod.com/)
[ products formerly published under "Paul Crowley CD-ROM Productions" ]
Does a number of useful things, such as displaying the contents of the TOC,
listing the full volume label, analyzing the media, and recovering data from
"lost" sessions and hosed UDF discs.
This software is widely recommended for recovering data from otherwise
unusable discs.
Subject: [6-2-7] DC Software Design - CDRCue Cuesheet Editor
(1998/09/14)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.dcsoft.com/
Cue sheet editor for CDRWIN.
Subject: [6-2-8] Astarte - CD-Copy
(2000/09/11)
Platforms supported: Mac
See ?
Half of a CD copier. CD-Copy has a lot of features for reading CDs as
images, but is unable to write them (presumably you're supposed to use
Toast for that).
[ Doesn't appear to be published by www.astarte.de anymore. Doesn't
seem to be part of the Roxio lineup, either. I'm told the intellectual
property was purchased by Apple in 1999 or 2000. ]
Subject: [6-2-9] Frank Wolf - CDR Media Code Identifier
(2000/09/03)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.gum.de/it/download/
Attempts to identify the manufacturer of a CD-R disc. Reports the code from
the ATIP region, which tells you who made the stamper used to create the
blanks, and what kind of dye is in use. Shows the exact length of a disc.
This information may or may not be accurate; see section (2-33) for an
explanation.
Subject: [6-2-10] Logiciels & Services Duhem - MacImage
(2002/08/01)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.macdisk.com/macimgen.php3
Allows you to build CD-ROM images on a PC that are compatible with
the Macintosh. Can create hybrid HFS/ISO-9660 images, ISO-9660 with
Apple extension images, and pure HFS images (using the virtual filesystem
image feature).
The virtual HFS partition feature allows you to create Macintosh volumes in
a file on the PC, and manipulate files there.
Subject: [6-2-11] Erik Deppe - CD Speed 2000
(2002/01/09)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.cdspeed2000.com/
See http://come.to/cdspeed
Tests various facets of CD-ROM drive performance, including DAE ability.
Tables of results are available on the web site.
[ There are references to "Nero CD Speed 2000" on the web site, suggesting
that the software is now related to Ahead? ]
Subject: [6-2-12] Andre Wiethoff - Exact Audio Copy (EAC)
(2000/01/04)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
There are many programs for extracting digital audio, but EAC has become
the de facto standard application for doing so. On some CD-ROM drives
it can guarantee extraction of 100% perfect audio, and on most others it
does as well or better than anything else available.
Subject: [6-2-13] Earle F. Philhower, III - cdrLabel
(2000/08/19)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.ziplabel.com/cdrlabel/
Generates and maintains catalogs of CD and CD-ROM data, including song
lists and file directories. Makes it easy to print label cards.
Subject: [6-2-14] Adobe - Audition (formerly Cool Edit)
(2003/09/08)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.adobe.com/
[ In May 2003, Syntrillium Software's assets were purchased by Adobe Corp.
Three months later, one of the best shareware sound editing programs ever
written -- Cool Edit -- was officially discontinued when Cool Edit Pro
was re-released as Adobe Audition. ]
High-end, fairly expensive audio editing software.
Subject: [6-2-15] Elwin Oost - Burn to the Brim
(2002/04/28)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://bttb.sourceforge.net/
Given a large collection of files, BTTB finds the arrangement that gets
the most files onto the fewest discs.
Subject: [6-2-16] Mike Looijmans - CDWave
(2001/08/28)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.cdwave.com/
Useful utility for breaking a large WAV file into several smaller ones.
Comes in handy when you're working with audio recorded from a cassette
or LP and want to insert track markers.
Subject: [6-2-17] ECI - DriveEasy
(2001/09/26)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.eciusa.com/driveeasy.htm
System diagnostic program, useful for making sure that your system and CD
recorder are working correctly. It includes some utilities for getting
technical information on your drive and on CDs.
Subject: [6-2-18] Jackie Franck - Audiograbber
(2001/10/03)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.audiograbber.com-us.net/ (demo available)
See http://www.audiograbber.de/
Fancy audio extraction application. Can rip to MP3 and normalize sound
levels across multiple tracks.
Subject: [6-2-19] High Criteria - Total Recorder
(2001/11/01)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.HighCriteria.com/
An audio capture program that looks like a sound card. After you install
this software, you can tell Windows to play sound through it. A copy of
the sound will be recorded to disk, making this an easy way to get perfect
copies of audio from "protected" formats (e.g. encrypted Windows Media
Player files or DVD-ROM).
Subject: [6-2-20] Smart Projects - IsoBuster
(2002/10/21)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.smart-projects.net/isobuster/
Creates and manipulates disc images in a variety of formats (ISO, BIN/CUE,
CIF, NRG, others).
Subject: [6-2-21] GoldWave Inc. - GoldWave
(2003/11/29)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.goldwave.com/ (shareware)
Full-featured audio editor, suitable for manipulating CD audio data.
Includes CD ripper and click/pop reduction filters.
Subject: [6-3] What is packet writing (a/k/a DLA - Drive Letter Access)?
(2002/05/28)
Packet writing is an alternative to writing entire tracks or discs.
It allows you to write much smaller chunks, down to the level of individual
files. With track-at-once recording there's a maximum of 99 tracks per
disc, a minimum track length of 300 blocks, and an additional 150 blocks
of overhead for run-in, run-out, pregap, and linking. Packet writing
allows many writes per track, with only 7 blocks of overhead per write (4
for run-in, 2 for run-out, and 1 for link). Since it's possible to write
packets that are small enough to fit entirely in the CD recorder's buffer,
the risk of buffer underruns can be eliminated.
There are some problems with packet writing, mostly due to the inability of
older CD-ROM drives to deal with the gaps between packets. CD-ROM drives
can become confused if they read into the gap, a problem complicated by
read-ahead optimizations on some models.
There are two basic "philosophies" behind packet writing, fixed-size and
variable-size. With fixed-size packets, the CD recorder writes data
whenever it has a full packet. All packets in the same track must have the
same size. It's relatively easy for a CD-ROM drive to skip over the
inter-packet gaps if it knows where the gaps are ahead of time, but there's
a large installed base of CD-ROM drives that aren't that smart.
With variable-sized packets, the CD-ROM drive can't tell ahead of
time where the gaps are. The problem can be avoided by laying out the
filesystem in such a way that the drive never tries to read from the gaps.
One approach is to put each file into a single packet, but if the size
of a file exceeds the size of the CD recorder write buffer, the risk of
buffer underruns returns. An alternative is to write the file in several
pieces, but the Level 1 ISO-9660 filesystem supported by most operating
systems doesn't support this. Replacing the "redirector" (e.g. MSCDEX)
with one that supports Level 3 ISO-9660 solves the problem.
Files on packet-written discs are typically stored in a UDF filesystem.
When the session is closed -- necessary for the disc to be readable on
anything but a CD recorder -- some implementations will wrap an ISO-9660
filesystem around the disc to make the files accessible on systems without
a UDF reader. When DirectCD for Windows closes a disc in ISO-9660 format,
it uses Level 3 multi-extent files. Support for Level 3 ISO-9660 will
likely be added to future OSs, but for the time being it can be difficult
to share such discs between machines that aren't running Win95/NT.
DirectCD for Mac OS leaves the disc in UDF format, so reading the discs
requires a UDF driver. See section (6-3-1) for more information on UDF,
including a web site where free UDF drivers can be downloaded. (If you
have DirectCD, you don't need to download the drivers separately; you would
only need them if you didn't own packet-writing software and wanted to read
discs created by somebody who did.)
Writing to a CD-R with packets will be slower than writing with standard
premastering software. Since the expected application for packet writing
is "drive letter access" rather than creating an entire CD, this should not
be an issue for most people.
Audio CDs can't be written with packets.
You really don't want to defragment a CD-RW written with fixed packets.
The disc is deliberately fragmented to avoid "wearing out" sectors on
the disc.
Some early CD recorders were only be able to write to a disc the first 99
times it was placed in the drive, because the recorder has to calibrate
the laser power before writing, and there are only 99 spaces for doing
the test writes. Sony and Philips have developed ways to work around the
problem, such as remembering the last 10 pieces of media seen, so this
doesn't cause problems on current drives.
Information on packet-writing software follows. It is in general a bad
idea to have more than one installed at the same time.
Subject: [6-3-1] What's UDF?
(2002/12/04)
UDF is an acronym for the humbly-named "Universal Disk Format". It's a
specification for a filesystem intended for use on write-once and
rewritable media. It's currently being used for DVD and some of the
CD-R/CD-RW packet writing software (e.g. Roxio DirectCD).
There have been four important releases of the specification:
- 1.02: first release; primarily useful for read-only media like DVD-ROM.
- 1.5: includes defect management, useful for CD-R and CD-RW.
- 2.0: adds support for Stream Files, Access Control Lists, and
power calibration.
- 2.01: adds support for Real Time Files.
MacOS 8.1 and Win98 support UDF v1.02. Windows XP supports 1.02, 1.5,
and 2.01. To read UDF-format packet-written CD-R and CD-RW discs, you
need UDF v1.5 support. Roxio has made free UDF 1.5 drivers available for
Mac and Windows on their web site (check there for a list of supported
CD-ROM drives). Also, if you insert a disc formatted with DirectCD v3.0
or later into a Windows machine without a UDF reader, you will be offered
the opportunity to install one.
Download free UDF 1.5 drivers for MacOS and Win95/Win98/WinNT4 from
http://www.roxio.com/en/support/udfwin/index.html
http://www.roxio.com/en/support/udfmac/udfmacreadme.html
(The Windows driver appears to have moved; look at the bottom of
http://www.roxio.com/en/support/roxio_support/ecdc/ecdc_software_updatesv4.jhtml.)
The technical specifications for the UDF filesystem can be found at
http://www.osta.org/specs/index.htm.
UDF is based on the ISO/IEC 13346 standard, now ECMA-167, available from
http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/ECMA-167.htm.
You can find Linux source code under development at
http://trylinux.com/projects/udf/.
Philips has made UDF verification software available (source and binaries) at
http://www.extra.research.philips.com/udf/.
Subject: [6-3-2] Do I want to do packet writing?
(2003/01/13)
It depends. If your primary interests are writing audio CDs, duplicating
CD-ROMs (for backups, right?), or creating CD-ROMs full of files that you
can give to others, packet writing won't help you much.
Discs written by programs like Roxio DirectCD aren't usable in a CD-ROM
reader until they're finalized. Finalized discs are in ISO-9660 format,
but it's ISO-9660 Level 3, which not all operating systems can interpret
(Win9x and WinNT can, with appropriate "redirectors" installed).
On the other hand, if you want to be able to add small amounts of data over
time, it may be extremely useful. You can read the unfinalized discs on
your system, so the data isn't inaccessible; it just can't be accessed on
other systems that aren't also set up to do packet writing. You can
overwrite files on CD-R media (the old data is still there, but the newer
directory entry points to the new file), something that was very costly
with multisession writes. And, of course, the risk of a buffer underrun
is almost nonexistent.
Most backup software (by which I mean backing up your system, not "backing
up" the latest game) uses packet writing. This can affect your ability
to read backups from some operating systems, notably MS-DOS. See section
(4-52).
As with CD-RW, it doesn't hurt to buy a recorder that supports it, but
you're probably not missing much if you have one without it. (As of the
year 2002, nearly all new recorders support both.)
Now, a reality check: sometimes packet-written discs "go funny". This could
be because the CD-RW media is wearing out, or because the computer locked
up when some data was pending but not yet written, or because the software
has bugs. Whatever the case, DO NOT write your only copy of valuable data
to a packet-written disc and keep adding stuff to it. If you do, there
is a good chance you will be making a contribution to the people listed
in section (6-2-6).
The format that has proven the least reliable of all CD formats is
packet-written CD-RW media (which almost always uses fixed-length packets).
Writing to a CD-R with variable-length packets is a big step up, especially
since nothing is ever really erased from a CD-R. If it's important data,
write it to a CD-R (with packet writing or, better yet, conventional
disc-at-once recording) and then close the disc and don't write to it again.
Having had our reality check, I can point out that a HUGE number of people
use packet writing every day, for the most part without even realizing
it, and relatively few suffer for doing so. It's even integrated into
operating systems like Windows XP. It's important to understand the risks
and act appropriately.
Subject: [6-4] What packet writing software should I use?
(2003/03/06)
There is no clear winner, but most current offerings are pretty good.
Subject: [6-4-1] Roxio - Drag-to-Disc (a/k/a DirectCD)
(2003/04/21)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K), Mac
See http://www.roxio.com/
UDF-based packet writing software. Check the compatibility list on the web
site to see if it works with your CD recorder and your firmware revision
level.
DirectCD for Windows versions older than 1.01 conflicted with some
scanners. Be sure to check the Roxio web site for the latest version.
Note that DirectCD for Windows 1.x and 2.x may not support the same set of
drives on all operating systems; for example, 2.0 only worked with drives
capable of using CD-RW media. If you're running WinNT, you need 2.x.
NOTE: There seems to be a great deal of misinformation about how to disable
DirectCD for Windows. See section (3-45) for more information.
One other note about DirectCD for Windows: in some situations you may have
trouble reinstalling it. If so, try removing (or renaming) scsi1hlp.vxd,
usually found in c:\windows\system\iosubsys\.
Uninstalling DirectCD v3.01 or v3.01c may disable access to CD-ROM drives
under WinXP and Win2K. See section (4-49) for details.
Subject: [6-4-2] CeQuadrat - PacketCD
(1999/03/07)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.cequadrat.com/
(CeQuadrat was purchased by Adaptec in July 1999, and is now part of Roxio.)
UDF-based packet writing software. Recent versions offer transparent
data compression, potentially increasing the disc capacity.
Subject: [6-4-3] SmartStorage - SmartCD for Recording
(2003/07/08)
Platforms supported: Windows (NT)
[ product has been discontinued ]
Packet writing software intended for shared environments.
Subject: [6-4-4] Gutenberg Systems - FloppyCD
(2003/07/08)
Platforms supported: Windows (95)
[ product has been discontinued ]
Originally released by JVC as "CD-R Extensions".
Does variable-sized packet writing that leaves you with an ISO-9660
Level 1 CD-ROM (constrast to the ISO-9660 Level 3 disc produced by some
other packet writing solutions). This should make it possible to read
the finalized CDs on operating systems other than Win95/NT.
Subject: [6-4-5] Pinnacle Systems - InstantWrite (was VOB)
(2001/01/04)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.pinnaclesys.com/
UDF packet-writing software. Supports DVD-RAM and drag-and-drop audio CD
creation. Compatible with discs created by DirectCD.
Comes with a backup package called InstantBackup.
Subject: [6-4-6] Prassi - abCD
(2003/07/08)
Platforms supported: Windows (95)
[ product has been discontinued ]
Packet writing for CD-RW. Appears to be less ambitious but far simpler
than its competitors.
Read-compatible with Roxio DirectCD (i.e. you can read DirectCD discs
if you have this installed).
Also sold under the Sony label.
Subject: [6-4-7] Ahead - InCD
(2001/07/26)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, 2K)
See http://www.ahead.de/
UDF packet-writing software. Only works with CD-RW discs.
Subject: [6-4-8] Oak Technologies - SimpliCD ReWrite
(2001/12/18)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.oaktech.com/products/recording_software/simplicd.html
Part of the SimpliCD package. UDF packet-writing for CD-RW discs.
[ Unclear if this is related to the SimpliCD product formerly published
by Young Minds Inc. ]
Subject: [6-4-9] NewTech Infosystems, Inc. (NTI) - File CD
(2002/02/27)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.ntius.com/ (demo available)
UDF packet-writing software. Uses Windows-Explorer-style interface.
Only works with CD-RW discs.
Subject: [6-4-10] Veritas - DLA (Drive Letter Access)
(2002/11/15)
Platforms supported: Windows (98, 2K)
See http://www.hp.com/ (for HP DLA)
Most users will encounter this as HP DLA, sold with a Hewlett-Packard
drive. Some documentation is available from
http://www.benq.com.sg/service/cdr/manuals/veritas/DLA%20User%20Guide.pdf.
Subject: [6-5] Can I intermix different packet-writing programs?
(2003/03/06)
In general, no.
Do not assume that two packet-writing programs will coexist peacefully on
the same system. Most won't. You may need to disable the CD recording
features built into WinXP to get packet software to work.
Do not assume that discs written by one program will be readable by another.
Many developers have deviated from the UDF standard when writing discs,
so attempting to start a disc with one program and finish it with another
is likely to end badly. It might work, it might appear to work but quietly
fail, or it might fail outright.
Subject: [6-6] I want to write my own CD recording software
(2002/08/01)
Source code and ready-to-link libraries are available, but the more useful
products tend to be more expensive. The library authors are usually CD-R
software publishers themselves, and aren't about to put themselves out of
business. Expect to sign a strict licensing agreement, if they agree to
do business at all.
Source code for some of the packages (notably Joerg Schilling's "CD Record"
and "CD Tools" by Dieter Baron and Armin Obersteiner) is available. See
sections (6-1-20) and (6-1-23).
ASPI developer documentation and SDKs used to be available from
http://www.adaptec.com/adaptec/developers/, but seems to have vanished.
See http://www.hochfeiler.it/alvise/ASPI_1.HTM for an introduction, and
ftp://ftp.adaptec.com/obsolete/adaptec/aspi_w32.txt for what's left of
the Adaptec documentation.
Visit http://www.hochfeiler.it/alvise/cd-r.htm for a nice introduction
to controlling a CD recorder.
Subject: [6-6-1] PoINT - CDarchive SDK
(1998/04/06)
Platforms supported: Windows, OS/2
See http://www.pointsoft.de/earchiv.html
API and SCSI device drivers.
Subject: [6-6-2] Golden Hawk Technology (Jeff Arnold)
(1998/06/22)
Platforms supported: PC
See http://www.goldenhawk.com/
C++ class libraries. See the web site for licensing information.
Subject: [6-6-3] Gear Software - GEAR.wrks
(2001/12/18)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP), UNIX (Linux, others)
See http://www.gearsoftware.com/
16-bit and 32-bit APIs for CD-R/CD-RW, DVD, tape drives, and SCSI hard disks.
Subject: [6-6-4] VOB - CD-Wizard SDK
(2003/11/21)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.vob.de/us/products/professional/WizardSDK/
See http://www.vobinc.com/
[ It looks like this may have gone away when Pinnacle Systems purchased
VOB in October 2002. ]
COM/ActiveX interface to CD writing functions. Not cheap.
Subject: [6-6-5] Dialog Medien - ACDwrite.OCX
(1999/12/19)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.dialog-medien.de/html/acdwrite.ocx.html (demo available)
ActiveX/OCX interface for writing audio CDs. Develop audio CD recording
applications with Visual Basic or other ActiveX environments.
Subject: [6-6-6] ECI - The Engine
(2001/09/26)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.eciusa.com/theengine.htm
A utility that can be integrated into other software to provide "one-click"
recording.
Subject: [6-6-7] NUGROOVZ - CDWriterXP
(2002/01/18)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, ME, XP, NT, 2K)
See http://www.nugroovz.com/
ActiveX and COM components to develop CDR/W applications for audio and data.
Other products from the same company are CDRipperX (audio extraction),
WMAEncoderX (encode WMA), MP3EncoderX (encode MP3), and VorbisEncoderX
(encode Ogg Vorbis).
Subject: [6-6-8] Ashampoo - DiscForge Plug & Burn
(2003/11/29)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, ME, 2K, XP)
See http://tech.ashampoo.com/plugburn.php
See http://www.ashampoo.com/
C library for adding recording features to applications. Supports audio
and data CDs and CD copying. User interface code included.
Subject: [6-7] What software is available for doing backups?
(2002/01/27)
See section (3-20) for commentary. Remember, if you're backing up less
than 650MB of data and don't need fancy features like incremental backups,
you don't *need* special backup software. Just write the files to a CD-R
and put it in a safe place.
For fast, occasional backups of a disk partition or an entire disk, Norton
Ghost is a good way to go for PCs. If you have a second disk or multiple
partitions it can be a useful way to back up your C: drive before installing
something that could muck up your system (like the drivers for a Creative
Labs sound card). If you want full-featured incremental and remote backups,
Veritas Backup Exec is probably a good place to start.
Subject: [6-7-1] Adaptec - Easy-CD Backup
(1998/06/14)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95)
See http://www.adaptec.com/
[ no longer available ]
Backup software designed to store data on CD-Rs. Allows incremental
backups via multi-session writes, but backups aren't allowed to span
multiple volumes. Doesn't support long filenames.
Subject: [6-7-2] D.J. Murdoch - DOSLFNBK
(1998/06/14)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www8.pair.com/dmurdoch/programs/doslfnbk.htm
Saves the long filenames, so that you can use backup software that only
knows about short "8.3" filenames. This is an alternative to the LFNBK
program that comes with Win95.
Old versions are free, new versions are inexpensive.
Subject: [6-7-3] Dantz - Retrospect
(1999/12/18)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT), Mac
See http://www.dantz.com/
Dantz's Retrospect 4.0 can make use of CD-R and CD-RW by using packet
writing. Useful for backing up multiple machines on a network.
Subject: [6-7-4] Veritas - Backup Exec
(2000/04/23)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.veritas.com/products/
This was originally adapted for use with CD-R by Seagate Software, who
appeared to have developed it out of Arcada Backup Exec. The Seagate
Network and Storage Management Group was sold to Veritas in June 1999.
The consumer "Backup Exec Desktop 98" version works with Win95 and Win98.
Separate versions are available for WinNT Workstation and WinNT Server.
Subject: [6-7-5] Symantec - Norton Ghost
(2002/01/27)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP), OS/2
See http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/
(Looks like Ghost Software got purchased by Symantec.)
Ghost was created as a way to create boilerplate software installations and
distribute them. It currently works rather well as a way of backing up an
entire disk partition quickly. A "ghosted" image file can be spanned across
multiple CD-Rs, and the backup set can be a bootable CD-ROM. Individual
files can be extracted from the .GHO image files from a Windows application.
Subject: [6-7-6] PowerQuest - Drive Image Special Edition for CD-R
(2001/03/03)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT4, 2K), DOS
See http://www.powerquest.com/
Drive Image 4.0 is a hard drive cloning program that includes CD-R/CD-RW
support. Images may span multiple discs. It comes with "DataKeeper"
to make automatic backups easier.
Subject: [6-7-7] Centered Systems - Second Copy
(1999/03/07)
Platforms supported: Windows (3.1, 95, NT)
See http://www.centered.com/ (shareware)
Second Copy maintains a duplicate of your files on a different system
or removable media. It runs in the background and constantly updates
the backup. Useful for maintaining an archive of a few files; not
meant for full-system backups.
Subject: [6-7-8] FileWare - FileSync
(1999/03/07)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.fileware.co.uk/products.htm (shareware)
Similar to Second Copy, but with a different feature set.
Subject: [6-7-9] Novastor - NovaDISK
(1999/06/05)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.novastor.com/backup/datasheets/cdrw.html
Backup software that is "CD-R aware". Requires drive-letter access to
the drive, which has to be provided by another program (e.g. DirectCD).
Subject: [6-7-10] Roxio - Take Two
(2001/01/04)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.roxio.com/
Image-based backup software. Included with Easy CD Creator 4.
Subject: [6-7-11] NTI - Backup NOW!
(2002/02/27)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.ntibackupnow.com/
Full backup software for CD-R/CD-RW. Includes data compression and
automatically spans multiple discs. Supports file-level and image-level
backups.
Subject: [6-7-12] CeQuadrat - BackMeUp LT
(2000/04/17)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT)
See http://www.cequadrat.com/
(CeQuadrat was purchased by Adaptec in July 1999, and is now part of Roxio.)
Backup software, included as part of WinOnCD v3.7.
Subject: [6-7-13] Duncan Amplification - disk2disk
(2000/09/21)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.duncanamps.com/disk2disk/ (demo available)
Inexpensive backup software for Windows. Requires drive-letter access to
backup media, i.e. you need to have DirectCD or PacketCD installed. Does
incremental and differential backups, and handles disc spanning.
Subject: [6-7-14] Pinnacle Systems - InstantBackup (was VOB)
(2001/01/04)
Platforms supported: Windows (95, NT, 2K)
See http://www.pinnaclesys.com/
Packet-based backup software, included with VOB's InstantCD (6-1-35).
[ I can't see info for it on the Pinnacle Systems page. ]
Subject: [6-7-15] Microsoft - Backup
(2002/01/03)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.microsoft.com/
Right click on a hard drive icon, select "Properties", click on the "Tools"
tab, and then click on "Backup". With a packet-writing program installed,
this should work for simple tasks.
Subject: [6-7-15] Portlock Software - Storage Manager
(2002/05/28)
Platforms supported: Novell
See http://www.portlocksoftware.com/dvd.htm
Supports access to various formats (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+RW) via Novell NetWare.
Useful for backups and disaster recovery.
Subject: [6-7-16] Willow Creek Software - Backup To CD-RW
(2003/05/23)
Platforms supported: Windows
See http://www.willowsoft.com/
Easy-to-use software for backing up data files. Supports file compression
and spanning of large files across multiple discs.
You must have packet-writing software already installed in your system.
Subject: [6-7-17] TeraByte Unlimited - Image for Windows
(2003/06/05)
Platforms supported: Windows (98, NT, 2K, XP)
See http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/ (shareware)
Hard drive partition imaging software. Creates block-by-block image
snapshots to recordable CD and DVD formats.
Subject: [6-8] How do I get customer support for bundled recording software?
(2000/03/30)
When you buy retail software, you are paying for a license to use the program.
Generally you are also paying for customer support that is provided at
little or no additional charge.
When you buy a drive with bundled software, you are buying a version of the
program for which customer support fees have not been paid. The software
was provided to the hardware vendor at a reduced cost, so that the price
of the package you buy is lower than the price of the drive plus the price
of the software.
If you go to the store and buy the latest version of Fubar Software's Disc
Writing Thing, you should contact Fubar Software for customer support. If you
buy a new Frobozzco 12X SkyWriter that comes bundled with Disc Writing Thing,
you will most likely be expected to contact Frobozzco with any problems you
may have, because Fubar Software isn't being compensated for support costs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [7] Media
(1998/04/06)
This section covers recordable CD media.
Subject: [7-1] What kinds of media are there?
(2001/07/23)
The basic building blocks of CD-R media are organic dye and a reflective
layer. The dye types currently in use are:
- cyanine dye, which is cyan blue in color (hence the name);
- phthalocyanine and "advanced" phthalocyanine dye, which have
a faint aqua tinge;
- metalized azo, which is dark blue; and
- formazan dye, which is light green.
The reflective layer is either a silvery alloy, the exact composition of
which is proprietary, or 24K gold.
Discs come in many different colors. The color you see is determined by
the color of the reflective layer (gold or silver) and the color of the dye
(light blue, dark blue, green, or colorless). For example, combining a
gold reflective layer with cyanine (blue) dye results in a disc that is
gold on the label side and green on the writing side.
Many people have jumped to the conclusion that "silver" discs are made of
silver, and have attempted to speculate on the relative reflectivity and
lifespan of the media based on that assumption. Until an industry
representative issues a statement concerning the actual composition, it
would be unwise to assume that the reflective layer has any specific
formulation.
Taiyo Yuden produced the original gold/green CDs, which were used during
the development of CD-R standards. Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals invented the
process for gold/gold CDs. Mitsubishi developed the metalized azo dye.
Silver/blue CD-Rs, manufactured with a process patented by Verbatim,
first became widely available in 1996. According to the Ricoh web site,
the silver/silver "Platinum" discs, based on "advanced phthalocyanine dye",
were introduced by them in 1997. They didn't really appear on the market
until mid-1998 though. Kodak Japan holds the patent on formazan dye.
See section (7-3) for vague details on who manufactures what.
The reason why there are multiple formulations is that the materials and
process for each are patented. If a new vendor wants to get into the CD-R
market, they have to come up with a new combination of materials that
conforms to the Orange Book specifications.
Some CDs have an extra coating (e.g. Kodak's "Infoguard") that makes the CD
more scratch-resistant, but doesn't affect the way information is stored.
The top (label) side of the CD is the part to be most concerned about,
since that's where the data lives, and it's easy to damage on a CD-R.
Applying a full circular CD label will help prevent scratches.
http://www.mitsuigold.com/ has some info on MTC media. You can visit
http://www.ricohcorp.com/press/platinum2.htm for a press release concerning
Ricoh's "platinum" media.
An EMedia Professional article discussing the composition of the newer
discs is online at http://www.emediapro.net/EM1998/starrett10.html.
CD-RW discs have an entirely different composition. The data side
(opposite the label side) is a dark silvery gray that is difficult to
describe.
Subject: [7-2] Does the media matter?
(2001/07/16)
Yes. There are four factors to consider:
(1) Does it work with your recorder?
(2) Which CD readers can use it?
(3) How long does it last before it starts to decay?
(4) What's the typical BLER (BLock Error Rate) for the media?
Some audio CD players (like the ones you'd find in a car stereo) have
worked successfully with one brand of media but not another. There's
no "best" kind, other than what works the best for you.
Some people have found brand X CD-R units work well with media type Y,
while other people with the same unit have had different results.
Recording a disc at 4x may make it unreadable on some drives, even though
a disc recorded at 2x on the same drive works fine.
To top it all off, someone observed that discs burned with one brand of
CD-R weren't readable in cheap CD-ROM drives, even though the same kind
of media burned in a different device worked fine. The performance of
any piece of media is always a combination of the disc, the drive that
recorded it, and the drive that reads it.
A number of specific discoveries have been posted to Usenet, but none of
them are conclusive. Many people have reported that Kenwood CD players
don't deal with CD-Rs very well, while Alpine units play nearly
everything. However, things change as product lines evolve over time.
Some users have found that the *quality* of audio recordings can vary
depending on the media. Whatever the case, if you find that CD-Rs don't
sound as good as the originals, it's worthwhile to try a different kind of
media or a different player. See section (4-18) for other ideas.
If you want to see what media test results look like, take a look at
http://www.digit-life.com/articles/cdrdisktest/index2.html.
One final comment: while there are clearly defined standards for CD-R
media, there are no such standards for CD and CD-ROM drives -- other than
that they be able to read CDs. It is possible for media to be within
allowed tolerances, but be unreadable by a CD-ROM drive that can handle
pressed discs without trouble. All you can do in this sort of situation is
find a better-quality CD or CD-ROM drive, or switch to a brand of media
whose characteristics are on the other side of the tolerance zone.
Subject: [7-3] Who manufactures CD-R media?
(2000/09/03)
Taiyo Yuden made the first "green" CDs. They are now manufactured by TDK,
Ricoh, Kodak, and probably several others as well.
Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals (MTC) made the first "gold" CDs. They are now
manufactured by Kodak and possibly others as well.
Verbatim made the first "silver/blue" CDs.
Most CD-R brands (e.g. Yamaha and Sony) are actually made by a handful of
major disc manufacturers. Attempting to keep track of who makes what is
a difficult proposition at best, since new manufacturing plants are being
built, and resellers can switch vendors. See section (2-33) for notes
about identifying the source of a CD-R.
Subject: [7-4] Which kind of media should I use?
(2003/07/11)
There is no "best" media for all recorders. You can't tell how well a disc
will work just by looking at it; the only way to know is to put it in
*your* recorder, write a disc, then put it in *your* reader and try it.
Statements to the effect that "dark green" is better than "light green" are
absurd. Some discs are more translucent than others, but that doesn't
matter: they only have to reflect light in the 780nm wavelength, not the
entire visible spectrum. See (7-19).
It's probably a good idea to start by selecting media that is certified
for your recorder's desired write speed. See section (3-31) for some
other remarks about recording speed.
Speed considerations are more important for CD-RW than CD-R. Many drives
refuse to record at speeds higher than the disc is rated for. On top of
that, there are "ultra speed" blanks (for 8x-24x recording), "high speed"
blanks (for 4x-10x) and "standard" blanks (for 1x-4x). The faster blanks
are labeled with a "High Speed CD-RW" or "Ultra Speed CD-RW" logo.
The Orange Book standard was written based on the original "green" cyanine
discs from Taiyo Yuden. Cyanine dye is more forgiving of marginal read/write
power variations than "gold" phthalocyanine dye, making them easier to
read on some drives. On the other hand, phthalocyanine is less sensitive
to sunlight and UV radiation, suggesting that they would last longer under
adverse conditions.
Manufacturers of phthalocyanine-based media claim it has a longer lifespan
and will work better in higher speed recording than cyanine discs.
See http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/History/Commentary/Parker/stcroix.html
for some notes on low-level differences between media types.
There is no advantage to using expensive "audio CD-Rs" or "music blanks".
There is no difference in quality between consumer audio blanks and standard
blanks from a given manufacturer. If you have a consumer audio CD recorder,
you simply have no other choice. There is no way to "convert" a standard
blank into a consumer audio blank. See section (5-12) for notes on how
you can trick certain recorders into accepting standard blanks.
Trying samples of blanks is strongly recommended before you make a major
purchase. Remember to try them in your reader as well as your writer; they
may not be so useful if you can't read them in your normal CD-ROM drive.
Maxell's CD-R media earned a miserable reputation on Usenet. In April
'97 Maxell announced reformulated media that seemed to work better than
the previous ones. It appears they may no longer make their own media.
Some good technical information is available from http://www.mscience.com/.
In particular, "Are green CD-R discs better than gold or blue ones?" at
http://www.mscience.com/faq52.html.
BLER measurements for a variety of recorders and media is in a big table
on http://www.digido.com/meadows.html.
See also "Is There a CD-R Media Problem?" by Katherine Cochrane, originally
published in the Feb '96 issue of CD-ROM Professional.
Subject: [7-4-1] What's the best brand of media?
(2003/07/08)
As noted in (7-4), there is no guarantee that brand X will be the absolute
best in recorder Y. However, some brands are recommended more often
than others. It does pay to be brand-conscious.
Brands most often recommended: Mitsui, Kodak, Taiyo Yuden, and TDK.
Sometimes Pioneer and Ricoh. It appears that HP, Philips, Sony, Yamaha,
and Fuji use these manufacturers for most of their disks. (Kodak no longer
manufactures media.)
Brands that are often trashed: Maxell, Verbatim, Memorex, Ritek, Hotan,
Princo, Gigastorage, Lead Data, Fornet, CMC Magnetics. Many "no-name"
bulk CD-Rs are one of these brands.
Sometimes a particular line of discs from a particular manufacturer or
reseller will be better than others from the same company. For example,
Verbatim DataLifePlus discs are recognized as pretty good, but Verbatim
ValuLife are seen as being of much lower quality.
Sometimes company names change. For example, in June 2003 Mitsui Advanced
Media was purchased from Mitsui Chemicals by Computer Support Italcard
(CSI) of Italy to form MAM-A, Inc.
The country of manufacture may also be significant. Some manufacturers
maintain plants in different countries, and don't always maintain the same
level of quality.
In humid tropical climates, care must be taken to find discs that stand up
to the weather. One user reported that the data layer on Sony CDQ 74CN
discs began cracking after a couple of months in an otherwise sheltered
environment (e.g. no direct sunlight). Mitsubishi CD-R 700 and Melody 80
Platinum discs fared much better.
Subject: [7-5] How long do CD-Rs and CD-RWs last?
(2003/11/08)
There doesn't seem to be a clear answer for CD-RW. The rest of this
section applies to CD-R.
The manufacturers claim 75 years (cyanine dye, used in "green" discs), 100
years (phthalocyanine dye, used in "gold" discs), or even 200 years
("advanced" phthalocyanine dye, used in "platinum" discs) once the disc has
been written. The shelf life of an unrecorded disc has been estimated at
between 5 and 10 years. There is no standard agreed-upon way to test discs
for lifetime viability. Accelerated aging tests have been done, but they
may not provide a meaningful analogue to real-world aging.
Exposing the disc to excessive heat, humidity, or to direct sunlight will
greatly reduce the lifetime. In general, CD-Rs are far less tolerant of
environmental conditions than pressed CDs, and should be treated with
greater care. The easiest way to make a CD-R unusable is to scratch the
top surface. Find a CD-R you don't want anymore, and try to scratch the
top (label side) with your fingernail, a ballpoint pen, a paper clip, and
anything else you have handy. The results may surprise you.
Keep them in a cool, dark, dry place, and they will probably live longer
than you do (emphasis on "probably"). Some newsgroup reports have
complained of discs becoming unreadable in as little as three years, but
without knowing how the discs were handled and stored such anecdotes are
useless. Try to keep a little perspective on the situation: a disc that
degrades very little over 100 years is useless if it can't be read in your
CD-ROM drive today.
One user reported that very inexpensive CD-Rs deteriorated in a mere six
weeks, despite careful storage. Some discs are better than others.
An interesting article by Fred Langa (of http://www.langa.com/) on
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15800263&pgno=1
describes how to detect bad discs, and discusses whether putting an adhesive
label on the disc causes them to fail more quickly.
By some estimates, pressed CD-ROMs may only last for 10 to 25 years,
because the aluminum reflective layer starts to corrode after a while.
One user was told by Blaupunkt that CD-R discs shouldn't be left in car CD
players, because if it gets too hot in the car the CD-R will emit a gas that
can blind the laser optics. However, CD-Rs are constructed much the same
way and with mostly the same materials as pressed CDs, and the temperatures
required to cause such an emission from the materials that are exposed would
melt much of the car's interior. The dye layer is sealed into the disc,
and should not present any danger to drive optics even if overheated.
Even so, leaving a CD-R in a hot car isn't good for the disc, and will
probably shorten its useful life.
See also http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/Media/Longevity.html,
especially http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Industry/news/media-chronology.html
about some inaccurate reporting in the news media.
See "Do gold CD-R discs have better longevity than green discs?" on
http://www.mscience.com/faq53.html.
http://www.cdpage.com/dstuff/BobDana296.html has a very readable
description of CD-R media error testing that leaves you with a numb sense
of amazement that CD-Rs work at all. It also explains the errors that come
out of MSCDEX and what the dreaded E32 error means to a CD stamper. Highly
recommended.
Kodak has some interesting information about their "Ultima" media.
See http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/cdrMedia/index.jhtml,
specifically the "KODAK Ultima Lifetime Discussion" and "KODAK Ultima
Lifetime Calculation" white papers (currently in PDF format). The last page
discusses the Arrhenius equation, which is used in chemistry to calculate
the effect of temperature on reaction rates. The Kodak page defines it as:
t = A * exp(E/kT)
where 'exp()' indicates exponentiation. 't' is disc lifetime, 'A' is a
time constant, 'E' is activation energy, 'k' is Boltzmann's constant, and
'T' is absolute temperature. The equation allows lifetime determined at
one temperature to be used to establish the lifetime at another. If a
disc breaks down in three months in extreme heat, you can extrapolate the
lifetime at room temperature.
The trouble with the equation is that you have to know either 'A' or 'E'.
It appears that 'A' can be estimated based on empirical evidence, but see
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an23/an23-3/an23-308.html
for some cautions about how tricky it can be to choose the right value.
Subject: [7-6] How much data can they hold? 650MB? 680MB?
(2003/01/13)
There are 21-minute (80mm/3-inch), 74-minute, 80-minute, 90-minute, and
99-minute CD-Rs. These translate into data storage capacities of 184MB,
650MB, 700MB, 790MB, and 870MB respectively (see below for exact figures).
See section (7-14) for more about 80mm CD-Rs, and sections (3-8-1) and
(3-8-2) for notes on 80-, 90-, and 99-minute blanks. There used to be
63-minute CD-Rs, but these have largely vanished.
Typical 74-minute CD-Rs are advertised as holding 650MB, 680MB, or even
700MB of data. The reality is that they're all about the same size, and
while you may get as much as an extra minute or two depending on the exact
construction, you're not usually going to get an extra 30MB out of a disc
labeled as 74-minute media. See section (3-8-3) for information on writing
beyond a disc's stated capacity.
Folks interested in "doing the math" should note that only 2048 bytes of
each 2352-byte sector is used for data on typical (Mode 1) discs. The rest
is used for error correction and miscellaneous fields. This is why you can
fit 747MB of audio WAV files onto a disc that holds 650MB of data.
It should also be noted that hard drive manufacturers don't measure
megabytes in the same way that CD-R and RAM manufacturers do. The "MB" for
CD-Rs and RAM means 1024x1024, but for hard drives it means 1000x1000.
Keep this in mind when purchasing a hard drive that needs to hold an entire
CD. A data CD that can hold 650 "RAM" MB of data holds about 682 "disk" MB
of data, which is why many CD-Rs are mislabeled as having a 680MB capacity.
(The notion of "unformatted capacity" is a nonsensical myth.)
Spelled out simply:
21 minutes == 94,500 sectors == 184.6MB CD-ROM == 212.0MB CD-DA
63 minutes == 283,500 sectors == 553.7MB CD-ROM == 635.9MB CD-DA
74 minutes == 333,000 sectors == 650.3MB CD-ROM == 746.9MB CD-DA
80 minutes == 360,000 sectors == 703.1MB CD-ROM == 807.4MB CD-DA
90 minutes == 405,000 sectors == 791.0MB CD-ROM == 908.4MB CD-DA
99 minutes == 445,500 sectors == 870.1MB CD-ROM == 999.3MB CD-DA
The NIST is considering the use of different names for powers of 2, which
would avoid ambiguity and disappoint lots of marketing folks. See
http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html.
Many CD recording programs will tell you the exact number of 2K sectors
available on the CD. This is the only reliable way to know exactly
how many sectors are available. 99-minute blanks may actually report
incorrect values.
An informal survey conducted by one user found that the deviation between the
largest and smallest 74-minute CD-R was about 3500 sectors (47 seconds, or
7MB), which while not inconsequential is nowhere near the difference between
650MB and the 680MB or 700MB figures quoted by some manufacturers. All discs
had at least 333,000 sectors, as required by the Red Book specification.
http://www.cdmediaworld.com/ has a fairly detailed listing of how much
data different brands of media will actually hold. Again, bear in mind
that different batches of the same media may have different capacities.
The PCA (Power Calibration Area), PMA (Program Memory Area), TOC (Table
of Contents), lead-in, and lead-out areas don't count against the time
rating on single-session CDs. You really do get all the storage that the
disc is rated for. On standard MODE 1 discs that aren't using packet
writing, there is no "formatting overhead". Bear in mind, however, that
the "cluster" size is 2K, and that the ISO-9660 filesystem may use more or
less space than an MS-DOS FAT or HFS filesystem, so 650MB of files on a
hard disk may occupy a different amount of space on a CD.
On a multisession disc, you lose about 23MB of space when the first session
is closed, and about 14MB for each subsequent session. A common mistake when
writing multisession CDs is to overestimate the amount of space that will be
available for future sessions, so be sure to take this into account.
(If you want the details: the first additional session requires 4500 sectors
for the lead-in and 6750 for the lead-out, for a total of 11250 (22.5MB,
or 2.5 minutes). Each additional session requires 4500 for the lead-in
and 2250 for the lead-out, for a total of 6750 (13.5MB, or 1.5 minutes).
You may also need to factor 2-second pre-gaps into the size calculation
for each session. On a single-session disc, the overhead for lead-in
and lead-out are not counted as part of the user data area, so nothing is
"lost" until you go multisession.)
Pressed aluminum CDs are also supposed to hold no more than 74 minutes of
audio, but are often tweaked to hold more (see section (3-8)). To convert
sectors back to seconds, divide the number of sectors by 75. If your blanks
have 333,000 sectors, they have 4440 seconds, which is exactly 74 minutes.
Some packet-writing solutions will take a large bite out of your available
disc space. For example, if you use Roxio DirectCD 2.x with CD-RW media,
it uses fixed-length packets. This allows random file erase, which means
that when you delete a file you actually get the space back, but you're
reduced to about 493MB after formatting the disc. More recent versions can
get closer to 531MB. See section (4-42) for more info.
Subject: [7-7] Is it okay to write on or stick a label on a disc?
(2003/02/07)
Only if you're careful. The wrong kind of ink or label can damage a disc.
The adhesives on some labels can dissolve the protective lacquer coating
if the adhesive is based on a solvent that the lacquer is susceptible to.
Asymmetric labels can throw the disc out of balance, causing read problems,
and labels not designed for CDs might bubble or peel off when subjected
to long periods of heat inside a CD drive. So long as you use labels that
were meant for CD-R discs, you will *probably* be okay.
For the same reasons, if you want to write directly onto the surface of a
disc, you want to use pens that are approved for use on unlabeled CD-R media.
The ink in some kinds of pens may damage the top coating of the disc.
Specific information can sometimes be found on the back of the jewel case
that the discs come in. Old TDK CDR-74 discs had the following warning:
"[...]
2. Do not attach labels or protective sheets, or apply any coating
fluids to the disc.
3. When writing titles and other information on the label (gold)
side of the disc, these should be written in the printed area using
an oil-based felt-tipped pen.
[...]"
Other brands say "use a permanent felt-tipped pen" or words to the effect
that the ink shouldn't smudge. The most important part is to use a felt
tip pen and not a ball-point, because the top layer of the disc will gouge
easily on most media.
There are pens recommended specifically for writing on CD-Rs. Examples
include the Dixon Ticonderoga "Redi Sharp Plus", the Sanford "Powermark",
TDK "CD Writer", and Smart and Friendly "CD Speed Marker". Some of these
are relabeled Staedtler Lumocolor transparency markers (#317-9), which are
alcohol-based. Never use a solvent-based "permanent" marker on a CD-R --
it can eat through the lacquer coat and destroy the disc. Memorex sells
water-based color "CD Markers" in four-packs (black, blue, red, green).
Many people have had no problems with the popular Sanford "Sharpie" pens,
which are alcohol-based. Other people say they've damaged discs by writing
on them with a Sharpie, though those discs may have been particularly
susceptible. The official word from Sanford is:
"Sanford has used Sharpie Markers on CDs for years and we have never
experienced a problem. We do not believe that the Sharpie ink can
affect these CDs, however we have not performed any long-term
laboratory testing to verify this. We have spoken to many major CD
manufacturers about this issue. They use the Sharpie Markers on CDs
internally as well, and do not believe that the Sharpie Ink will cause
any harm to their products.
[...]
Sanford Consumer Affairs"
In any event, the Ultra Fine Sharpie pen looks almost sharp enough to
scratch, so sticking with the Fine Point pen is recommended.
So long as you use the right kind of pen, it's okay to write directly on
the top surface of the CD, label or no. Use a light touch -- you aren't
filling out a form in triplicate. If the prospect makes you nervous,
just write in the clear plastic area near the hub, or only use discs with
a printable top surface.
Adding an adhesive label to a disc can make it look more "professional",
but you have to be a little careful. If the label and the disc aren't a
good match, the label can start to delaminate after a while. There are
some indications that labels can shorten CD-R lifetime, so it might be
best to label data archives and backups with a pen instead (see section
(7-5) for more).
The best way to feel confident about labeling your discs is to try it
yourself. Buy some labels, put them on some discs, leave them someplace
warm, and see if they peel off. If they do, you'll need a different
kind of media or a different kind of label. Some labels don't adhere
very well unless they're attached to a disc with a plain lacquer surface
on top, so combining labels with "inkjet printable surface" media may be
asking for trouble. One note of caution: this only tells you if the label
will peel up right away. It doesn't tell you if the label will still be
nice and flat two or three years from now, especially if you live in the
tropics where the air is always hot and damp. Using adhesive labels on
discs meant for long-term storage may be unwise.
Whatever you do, don't try to peel a label off once it's on. You will
almost certainly pull part of the recording layer off with the label. If
you're going to label a disc, do it immediately, so you can make another
copy if the label doesn't adhere smoothly. Any air bubbles in the label
that can't be smoothed out immediately are going to cause trouble. Use
a label applicator for best results.
It may not be a good idea to put labels on discs that will be fed into a
"slot in" CD player, such as those popular in dashboard car CD players.
Sometimes the added thickness will cause the disc to get stuck.
A number of companies make labels for CDs, and some sell complete kits
including applicators and software. Two of the biggest are NEATO, at
http://www.neato.com/, and CD Stomper, at http://www.labelcd.com/. Check
section (8-3) for other sources. The software from http://www.surething.com/
includes templates for a variety of different label layouts.
If you want a label that also covers up the clear plastic part at the
center of the disc, search for "hub labels". There are even labels that
*only* cover the hub section.
You can also buy printers that will write directly onto discs
with a printable surface. One example is Primera Technology
(http://www.primera.com/), which now handles the popular FARGO CD-R label
printers.
A wealth of information on CD-R labeling options can be found here:
http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/Labeling/
Sony's http://www.sonydadc.com/ web site has a "Downloads & Templates"
section with artwork that my prove useful. You can find most CD-related
logos on the site (try http://www.sonydadc.com/downloads/, scroll
down to "Logos" for common formats). Some are also available from
http://www.licensing.philips.com/cdsystems/cdlogos.html.
Mike Richter's CD-R primer has a very nice page on labeling discs. See
http://www.mrichter.com/cdr/primer/labels.htm.
It is important to keep the CD balanced, or high-speed drives may have
trouble reading the disc. According to one report, a disc that had a
silk-screened image on the left side of a CD-R (leaving the right half of
the disc blank) was unreadable on high-speed drives due to excessive
wobbling. Most label kits come with a label-centering device, usually
something trivial like a stick that's the same width as the hole in the
middle of the CD.
Avery's CD-R labels became quietly unavailable in October 1997. The rumor
is that the adhesive caused data corruption problems, so Avery recalled
them. There are indications that the adhesive would fail on some discs
and start to lift off within a short period of time. If you have Avery
labels (#5824) purchased before this date, you should avoid using them.
The labels being produced now don't have this problem.
Subject: [7-8] How do CD-Rs behave when microwaved?
(2001/09/19)
Disclaimer: I'm not recommending you put a CD into a microwave. CDs may
contain metals that will cause your microwave to arc, destroying the
microwave emitter (see cautions about metal objects in the manual for your
microwave). Don't try this at home. Better yet, don't try this at all.
The basic process is, take a disc that you don't want anymore, and put
it shiny-side-up on something like a coffee mug so it's nowhere near the
top, bottom, or sides of the microwave. (Actually, you may want to leave
it right-side-up if the disc doesn't have a label, because the foil is
closest to the top of the CD.) I'm told it is important to put something
in the cup to be on the safe side, so fill it most of the way with water.
Try to center it in the microwave. Turn off the lights. Program the
microwave for a 5-second burst on "high", and watch the fireworks.
Performing this operation on replicated CDs results in blue sparks that
dance along the CD, leaving fractal-ish patterns etched into the reflective
aluminum. For those of you not with the program, this also renders the CD
unreadable.
Trying this with a green/gold CD-R gives you a similar light show, but the
destruction patterns are different. While pressed CDs and CD-RWs don't
develop consistent patterns of destruction, CD-Rs tend to form circular
patterns, possibly because of the pre-formed spiral groove.
On a different note, CD-Rs seem to smell worse, or at least they start to
smell earlier, than pressed CDs. The materials used are non-toxic
("cyanine" comes from the color cyan, not from cyanide), but breathing the
fumes is something best avoided.
For the curious, here's a note about why they behave like they do:
"The aluminum layer in a CD-ROM is very thin. The microwave oven induces
large currents in the aluminum. This makes enough heat to vaporize the
aluminum. You then see a very small lightning storm as electric arcs go
through the vaporized aluminum. Within a few seconds there will be many
paths etched through the aluminum, leaving behind little metalic islands.
Some of the islands will be shaped so that they make very good microwave
antennas. These spots will focus the microwave energy, and get very hot.
Now you will see just a few bright spots spewing a lot of smoke. The good
part of the light show is over, turn off the oven.
I suspect that if you leave the oven going much longer, the CD-ROM will
burst into flame. This will smell very bad and may do bad things to your
oven and house. Don't do it."
-- Paul Haas ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), on http://hamjudo.com/notes/cdrom.html
Dreamcast GD-R discs come out just like CD-R, but DVD-R is a whole
different experience.
Combining a microwaved CD-R with a tesla coil produces interesting results.
See http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/cdzap.html.
Subject: [7-9] What can I do with CD-R discs that failed during writing?
(2003/01/26)
If the disc wasn't closed, you can write more data in a new session. If
the disc was closed, or was nearly full when the write failed but is still
missing important data, then its use as digital media is over.
However, that doesn't mean it's useless. Here are a few ideas:
- Fill in the center hole to avoid leaks, and use them as drink coasters.
- Create a hanging ornament (suitable for holiday decorations) or wind
chime. The latter isn't all that interesting - they just sort of
"clack" a little - unless you use the discs to catch the wind and
something else to make the chimes.
- Use them as mini-frisbees in an office with cubes. Since they're rather
solid and may hurt when they hit, you should await a formal declaration
of intra-office war before opening up with these.
- Have CD bowling tournaments where you see how far you can roll one down
a narrow hallway. You'd be surprised at how hard it can be unless you
get the wrist motion just right.
- Put them under a table or chair whose legs don't quite sit right.
- Run them through one of those industrial-strength paper shredders (the
kind with the rapidly spinning wheels) to get shiny green or gold
confetti.
- Make really, really big earrings.
- Try to convince people at the beach that it's a shell from a new species
of abalone.
- Hook them into your bicycle spokes as reflectors.
- Use them as wheels on a toy car. (If you had buggy firmware, you're
probably stocked for a toy 18-wheeler.)
- Build a suit of "CD-R chain mail" for laser-tag games.
- Use them as art-deco floor or ceiling tiles.
- Hang them from the rear view mirror in your car.
- Cut it into a jigsaw puzzle with a small wire saw.
- Try out the "helpful CD repair" suggestions that periodically crop on
the newsgroup. Like the ones that suggest using acetone and sandpaper
to refinish a scratched CD-R.
- Hang them in your car windows. Some people believe that CDs will defeat
speed guns and automated speed traps that use flash photography.
- Add them to your aquarium.
- Use them as dart boards or BB-gun targets. If you "miss" the hole in
the middle, the error is immediately obvious.
- String several together as a toy, weaving the string in and out through
the center holes. Alternate green and gold for visually pleasing results.
- Make a boomerang (http://www.chez.com/amiel/boom/cd.html).
- Buy a cheap clock mechanism from a hobby/electronics store, and turn
it into a novelty clock.
- Hang them in fruit trees to scare birds away.
- Use them as backing for round knobs on cabinet doors, to keep the
wood from getting soiled. Works best with 80mm discs.
- Practice applying CD labels. Test brands of labels you haven't tried
before. Leave them in the sun and see if they peel.
- Gripping the CD with two pairs of pliers, hold it over a small heat
source, such as a small propane torch. Keep it moving slightly so it
doesn't scorch. When the plastic reaches the melting point, stretch,
twist, or bend the CD into something artistic. (Do this in a well
ventilated outdoor area with adult supervision!!)
- Heat a penny with a propane torch or on the stove for a few seconds,
holding it with a pair of pliers. Push the penny through the center
hole so it wedges halfway through. The heat of the penny softens the
polycarbonate, so once it cools it should stay put. The discs are well
balanced, and spin very nicely, especially when decorated with spiral
patterns (http://jjlahr.com/science/Illusions/fbkspin.html).
If you've given up hope of doing something "useful" with it, do something
destructive with it. Try to scrape the reflective layer off the top with
your fingernail. Drop it on the ground so that it hits edge-on and see
if the reflective layer delaminates or the plastic chips. Try to snap it
in half. Leave it sitting on a window sill with half the disc covered by
a book to see the effects of heat and sunlight. Write on it with nasty
permanent markers and see if you can still read it a week later. Apply a
CD label then pull it off again. Different brands of media have different
levels of tolerance to abuse, and it's useful to understand just how much
or how little it takes to destroy a disc.
In one carefully controlled experiment it was determined that CD-Rs behave
differently from pressed CDs when you slam them edge-on against the
ground. The aluminum ones will chip (once you throw them hard enough,
otherwise they just bounce) and create silver confetti. The gold one I
tried chipped and the gold layer started peeling, leaving little gold
flakes everywhere. One user reported that a Verbatim blue CD developed
bubbles even though the plastic was intact. More experimentation is needed
(but not around pets, small children, or hard-to-vacuum carpets).
On a different tack, some CD-Rs don't hold up well when immersed in water.
Try pouring a little water on a disc, then let it sit until it dries. If
the top surface scratches off more easily afterward, you need to be careful
around moisture. Silver/blue Verbatim discs seem particularly sensitive.
One comment about snapping discs in half with your fingers: use caution.
Depending on the disc and how you break it, you may end up with lots of
sharp polycarbonate slivers flying through the air. Wear eye protection,
be aware of people around you, and be sure to clean up all the plastic
shards afterward.
If you have far more coasters than you want to play with, consider recycling
them (section (7-21)).
Subject: [7-10] Where can I find jewel cases and CD sleeves?
(2003/08/18)
There are many vendors. A few are listed below.
Incidentally, you have a lot of choices when it comes to CD packaging.
There are single-disc jewel cases, double-sized doubles, single-sized
doubles, triples, quads, sextuples, plain colors, neon colors, paper
envelopes, Tyvek envelopes, cardboard sleeves, clear jewel cases with black
trays, clear jewel cases with built-in trays, CD pockets for use in
three-ring binders, and on, and on.
If you can imagine it, it's probably up for sale.
Some URLs to start with:
http://www.bagsunlimited.com/
http://www.tape.com/cdr.html
http://www.xdr2.com/cd-jewel.htm
http://www.cdroutlet.com/
http://www.desktopsupplies.com/dps/cdromproducts.html
http://www.discmarket.com/
http://www.americal.com/
http://www.sleevetown.com/
http://www.american-digital.com/prodsite/category.asp?c=36
http://www.buskerdoo.com/html/products.html
A warning about some double-disc jewel cases sold by CompUSA can be found
at http://www.yoyo-tricks.com/CompUSA-WARNING.html (along with pictures).
Apparently the pressure exerted on the hub causes cracks to appear over
time. If a disc with a cracked hub is put into a high-speed drive, it
may shatter (see section (7-25)).
Subject: [7-11] What's "unbranded" CD-R media?
(1999/03/07)
Simply put, it's a CD-R disc with nothing printed on the top surface. Some
people need "plain" discs that they can print on, or simply like them for
the aesthetic value. There is no difference in quality or capacity.
Subject: [7-12] How do I repair a scratched CD?
(2002/06/15)
If you scratched the top (label) side of a CD-R, and it no longer works,
your disc is toast. (If you scratched it, and it still works, copy the
data off while you still can.)
If you scratched the bottom side, then all you've done is etch the
polycarbonate (plastic), and it can be repaired like any other CD. A common
misconception is that the data is on the bottom, but if you examine
it carefully you will see that the data is beneath the label. The
laser reads the data through the polycarbonate layer, and if the layer
is scratched the laser will refract onto the wrong part of the disc.
For small or radial scratches, the error correction in the CD format will
allow the disc to continue working, but if there's too much disruption
you will get audible glitches or CD-ROM driver errors.
If the disc works some of the time, you can "repair" it by copying it onto
a new CD-R disc. If the disc is always unreadable, or is copy protected,
you will need to repair the disc itself.
One product that may be useful is Wipe Out! (http://www.cdrepair.com/), a
chemical abrasive that allows you to reduce scratches. Another is
Discwasher from http://www.discwasher.com/.
The Repair FAQ at http://www.repairfaq.org/ has a section on repairing
scratched CDs. Find the "Compact Disc Players and CDROM Drives"
section, and skip down to 4.10 and 4.11. Details on using common
household chemicals (e.g. toothpaste) to fill scratches can be found at
http://www.btinternet.com/~zturner/.
Some people have suggested using plastic polishes or "fine cut" paint
polishes sold for removing fine scratches on automobiles. These fill in
the scratches and create a more optically consistent surface. Fine metal
polishes may also work, and some people claim that plain old white
toothpaste does the trick. There is some chance that the filler material
will fall out over time, rendering the disc unreadable once again, and
possibly gunking up your CD-ROM drive along the way. If you want to fill
in the scratches, you should make a copy of the contents to a new disc as
soon as possible, and stop using the original.
Subject: [7-13] What's this about a Canadian CD-R tax?
(2001/01/24)
In the United States, a distinction is made between "consumer digital
audio" media and data media. You have to pay extra for consumer audio CD-R
blanks and DAT tapes, and the music recording industry gets a piece on the
assumption that the media will be used to hold commercially recorded
material.
Canada has gone a step farther, by placing a levy upon *all* media capable
of storing audio. Even the "data" CD-R blanks, which don't work in consumer
audio CD-recordable decks, are subject to the levy. Starting Jan 1 2001,
the levy was raised from CDN$0.052 to CDN$0.21 (a 4x increase) for CD-R
and CD-RW discs.
Some web sites with more information:
http://neil.eton.ca/copylevy.shtml
http://pcbuyersguide.com/hardware/storage/cdr-levy.html
See also http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/news-e.html for a 1999/12/17 announcement
that the Levy has gone into effect, and http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/news-e.html
for an announcement about the 2001 price increase.
Subject: [7-14] Can I get 80mm (3-inch "cd single") CD-Rs?
(2001/11/27)
The 80mm CD didn't catch on everywhere. In some markets, notably the USA,
pressed "CD single" discs are rarely seen. The 80mm CD-R made a brief
appearance, and then vanished for a while. As of the middle of the year
2000, they were once again easy to find. In mid-2001, Sony started
using them in one of their Mavica camera models, and towards the end of
2001 80mm-based MP3 players appeared. They're pretty easy to find now.
Using them is not as straightforward as could be hoped. Most *software*
will work just fine, because all CD-Rs have slightly different capacities,
especially when you consider 63-minute, 74-minute, and 80-minute blanks.
The problems stem from their physical dimensions.
Pretty much all tray-based recorders have grooves for 120mm discs and
80mm discs. However, not all of them can actually record 80mm discs.
Web sites for recent drives will sometimes indicate whether or not they're
compatible. Some CD recorders can read the discs but not write them,
possibly because the clamping mechanism raises the disc to a level where
it's no longer sufficiently supported at the edges.
If you have a caddy-based recorder, you will have a problem: while trays
have two different rings for 80mm and 120mm discs, caddies don't.
According to the Yamaha CDR-102 manual, there is a "Disk Adaptor",
referenced as part #ADP08, that sits in the caddy and keeps the disc
properly positioned. A device that performed a similar function used to be
sold by music stores so that standard players could handle 80mm
CD-singles; it looks like a plastic doughnut that clips onto the disc.
If you have one of these, great. If you don't, you may have difficulty
finding them. You will likely have even worse luck figuring out how to
play an 80mm disc on a "slot in" CD-ROM drive -- the kind where you push
the disc into a slot, and it slurps it up. Some manufacturers have
indicated that their traction-feed drives work fine with 80mm discs, but
before you try it might be wise to have a screwdriver handy.
A less common issue with 80mm discs has to do with playback. A loose sheet
included with the CDR-100/102 "CD Expert" manual states:
"An 8-cm disc recorded at normal speed on the CD Expert may not playback
correctly on some manufacturer's CD-ROM drives. This is likely on drives
that have a playback PLL (phase lock loop) bandwidth of 1.5 kHz. Most
drives, however, have a playback PLL bandwidth of 2.5 kHz, in which case
this is not a problem."
The final discouragement for 80mm discs is that they only hold 21 minutes
of audio (about 95250 sectors on Ritek silver-blue discs, or about 186MB),
but at present cost more than their full-sized counterparts. They are an
interesting curiosity, and a cute gift when placed in a miniature jewel
case, but little more. There appear to be 80mm discs that hold 34 minutes
(just shy of 300MB), but these come with the same caveats as 90-minute
120mm discs: the discs have to be constructed at or outside the limits of
what the specifications allow, and you may have problems with compatibility.
[ On a personal note: my Plextor 8/20 refuses to accept 80mm discs when I
put them in the tray. I was able to use them with a (caddy-load) Yamaha
CDR-102 when I put the discs in a CD-single caddy adapter. It turns out
that the Plextor 8/20 will write to the discs when the caddy adapter is
used for it as well. There seems to be some problem with the Plextor's
mechanics when the disc is resting in the 80mm tray. I don't know of a
source for the adapters, though I'm told http://www.cddigitalcard.com/
carries them. ]
Subject: [7-15] Where can I find CD-ROM business cards and "shaped" CDs?
(2001/01/18)
You can find CD-ROMs in many interesting shapes, including ovals and
rectangles. These are functional CD-ROMs that are, for example, the same
size and shape as a traditional business card (well, a really thick
business card). They can have your name and contact information printed on
the front, and can hold a modest amount of data, typically about 40MB.
Recordable CD-R business cards are available as well.
As with 80mm CDs (see section (7-14)), you may have trouble playing these
"discs" on CD-ROM drives that use caddies or have a "slot-in" design.
Some net.vendors (there are many others, but this is a good start):
http://www.globalrendering.com/cdrom/
http://www.cdshapes.com/
http://www.pocketcd.com/
http://www.cddigitalcard.com/
http://www.sculptedcd.com/
http://www.avomedia.com/record/index.html
http://www.nycd.com/
http://www.cdroutlet.com/
http://www.xdr2.com/
http://www.shimad.com/
http://www.home-run.com/
http://www.cdcardusa.com/
http://www.americal.com/
For information about a 57.5mm disc with 80mm "wings", see
http://microdiscs.de/.
Cutting a CD-R disc into a different shape isn't recommended, because the
recording layer tends to delaminate easily once the seal has been broken.
Some CD-Rs have appeared in Japan that use a 120mm polycarbonate disc with
an 80mm recordable area. This allows the outer polycarbonate to be cut
into interesting shapes without affecting the recordable area. Some
pictures are available on http://www.fadden.com/cdrpics/.
What follows are some personal notes on CD-recordable business cards, based
on experiments conducted in early 2000. I bought five from www.cdroutlet.com
for about $3 each. According to CD-R Media Code Identifier, the essential
facts are:
Nominal Capacity: 51.219MB (05m 51s 49f / LBA: 26224)
ATIP: 97m 1As 55f
Disc Manufacturer: Lead Data Inc.
Dye: Pthalocyanine (Type 5)
The discs are gold in color, and look like an 80mm disc that was squared
off across the top and bottom. They come in clear plastic envelopes that
are slightly larger than the discs themselves. Total size is 80mm long
and 60mm wide, which is a little off from the standard business card
(88mm x 51mm) but not by much.
As with 80mm CD-Rs, my Plextor 8/20 rejected them unless I put them in an
80mm caddy adapter. The adapter doesn't work very well, since it's only
holding the disc on two points, but it worked well enough.
I grabbed a local copy of my web page, threw on an autorun.inf and a copy
of shellout.exe, and wrote it to the disc with disc-at-once recording.
The recorder got upset while writing the leadout, and ECDC (3.5c) reported
some fatal errors, but the disc had already been closed enough to be
readable in the two CD-ROM drives tried. It's possible that the slight
looseness in the caddy adapter caused problems... on future attempts I
will try to fasten the disc a little more securely.
The use of these discs as business cards presents some difficulties.
If you look at the picture on http://www.fadden.com/cdrpics/, you can see
that the disc has the same clear hub as a standard disc, which doesn't give
you much of a solid background for writing. All is not lost, however: there
are other cards with ink-jet printable surfaces, and adhesive business
card labels are now available.
Subject: [7-16] Can you tell pressed CDs and silver CD-Rs apart?
(2000/03/12)
The easiest way is to drag something sharp across the top and watch what
happens. If you'd like to be able to use the disc afterward, there are
some non-destructive ways too.
In some cases it's easy to tell, e.g. the color is slightly off or there are
two different shades of silver. The written areas on a CD-R look slightly
different from unwritten areas. A silver CD-R that has been written to
capacity is nearly indistinguishable from a pressed disc though.
You can get a definitive answer with CD-R Media Code Identifier (6-2-9).
Put the disc into a CD recorder and query it. Pressed discs will say
"no information". Some CD recorders might have trouble finding the ATIP
after the disc has been closed, so do some tests with known discs before
jumping to any conclusions.
Subject: [7-17] What's the difference between "data" and "music" blanks?
(2003/01/13)
"Consumer" stand-alone audio CD recorders require special blanks.
See section (5-12) for details. There is no difference in quality or
composition between "data" blanks and "music" blanks, except for a flag that
indicates which one it is. It's likely that "music" blanks are optimized
for recording at 1x, since anything you record "live" is by definition
recorded at 1x (though some dual-drive systems allow track copying at
higher speeds).
You don't have to use "music" blanks to record music on a computer or on
a "professional" stand-alone audio CD recorder. Nothing will prevent
you from doing so, but there's no advantage to it.
The "music" blanks are more expensive than the "data" blanks because a
portion of the price goes to the music industry. The specifics vary from
country to country. In the USA, the money goes to the RIAA, which
distributes it to artists who have navigated through a complicated
application process.
Some manufacturers have on occasion marked low-quality data discs as being
"for music", on the assumption that small errors will go unnoticed. Make
sure that, if you need the special blanks, you're getting the right thing.
(Technically, there are actually three kinds of blanks: type 1a for CD-ROM
or professional audio recording, type 1b for special-purpose applications
like PhotoCD, and type 2 for unrestricted use. "Music" blanks are type 2,
"data" blanks are type 1a.)
Some disc manufacturers label "music" blanks as "universal use", since
they will work on anything.
Subject: [7-18] How do I convert data CD-Rs into "consumer audio" blanks?
(2002/02/25)
The CD-Rs required by "consumer" stand-alone audio recorders (section
(5-12)) are more expensive than the standard "data" CD-Rs. Converting a
standard blank into a consumer-audio blank is like converting lead to gold,
in two ways: it would save a lot of money, and it's impossible.
CD-Rs have some information pressed into them that cannot be altered. One
such tidbit is the Disc Application Flag, which tells the recorder what
sort of blank you've inserted.
There are ways to trick certain recorders into accepting other kinds of
blanks (some of which are mentioned in section (5-12)), but there is no
way to disguise the blank itself.
(For the nit-pickers: apparently some experiments with nuclear reactors and
particle accelerators have actually resulted in conversion of lead to gold.
It is unlikely that placing a "data" CD-R in a particle accelerator will
do anything useful, however.)
Subject: [7-19] Is translucent media bad?
(2002/12/09)
A popular perception is that translucent CD-R media -- discs that are,
to some extent, see-through -- are lower in quality than discs you can't
see through. The argument is that the discs reflect less light, and as
a result are less likely to work in some players.
The argument is without merit. So long as the disc reflects at least 70%
of the beam when it strikes a "land", it meets the CD-R specification.
All CD-R media, except for discs treated with an opaque top coating
(usually to provide an absorbent surface for ink-jet printers), are to some
extent translucent. Take your favorite brand of un-coated disc, write
on the top with a black marker, and hold it up to a bright light source.
The writing will be visible through the disc, even on widely recommended
high-end brands.
Suppose the translucent media had an opaque label added to the top. Now
that you can't see through it, is the quality of the media higher?
There is much more to media quality than its ability to reflect the visible
light spectrum. It can be argued, of course, that there is a correlation
between the process that yields discs that are easy to see through and
discs that don't work very well. There is, as yet, no proof that such a
correlation exists.
Subject: [7-20] How do I destroy CD-R media beyond all hope of recovery?
(2001/03/12)
This question comes up every once in a while, because somebody with sensitive
data wants to obliterate unwanted copies on CD-R. With magnetic media,
the problem is well understood, and guidelines have been published for
the proper treatment of floppy disks and hard drives. To the best of my
knowledge, no such guidelines have been published for CD recordable media.
To be effective and useful, an approach must have two properties: it must
guarantee that there is no hope of recovering any data from the media, and
it must be safe and easy to implement. The qualifications for the former
involve a fair degree of paranoia. If, for example, you want to erase a
file from a hard drive while leaving the remaining contents intact, it is
necessary to write over every sector in which the file was written several
times with different bit patterns. If you just zeroed out the blocks,
a sufficiently sensitive device could detect lingering magnetic traces,
and possibly reconstruct significant pieces of the original file.
Some possible approaches for CD-R:
Death by physical delamination
Scrape off the reflective layer with something sharp. Can be done by
an unskilled worker or simple device. You still need to do something
with the reflective layer, though, and there might still be traces of
data on the polycarbonate (dye residue).
Death by shredding
Run the disc through an industrial-strength paper shredder. The
polycarbonate tends to shred into many small pieces. The resulting
jigsaw puzzle should be exceptionally difficult to reassemble.
The trouble is that the reflective layer and underlying dye is very
flexible once separated from the polycarbonate, and might not shred well.
(A much simpler variant of this is to snap the disc in half. If you
do it the right direction, the polycarbonate breaks into several pieces.)
Death by drum sander
Secure the disc to a piece of wood, and run it through an industrial
drum sander (http://www.performaxproducts.com/Catalog/SuperMax50x2.html).
These come with dust vacuum hoods, which should minimize the amount
of breathable polycarbonate. The system would have to be calibrated
carefully though, or the sander might just rip the data layer off and
fling it (or, for that matter, fire the whole disc across the room).
Using the piece of wood more than once might be problematic, depending
on the exact method used to attach discs to it.
Death by chemical delamination
Drop the disc into acetone. That ought to dissolve the top layer
and leave little left that's meaningful. Something still nee