What type cd to burn

CDs and DVDs offer a way to backup data from your computer. How can you tell whether your computer can burn DVDs? That depends on whether you have a Mac or a PC. While you can use either type of CD or DVD for any backup, each type has special purposes for which it is designed. In simplest terms:. Most CDs have a MB capacity.

To get an idea of how much data this will hold, a typical 5 page Word document is only about 60kb. At this size, you could store over 10, files on a CD.

Uncompressed image files may average about 1MB each, so you could save about pictures on one CD. Keep in mind that your drive will also have a maximum write speed. So if you have a 52x disc and a 32x drive, it will max out at 32x. System resources can also limit your write speed. Even so, faster is always better, right? Not always. Faster writing can sometimes cause errors, especially on cheaper discs. The write process can seem to run just fine, only for the CD to start skipping halfway through playback.

For this reason, most CD writing apps will allow you to choose your write speed. Verbatim is one of the biggest names in the world of storage, and for good reason.

The Verbatim CD-R is simple and straightforward, with a silver-grey surface that has lines drawn on it for track listings. The other side is a highly reflective silver-blue with enough shine for easy and reliable reading.

By the time they start to fail, your grandkids will be having music piped directly into their heads. The capacity of these discs is MB, enough for 80 minutes of music. This means you can burn a full-length audio CD in about 90 seconds. These are affordable CDs, and come in a pack. This makes them ideal if you want to run off a bulk run of CDs at home.

That said, the plastic itself measures only 1. The pack costs nearly as much as the pack of Verbatim CD-Rs. That said, as soon as you open the package, it becomes obvious where your money is going. These are CD-R Music discs, specifically designed to ensure high-quality playback.

As part of this design, they write at a maximum of 32x. This allows for data writing rates of 4. For burning music, you can write 80 minutes in 2. This slightly slower max write speed helps ensure better accuracy, so skipping is not a concern. The underside is also bright gold, and the foil is highly reflective. In addition to the pack, these discs are available in a 5, 10, or pack. The Memorex CD-R is primarily designed for data. The capacity of MB is right in line with modern standards, enough for 80 minutes of music.

The discs come in a pack, but are available in 10, , and packs as well. Jeremy Laukkonen. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Updated on July 12, Jessica Kormos.

Lifewire Technology Review Board Member. Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.

Article reviewed on Aug 23, Tweet Share Email. In This Article. Choose the Burnable Media. Choose a Burning Method. Head Unit Limitations. Inferior and Defective Media. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error.