The new burn-proof drives are the ones to go for as they render that
explanation obsolete!
In article <ABDA876D71F9D211B39D0090274EA8E20414C93F@Floyd.logica.co.uk>,
CookeJ@logica.com (Cooke, Julie) wrote:
> It is safest to burn at 2x, although I always burn at 6x. This depends
> on
> the buffer underrun size of the CD recorder (why Plextors are especially
> reliable).
>
> Taken from
>
> "The CD recording process can't be interrupted in mid-session. Once the
> laser starts writing, any interruption would create a physical gap on
> the
> disc that could confuse CD readers. The recorder must always have data
> to
> write, from the moment the recording starts until the session ends. To
> avoid
> a situation where a temporary slowdown in the computer causes the write
> process to fail, the makers of CD recorders put a write buffer in the
> drive,
> usually between 512K and 4MB in size. Data read from the hard drive,
> tape,
> or another CD is stored in the buffer, and pulled out as needed by the
> recorder.
>
> If the recorder requests data from the write buffer, but there's none
> there,
> it's called a buffer underrun. The disc is still spinning, but there's
> no
> data to write, so the recording process aborts.
>
> You can still use the disc with multisession CD-ROM drives by closing
> the
> session and starting another, assuming there's enough space left on the
> CD,
> and assuming your pre-mastering software didn't choose to finalize the
> disc
> for you. If you were using disc-at-once recording, you're probably out
> of
> luck.
>
> Advice for preventing buffer underruns is scattered throughout this
> FAQ. A
> brief summary:
>
>
> Use a fast, AV-friendly hard drive (i.e. one that doesn't do slow
> thermal
> recalibrations). Pretty much all drives sold in the last couple of years
> fall into this category. You don't need a screaming AV-optimized drive.
> Record at a slow speed - it takes longer to empty the buffer when
> recording
> at 1x.
> Don't do anything else with the computer while recording. Don't record
> from
> a file server.
> Defragment your HD, especially if you're doing on-the-fly recording.
> Record from a disc image file rather than on-the-fly.
> Depending on your setup, putting the recorder and your hard drive on
> separate SCSI controllers may be necessary.
> Keep your CD-R cool. Sometimes the drives fail when they overheat.
> Also watch out for things like anti-virus programs that wake up, virtual
> memory settings that cause swapping, screen savers that activate during
> the
> CD creation process, unusual network activity, and background downloads
> of
> data or faxes. One way to check is to run the HD defragmenter in Win95.
> If
> it restarts every few seconds, it's because something is hitting the
> drive."
>
> HTH
>
> Julie
>
>
>
> >In regard tp speed of the burn, it is my understanding that it is best
> to >use a
> >slow burn speed (2x) as opposed to the higher speeds if one wants to
> minimize
> >potential read errors on client's computers...any comments?
> >Mike Moore
>
>
> <:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:>
> Larry Berman
>
> Web Sites for Artists:
> Compare Image Compression from the top
> Graphics Programs:
> Explore the Art Show Jury process from a web site:
>
> <:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:>
>
>
