About DVD Burning

The creation of a DVD is no longer in the hands of big business. Today, most computers come pre-equipped with hardware and software that will allow anyone to create a DVD. While most DVDs are used to burn movie files, keep in mind that any kind of data can be burned, including word-processing files and music files.

Considerations

Although most computers are today equipped with DVD-burning hardware, the software that is necessary to carry out the burning may not be pre-installed; if it is, it will probably not be of the highest quality. Fortunately, a plethora of DVD-authoring software is on the market. Just make sure you choose one that actually fits your needs and is easy to use. If you simply want to watch home movies on TV, don't shell out $100 for software designed to create professional-quality DVDs for sale.

Function

Most people use DVD-burning technology to create a disc containing a movie or television show that can be played back on a regular DVD player attached to a television set. Burning a DVD with even the least expensive software means you can create discs that include such professional touches as file divided into chapters and customized menus with graphics and music. With the right software, you can even burn a DVD that contains Digital Rights Management (DRM), meaning that no one else can make a copy without going through serious hurdles.

Considerations

In most cases, it is perfectly legal to burn a commercial DVD disc that you already own for backup purposes. Burning this backup copy is not considered pirating unless you sell the copy or even give it away. Making a copy of a commercial DVD may require another software program that decodes the DRM. This process is also known as "cracking."

Size

The size of a commercial disc can be up to 8.4 gigabytes. The disc to which you will be burning will typically only be 4.7 gigabytes. This difference means that the files will have to be compressed to fit on a standard blank disk. Compression software is easy to find, and even a shareware program can usually accomplish the task. But be aware that, if you are planning to burn a long movie, such as an epic, it may become a two-disc job.

Types

The least complicated of all DVD burning-jobs is one in which you copy data over to the disc. In almost all cases, any kind of data file-- such as word-processing documents, file backups, spreadsheets and presentations--can easily be copied with the simplest of DVD-burning software. When data is burned onto a DVD, that disc can then be used on any other compatible computer.

Identification

Choosing a disc for DVD burning can cause no small amount of confusion, thanks to the many different types of discs that are available. One such type is DVD-R. This kind of disc can be burned to only once, and cannot be erased. DVD+R can be used the same way. DVD-RW means the DVD is rewritable; it can be burned to over and over again. While DVD-R and DVD+R are essentially the same thing, some recorders are incapable of burning to both. When buying a DVD burner, make sure it can burn to all types of discs.

Types

If you don't have a computer but would still like to burn DVDs, you might consider purchasing a DVD recorder. A DVD recorder is like a VCR, except you record to a DVD disc rather than a VHS tape. The top consideration to keep in mind when buying a DVD recorder is to get one that can record to rewritable discs. That way, you can really use it as a VCR by recording over what you've already watched.