How to Burn DVDs with a Media Center PC to Watch Using a Dedicated DVD Player

By eHow Electronics Editor

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Burning TV programs and other content onto a DVD can easily be done using Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. Burning DVDs will allow you to enjoy watching the shows you love when you find the time in your busy schedule. Since the Media Center PC comes with limited storage space and TV shows can occupy a lot of space, burning DVDs is a good idea for programs you would like to keep for future viewing.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Blank writable DVDs
PC equipped with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

Step1

Insert a writable DVD disk into your Media Center DVD drive. Make sure the disk is blank or rewritable or else your system will not recognize the media.

Step2

Use the Start Button on your remote and select "My TV."

Step3

Use the arrows on the remote and go to "Recorded TV" on the My TV screen.

Step4

Select the program you wish to burn on the DVD from the list of recorded shows. Press the "More Info" button on your remote then select the "Create CD/DVD" option from the displayed list.

Step5

View the disc format screen and select "Video DVD" and press "OK." You will be asked to give a name to the DVD using the keys on the remote control.

Step6

Select "Create DVD" on the View DVD screen. The Initiating Copy dialog box will open, then select "Yes" to continue. Your DVD will start the burning process and may take several minutes as Media Center compresses the files so they will fit onto the disc.

Step7

Continue using your computer by selecting "OK" on the Creation Progress dialog box. Remove the DVD from the tray when the Media Center PC ejects it after it's finished burning.

Step8

Click "Done" on the Completing Disc Creation dialog box. Your DVD is now ready and you can watch the shows with any dedicated DVD player.

Tips & Warnings

Burn the shows you record onto DVDs more often to free up valuable space in your computer.
Media Center PCs have compatibility issues while writing DVDs. Make sure your DVDs are supported as per the manual.
If you have problems burning the DVD the writing driver may have a problem. Contact your manufacturer for assistance.
Avoid low quality content on your DVD by not choosing the Fit Content CD/DVD dialog box. There can be a data loss due to too much compression.
Avoid copying shows that are protected or have copyright issues. You may not be able to burn some of these onto DVD. You should not try other means and ways to burn them as you may violate the copyright of the broadcaster or the show producers.