CDs and DVD's

[Boomyal]

I guess that older CD drives cannot burn DVDs? I have had a 100 pack of what I thought were Sony CD's. Every time I tried to burn one, they never worked. I had another pack of a different brand and I would have to fetch one of those.

I just discovered that the Sony Discs were DVDs. My Drive unit is a TDK that is probably over 10 years old. I guess that leaves me in the technological dust heap?

 

[britisher]

Re: CDs and DVD's

Recordable disks come as either CD or DVD versions. A CD-R means you can record audio/data on them one time. A CD-RW means you can do the same but you can rewrite over the disk. A DVD-R is like a CD-R, but will record video. Then there is DVD-RW.
To utilise the disks, your PC drive unit will have stamped on it what it can take; CD, CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-RW, etc. Most newer drive units are recorders as well as players. Yours may just be a CD player. Our earlier PC from 2000 vintage had a DVD-R drive in it, so it may not be obsolete. Just a case of knowing what it was designed to do.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: CDs and DVD's

I looked closely at my TDk unit. It has embossed on the face (hard to read), 'compact disc, re-writable'. It may even be from the late 90's. I guess it would say DVD somewhere on it, if it took them.

 

[britisher]

Re: CDs and DVD's

It sounds like your drive unit will handle only CD's, either regular CD's, CD-R's and CD-RW. Sounds like it's time to buy something new. We have Black Friday in 2 weeks time.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: CDs and DVD's

It sounds like your drive unit will handle only CD's, either regular CD's, CD-R's and CD-RW. Sounds like it's time to buy something new. We have Black Friday in 2 weeks time.

Yep, we do. Thanks!

Actually, now that I think of it, all the newer drives take a different kind of connector than what either of my PC's have. I do not remember the name of the architecture, but mine do not have it.

 

[Slip Away]

Re: CDs and DVD's

Your PC does not even have a USB connection/plug(s) ? If it has USB 2.0 you can buy a stand alone DVD burner and burn DVD's with that.

 

[NYBo]

Re: CDs and DVD's

The current drives use SATA but I'll bet you can still find an old-school IDE drive somewhere. Make sure it's not just a DVD reader. Alternately, you can get a modern drive and an SATA interface card.

 

[bassman284]

Re: CDs and DVD's

Short answer, DVD's did not yet exist when that computer was built.

 

[matt167]

Re: CDs and DVD's

These chips work also for a SATA drive, but used IDE DVD Rw drives can still be had for about $10

Convert SATA DVD Burner to IDE DVD Drive IDE Motherboard Adapter Free Shipping | eBay

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: CDs and DVD's

Sounds like a dog chasing its tail thread here Boom. Didn't your wife just buy a new laptop a while ago, if so, it should have a DVD RW drive in it, that can burn any type of DVD. Heck buddy you are really getting behind the times, I am now burning Blu-Ray discs.

LOL

 

[generator12]

Re: CDs and DVD's

If you're going to burn hi-density stuff like movies, be choosy about the brand you use. Verbatim made in Taiwan is a good one. Sony is also a good one. Memorex, not so good for this type of application. A little research can save you some failed burns.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: CDs and DVD's

Sounds like a dog chasing its tail thread here Boom. Didn't your wife just buy a new laptop a while ago, if so, it should have a DVD RW drive in it, that can burn any type of DVD. Heck buddy you are really getting behind the times, I am now burning Blu-Ray discs.

LOL

Hey, I am gettin' to be a old guy. It's all I can do to keep good tires on my work van withouot taking out a mortgage. It's all I can do to keep up with smart phone technology.

...but yes, the Mrs did recently get a new laptop. And yes, now that you mention it, it probably has a CD/DVD RW unit in it. And now that you mention it, I recently got a $300 Toshiba Win 7 laptop that probably has the same unit. That never crossed my mind because I did not realize that this huge stack of discs that I have had for several years, were DVD's!

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: CDs and DVD's

Boom,

I also forgot you just got that new laptop, so here is what you do! Go get a couple of thumb drives and anything you have on your desktop that you want burned to disc, simple copy to a thumb drive, transfer to your laptop and burn away, I do this quite often, works out great and the laptops are actually quite a bit faster than my desktops.