DVD data writing software suggestions

[lookout]

This isn't the usual Jaguar related question, but maybe some of you out there have some thoughts on this.

Recently acquired one those new 8x DVD writers from Plextor to assist with backups and other tasks. It ships with Roxio's Easy CD Creator 6 as its DVD data writing software, which has been an absolute nightmare under Win XP pro. Roxio apparently still doesn't have its act together (check out their support website if you want to see for their sad release history yourself, it's verrry revealing). Reviews of Nero, their chief competitor, haven't been very promising either.

Just wondering whether anyone else here has found a decent DVD data writing product alternative that they could recommend.

[Connie]

I updated to Windows XP home. Installed the new Roxio software at a cost
of $90.00 or something like that. Everything worked fine for about 3
weeks. Then the PC started acting crazy. Long story but the bottom
line is now my CD-Rom drive doesn't work, and my CD burner doesn't work.

I think both problems may be related to Roxio.

I bought a new CD-Rom plug-in that was compatible with Windows.
No software had to be installed. XP recognized the plug in. However,
If I inserted a CD in the CD-Rom drive I got an error message.
So still no luck.

I have done a lot of research on this. Apparently XP is famous for
wiping out the CD drives. I even downloaded a patch that was supposed
to correct the problem. No Luck.

If you find a solution I would like to know about it. I hate to call the
travelling techs again. It gets expensive.

[lookout]

I've read reports of things like that, although I haven't experienced cd drive losses under XP myself. You might try reassigning the cd drive letters to see if that clears things up. Not sure about the home version of XP, but in the pro version you can do this via the disk manager (one of the utilities available under the administrative tools). Inserting or disconnecting a drive can mess up the drive letters. Generally it's good to assign your cd drive letters further down the alphabet, not immediately adjacent to hard disk or network drive letters. Some people use the convention of assigning drive letter R for read only cd drives, W for writable ones, Z for Zip drives... you get the idea.

Up until version 5 of Roxio's CD creator, I had few complaints with their product. 5 played havoc with Windows NT (or maybe it was Windows 2K) at installation if you didn't download and install their patch first before the final installation reboot. 6 seems to have some other problems, several of them with serious consequences to the unlucky installer. It may be just the particular configuration I am seeing, but judging from their support forum site, this version is as flawed as the last, if not even more so. It's amazing to me that Roxio continues to get good reviews in trade magazines.

[mattsiegman]

Linux rules. Its a bit more work (have to convert the .mp3 to .wav by hand -- I know about k3b, but I use WindowMaker :P), but I haven't had problems burning CDs... Don't have a DVD-writer, but I don't think it'd have a problem either (Knoppix has great auto-detection)

[lookout]

Not to sound snappy, but the OS isn't the problem here Matt. No problem with XP Pro recognizing the DVD drive. It's the funky Roxio software and its screwy installation that is at fault. I can get it to work, but it's much too buggy for my tastes. Just wondering if you or anyone else reading this have any other dvd writing software suggestions that have served you well.

BTW, Linux is fine, but it doesn't suit my purposes in this case. No doubt someone will now start extolling the virtues of the Mac. My interest is in the DVD writing software, not the OS.

[jason]

OK, I have to say it now...burning CD's on a Mac is so easy. All you have to do is drag files to the CD and drag it to the trash.

OK, that said, that's about the only thing I prefer using a Mac to do. I don't have a DVD burner myself, but I use Roxio 5 and I've never had any problems. At home my burner came with Nero and half of the stuff on the install disc didn't work, so I installed Roxio and had no problems (under ME). I recently upgraded that system to XP pro and I've seen no problems.

--Jason

[lookout]

You've been fortunate to have missed all the fun then. There were several serious installation issues with 5 in the NT family (i.e. NT, 2000, and XP business class) environments. These I believe were eventually corrected, but not without causing early adopters plenty of grief. All part of being on the bleeding edge I guess. Best to wait for things to sort themselves out if you can.

That said, 5 does not support DVD authoring in the same sense as 6. Though 5 claims DVD data writing capability, I'm not sure it actually supports the new drive I'm using in that mode (I'll look into that as a fall back option). Once past the initial install issues, I've actually used 5 basic and platinum on numerous machines with few problems. Can't say the same for 6 yet, though the cd writing portion seems fine. DVDs are another thing. Part of the issue is the program's inability to coexist with other Roxio products. The installation of 6 actually disables some of those with no warning, doing a poor job of it to boot. It also appears to replace the standard XP hard and cd disk drivers (at least when a DVD writer is on the system), which introduces a host of other problems. If you have 5 on your machine now and upgrade to 6, be forewarned that the installation can be a regular barrel of monkeys.

BTW, the whole dragging and dropping of disks in the trash on Macs has never quite set right with me. Makes about as much sense as hitting the Start button in Windows to log off or to shut down.

[jason]

Originally posted by lookout
BTW, the whole dragging and dropping of disks in the trash on Macs has never quite set right with me. Makes about as much sense as hitting the Start button in Windows to log off or to shut down.

Agreed. Part of my job is to support faculty on computer related issues (such as new software and the like). We are a "disguised" as a technical school, but we have strong art, photography, and liberal arts programs here as well, so many of our faculty are technophopic to varying degrees. We are about 50/50 Mac and PC, and occasionally we get a novice PC user who freaks when we tell tehm to drag their ZIP disk to the trash after they've done all kinds of work on a Mac in the lab. OS X does make a little more sense than previous OS's did because as soon as you click on a removable disk now it changes the trash can icon to an eject icon and when you click on a CD-R it changes to the Disc Burner icon (that looks like a fallout shelter sign), but I still think the concept is flawed.

As for Roxio, version 5 is working fine for me right now, so I have no intention of changing (unless I get a DVD burner, but I doubt I will any time soon). I like to be on the bleading edge of technology, but as far as CD burning technology goes, I could care less. I'll just stick to what works, at least for the time being.

--Jason

[lookout]

Yeah, CD/DVD writing technology is not really where I care to be investing my time either. One of those background utilities, hardly anything to get too excited about. Still, the newer, cheaper and faster DVD writers have a good chance at giving the current CD writing market a good shake up. I hadn't been that interested in them myself until recently, when prices and speeds started to make them look a lot more appealing as a possible backup solution for some of my clients.