Can a cd-rw drive burn dvds? If so, what software options are there?
If not, how can I burn a dvd?

Hello bigsticks-ga,

The simple answer to your question is no, this is not possible. The
newest in "burners" are DVD Writers and Re-writers - these are
typically capable of burning CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RW. However,
this is not true of CD Writers or Re-writers - they are only capable
of writing CD-R and/or CD-RW. A few couple reasons why this is the
case:

1. Different disc media formats require different hardware
capabilities - since the DVD formats were released after the CD
formats, the manufacturers could not account for these formats.

2. There is a significant complexity difference between burning DVD
and CD formats from a hardware perspective (due to the relative
capacity of the different discs alone). This will clearly affect cost
of production and hardware development.

The following is some background information on the most popular DVD
formats:

A definition of DVD-RW:

"Short for DVD+ReWritable, a re-recordable DVD format similar to
CD-RW. The data on a DVD+RW disc can be erased and recorded over
numerous times without damaging the medium. DVD+RW and DVD+R formats
are supported by Philips, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Ricoh, Yamaha
and others. "

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DVD_plus_RW.html

A definition of DVD-R:

"Short for Short for DVD-Recordable, a recordable DVD format similar
to CD-R. A DVD-R can only record data once and then the data becomes
permanent on the disc. The disc can not be recorded onto a second
time. There also are two additional standards for DVD-R disks: DVD-RG
for general use, and DVD-RA for authoring, which is used for mastering
DVD video or data and is not typically available to the general
public. DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM are supported by Panasonic, Toshiba,
Apple Computer, Hitachi, NEC, Pioneer, Samsung and Sharp. These
formats are also supported by the DVD Forum."

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DVD_R.html



If you are interested, here is a detailed overview of the DVD formats,
tools, and caveats:
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html


Hopefully this answered your question adequately :)

Cheers!

answerguru-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by answerguru-ga on 01 Aug 2003 14:53 PDT

Hi bigsticks-ga,

As stated at the top of my answer:

"The newest in "burners" are DVD Writers and Re-writers - these are
typically capable of burning CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RW."

So yes, you can burn CDs with a DVD Writer...definitely sounds like a
better deal for an extra $30 :)

Thanks for the great rating and tip :)

answerguru-ga

Thanks answerguru-ga for the answer, and also jsf-78 for the
recommendation! One follow-up: can I burn cd's on a dvd burner? I'm
guessing yes. I just paid 99$ for a cd-rw, and then I saw a dvd burner
for just 129$, which may be a better deal depending on the quality...

If you buy a DVD burner, I would recommend a Pioneer A06

bigsticks-ga,

If the above comment is accurate, please let me know and I'll
reformulate my response. I may have misinterpreted your question.

answerguru-ga

A drive that is only a CDRW drive cannot burn DVDs.  It can read or
record CDs only.  However, if you burn a CD in a VideoCD format, it
can generally be played back on a typical DVD player.

To burn a DVD, I would recommend a DVD Multi drive.  This allows you
to read and record DVDs and CDs.  (This should not be confused with a
DVD Combo drive, which reads CDs and DVDs, but, only records on CDs).

A good DVDMulti drive to choose is the Sony DRU510A.  It supports both
the "+" and the "-" DVD recording standards, giving you the most
flexibility.
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Sony_DRU_510A_DVD_RW_Drive/4505-3212_16-21226932.html

Check pricewatch for the latest prices:
http://www.pricewatch.com/

(You will probably use DVD-R to start with, since it currently appears
to be compatible with the largest number of home DVD players, and
currently the discs are less expensive than DVD+R).

The Sony listed above appears to include software for mastering
("burning") DVDs.

If you are going to wait a while to buy a DVD burner, and want to
start by burning VideoCDs with your CD burner, you may find the
information at this site helpful:
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/