Hi evyerbody, I was just wondering if that once you have shrink a dvd is it was better to use a slower write speed then the maxium that your burner can handle? and if they are any advantages to using the slower write speed.
Absolutely! Don't burn above 6X on a DVD rated at 8X. This will ensure that the DVD will read ok on your DVD player. Most will tell you not to burn above 4X but burning at 6X using good media has not presented any problems for me.
There's nothing wrong with being cautious, and it certainly won't hurt anything to burn slower then they are rated for. But if you're using quality media, have a good burner and a good setup, there is absolutely no reason not to burn at the fastest speed possible. For instance, my nec 3500 can burn my Taiyo Yuden 8x +r's at 16x, and my TY 8x -r's at 12x. They burn fine at that speed, but I usually just burn at 8x, since even though my PC has decent specs, it has trouble keeping the buffers filled. And besides, I'm not so impatient that I need my burns to finish in 4 mins. But, there is no reason not to burn high quality media like Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim datalife plus slower then 8x.
Now you've heard both sides. I've been around long enough to realize the possibility of errors is higher as the write speed increases. You may not have a problem, but the odds are still higher you might on a subsequent burn. It's up to the individual if they want to chance problems. Some of the problems are pixelation and skipping. Also, It doesn't always seem to be a matter of quality media and good burners, sometimes it's the source. I'm among those that don't burn video over 4X. Just a precaution. I'd rather spend the few minutes extra to increase the odds of a good burn. Consider the fact that a fast encode takes about 45 minutes. Is that extra few minutes that much of a hassle to increase the likelihood you'll have a good backup? Sure you can do it fast and possibly get away with it. But just one bad burn will cost you how much time lost in encoding?
