Need help with burning CD's...

Not sure about picture downloading but I would imagine the size of each pic you are loading has impact on time. when I download music, approx 50 minutes worth it takes about 5 minutes.

 

We use ROXIO around here - those times seem like maybe a little high, but then I am doing mostly documents or binary software prototypes rather than pix - so it may seem much quicker to me. I don't think you ever have to format, either; the software should just do everything in one shot.

 

i use Nero here. it takes a few mins to burn songs, let alone 500 MB of images. do you happen to have Nero, Rob?

 

Rob,

I would make the disks read only.

Speed would depend on drive speed, memory in machine, etc. Which XPS, memory amount, cd/dvd drive do you have? During configuration you should be able to verify drive write speed (2x, 4x, etc.).

It could also be cheap disks that the machine is having trouble with. Some drives have trouble with 700gb disks and find it easier to track 650gb disks.

 

This is the best for any use. The CDRW option can be slow. You can access it like another drive, but how often have you removed images from a CD you've burned? With the cost of CDs around 20 cents, it is worth it to me to burn a cd full of images, and archive it in a file. The cost will be in storing those cds in cases from case logic and the like.

Yes. It puts it into a UDF format. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Disk_Format) UDF needs to be formatted, like any drive. But most will start formatting and allow you to copy some files over while it is formatting. It works fine this way, but it will choke if the file sizes exceed the formatting size at that time. Thus, just advise anyone to wait till it is finished.

Not necessarily. Even with a 2x CDR/CDRW drive it shouldn't take that long, however, if they are all images and all no more than 200KB each, 80 minutes is not surprising. It will write each file and that takes time instead of writing one large AVI file and a pointer to it. After it is completed, I'm sure the index takes a while to write for 500MB worth of images.

edit: Also, verification time. If you have it set to verify, it will take 2x's the amount for burning. So you are probably only taking 40 minutes to burn on a burner and another 40 to verify it.

Roxio is good for taking your MP3s and burning them to Audio CDs, in CDA format (cd audio). Roxio is also good for writing / creating .ISO files. It doesn't work with .CUE/.BIN files, but if none of these apply and you just want to write files to a CDR, then there's no reason to use Roxio.

 

I'm with Him

 

I don't see why it would take 80 minutes unless you are verifying the data. Even if so, it shouldn't take more than 20 tops. Even DVDs do not take that long. Does it have a DVD burner as well?

 

You can set write speed in your configuration. It can be a fixed speed or dynamic depending on what the machine can do. If you have it set dynamic and something causes the drive to slow it may continue to write at that speed. I would check how you have your write speed set. Just report back when you are near your machine. I'll say it again.... some drives have trouble with 700mb disks.

 

I haven't experienced problems with 650 vs. 700 disks, however, I have experienced problems with certain brands and certain drives. Some make more coasters than others.

 

Using Roxio "creator classic" would probably be the easiest way. You don't need to deal with all that other stuff, and windows can be a PITA sometimes. I've made some pictures to help you out.

In the first picture you can see where I circled the data tab. Make sure this is selected as you are making a data disk, not a music disk.
Then in the next picture we are adding the files. You can drag and drop files or FOLDERS from the explorer window, or from the upper window in the Roxio program, whichever is easiest for you.
In the 3rd picture I circled the bar at the bottom that shows how full the disk is. It's ok to go over 700MB. It will just ask you for another disk when the first one is full. Also note I haven't inserted the blank disk yet.
In the 4th picture, you can see the options. After the disk is full, hit the "burn disk" button in the bottom right corner. It will pull up this options box. Here you can select your write speed and how many copies you want. Please note that if you select 2 copies, and the project needs 2 disks, you are going to need 4 disks. I usually leave the write speed to smart burn. It changes the speed during the burn as needed to maximize efficiency and eliminate potential problems. You can also verify the disk if you want, it's up to you.

It shouldn't take 80 mins to burn a single disk, that's really really slow. The file type doesn't affect speed that I know of, it's all ones and zeros.

Hope this helps some.
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Just a side note if you plan future CD burning: Don't even bother reading things like "recommended for storing images" on the packages. All CDRs store just files, doesn't matter if it's images, mp3s or anything. I don't know about the situation in the US, but over here, the best blank CDs you can get are not those from Sony and Toshiba and whatever brand name it may be, the best ones are those from various discounters for 5 cent. Yes, it is only a couple of cents, but I rather have good quality cheap instead of a worse product sporting some brand name costing four or five times as much.

 

That will heavily affect speed, as your hard disk has to read from 5 (4 copying folders + data to write on cd) locations at the same time.

 

Yes indeed. I have a feeling that the pictures containing more skin tones than others will also take a bit more time to churn through. I'd hold off organizing those pictures until after the burn is complete.

 

I doubt that... technically, skin tones are like other colors. What might be is that the JPG algorithm can't compress the skin parts of the picture as much as, say, a simple box in a single color due to the different shades of color skin has. This would lead to a bigger file size and thus to a longer processing time.

 

=(

*sniffs* I think you missed the inference.

 

*scratching head* Now that you say it....yes. Maybe I should have read your second sentence before posting my answer

 

Just a few things; be sure the intended CD drive that is going to be used to view these on is a DVD drive *IF* you burn a DVD as opposed to a 'normal' CD. I know of two-year-old Dells with only CD Readers in them, they won't even read a DVD, let alone burn one.
I would not make the CD rewriteable, you are bringing in a dynamic that someone could accidentily screw up the CD even if they don't mean to.

 

Media quality helps too...at least for DVD drives. I haven't burned a CD in years. Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden for data you want to keep...all other brands for data you hate. Verbatims aren't any more expensive than off brand manufacture but are much, much better in terms of burn quality and stability of the dye.

 

I have always used Roxio for making picture CD's. It is very easy and I have not ever really had problems using that program.
Stick with the Roxio....
And Merry Christmas!

BT