CD-RW vs. CD-R

[ccroker]

Does the CD-RW have a different format than CD-R? I mean if I record a .wav file onto a CD-RW will a standard CD player be able to read it? I have asked this question to a few people and what I get out of it is 1)no, it won't read it 2)hmmmmm 3)wouldn't think so. Anyone have a definitive answer?

[disciple]

i would say no when i have made cd-rw with data and taken them to another machine a udf reader is installed to read the disk this question is asked when you slide it in the cd rom. a format process is gone through on a cd-rw but on a cd-r its a straight burn. the only real test would be to try it out.

[Nightweaver]

The answer is most probably not.. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif The RW burning process is different from a straight CD-R burn. Generally, CD-RW's are only readable by other burners of the same manufacturer. Of course, there are always exceptions..

[masterofscience]

I will say that from my recent experience, it's a hit or miss situation. I just purchased a CD-RW drive. I copied files to a CD-RW disk then placed the disk in my regular CD-ROM drive and I could read the files. I took the same CD to work and the CD-ROM drive in my work PC couln't read the disk.
On the other hand, if you copy the files to a CD-R disk, the format is different and you should be able to read that disk in most any CD-ROM drive. If you are copying music or .wav files, make sure you use a CD-R disk if you want to play the CD in a player other than your CD-RW drive.

Hope this helps!

[De Joker]

First of all, when you talk about music and .wav files your talking about 2 different formats. Music is burned as audio(from wav or mp3 files)and after there burned there no longer wav or mp3 files. Wav files can also be burned as data, meaning that there still wav files on the cd.

So wav files can only be played on a pc cdroms, and if there on a cd-rw, only cdroms that or multi-speed capable will be able to read them. If there on a cd-r, any pc cdrom should be able to read them.

When you burn audio on a cd-r, any audio cdrom player should be able to read them. If there on a cd-rw, once again only multi-speed cdrom (audio)players (alot of the new ones are) will be able to read them.

To be shure you should try it.

[ccroker]

I did use .wav files as an example because it is what I can imagine using most. So as I understand it, all files written by a CD-RW e.g.(.exe , .jpg, .mpeg ,etc) are compatible with any multispeed cd-rom or cd-r?

[Ruahrc]

Hello-

This is how I understand it, and am pretty sure it's correct.

A CD-R works because the laser in the burner burns through a layer of dye, exposing the reflective surface beneath. This change in reflectivity is what the CD-ROM (or other CD device) "sees" and changes into 1's and 0's. The burning through the dye is an ireversible process- thus the name CD-R.

A CD-RW is slightly different in how data is recorded to the CD. In a CD-RW, the laser heats a substance on the disc to a certain point, at which it's molecular sctructure becomes crystalline. When it "erases" the data, it heats it (or something) again, and changes the molecular structure into an amorphous form. The reflectivity difference between the crystalline and the amorphous form is that the CD reader "sees" as 1's and 0's. The drawback of CD-RW is that the reflectivity difference is less than that of a CD-R and even less than that of a pressed CD (commercial software CD's), which is why some (especially older) cd devices have trouble reading them.

As far as recording files on to CD-R or CD-RW- the files record onto the CD in the exact same format- the only difference is the physical method used to get the data on the CD. This difference (as explained above) is why CD-RW's are usually more picky about which CD devices can read them and CD-R's are more compatible.

To sum it up- it does not matter what you record on, or what you record with, but it does matter what is reading the CD you make as to whether or not you will be able to read the data/audio.

Hope this helps

Ruahrc

[MF]

Thanks, good info.

[ccroker]

I have to agree. Thank you all very much for the feedback.