Beginner’s guide to burning DVD’s
A colleague of mine asked me to help her chose a DVD burner, because she had the feeling that burning DVD’s would be a tedious and hard-to-figure task, and that I may show her the easiest product. I declined, because I’m not hardware savvy enough to give someone good buying tips, but instead I’ve pointed her to a friendly guide to painless burning DVD’s :
- Use reliable media.
No too cheap discs. - Examine every disc.
Especially if you are of the messy kind, check the surface for scratches before burning it. - Keep things clean
Again a tip for the messy. A clean desktop in a clean room is the best way to keep your hardware clean and physical error free - Choose your software wisely.
Some software have friendly user interface with limited options. Pick the one that makes you comfortable. - Update your software
From time to time, check its website for updates and fixes. - Close other programs
Avoid making your hard-disk swap and write while burning. Close other applications and have a coffee :) - There is no rush
If unsure with your hardware or disc, and you have time, burn at slower speed. This grantly improves reliability. - Label carefully
No sticker, no hard pen, just soft markers. Discs are fragile !
This check-list is almost a guarantee of painless and error-free DVD burning.
This is my geeky log about everyday life and web technologies. 
