Why a Burned Disk Won't Play in Your CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Player or Car

Troubleshooting a Burned CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Disk/Disc That Doesn't Work in a Player/Car

If a disk/disc burning program like Express Burn burns your disc without reporting any errors, but the the disc doesn't play when you put it in your CD / DVD / Blu-ray player, there are a few things you can try to fix this irritating but common issue:

Confirm Which File Formats Are Compatible

Again, check the manual that came with your player. An MP3 CD can store more songs than an audio CD, but an older CD player may not be able to play MP3/Data CDs. Likewise, a data disc of JPEG files is a great way to view a photo slideshow on recent DVD players but to view a slideshow on an older DVD player, you may need to create a video DVD using something like PhotoStage Slideshow Software.

Confirm Which Disc Types Are Compatible

Check the manual that came with your player/car for a list of compatible disc/media types. Are you trying to use a rewritable (RW) disc when the player only supports non-rewritable (R) discs (like in many older disc players, especially in cars)? Are you trying to use a "plus" (e.g., DVD+RW) disc when the player only supports "minus" (e.g., DVD-RW), or vice-versa? (The manual may use the symbol "±" to mean either plus or minus will work.)

Use Quality Discs

Cheap discs often have more read errors than higher quality discs, and some players will have more trouble with reading errors than others. Buy good quality blanks, and avoid discs with scratches, fingerprints, or dust.

Choose the Burn Speed Carefully

Take note of the minimum and maximum burn speeds that your drive is capable of, and that your selected discs are capable of. Contrary to popular belief, burning at a slower speed does not always give a better result than burning at a higher speed. Check what write speed(s) your disc has been rated for. If the disc specifies a single write speed (e.g., 4x) then you must burn at that speed. If the disc specifies a range of speeds (e.g., 4x-12x) then you must not burn at a speed outside that range.

Make Sure Your Drivers are Up-to-Date

Sometimes another program can damage Windows drivers for your CD/DVD drive. Microsoft provides a utility program to fix these cases and instructions: Windows CD or DVD drive support

Enable Verification

A feature in Express Burn; you can check the Verify burned content is correct after burning the check-box in the burning dialog. It will take longer, but you can be sure at the end of verification that your burn actually worked.

Click on the link to download or purchase:

Express Burn ISO/Disc Burning Software by NCH

Create Blu-Ray/CD/DVD Discs Using ISO Files in Express Burn

Create Blu-Ray/CD/DVD Discs Using ISO Files in Express Burn

What is an ISO file?

An ISO file is an archive file of an existing CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray disc, and is one of the most common file types in transferring data from/to optical disc media.

ISO also has the ability to be mounted or emulated to use without a physical disc reader using a virtual drive program.

Any single-track CD-ROM, DVD, or Blu-ray disc can be archived in ISO format as a true digital copy of the original. Unlike a physical optical disc, an image can be transferred over any data link or removable storage medium.

Burn ISO files onto discs with Express Burn

Express Burn can take ISO files and burn them easily and quickly onto the appropriate disc media, and can also take existing discs and create ISO images to save to your hard drive.

Once you have downloaded or copied an ISO/IMG file onto your computer, all it takes are six easy steps to burn an ISO image to a CD, DVD, Blu-Ray of your choosing with Express Burn:

1. Start Express Burn. (If the Select a New Disc to Burn dialog appears, click Cancel.)
2. Select the ISO tab and click Write ISO.
3. Select the ISO file and click Open.
4. Insert a blank disc into the drive.
5. Check the burning options, change any if needed, then click Burn.

Click on the link to download or purchase:

Express Burn ISO/Disc Burning Software by NCH

Easy CD/DVD Copying and Burning

As new features and operating systems come out, some things start to go away. You probably don't miss floppy drives much, but one thing that is getting harder on a Mac is an easy way to burn things like your home movies to DVD. If you have videos, music, or even data you want to burn to CD, DVD, or Blu-ray, take a look at this preview of how easy it is to create and copy disc with Express Burn.

Disketch Best Disc Label Software

Recently Software Review Boffin reviewed our Disketch CD/DVD Label Software noting that "it can create professional CD and DVD labels in a blink of an eye." If you are making your own mixed CDs or home Video DVDs for the holidays this can be the perfect finishing touch.

"With Disketch Disc Label Software users can create a vast range of CD or DVD labels quickly and effortlessly. Additionally, [we] were able to create labels and covers with an ease and smoothness that made the exercise a pleasant experience. Letting you put your own personal touch on your CD and DVDs."
  – Software Review Boffin

You can read the complete review on Software Review Boffin, or head over to nchsoftware.com to download Disketch Label Maker Software to get started creating your own unique CD and DVD covers and labels.

5 Star Burning Software for Mac

There are a lot of choices when it comes to burning software these days, which is just one of the reasons that it is wonderful to see strong reviews like this one from BurnWorld.com, calling NCH's Express Burn "a great application, working fast, featuring the most important processes a user would want." Better yet that, while these experts clearly recognize and point out that "the interface is very easy to use," this review was from a previous release, before we made modifications to the interface to make the creation of DVDs and audio or MP3 CDs even easier. Along with other additions, including better DVD authoring with several included menu templates, and the ability to burn not only data to Blu-ray discs, but to burn your high-definition Blu-ray movies too.

You can read the complete review of Express Burn, and we encourage Mac and PC users alike to try all the burning features and see how easy burning software can be.

K is for Keep

NCH Software ABCs Series

Having a computer crash or losing files or mobile devices is incredibly stressful. Not only is it inconvenient, but our lives are becoming more and more digital and there is a lot more at stake than just the computer itself. I myself have plenty of things that I want to hang on to and I'm sure you do too. Here are some software tools you should take a look at to help you recover, backup, save, or store your documents.

If you have lost a file there is still a chance you can recover it. With Orion File and Photo Recovery Software you can scan your Windows PC or external drives for any deleted files that haven't been overwritten. You may be able to locate and recover the file, which is helpful for when something is accidentally deleted. However data recovery software shouldn't be your only line of defense in preventing file loss.

FileFort Backup Software provides a simple and easy to use interface for backing up your important files or folders to a variety of different destinations. You can decide where the best place to store your data is, whether it is an external hard drive, network folder, or a remote drive accessed via ftp. You can also store on physical media, including a USB stick or burning to a CD. FileFort is ideal for regularly backing up a smaller set of files. For backing up more extensive file systems on disc or via FTP you can also take a look at Express Burn or Fling FTP File Synchronization Software.

MEO Encryption Software is another important tool to have on hand if you have any files containing sensitive information. By encrypting your files you can make sure important information is kept away from prying eyes. Encryption is most useful when sharing information with others, but make sure you have safeguards in place on private information, such as a solid fire wall system and anti-virus protection.

<<< Previous: J is for Jams

Next: L is for Live >>>

A is for Audio

NCH Software ABCs Series

What better place to start our A to Z software tour than at the beginning—both the beginning of the alphabet and the beginning of NCH—Audio.

NCH Software was originally named NCH Swift Sound when it was founded in 1993 largely because many of our earliest products were sound and audio software solutions. Even though we have since expanded our range of software tremendously, to this day our WavePad audio editing software remains not only a company favorite, but our top selling program, currently available for Windows, Mac, iPhone and the iPad with millions of users worldwide.

WavePad may be the core of our audio software category but there are several other big players including MixPad multi-track mixer, Switch audio converter and SoundTap streaming audio recorder, just to name a few. You really can do more with audio using our complete range of audio software programs:

• WavePad Audio Editor
  
• MixPad Multi-Track Software
  
• RecordPad Sound Recording Software
  
• Switch MP3 Converter
  
• Zulu DJ Software
  
• Golden Records Vinyl to MP3 Converter
  
• Express Rip Audio CD Ripper
  
• TwelveKeys Music Transcription Assistant
  
• Crescendo Music Notation Software
  
• BroadWave Audio Streaming Server
  
• SoundTap Audio Stream Recorder
  
• ToneGen Tone Generator Software
  
• Voxal Voice Changing Software
  
• PitchPerfect Instrument Tuner
  
• TempoPerfect Metronome Software
  
• Stamp Mp3 Tag Editor
  

Next: B is for Business >>>

Burn and Label CD and DVDs on Windows or Mac

NCH Software provides a wide range of multimedia software allowing you to record, edit, convert and combine digital photos, audio and video files. And what comes after your digital remastering? You can take advantage of the Upload to YouTube feature built into many of our software programs, but another great option is to burn your projects to CD or DVD. With Express Burn Disc Burning Software you can burn audio, video and data to CDs, DVDs and even Blue-Ray discs in a variety of file formats. Simply drag, drop and burn and in minutes you have a finished disc. You could stop there, or maybe scribble something on the disc with a sharpie, but if you want to really make your burned discs stand out you can create customized CD and DVD labels and cases with Disketch Disc Label Software for that finishing touch and to help keep your discs organized.

Disketch Labeling Software was recently released for the Mac for the first time, making it easy for anyone to create personalized labels and cases by adding text, color and images.

Express Burn Improvements, More to Come

New versions of Express Burn disc burner for both Windows and Mac were released in the last week. These latest releases feature greatly improved performance over past versions, bringing you a disc burning program that burns quicker, more reliably, and more easily than ever before. Not simply a disc copier, you can use Express Burn to burn any music, data or video files on CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs for easy archiving, sharing, or file management.

More developments, including DVD menu creation, are in the works for Express Burn in the coming months, so this is definitely a program you want to keep your eye on. Try it out now and see why Express Burn is one of our top products.

Archival-quality Audio from Vinyl with Golden Records

Golden Records Vinyl to CD Converter is one of our more popular software programs, offering an easy step-by-step process for converting vinyl LP records and analog audio cassettes to CD or mp3 files. It seems the people at CNET agree, having recently given it high marks, saying, "We've tried many such tools, yet we've often gone back to [Golden Records], which also converts tapes and other analog audio sources." The reviewers went on to say:

"We transcribed several LP records ranging from audiophile quality to barely playable with Golden Records, achieving excellent, archival-quality results each time. The auto track splitter worked fine on scratchy old platters, though recording tracks in the highest possible quality and then splitting and converting them manually using a WAV editor proved the best method for better-quality discs. The sound files produced by Golden Records Vinyl to CD Converter sounded great, whatever the source."

– CNET

You can read the complete review of Golden Records Analog to CD/MP3 Converter from CNET on download.com. Or, download today to take advantage of the free 14-day trial and easy wizard based process to start digitizing your vinyl record collection.

Mix Up Your Valentine's With A Sweet Gift

Valentine’s Day is a day for love but it can also be a day of great stress. Finding just the right gift for the one you care about on a tight budget can be mind boggling and quite taxing.

Make this Valentine’s unique by bringing back the puppy love from ’85 and making your sweetie a mixed CD. Fill it with songs from your memories together, or revive your passions with new songs that tell how you feel.

Use Express Burn CD Burning Software to copy your heartfelt songs to disc so your beau can listen in the car or upload your creation to their iTunes. Get crafty and make a CD label with Disketch Disc Label Software to completely customize your one-of-a-kind gift.

Browse more NCH Software to find your own creative gift ideas.

Scary Halloween Tutorial: Make a Howling and Haunting Halloween Soundtrack

5 easy steps for making your own Halloween soundtrack

Last week we showed you how to spookify your screen saver in 3 easy steps using VideoPad. This week we'll help you prepare for that Halloween party you have planned, or for setting a spooky atmosphere for your trick-or-treaters with a haunting halloween soundtrack.

1. Using WavePad audio editor, download three sounds from the sound effect library, found under the Tools menu. We recommend Ambience SciFi 1 for the background, and Nature Weather Lightning 3 and Human Scream 1 as accent sounds. Save them in a location you can remember. To download more than three sounds, upgrade to the WavePad Master's edition, or record more sounds of your own.

2. Open your downloaded sounds in WavePad. For the basics of using WavePad, view the WavePad tutorial series.

3. Copy your background sound and paste at the end of the file one or two times, so the length of your soundtrack becomes a few minutes long.

4. In this step, you are going to add your accent sounds to your background sound. Copy the entirety of one of your accent sounds, then go back to the window with your background sound. Place your cursor in a random location, then select Paste Mix from the Edit menu and click OK on the dialog that appears. The accent sound will be pasted over the background sound. Repeat this process as many times as you want for each accent sound throughout the duration of the background sound file.

5. Save your finished background file with the added accents to a format suitable for your CD player or portable device. When you play the soundtrack, make sure you loop it so the sounds play continually throughout your Halloween night.

With Christmas around the corner, you can get a head start on personalizing Christmas songs with reindeer noises, elves cheering, and bells ringing using the same steps given here. Feel free to share your creations, and we'll feature you on our blog!

Software for Musicians

Audio Software is one of our biggest categories, and sound editing is just the beginning; we have lots of tech solutions for musicians too. From music recording software to other handy musician software tools, each program is specifically designed for a particular music related task so musicians can go high tech while tuning, transcribing or even just practicing. Check out a few of our audio software favorites for musicians:

TwelveKeys Music Transcription Software is perfect for any musician trying to learn how to play a piece of recorded music, or for notating compositions. TwelveKeys provides a visual aid for musical transcription using a graphical representation of the music, allowing musicians to notate any orchestration with accuracy and ease.

Crescendo Music Notation Software is a simple way to work with musical notation. Crescendo allows musicians to compose, save and print music from their computer. The wide array of notation symbols, time and key signatures, and text on a free-form layout gives you complete control over musical arrangements.

PitchPerfect is a free guitar tuner that also works great for other string instruments. It automatically detects the note you are playing and lets you know if you are sharp, flat, or perfectly in tune. Performing will be less daunting, having this product to eliminate the need of tuning a guitar conventionally.

TempoPerfect is a free software metronome. Designed to help musicians play in time, this tempo software creates accurate beat patterns for simple or complex rhythms. TempoPerfect provides a clear and precise beat that won't wind down, making it an essential tool for all musicians.

WavePad Sound Editor is designed to be an easy to use audio editing package. Within minutes you will be able to open or record a file and edit it. It has many robust tools including audio effects to amplify, normalize, reverb, a free sound effect/music library, text-to-speech voice synthesis, and a voice changer, just to name a few. Combined with MixPad multitrack mixing software, these two audio applications are perfect for any audio project, from making soundtracks and podcasts to creating high quality demo CDs for your band.

Blu-Ray Disc Burning Now Available for Express Burn Mac

Blu-Ray discs provide significantly more storage space than a CD or DVD disc. When it comes to video, that extra storage space on Blu-Ray is used to store movies in high definition for larger, sharper, higher quality videos in what is currently the highest standard--1080p high definition video.

If you have a Blu-Ray burning drive for your computer you can take advantage of this high capacity for backing up your hard drive, archiving old files, or recording and saving your own hi-definition videos. Express Burn Disc Burning Software has supported Blu-Ray burning on windows machines for some time now, and the most recent release of Express Burn for Mac now supports Blu-Ray burning too, so users can burn audio and data CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs. And no matter what type of disc you are creating, Express Burn burning software couldn't be easier. Simply drag, drop and burn.

Preserve Your Own Olympic Moments With Golden Videos and Golden Records

How many of us will ever step up on an Olympic podium, bow our heads down as a gold medal is slipped over our head, gracefully accept a wreath of laurels, and stand tall while our national anthem is being played in front of an audience the size of millions?

A very, very small percentage.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t have moments of our own. We each have our achievements, large and small, and often those achievements have been commemorated with plaques, trophies, certificates, or simple pats on the back. We can remember feeling proud or accomplished, the hard work it took to earn recognition, and the smiling faces of those sharing our victories with us.

Maybe your big moment was winning the big football game, track meet, or marching band competition. Maybe your big moment was watching your child succeed. Or was it a speech you gave for a cause you believe in, or an experience you don’t have every day: your wedding, your trip to Ireland, your surprise 40th birthday party.

Whatever the moment, it’s important to have access to these memories. The sensations we experienced at the time never completely go away, but too often we stash the home movies and the memory-inducing music in the dusty attic, a flood-prone basement, or in a cramped closet. How devastating would it be to lose them, and to not be able to recall the smaller details? We deserve to have a little bit of our own Olympic moments injected into our lives more often. Those memories deserve to be on hand.

During this Olympic season, bring a little gold back into your life and revisit your old memories. Converting your old home videos is easier than you think with Golden Videos VHS to DVD converter software, a USB capture device, and your old VHS player. And for those vinyl records and audio cassettes that bring those memories flooding back (for me it’s The Joker by the Steve Miller Band), use Golden Records Analog to MP3/CD converter software.

Enjoy watching your country in the Olympics this month, and remember to delight in your own golden achievements.

Report from Development Land

Here is an exciting update from NCH that our talented bunch of programmers are currently working on improving the well established CD Label software Disketch.

Upcoming features include the ability to easily drag and drop text and images onto your CD template and arrange together to make your label masterpiece! You will be able to change your font type, size and color, and automatically fetch file information from your disc (to list on your labels).

Designed for people who want to print directly onto their disc, or for those who print onto sticky labels, the new Disketch is soon to be the most intuitive label maker found on the web. And best of all, it will still be completely free!