I'm burning discs for archiving - both CDRs and DVD+Rs.
When I've had a lot of data that I believe "completes" the disc, I burn it as disc at once. If I am adding a lot of files, I tend to use Instant Disc (Pinnacle's version of Direct CD)and finalize it as a udf disc.
I know that Direct CD and its cousins from other burning software requires that the computer have a UDF reader, but I've never thought that would be a drawback.
It now occurs to me that maybe, someday in the future, when I go to read one of these archive discs, UDF wont exist or it wont be on the computer I'm using.
What is ISO and would that be a preferable method to use so that data can be read from the disc on any CD or DVD drive?
> I'm burning discs for archiving - both CDRs and DVD+Rs. > > When I've had a lot of data that I believe "completes" the disc, I > burn it as disc at once. If I am adding a lot of files, I tend to > use Instant Disc (Pinnacle's version of Direct CD)and finalize it as > a udf disc. > > I know that Direct CD and its cousins from other burning software > requires that the computer have a UDF reader, but I've never thought > that would be a drawback. > > It now occurs to me that maybe, someday in the future, when I go to > read one of these archive discs, UDF wont exist or it wont be on the > computer I'm using. > > What is ISO and would that be a preferable method to use so that data > can be read from the disc on any CD or DVD drive?
ISO stands for International Standards Organization. ISO 9660 is the standard covering optical media of interest here. "ISO" is used as a shortcut for various standards covered there from filesystems through image properties. For example, an ISO extension to a filename designates an image of a data disc in the format specified in the standard.
UDF - Universal Data Format - is actually a family of formats specified in ISO 9660. In addition to formats for the filesystem (allowed characters, name lengths, subdirectory depth, etc.), ISO 9660 specifies formats for a data disc. The one most are familiar with is Level 2, which is used for mastered discs. A variant, Level 3, is used on closed variable-length packet sessions. The drawback to Level 3 is that it is not readable in older OSs, such as DOS, Windows 3, or those on early Macs. It can be read in modern OSs without assistance.
A variable-length packet session can also be closed to UDF 1.5, which is readable only when UDF read capability is installed.
There is much more to this, so see one of the usual references if you want to get the rest: the CD-R FAQ or the primer at my WWW site.
As for your question: I don't know Pinnacle's program, but if you want maximum readability, you want to write ISO 9660 Level 2 - master the disc. The next best is Level 3; the least portable is UDF 1.5.
. -------------------------------------- Mike Richter, were you born with "Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face? -------------------------------------- (Mike Richter, any Material Connection w/ Roxio?)
> I'm burning discs for archiving - both CDRs and DVD+Rs.
> When I've had a lot of data that I believe "completes" the > disc, I burn it as disc at once. If I am adding a lot of > files, I tend to use Instant Disc (Pinnacle's version of > Direct CD)and finalize it as a udf disc.
> I know that Direct CD and its cousins from other burning > software requires that the computer have a UDF reader, but > I've never thought that would be a drawback.
> It now occurs to me that maybe, someday in the future, when > I go to read one of these archive discs, UDF wont exist or > it wont be on the computer I'm using.
> What is ISO and would that be a preferable method to use so > that data can be read from the disc on any CD or DVD drive?
When you burn with InstantCD/DVD, you are burning in ISO 9660 file system. When you burn with InstantDisc, you are burning in UDF 1.50 file system. For compatibility or portability, use ISO 9660 file system.
>Louise wrote: > > I'm burning discs for archiving - both CDRs and DVD+Rs.
> > When I've had a lot of data that I believe "completes" the disc, I > > burn it as disc at once. If I am adding a lot of files, I tend to > > use Instant Disc (Pinnacle's version of Direct CD)and finalize it as > > a udf disc.
> > I know that Direct CD and its cousins from other burning software > > requires that the computer have a UDF reader, but I've never thought > > that would be a drawback.
> > It now occurs to me that maybe, someday in the future, when I go to > > read one of these archive discs, UDF wont exist or it wont be on the > > computer I'm using.
> > What is ISO and would that be a preferable method to use so that data > > can be read from the disc on any CD or DVD drive?
>ISO stands for International Standards Organization. ISO 9660 is the >standard covering optical media of interest here. "ISO" is used as a >shortcut for various standards covered there from filesystems through >image properties. For example, an ISO extension to a filename designates >an image of a data disc in the format specified in the standard. >Mike
Well, actually ISO doesn't stand for anything...certainly not International Standards Organization. The group that set the formats you specify is actually the International Organization for Standardization. It's just that ISO sounds cooler than IOFS.
> >ISO stands for International Standards Organization.
> Well, actually ISO doesn't stand for anything...certainly not > International Standards Organization.
I would've guessed it was from the French name for the group, much like the S.I. system is named, but this shows how poor my French is. :-)
According to iso.ch, the abbreviation came about this way: "Because 'International Organization for Standardization' would have different abbreviations in different languages ("IOS" in English, "OIN" in French for Organisation internationale de normalisation), it was decided at the outset to use a word derived from the Greek isos, meaning "equal". Therefore, whatever the country, whatever the language, the short form of the organization's name is always ISO."
So it *does* stand for something, but it's not an acronym. Interesting.
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