Erusoft CD DVD Burner vs Competitors: Which Is Best for You?

Step-by-Step: Burning Audio and Video Discs with Erusoft CD DVD BurnerBurning audio and video discs remains a useful skill for archiving, sharing with devices that lack USB/streaming support, or creating playable discs for older car stereos and DVD players. This guide walks through burning audio CDs and video DVDs using Erusoft CD DVD Burner — from preparing files to final verification — with practical tips for avoiding common problems.

Before you start — requirements and preparation

• System: Windows (Erusoft’s burner tools are Windows-focused).
• Media: Audio CD — standard 700 MB CD-R or CD-RW. Video DVD — compatible single-layer DVD-R/DVD+R (4.7 GB) or DVD-RW/DVD+RW if you need rewritable discs.
• Hardware: A CD/DVD writer drive supporting the media you plan to use.
• Files:
  • For audio CDs: uncompressed WAV files or high-quality MP3/WMA/AAC files (Erusoft will convert/encode as needed).
  • For video DVDs: MPEG-2 video files or source files that Erusoft can convert to the DVD-Video standard (VOB/IFO/BUP structure). If you have MP4/MKV, expect conversion/transcoding.
• Backup original files before burning.
• Use blank, good-quality discs to reduce error rates.

Installing and launching Erusoft CD DVD Burner

1. Download Erusoft CD DVD Burner from the official Erusoft website or your licensed installer.
2. Run the installer and follow prompts (accept license, choose install folder).
3. Launch the program; you’ll typically see options for Data Disc, Audio CD, Video DVD, Copy Disc, and Tools.

Burning an Audio CD — step-by-step

1. Choose the “Audio CD” project type in Erusoft.
2. Add tracks:
   • Click “Add” or drag-and-drop audio files into the project window.
   • Arrange track order as desired (drag tracks up/down).
3. Check total runtime: standard audio CDs hold approximately 74–80 minutes. If your tracks exceed this, remove or shorten tracks.
4. Track settings (optional):
   • Normalize volume if songs vary widely in loudness.
   • Insert gaps/silence between tracks (usually 2 seconds by default).
5. Choose write speed:
   • Select a moderate speed (4x–16x for audio CDs) — slower speeds often reduce errors on older drives/discs.
6. Enable verification:
   • Tick “Verify written data” to have Erusoft read back the disc after burning and confirm integrity. This makes the process longer but reduces bad discs.
7. Insert a blank CD-R (or CD-RW if re-writable).
8. Click “Burn” (or “Start”). Monitor progress; if you receive write errors, try a lower speed or a different brand of blank disc.
9. Finalize session:
   • Ensure the project is “Closed” so it’s playable on standard CD players. Erusoft usually finalizes audio CDs by default.
10. Test the disc in a standalone CD player or another computer to confirm playback.

Burning a Video DVD — step-by-step

1. Choose the “Video DVD” or “DVD-Video” project type. Erusoft will build a proper DVD-Video structure (VIDEO_TS/Audio_TS).
2. Add source files:
   • Click “Add” and select your video files (MPG, AVI, MP4, MKV, etc.). Erusoft may display a note about transcoding if the files aren’t MPEG-2.
3. Arrange titles and set chapters:
   • You can often create multiple titles (e.g., movie + extras). Add chapter points if desired — common practice is automatically every 5–10 minutes.
4. Menu creation (optional but recommended):
   • Use Erusoft’s menu templates to create a navigation menu. Add background image, text labels, and select autoplay behavior. Keep menus simple to avoid long authoring times.
5. Video settings:
   • Select target format (NTSC for North America/Japan — 29.97 fps; PAL for Europe/most of Asia — 25 fps) depending on the player/region.
   • Choose encoding quality or bitrate. Higher bitrate = better quality but fewer minutes fit on a disc. Erusoft typically offers a quality slider or automatic fit-to-disc mode.
6. Preview:
   • Use the built-in preview to check menus and sample playback. Fix chapter/menu issues before burning.
7. Choose disc type and write speed:
   • Use single-layer DVD-R/DVD+R (4.7GB) for most video DVDs. Select a moderate write speed (often 4x–8x) for compatibility.
8. Enable finalization:
   • Ensure the disc will be finalized (closed) so it plays in standard DVD players. Erusoft should provide a finalization option.
9. Insert a blank DVD and click “Burn.” Wait for the transcoding/encoding stage (if required), authoring, and then burning. This can take considerable time (30–120+ minutes) depending on file sizes and CPU speed.
10. Verification and testing:
    • If you enabled verification, Erusoft will check the burned data. Test the finished disc in a standalone DVD player and on a computer to confirm menus, chapters, and video quality.

Common problems and fixes

• Disc not recognized by player:
  • Use finalized discs (do not leave session open). Try switching DVD-R vs DVD+R; some players prefer one.
• Burn fails or produces coaster:
  • Lower the burn speed, use a different brand of blank disc, update firmware for the DVD drive, and ensure the drive is connected properly.
• Poor video quality after burning:
  • Increase target bitrate or use a dual-layer disc for longer/faster movies. Re-encode source with higher quality settings before authoring.
• Audio gaps/track indexing issues on CDs:
  • Make sure files are in a supported format and track order is correct. Disable gap insertion if you need gapless playback and the player supports it.
• Menu not showing or playback stuttering:
  • Re-author with simpler menus or reduce bitrate. Check region settings (NTSC/PAL) for compatibility with destination player.

Tips for best results

• Prefer CD-R/DVD-R for final distribution; CD-RW/DVD-RW are fine for testing.
• Keep software and drive firmware updated.
• Use high-quality media brands (Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden where available).
• For archival, create a data backup copy (ISO image) on your hard drive in addition to burned discs. Erusoft typically supports saving ISO images.
• Label discs with a soft-tipped marker — never use hard or metallic pens that can damage the disc surface.

Conclusion

Erusoft CD DVD Burner provides a straightforward workflow for creating both audio CDs and DVD-Video discs: pick the project type, add and arrange files, set encoding and write options, burn, then verify. Key practical choices are media type, write speed, and whether to enable verification. With moderate write speeds, good-quality blank discs, and finalized sessions, you’ll produce discs that work reliably in standalone players and computers.