Optical drive type

Write to CD-RW

Write to DVD±RW/R

Write to DVD+R DL

Write label to

 

 

 

 

LightScribe CD or

 

 

 

 

DVD±RW/R

 

 

 

 

 

DVD±RW/R and CD-RW

Yes

Yes

No

No

Combo Drive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DVD±RW/R and CD-RW

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Combo Drive with DL support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LightScribe DVD±RW/R and

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

CD-RW Combo Drive with

 

 

 

 

DL support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blu-ray ROM DVD±R/RW

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

SuperMulti DL Drive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selecting the right disc

An optical drive supports optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs). CDs, used to store digital data, are also used for commercial audio recordings and are convenient for your personal storage needs. DVDs and BDs are used primarily for movies, software, and data backup purposes. DVDs and BDs are the same size as CDs but have a much higher storage capacity.

NOTE: The optical drive on your computer may not support all the types of optical discs discussed in this section.

CD-R discs

Use CD-R (write-once) discs to create permanent archives and to share files with virtually anyone. Typical uses include the following:

●Distributing large presentations

●Sharing scanned and digital photos, video clips, and written data

●Making your own music CDs

●Keeping permanent archives of computer files and scanned home records

●Offloading files from your hard drive to free up disk space

After data is recorded, it cannot be erased or written over.

CD-RW discs

Use a CD-RW disc (a rewritable version of a CD) to store large projects that must be updated frequently. Typical uses include the following:

●Developing and maintaining large documents and project files

●Transporting work files

●Making weekly backups of hard drive files

●Updating photos, video, audio, and data continuously

Selecting the right disc 11