faster burning of DVDs on a laptop

[Philip Perkins]

All of us hate the "end of day" DVD burn and most avoid it, but I still run into situations where it's the only way I can work (doco esp.).  I found an outboard bus=powered Plextor burner that is much faster than the poky internal drive in the old Mac I use as a location computer, this when burning from the finder.  I tried a couple of burn apps with this thing too, but they weren't any faster.  Any suggestions for software that would speed this up?  I'm burning from a CF card (USB2 reader) to the USB2 burner, sometimes from a 5400 RPM "Firelight" external FW 400 HD.

Philip Perkins

[RPSharman]

This is not the answer you are looking for, and you are probably doing more serious video shoots than me, but for my video tape shoots with "the BAG" I have taken to turning in CF cards, usually requesting that they be mailed back at their leisure once the files are transfered to their hard drive.  For P2 or RED shoots, I transfer the files to their drives at the end of the day (as well as throughout), and let the producers know I also retain the files on my hard drive if there are any issues.  Both scenarios I find them to be very happy with, since shows that I do from "the bag" are typically using the camera audio, so my files are a back-up.

I have used Toast and Dragon Burn.  They seem to be about the same, but I find burning from a CF card to take longer than transferring the files to a HD first and then burning the DVD.

Robert

[Philip Perkins]

I found that transferring the CF to the computer and then burning took longer, but it does allow you to get the card back in action, esp on a job where you can let the computer burn on its own while you continue to work. I was hoping that an app might be faster than the Finder, but maybe the limitation is the USB bus speed.  The Plextor was WAY faster than the laptop's own DVD drive.

Philip Perkins