Nero NERO BURNING ROM user Manual

CD-Recording SoftwareCD-Recording Software
for Windows 95,for Windows 95,
Windows 3.1x, Windows NTWindows 3.1x, Windows NT

This manual and the included software Nero - Burning Rom are protected under
copyright. All rights reserved.

The copying or reproduction - in part or in whole - is not allowed.

Claims against ahead software that are above and beyond the warranty are invalid.
Specifically ahead software accepts no responsibility for the validity of the contents of
this manual. Changes to the software are reserved.

All trademarks are termed exclusively for information purposes.

Thanks very much to all helping hands - and there were a lot!

Copyright © 1995 - 1998 by ahead software gmbh

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION 5

1.1 CD-Recording as a New Technology 5

1.2 Applications for CD-Recording 5

1.3 Layout of the Manual 6

1.4 Conventions 7

2 INSTALLING NERO 9

2.1 System Requirements 9

2.1.1 Hardware Requirements 9

2.1.2 Overview: Components for CD-Recording 9

2.2 The Installation 10

2.2.1 Installation of the SCSI Host Adapter 10

2.2.2 Installation of the CD-Recorder 10

2.2.3 Installation of Nero 10

2.2.3.1 Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 10

2.2.3.2 Windows 3.1x 11

2.2.4 Uninstalling Nero 11

Contents

3 QUICKSTART 13

3.1 Create a New Compilation 14

3.2 Determining Maximum Write Speed 14

3.3 Simulation of the Write Procedure: 15

3.4 The Burn Process (Write Process) 15

4 FUNDAMENTALS OF CD-RECORDING 17

4.1 The Rainbow Books 17

4.1.1 Red Book 17

4.1.2 Yellow Book 18

4.1.3 Green Book 18

4.1.4 Orange Book 18

4.1.5 White Book 19

4.1.6 Blue Book 19

4.2 Definition of Concepts 20

4.2.1 Tracks 20

4.2.2 Sectors 20

4.2.3 Table of Contents 20

1

Contents

4.2.4 Single-Session, Multi-Session 20

4.2.5 Disc At Once, Track At Once 20

4.3 Recording Formats 21

4.3.1 Audio-CD 21

4.3.2 CD-ROM 21

4.3.3 ISO 9660 21

4.3.4 Mixed-Mode CD 22

4.3.5 Enhanced Music CD 23

4.3.6 Photo-CD 23

5 NERO 25

5.1 Basic Process 25

5.2 Terms and Concepts 25

5.3 User Interface 26

5.3.1 Title Bar 27

5.3.2 Menu Bar 28

5.3.3 Toolbar 29

5.3.4 Status Bar 29

5.3.5 Right Mouse Button - Context-Related Menus 30

5.3.6 Nero Windows 30

5.3.6.1 The File Browser Window 30

5.3.6.2 The CD-ROM Compilation Window 31

5.3.6.3 The Audio-CD Compilation Window 32

5.3.6.4 The Mixed-Mode-CD Compilation Window 33

5.3.6.5 The Multisession-CD Compilation Window 34

5.4 Finally: Nero burns... 35

5.4.1 Burn Dialog 35

5.4.2 Write Speed Test 36

5.4.3 Simulation 36

5.4.4 Writing methods 37

5.4.5 Burn Process (Write process) 37

6 STEP BY STEP 39

6.1 CD-ROM 39

6.2 Audio-CD 41

6.3 Image File 42

6.3.1 Creating the Image File 42

6.3.2 Writing the Image File 42

6.4 CD-Copy 44

6.4.1 Copying a complete CD 44

6.4.2 Save an audio track as a Wav.file 45

6.4.3 Saving data tracks 46

2

6.5 Mixed-Mode CD 48

6.6 Multisession CD 50

7 REFERENCE 53

7.1 The FILE Menu 53

7.1.1 FILE> New 53

7.1.2 FILE> Open 54

7.1.3 FILE> Close 56

7.1.4 FILE> Save 56

7.1.5 FILE> Save as... 56

7.1.6 FILE> Compilation Info (CD-ROM) 57

7.1.6.1 The INFO Property Sheet 58

7.1.6.2 The MULTISESSION Property Sheet 59

7.1.6.3 The FILE OPTIONS Property Sheet 61

7.1.6.4 The VOLUME DESCRIPTOR Property Sheet 63

7.1.6.5 The DATES Property Sheet 64

7.1.6.6 The BURN Property Sheet 65

7.1.7 FILE> Compilation Info (Audio-CD) 66

7.1.7.1 The INFO Property Sheet 66

7.1.7.2 The AUDIO-CD Property Sheet 66

7.1.7.3 The BURN Property Sheet 67

7.1.8 FILE> Refresh Compilation 67

7.1.9 FILE> Write CD 68

7.1.10 FILE> Burn Image 70

7.1.10.1 The INFO Property Sheet 71

7.1.10.2 The BURN Property Sheet 71

7.1.11 FILE> CD-Copy 72

7.1.11.1 The IMAGE Property Sheet 72

7.1.11.2 The COPY OPTIONS Property Sheet 73

7.1.11.3 The BURN Property Sheet 76

7.1.12 FILE> Preferences 76

7.1.12.1 The GENERAL Property Sheet 76

7.1.12.2 The CACHE Property Sheet 77

7.1.12.3 The LANGUAGE property Sheet 78

7.1.13 FILE> Page View 79

7.1.14 FILE> Print 79

7.1.15 FILE> Exit 79

Contents

7.2 The EDIT Menu 80

7.2.1 Menu commands with an active File Browser window 80

7.2.1.1 EDIT> Select All 80

7.2.1.2 EDIT> Invert Selection 80

7.2.1.3 EDIT> Properties 80

7.2.2 Menu options with an active CD-ROM or Audio-CD window 81

7.2.2.1 EDIT> Undo 82

7.2.2.2 EDIT> Cut 82

7.2.2.3 EDIT> Copy 82

7.2.2.4 EDIT> Paste 82

7.2.2.5 EDIT> Delete 82

7.2.2.6 EDIT> Select All 83

3

Contents

7.2.2.7 EDIT> Invert Selection 83

7.2.2.8 EDIT> Properties 83

7.2.2.9 FILE> Add File 87

7.2.2.10 EDIT> Create Folder 88

7.2.2.11 EDIT> Find 88

7.2.3 Shortcut keys for the EDIT menu 89

7.3 The VIEW Menu 89

7.3.1 VIEW> Toolbar and VIEW> Status Bar 89

7.3.2 VIEW> New File Browser 90

7.3.3 VIEW> Original or VIEW> ISO 9660 90

7.3.4 VIEW> By Name, By Type, By Size, By Date, By Position 90

7.4 The CD-RECORDER Menu 91

7.4.1 CD-RECORDER> Choose Recorder 91

7.4.2 CD-RECORDER> CD-Info 92

7.4.3 CD-RECORDER> Save track 93

7.4.4 CD-RECORDER> Erase CD-ReWritable 96

7.4.5 CD-RECORDER> Eject CD 96

7.5 The WINDOW Menu 97

7.5.1 WINDOW> New Window 97

7.5.2 WINDOW> Overlapping 97

7.5.3 WINDOW> Horizontal 97

7.5.4 WINDOW> Vertical 98

7.5.5 WINDOW> Arrange Icons 98

7.6 The ? Menu (Help) 99

7.6.1 HELP TOPICS 99

7.6.2 About Nero 99

8 THE NERO MULTI MOUNTER 101

9 APPENDIX A - ISO CHARACTER SET AND CONVERSION

RULES 103

9.1 Conversion Rules 103

9.2 ISO 9660 characterset 105

10 APPENDIX C - SHORTCUTS (HOTKEYS) 107

10.1 In the FILE Menu 107

10.2 In the EDIT Menu 107

10.3 In the CD-RECORDER Menu 107

11 GLOSSARY 109

4

1 Introduction

1.1 CD-Recording as a New Technology

At the beginning of the 1980's, the CEO of a large electronics company
which was intensively driving the development of the digital compact disc
(CD) - used at that time primarily for music - was asked if there was truly a
market for these little discs. Since then, the question has provided its own
answer. Analog black records can now only be found at flea markets, and in
most music stores the space for cassettes is less and less to make room for
CDs.

Its memory capacity of 650 MB and the excellent price-performance rela­tionship, combined with problem-free usage and data security, made the data
processing world sit up and take notice of the new medium. At the same
time, people were really only thinking of a read-only technology (ROM =
Read Only Memory) in 1985.

In 1989 a process was developed with which a CD can be directly written
by means of a laser beam. The way for the self-creation of CDs was thus
opened. At the moment you can distinguish a CD recordable from the non­writable by their gold or green burning side. Massproduced CDs are silver,
and they cannot be burned on a CD-recorder.

With the passage of time, the self-creation of CDs to meet individual
needs has been made easy and economically feasible thanks to improved
hardware and practical software. You have just such a product in your pos­session right now: Thanks to its user-friendly interface and optimized proc­esses, Nero - Burning Rom makes it possible for you to easily and quickly
create your own CDs.

Introduction

1.2 Applications for CD-Recording

The CD is an ideal medium for the distribution of information of any
kind (text, images, sound, data and programs). Along with relatively low
production costs, it provides high memory capacity with direct access and a
long life span, and is thus without competition at this time, even when you
only have low production numbers. For this reason, a majority of all PCs
today are already equipped with a CD-ROM drive.

The self-created CD opens a wide range of application possibilities:

5

Chapter 1

Let's assume that you, as a program developer, have generated a test version
of your software and copied it directly to a CD-R. You may immediately test
it for functionality and performance and then pass it on to the pressing op­eration to have it copied. The same is true with electronic books and CBT
applications (Computer Based Training), for example.

Until today, magnetic tapes and streamers were generally employed for data
security and for hard drive back-up, while microfilm and microfiche were
widely used for archiving of data. Access to data stored in this manner is
complicated and relatively slow. Here the CD represents an attractive alter­native because you can access your data with more convenience and speed.

If you want to archive your Photos in digital form, a CD is ideal for this, be­cause it can handle the large file sizes. For example Photo-CDs have an ap­plication in the archiving of medical image data. Suitable data compression
technologies make it possible to store entire films on Movie CDs.

For music lovers, the self-creation of personal Audio-CDs should be

among the most fascinating possibilities offered by CD-Recording. With this
technology, you could compile your own entirely personal "The Best on CD"
list, for example.

Speaking of that: The protection of intellectual property is guaranteed by
national and international laws and regulations. Before you write data which
is not yours onto a CD, you must therefore check into the legality of making
the copy. The creation of copies of outside-sourced data is usually allowed
only under specific conditions, or not at all. The responsibility for this in any
case is entirely yours.

1.3 Layout of the Manual

This manual consists of a total of seven chapters which are supplemented
by an Appendix and an extensive glossary.

You have just finished reading Chapter 1.

Chapter2 describes the installation of Nero with Windows.

Chapter 3 presents a simple example to show you how to create your

first CD.

Chapter 4 covers the basics of CD-Recording.

Chapter 5 will familiarize you with Nero in detail. You will learn more

about procedures, the individual windows and the actual writing or burn
process there.

Chapter 6 is a step-by-step description of how you can create and write
an ISO compilation, an Audio-CD or an image file.

Chapter 7 contains the Nero Reference. The indiviual menu items are
systematically explained there.

6

In the Appendices, you will find tables with the allowed character sets

and a summary of key shortcuts.

The Glossary is found at the end of the manual. Here, you will find brief

explanations of all of the important terms used.

1.4 Conventions

We have added brief commentaries and icons in the margins throughout the
manual. They are intended to help you find important information at a
glance. When you see this icon, it means:

Caution! Pay special attention at this point.

Introduction

7

Chapter 1

8

2 Installing Nero

In this chapter, you will find out which components you need for CD-

Recording and how you install and configure Nero with Windows 3.1x,

Windows NT and Windows 95.

2.1 System Requirements

2.1.1 Hardware Requirements

As the minimal configuration for all Windows operating systems, you

must have: A PC with a 486 processor or higher and speed of at least 33
Mhz, a minimum of 8 MB RAM and an SCSI Host Adapter with WINASPI
support.

The PC must have a CD-ROM drive in order to install Nero. If your CD-

Recorder is recognized as a CD-ROM drive when running with Windows,
you may also use the recorder. Up to now, Windows 95 has supported all of
the drivers which are required for this. You may experience less success with
Windows 3.1x.

Your hard drive should be as fast as possible. The access time should be
under 19 milliseconds. The necessary transfer rate from the hard drive to the
recorder depends on the speed with which your recorder can write. If you
have a 1x recorder, we recommend a transfer speed of at least 1 MB/second,
and correspondingly 4 MB/second with 4x. Otherwise the data are not con­tinuously transferred to the recorder; the result can easily be a buffer under­run condition, the "worst possible scenario" in CD-Recording.

For Nero, you need approximately 4.8 MB of hard drive space.

Installing Nero

2.1.2 Overview: Components for CD-Recording

You will require the following components for CD-Recording:

- an SCSI-Host Adapter with a power cable,

- a CD-Recorder (either an internal or external device) and a terminator
as required (if not installed internally),

- you already have the recording software (Nero - Burning Rom),

- and, of course, you will need CD-Recordables.

You can find out which CD-recorders are currently supported by Nero in

the Appendix covering Supported CD-Recorders , or you can get this infor­mation from your supplier.

9

Chapter 2

2.2 The Installation

2.2.1 Installation of the SCSI Host Adapter

Install the SCSI Host Adapter according to the manufacturer's instruc­tions. Don't forget to also install the software for the SCSI Adapter. If neces­sary, you must also install the ASPI Manager for Windows which is supplied
with your SCSI Adapter. And finally, you must restart your PC.

Caution: Not all SCSI Host Adapters support WINASPI. You must
therefore make absolutely sure when you buy your adapter that it supports
WINASPI.

2.2.2 Installation of the CD-Recorder

Please refer to the installation instructions supplied with your recorder for
detailed procedures.

Caution: If you only have one recorder connected to the SCSI Adapter
or if your recorder is the last SCSI device connected, then you must gener­ally provide a terminator for the open SCSI plug on the recorder. Some re­corders have built-in termination. Again, you will find information on this
subject in the recorder manual.

Don't forget to plug in the power cable.

If driver software is provided with the recorder that enables you to also
use it as a CD-ROM, install the software.

Your recorder is now ready for operation. Restart your PC now.

Caution for an external recorder: Switch the recorder on first, and then
the PC. If you do not follow this sequence, the recorder will not be recog­nized by the operating system; you will have to restart the PC at some time
before you want to write to a CD.

10

2.2.3 Installation of Nero

You can configure Nero without any problems by using the installation

program. For the setup, carry out the following steps, corresponding to

the operating system you use.

2.2.3.1 Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0

1. Insert the Nero - Burning Rom CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2. In the Start Menu under Run, select setup.exe on the Nero CD.

3. The Installation Program will guide you through the subsequent

steps. Just follow the instructions as they appear on the screen. You
will be asked to enter such information as your name, your company
and the serial number of the CD. You will find the serial number on or
in the Nero package. You then have the option of choosing between

different setup types. After completing the installation, you can start
Nero immediately.

2.2.3.2 Windows 3.1x

1. Insert the Nero - Burning Rom CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2. Select the CD-ROM drive in File Manager.

3. Then select the setup.exe program on the Nero CD.

4. The Installation Program will guide you through the subsequent

steps. Just follow the instructions as they appear on the screen. You
will be asked to enter such information as your name, your company
and the serial number of the CD. You will find the serial number on or
in the Nero package. You then have the option of choosing between
different setup types. Finally, you will need to enter the program
group. After completing the installation, you can start Nero immedi­ately.

Congratulations! You have completed the installation of your Nero. Now

go to the Quickstart in Chapter 3 in the manual to find out how to write
your first CD.

When you start Nero, the system preferences will be checked to ensure

that any preference settings which could initiate a message, thereby inter­rupting the burn process, are deactivated. This check is performed every time
you start Nero, and the preference settings concerned are changed accord­ingly if you accept them and the PC is then restarted.

Installing Nero

2.2.4 Uninstalling Nero

If you are using Windows 95, Nero can be uninstalled, if necessary. Select

Nero from the Start Menu under Setttings/Control Panel/Add-Rem ... Pro-

grams, and select Remove. This operation will delete all Nero program files
and will remove Nero from the Start Menu.

With Windows 3.1x, simply delete the Nero programs and any Nero pro-

gram groups which might exist in the File Manager.

11

3 Quickstart

After you have successfully installed Nero, you can begin your first job

with the recording software. In this chapter, we will use a simple example to
show you how you can create a CD with Nero.

We will assume that you have installed Nero with Windows 95. You can

now open Nero through the task bar and the Start Menu. You will find the
default installation for the program under

START > Programs > Nero - Burning Rom.
Open Nero by clicking on it in the Start Menu.
The following illustration shows the options window for a New Compila-

tion, which is the default window after Nero is started.

Quickstart

The dialog box

New Compilation

In a brief summary, the entire process for the creation of a CD may be de-

scribed in the following steps:

1. Creating a Compilation. In the Compilation, you determine which files

will be written on the CD.

The next two steps are for the only purpose of avoiding a possible

buffer underrun.

2. Determining Write Speed, also called the Speed test. This test is where

the maximum possible write speed is defined. If a slower speed is meas­ured in the Speed test than provided by the current setting, the speed
setting is correspondingly reduced. This test should be performed before
every simulation - or before the burn process, when there is no simula­tion.

13

Chapter 3

3. Simulation of the Write Procedure: Here, the data of the compilation

are transferred to the CD-recorder, but the laser beam does not write
the data onto the CD. In this way it is determined whether you can ex­pect everything to run without problems during the burn process.

4. Burn process (Write process). You simply make sure a recordable CD

is correctly inserted and then press the Write button, provided of course
the write speed test and simulation were successful.

3.1 Create a New Compilation

In the New Compilation dialog box, click on the CD-ROM compilation
type (it doesn't matter which property sheet is currently activated). Leave all
of the default options as they are. Then, in the upper right of the same win­dow, click on the New button.

The Compilation window will open. This window consists of two panes.
In the left window, replace the file name NEW (in the upper left next to the
CD icon) with HELLO.

In the right window, you will see the Nero file browser. The selection of
the data which you want to write onto the CD is very simple with the
browser. For your first attempt to write a CD, select the file "Hello.txt" from
the file browser in the directory [Drive name]:\Programs\ahead\Nero (if you
have accepted the suggested target directory during installation) and drag it
into the left compilation window. Then activate it by clicking on it some­where.

Now save the compilation by clicking on the floppy disk icon in the tool­bar. The Save window will open. Type in the file name HELLO and then
activate the Save button. Your first compilation file is now complete.

14

3.2 Determining Maximum Write Speed

Click on the icon for Write CD in the toolbar. The Write CD window is
displayed with the Burn property sheet. The boxes for Determine Maxi-

mum Speed and Simulate are already selected in this window. Click on the
Write selection box at this time. You may leave all of the other options with

their default settings. Confirm your selection by clicking on the Write button.

In the following illustration, you see the Write CD dialog box with the
Burn property sheet and the selected options.

As the first step, Nero will now determine the maximum possible write

speed and then transfer this value into the Write Speed field.

Quickstart

The dialog box
Write CD

3.3 Simulation of the Write Procedure:

The execution of this step was already set by the previous selection of the

Simulate box. Nero now simulates the burn process in order to test whether
the actual burn process will also run without any problems. Nero will inform
you when the simulation has ended. With many recorders, the CD will be
ejected. This means that, depending on the recorder, it might be necessary to
either re-insert the caddy or to close the CD drawer.

3.4 The Burn Process (Write Process)

You have already been prompted above to select the Write control box.

By doing this, the burn process is performed immediately after the simula­tion. Nero will now begin the entire writing procedure with all of the prese­lected phases.

During this process, a status window is opened (refer to the following il­lustration) which provides you with different information during writing. The
current compilation is displayed in the upper pane of the window. The phase
which is running and its result is shown in the center pane. Below this, you
will see a progress display for each process.

15

Chapter 3

The status window
during the
burn process

Good job!

The end of the writing process is indicated by an information box.

You have just created your first CD-ROM.

16

Fundamentals of CD-Recording

4 Fundamentals of CD-Recording

CD-Recording is a relatively new technology. An explanation of new
terms is therefore just that much more important. In this chapter, along with
the most important fundamentals of CD-Recording, we will introduce you to
the important terms and their meaning.

4.1 The Rainbow Books

Knowledge of the most important standards is necessary for a basic un­derstanding of CD-Recording. The first standard was defined in 1980 by
Sony and Philips. It was published in a book with a red cover. Subsequent
definitions followed this style, and each used a book cover with a different
color. As a result, this series of standards has also become known as the
Rainbow Books.

The family of Rainbow Books is being expanded constantly, including
new versions of those already in existence which are published in order to
keep up with new developments. For example, modifications were made in
the Red Book in order to improve the play-back reliability of recordable
CDs, which are actually described in the Orange Book.

4.1.1 Red Book

The first CD standard was known by the name "Compact Disc Digital
Audio" (CD-DA). It describes the way music CDs, which may be played
back by typical CD players, are produced.

However, even the name "Compact Disc Digital Audio" is not exactly
correct. Among other things, the fundamental structural principles of all CDs
and their corresponding play-back devices are described in this standard. This
is because the structure and the essential elements of all CD formats are the
same.

The Red Book defines the scan system at its lowest level, building from
there to the EFM (Eight-to-Fourteen-Modulation) modulation process, a
method for the synchronization and storing of control information (the length
of the title, for example) and the CIRC (Cross Interleave Reed-Solomon
Code) procedure for correcting errors. With the help of this process, the CD
can even be played back when it is dirty or scratched.

It is only at the highest level - and only this level is truly specialized in mu­sic - that it is defined how music is encoded on a CD (CD quality): 44.1 kHz,
16 bit stereo.

17

Chapter 4

4.1.2 Yellow Book

In 1984 - for years after the first standard - the Yellow Book followed.
This standard also originated with Sony and Philips. At the same time, the
computer began to win the field. The significance of the CD as a storage
medium for program files or applications for PC use was recognized very
quickly. Thus, the CD-ROM was born.

Two further track types are defined in the Yellow Book, which have been
designated as Mode 1 and Mode 2 (originally only defined with CD-I). Mode
1 is used for pure CD-ROMs. It always employs an additional code for error
recognition and correction in order to ensure that scratches or manufacturing
defects do not have any influence on the accuracy of the computer data.

Mode 2 is used with CD-ROM/XA (CD-ROM eXtended Architecture)
and CD-I (Compact Disc - Interactive, see below), for example, and can be
used for compressed audio data, videos, images and also for other types of
data, whereby the differing types of data may occur within a single track. In
addition, there is a differentiation between Form 1 and Form 2 sectors. In
Form 1 - as with Mode 1 - a supplemental error recognition and correction
code is used. It is only the arrangement of the data that is somewhat differ­ent. Form 2 does not make use of this additional protection. It is therefore
only suitable for data in which errors do not necessarily create an interference
(for example, with audio data).

A process which describes the way tables of contents for computer data
are filed on a CD is not defined in the Yellow Book. The most frequently
used method is defined in ISO 9660 and is supported by most operating sys­tems (Macintosh OS, MS-DOS and Windows, and also UNIX, for example).

4.1.3 Green Book

After three more years had elapsed, the next standard was introduced ­the Green Book. This standard describes the CD-I (Compact Disc - Interac­tive) and an operating system which is known as CD-RTOS. The specifica­tion for the CD-I Bridge was also published in the Green Book. Both stan­dards represent an extension to the Red and Yellow Books, and they are
based on ISO 9660.

While the Audio-CD is only suited for music and the CD-ROM was de­veloped only for use with a computer, the CD-I is aimed at the consumer
market, although it has not achieved any wide-spread use there, except in
one specialized form: the Photo-CD.

4.1.4 Orange Book

Most CDs are of the Read Only type (can only be read, and not written
to). The Orange Book Standard describes various processes for writing data
onto a CD, which in the case of the CD-Recordable is also known as burn-

18

Fundamentals of CD-Recording

ing. The Orange Book also originated with Philips and Sony and was first
published in 1991. The standard is divided into three main sections:

Part I describes the Compact Disc - Magneto Optical (CD-MO), also
known as the Hybrid-CD. The CD-MO contains an internal recording area
which is produced similar to the typical CD. Externally, there is an area
which can be read magneto-optically, and which can be written to more than
once. However, this area cannot be read by a normal CD scanner.

Part II describes the Compact Disc - Recordable or Compact Disc - Write
Once (CD-R, CD-WO). This CD may also have an internal area which is
produced in the typical manner. Contrary to the CD-MO, however, the ex­ternal area is created in such a manner that it may be played back by any CD
reading device. Generally, a CD-R possesses only this external area.

A CD-R may be written either as a whole or partially in several separate
procedures which are known as sessions. One-time writing is described as a
single session, while more than one writing is known as a multi-session.
There are now also traditional CDs (silver) which are structured as multi­session CDs.

Part III is still in the standardization phase and describes the CD­ReWritable (CD-RW, formerly CD-Erasable). In contrast to the CD-R, this
CD is not limited to just one writing, but may be erased and re-written as
often as desired. Nonetheless, the CD-RW cannot be read by every tradi­tional CD reader, but rather only by those which are specially designed for
CD-RW (known as CD-RW enabled CD players). It will be interesting to
watch the future development of this technology.

4.1.5 White Book

The second-most recent standard is known as the White Book. It stan­dardizes the video-CD. A video CD can store over 70 minutes of playing
time through the compression of the video data (with MPEG 1). The quality
is about the same as that of a VHS video recorder. It is not adequate for true
movie quality with Dolby Surround. It will probably not be until the next
generation - the DVD (Digital Versatile Disc, also frequently and incorrectly
called Digital Video Disc) with its even greater memory capacity - that this
type of quality will be achieved.

4.1.6 Blue Book

This is the most recent standard and was established in 1995. The Blue
Book describes the Enhanced Music CD, often called merely CD-Enhanced,
CD-Extra or simply by its logo, CD-Plus or CD +. The enhanced Music CD
is always a multi-session CD, or - to be more precise - a two-session CD.
The first session contains audio data as defined by CD-DA (Red Book), the
second contains a CD-ROM (Yellow Book). This means that information
other than audio data may also be stored on one medium.

19

Chapter 4

4.2 Definition of Concepts

4.2.1 Tracks

Data items on a CD are not stored in concentric circles, as one might at
first think. They are rather arranged in an extended spiral-shaped line whose
origin is at the center of the CD. The line runs from the inside to the outside.
Those sections on the spiral on which data items are located are called
tracks. Up to 99 tracks may be stored on an Audio-CD. One track generally
corresponds to one piece of music on the CD.

4.2.2 Sectors

The track itself is made up of units called sectors. A sector contains 2352
bytes, of which - depending on the type of CD used - a different number may
be used for user data. The sector generally consists of a header, synchroniza­tion bits and user data. It may also have error recognition and correction
data. To read a sector, a drive with single read speed requires 1/75th of a
second.

4.2.3 Table of Contents

The initial area of the CD is physically located at the inside of the CD
surface and is approximately 4 mm wide. It contains the Table of Contents of
the CD (TOC) and other information about the CD, such as the name, the
author or the date of the CD.

4.2.4 Single-Session, Multi-Session

The term multi-session practically speaks for itself. A multi-session CD
was produced in several sessions, that is, recording procedures. The individ­ual sessions may have been written at random time intervals.

One session consists of at least one track.

A single-session CD is created in only one session, as the name implies.
Audio-CDs are almost always single-session CDs, while CD-ROMs or
Photo-CDs consist of one or more sessions.

4.2.5 Disc At Once, Track At Once

Today, we differentiate between two different recording technologies with
CD-recorders: Disc At Once and Track At Once. Newer recorders generally
support both technologies, while older devices frequently can only handle
Track At Once.

20

Fundamentals of CD-Recording

For a recorder with Track At Once, every track is written separately.
Therefore, pauses are unavoidably created between the tracks which cannot
be influenced by the recording software. In contrast to this, with Disc At
Once, the entire CD is written in one procdure, which allows more freedom
for the recording software, but at the same time prevents subsequent modifi­cations. For many formats (Audio-CD) Disc At Once is more logical, since
unnecessary pauses can be avoided, while Track At Once is generally used
for multi-session CDs.

4.3 Recording Formats

We will give you an overview of the most important recording formats in
the following sections.

4.3.1 Audio-CD

In 1980, the Audio-CD was the first medium for storing information on a
CD. The corresponding requirements are described in the Red Book. All
CD-ROM drives typically available in the marketplace can also read Audio­CDs.

4.3.2 CD-ROM

It is impossible to imagine today's PC world without the CD-ROM. The
technical foundations are exactly the same as with the Audio-CD, except that
they have been extended by an error-correction process. Thus computer data
may also be reliably processed on a CD-ROM drive.

4.3.3 ISO 9660

The logical structure of a CD-ROM is established by the ISO Standard

9660. Right after the publication of the Yellow Book Standard, the so-called
High-Sierra format was developed which was the forerunner to ISO 9660
and provided its basis.

ISO 9660 describes how data items are to be organized on a CD. Among
these are the rules which limit the the number of levels in the directory
structure or the length of the file names. ISO 9660 is supported by most of
today's common operating systems (Macintosh OS, MS-DOS, Windows,
Unix). Most CDs correspond to this standard. It is only in the Macintosh
environment that HFS CDs have established themselves as alternatives to this
standard.

In order for an operating system to read a CD which was created as de­fined by with this standard, software is required which can read ISO 9660

21

Chapter 4

files. For a computer running MS-DOS or Windows 3.x, the corresponding
application is called MSCDEX.EXE. This is a driver which will ensure that
the CD and the CD-ROM drive can communicate with each other. The
driver must be loaded in both the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
system files separately. Windows 95 and the Macintosh operating system can
both work with a CD as a standard feature.

ISO 9660 defines a directory structure which is designed from the outset
in such a way that it can be used on as many different systems as possible.
Therefore there are also stringent rules as to what file and directory names
are allowed:

In a file or directory name, only the capital letters A through Z, the num­bers 0 through 9 and the underline character may be used. The file name
must contain exactly one dot, which comes between the actual name and the
file extension. The name and the extension may not be missing at the same
time. The maximum length of a file or directory name may not exceed 31
characters.

Because many operating systems (MS-DOS, Windows 3.x) are not capa­ble of handling 31 characters, ISO 9660 defines a total of three levels of
compatibility: Levels 1, 2 und 3:

For a CD-ROM as defined by Level 1, the following limitations are ob­served:

• The file name may not be longer than 8 characters.

• The file extension may not have more than 3 characters.

• Directory names may consist of a maximum of 8 characters.

A CD-ROM as defined by Level 2 does not have any limitations for file or
directory names, but a file may not be fragmented.

However, this limitation does not exist at Level 3. For example, Level 3
may be used for incremental backups when only parts of a large file have
been changed. It is not necessary in this case to completely re-write the entire
file. Instead, you can continue to use the old parts of the file already on the
CD which are still valid.

There are expansions for many operating systems which attempt to store
additional information in an ISO directory while not interfering with other
systems. Examples of these are the Rock-Ridge-Expansions for Unix-
Systems and the Apple-ISO Expansions. Joliet, which is defined by Micro-
soft, has significance here. It provides a second, complete directory structure
in Unicode and is currently being used by Windows NT and Windows 95.

22

4.3.4 Mixed-Mode CD

The Mixed-Mode CD contains a data track (CD-ROM as defined by the
Yellow Book) and one or more audio tracks (CD-DA as defined by the Red
Book). The Mixed-Mode CD has the advantage that the audio data can be
made directly audible with the help of earphones or an amplifier (if they can
be connected) without the requirement for a soundcard or a processor insert.

Fundamentals of CD-Recording

The synchronization of sound and other data do present a problem. This
problem, however, is eliminated by the CD-ROM/ XA. Another problem is
that old CD players occasionally attempt to play the data track back as audio
information, which can cause unpleasant noises and - if the noise level is high
enough - may lead to the destruction of the loudspeaker. This problem is
eliminated by the Enhanced Music CD.

4.3.5 Enhanced Music CD

The Enhanced Music CD is a combination of an Audio-CD in the first
session and a CD-ROM in the second session. The CD-ROM must contain a
directory as defined by ISO 9660 and certain specified files. Beyond that, any
other kind of data may be stored on it.

Much to the regret of the experts, the correct designation - Enhanced
Music CD - has not managed to catch on for this format. Along with En­hanced Music CD, the terms Enhanced CD, CD-Extra or CD Plus are also in
use.

4.3.6 Photo-CD

The CD-I (Compact Disc Interactive) is defined in the Green Book. Un­fortunately, CD-I is not quite CD-I. There is a wide range of applications for
CD-I. Although in theory every CD-I should contain a program for playing
the respective CD-I, this is not supported very well by many players. The
most important application of the CD-I is the Photo-CD, which is not only
capable of reproduction by CD-I or Photo-CD players, but can also be proc­essed by many computers, such as the Macintosh.

23

5 Nero

In this chapter you'll get better acquainted with Nero. You will learn the
basics about how Nero works in the compilation of files. The user interface
with its different windows and the burn process are also described here.

5.1 Basic Process

With Nero, the creation of a CD-ROM or an Audio CD is relatively sim­ple. First, you'll need to decide which files should be written onto the CD.
Then you can give your undivided attention to the compilation. A compila­tion is created with Nero by the drag & drop method. Here, you'll select the
files which you want from the File Browser and then drag them with the
mouse into the compilation window. There, you can arrange your files in any
way you wish or even insert new folders. The advantage here is that this ar­rangement does not have any influence on the physical file structure on the
hard drive.

After the compilation is arranged the way you want it to be, you should
run the speed test. This test checks the access speed to the hard drive, or to
the partition where the files which you want to be written are located. De­pending on the results of this test, a speed for the simulation will be recom­mended. The simulation which will now follow (and it should always fol­low!) assumes this test result. By doing this, errors which might otherwise
occur during the burn process may be detected and corrected. After a suc­cessful simulation, you can be relatively confident that the compilation you
have created can also be written. The burn process itself takes place as the
last step.

Nero

5.2 Terms and Concepts

During the preparation of data for the burn process, Nero follows the
principles of a Virtual Image File, as it is known. This file is a reference to
all of the files which are to be written onto the CD during the burn process.
We call this the compilation, and the writing process which comes next is
performed in a process known as 'On-The-Fly'. Every compilation is stored
as a compilation file. The name of this file will appear in the bar above the
compilation window. It doesn't have any influence on the name of the CD
which is to be created. With a CD-ROM, we refer to this as a CD-ROM
compilation, and an Audio-CD is called an Audio-CD compilation. Along

25

Chapter 5

with the file references which are to be written, a compilation contains addi­tional necessary information which is written onto the CD.

The term session defines a connected or related writing process. We dif-

ferentiate between single-session and multi-session CDs. Multi-session CDs
are written in more than one burn process.

The name of the data medium (generally known as the volume label)

relates to the entire CD. This is the name you will find when you look for the
CD, when you display the CD through the Explorer, for instance.

5.3 User Interface

Nero title bar
Compilation window menu bar Browser window
title bar of icon bar title bar of

compilation File Browser

The Nero
interface

status bar

This interface is a Multi-Document Interface, or MDI, for short. With

MDI, there is a frame program which provides an outer window. This outer
window continues as long as Nero is active. The menu bar, the toolbar and
also the status bar are located here. Within this outer window, any number of
"smaller" windows can be opened. By manipulation with the mouse, these
windows can be changed in their size and location in any way you wish.

26

5.3.1 Title Bar

In the title bar, you will find the Nero system icon on the left, next to the
product name. To the right of that you'll see the name of the current open
file, and on the far right the three additional buttons which every Windows
95 application has.

If you click on the system icon in the upper left, the system menu field will
open. You can perform different actions through this menu. On the other
hand, if you double-click the symbol, the entire application is closed.

With the system menu, you can
give commands to RESTORE,
MOVE, change SIZE, MINIMIZE,
MAXIMIZE and CLOSE.

Nero

In the right-hand corner of the title bar, you will find the three buttons
which provide for dimensioning of the main window. These buttons are typi­cal of all Windows 95 applications. The left button is the symbol for the
command to MINIMIZE. It is actuated by the mouse. A simple click is all it
takes, and the window is then represented only as a small symbol in the task
bar. In this way, you can easily put Nero aside and work with a different
application. Nero continues to be active and the contents of the window
aren't changed in any way. With the middle button, you can give the com­mand for the FULL DISPLAY or maximize. This is represented symbolically
by a single small window or two windows that are overlapping. When this
button shows a single small window, a click on it will fill the entire screen
with Nero's main window. When it is two overlapping windows, a click will
reduce the main window so that it only fills part of the screen. On the far
right is a button with an X. When you click this button Nero is closed. If
changes have been made to a compilation, a message box will be displayed in
which you can decide whether the changes should be saved or not. The func­tions just described are just the same for other windows within Nero.

You can also change the size of the window if you use the mouse to dou­ble click on the title bar. If the window was a full screen, it will be reduced
after the double click. Just the reverse, if the window was reduced, a double
click maximizes it.

Other options are available to you for individually changing the size of the
window:

• Window borders can all be dragged to size the window in any direction

(down/up or right/left).

27

Chapter 5

• If you "grab" the window at a corner with the mouse, you can change its

size by dragging it to the height or width you wish.

If the window is not a full screen on the desktop, it can be moved with the
mouse. Just click on the title bar, hold the left mouse button down and you
can drag the entire window into the position you want.

5.3.2 Menu Bar

As is typical with Windows programs, you will find the menu bar below
the title bar. With Nero, there are a total of six menu items here. Each menu
item represents a specific group of options, each of which carries out a spe­cific function. In order to access the options within a menu item, you must
first open the menu. This is done by clicking on the menu item in the bar with
the mouse. The menu selections are displayed. In order to activate the func­tion, place the mouse pointer on the desired menu option and click on it.

You may also use the ALT key to do this. When you do this, the FILE
menu is highlighted as the default. Using the cursor, you can then select the
desired menu item and then press the Enter key. The menu selections are
displayed. You can move to the individual menu commands with the cursor.
Press the Enter key again in order to open the corresponding function. You
can also use the keyboard in order to invoke a menu item directly by holding
down the ALT key and pressing the underlined letter of the menu item. For
example, the keyboard combination ALT + R opens the CD-Recorder menu
item directly.

The menu bar contains the following items:

28

File In the FILE menu, you will find the typical commands

such as OPEN, CLOSE, PRINT and EXIT. In addition,
there is a command to WRITE CD and a command to
retrieve detailed information about your compilation.

Edit The EDIT menu provides familiar menu items such as

Copy, Paste, and others.

View With this menu, you may determine which toolbars will

be displayed as defaults and how the contents of the
Nero windows will be displayed. You may also activate
an additional File Browser.

CD-Recorder In this menu, you will find instructions which concern

the CD-Recorder and the CD which is inserted into it.

Window You will find commands here which are typical to Win-

dows, such as the way the individual windows are ar­ranged.