Customer Reviews

CD and DVD Recording for Dummies, Second Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

For anyone who has any basic familiarity with using a computer (viz. using EXPLORE to navigate the file system and some program to defragment the drive and determining how much disk space you have available) this book is useless. It really doesn't present anything other than designing a disc label that you won't get with the instruction manuals with the hardware/software you buy for burning a CD or DVD. It's "worth less than nothing" because it costs time and postage to return the book. But, I'd say it's better than "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating CDs and DVDs".

This book does tell you how to record CD/DVD's and whatnot, for Easy CD Creator? That is a HORRIBLE progam for recording CD/DVD's you CANNOT even bypass the Copyright movies (To back up your PURCHASED movies that you already own). Just SIMPLY download, SOME are even FreeWare (Meaning that the program WILL cost you nothing, but I suggest buying a GOOD CD/DVD Recording program, like Nero they are ALWAYS supplied with the User Manuals if you need help. So WHY pay for this book.
Save the money and just BUY a good CD/DVD recording software program. In my opinion, Nero's actually the ONLY CD/DVD Recording program worth the money (MSRP $70.00) AND it comes WITH a User Manual AND Technical Support; Beside the fact that you can make movies, back-up, anything! Does this book have technichal support and cover ALL good CD/DVD Recording programs?
Like I said I bought this book, and like a lot of reviews here I found it to be pointless. It was just easier to Purchase a progam but..well it's up to you. Hope I was able to help.

First off this book is NOT a guide to pirating. If you need to learn how to copy DVD movies look elsewhere, but the book does show you how to rip songs from a music CD.

With that understood, this book explained a lot I did not understand before. Ever wonder what settings you need to burn one type of CD or another? Apple owners will like that the author crosses platforms here and writes about Toast as well. I really liked the chapter on adding HTML menus to a CD or DVD to make it easier to use, since I've never seen this info in any other recording guide.

Although you learn Easy CD 5, it's not much different from the new version and I think this Dummies book is still a good pick. I recommend it all the time to friends who are just learning how to burn their first music CDS.

This book covers it all for both Mac and PC (I have one at home and the other at work). You learn about audio CD recording - video - data and how to design & print labels and case covers. I still have yet to build my own menu for a CD that I've burned but the author covers that too. A great book that you'll refer to again and again.

For someone who is a real novice I suspect that there is a lack of basic information to get that person started. For someone who is a step above a novice the book (latest edition) is already badly out of date and still doesn't cover popular software written years before the publication data (e.g., Pinnacle Clean). It does not cover any of the problems one encounters with music recording. It simply tells you how to transfer files from your computer to a CD or DVD and because that is simply a matter of clicking on buttons for software included on most computers it doesn't help.

I am not a beginner, yet the new CD and DVD Recording issues have become part of my world. I am thrilled with the opportunities it presents to Dummies like me. So when selecting something easy, I thought the Dummy books were right up my alley. I was right. This book talks in a down to earth style that doesn't intimidate me. It makes me think I'm not such a dummy after all. Now when I purchase DVD Plus and Minus R and RW I have a better idea what to buy.

I purchased the book in order to help with a presentation I was doing to my not so computer literate co-workers. I found the book helpful in assisting me to put certain focal items in lay person's terms, and some additional information to help keep my presentation interesting. I am glad I purchased it. Warning, if you are a computer guru, stay clear, not for the advanced at heart.

At the time this book was probably decent...but now, it's irrelevant. Free software available on the net will allow you to do everything in this book. However, the material in the book is presented and written well; it's just useful for those who don't want to find freeware. 2-stars only...

Why CD"s and DVD"s have to be so confusing I don't know. This "Dummies" book like all the others I've purchased help diffuse the confusion- in understandable terms.

This book goes into great detail but only if you use Roxio. I don't and the book doesn't really go into detail about how to use the information with any other software. Pretty much useless in my case. I gave it two stars because I did learn a little by looking through it. Not enough, however, to make it worth the purchase.