User manual LACIE DVD-RW DRIVE

[. . . ] LaCie DVD±RW Drive User's Manual USB 2. 0 T able of Contents page 1 Table of Contents Foreword Precautions 1. Getting Connected 2. 1 Install the Recording Software 2. 2 Connect the Power Supply and Switch On the Drive 2. 3 Connect the USB 2. 0 Cable to the Drive and to Your Computer 3. Advice for Optimizing USB 2. 0 Connections 4. 1. 1. Data Transfers 4. 2 User Advice on MPEG-II Decoders 4. 3 File System Formats - Definitions 4. 4 DVD Capacity 5. [. . . ] Only use this method when the Open/Close button is not working. LaCie DVD±RW Drive User's Manual USB 2. 0 Using Your LaCie Drive page 18 3. 5. Accessing Discs Windows Users The CD or DVD volume will appear in My Computer. Click on My Computer to view the contents of the CD or DVD and to have access to the folders and files on it. You can also gain access to the files and folders contained on the disc by going into Windows Explorer and clicking on the CD/DVD-ROM drive icon. Mac Users The CD or DVD volume will appear as an icon on the Desktop. Click on the icon to have access to the contents of the CD or DVD. Important Note: At the time of publication, if your Mac does not have a native, built-in DVD-ROM or Combo (CDRW and DVD-ROM) Drive, Apple does not support DVD-Video playback over external, third-party DVD drives. 3. 6. Writing Discs The following is a brief overview of some of the recording terminology to help you understand how to use your drive to write discs. Important Note: Please refer to your recording software's user's guide for information on how to best use your LaCie DVD±RW drive in write mode. 3. 6. 1. DVD Writing Methods Disc at Once (DAO) ­ A DVD writing process in which the entire DVD is recorded in one session, and data cannot be added after the recording is finished. Differs from the CD-R DAO method because the lead-in, data area and lead-out areas are all written sequentially. Incremental Recording (IR) ­ A DVD writing process that is similiar to the Session at Once (SAO) CD-R writing method; files may be added directly to the DVD-R disc one recording at a time, instead of recording the files to a hard drive before writing the disc. The minimum recorded size, though, must be at least 32KB (even if the file to be recorded is smaller than that), and capacities and write speeds are decreased due to the overhead of combined lead-in/out areas and data. Also, the disc must be finalized before it may be played back by a drive other than the drive recording the disc. Multi-Border Recording (MBR) ­ A DVD writing process that is very similiar to IR, MBR allows you to make an IR disc and then play the disc back on a device that recognizes this type of recording method. MBR creates a very short boundary zone around a recording session so a compatible player or DVD-ROM drive does not attempt to play beyond the border of the recorded area, instead allowing the unfinalized disc to be read by a player that supports this recording method. LaCie DVD±RW Drive User's Manual USB 2. 0 Using Your LaCie Drive page 19 Restricted Overwriting (RO) ­ A DVD writing process that only applies to DVD±RW discs. With this method, if a disc has already been written to, new data segments can be randomly inserted anywhere within the recorded boundary. New data, however, can only be added to an area of the disc that has already been recorded over and from the point where the last session was stopped. Session at Once (SAO) ­ A DVD writing process which is similar to DAO, where all of the information is written in one session, but SAO allows for the ability to begin another session and record at a later time. This mode allows for greater control of the recording process than Packet Writing (PW) or TAO, and more disc space can be utilized because there is no need for gaps between tracks. Packet Writing (PW) ­ A writing process that is very useful for data backup. Buffer underrun* is impossible in this mode, because the data is written in "packets" of a few KBs. 3. 6. 2. CD Writing Methods Disc at Once (DAO) ­ A CD writing process in which the entire CD is recorded in one session, and data cannot be added after the recording is finished. This mode allows for the most control of the recording process for audio CDs because the gap between tracks can be set and the maximum capacity of the CD can be utilized. Packet Writing (PW) ­ A CD writing process that is very useful for data backup, but cannot be used to write audio CDs. [. . . ] The most powerful hubs provide 0. 5A of power to each port. If you buy a hub, make sure that it supports per-port switching. This function prevents the entire chain of peripherals from freezing up if one of them is not working properly or is down. Important Note: Avoid using USB connectors found on certain peripherals such as keyboards. These are passive (or pass-through) connectors that lead to power loss and unstable operation. [. . . ]