Tips & Suggestions for more successful playback of your burnt CDs on standard CD stereo equipment.

Much of this information is taken from the renowned McFadden FAQ .

When in doubt, use a blank CD-R!

Most players are not compatible with CD-RW's. (The CD-RW's use a different laser technology...which is why they can be re-written upon.)

First and foremost is media compatibility. Not all players get along with all brands of CD-R media.

You need to find a combination of recorder, media, and player that get along.

Having skips & jumps during playback?

If you're getting skips and jumps, make sure that you don't have anti-skip protection enabled. This is usually only available on portable or car players, and you may not be able to disable it on car players.

Make sure you treat your blank CD-R's with respect.

Scratches or dust may cause write errors! Handle the discs carefully!

Try recording at a slower speed!

Some media works better at 1x, 2x, or 4x than it does at other speeds. You may find that slowing down or speeding up the recorder helps. (The suggested burn speed on the blank CD-R is there for a reason!)

Some opinions from Internet Citizens:

Many people have reported that Kenwood CD players don't deal with CD-Rs very well, while Alpine units play nearly everything.

Good old 80 minute CDR issue!

80 minute CDRs do not have the same level of compatibility with players as 74 minute CDRs. A TDK technician said the following on the matter:

The CD-R 80 is a special product developed by TDK to meet the application needs of software developers and music studios. To achieve its 80 minute recording time, track pitch and scanning velocity specification tolerances had to be minimized, reducing the margin of error between drive and media. This means limited compatibility between some CD-Recorders and CD-ROM Readers. If you intend to use this recording length, please check with your hardware manufacturer. Use of the CD-R80 is at one's own risk. No guarantees of performance are made by TDK.

More on this from the McFadden FAQ .

Final Word

While there are clearly defined standards for CD-R media, there are no such standards for CD and CD-ROM drives -- other than that they be able to read CDs. It is possible for media to be within allowed tolerances, but be unreadable by a CD-ROM drive that can handle pressed discs without trouble. All you can do in this sort of situation is find a better-quality CD or CD-ROM drive, or switch to a brand of media whose characteristics are on the other side of the tolerance zone.