Thanks but no thanks on this one GAOTD. Sounds like a nice little program but I will stick with my Nero.

By the sounds of it people are not to fond of Nero anymore, but I have never created a coaster with Nero and I have burned hundreds of CD/DVD's with it. Roxio is another story.


Keep up the great work and offers GAOTD!!!

@"Rap the City Garp"... It is obvious: If software vendors are afraid of posting software at GOTD because of freeware alternatives listed by Giovanni, then they should be improving their product or coming up with something new before trying to sell it anywhere. Now, if this was North Korea, there probably would just be one product listed per day and no competition. No matter how bad the product, all votes and comments would be positive.

I prefer this semi-free world site. Congratulations to GIOVANNI and others for posting the alternatives that let us gage the value and usefulness of the products advertised here each day.

Many thanks to GOTD because our company has purchased some excellent software during the past five years that was discovered right here at GOTD!

See, GOTD works great for everyone.

#15 Sol, A mp3 disc is burned slightly different to a data disc with mp3 tracks on.
A data-disc with mp3 tracks won't play on some DVD players or mp3 cd drives.

(I should know as I have about 5 dvd players and a bluray player in my house.)

If you have the data structure of a DVD (directories video_ts and audio_ts) this software will burn a viewable DVD. It will not, however, take an AVI/MP4/whatever and burn that directly to the DVD; for that, you need authoring software like DVDFLICK.

To Garp and rapthecity. If I were a vendor, I would look at all the programs recommended by Giovanni and others to find improvements I could add to [and maybe improve on] in my own programs.

#1 - Judging by your review you must not have installed this software.
It's poorly written, poorly executed software that I regret installing. You say, "just about any movie player", but that's not so.
The program is geared towards Windows computers and not other electronic players.
The program even tells you that it requires special DVD authoring software tools - that this program doesn't even supply the user with - to make a DVD.

Now everybody can give me the thumbs down for saying the truth.
I'm not one of the lemmings.

like was said earlier,there is a glut of these programs on the market.call me when you have one that will do audio dvds.

For me, this is another time-waster, I could not even get the unzipped setup file to run more than 30% before I got a "Not Responding" message. It might be something to do with my PC, but it is the first time I have had such trouble. I already have two others of the listed programs and (after 3 more attempts at downloading and running) I have given up. Life's too short to spend the whole of a Sunday evening to no advantage.

Yo garp #25, You said it man. if i sold progies, i sure wouldnt want to do it on a site where people can find all my competition. i like choices also but this is not the place to talk about them. Yo you people all in love with GIO need to look at the big picture.

#23 Archie ("We overwhelmingly want you to continue your wonderful reviews")
Speak for yourself! I personally think Giovanni doesn't belong here at all. His reviews were basic mostly repeats of what came on the box and then he goes into a list of software he decided was better. Do you think developers really like donating to a site that has members steering people to other software? How long before developers decide that this site is not in there best interest and simply stop giving out their software for us to try. Remember, they are here for feedback (and hopefully sales) NOT for a site for people to go elsewhere.

I don't know why anyone would want to pay for such software, it is nice they offer it free here, but with so many other programs out there, all free, buying a burner is kind of stupid. I have been using imageburn exclusively for years now, never made a coaster, and has always done what I wanted, simply, and with out the annoying worry of whether the disc has properly been closed (looking at you nero) and will work on other machines.

Thanks for the offer, but I will pass on it, until I run into something that imageburn can't do for me, or it starts creating coasters, I am sticking with what works. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I believe it's past time for GAOTD to add one additional rating - an icon to say "Not Interested", as it is now there are only two choices, up and down. Today's software is not useable to me, and I am not interested in downloading it, but I have no choice in the rating it other than just ignoring it and moving on, which I do 95% of the time for most offerings. Many new visitors will vote the software offering down and then exit the site, the rating system as it stands now almost insists that it be rated, but the ability to just say I'm not interested in this offering today lets the developer know those who appreciated his work and those who were not interested. GAOTD, you need more ratings.

@Archie, post #23: Like many here, you're blithely reporting that Ashraf is back. He isn't. Writer/contributors to Ashraf's website are providing the reviews. But whether you like them or not, your remark about Ashraf is as scurrilous as it is contemptuous and anything but in keeping with the spirit of the GOATD community: over the years, Ashraf himself contributed infinitely more in the way of helpful comment to GAOTD than you ever have nor, on the basis of your 'review', seem ever likely to do, either.

Re today's software. Nice GUI and easy access doesn't justify a commercial sticker price over what is all too clearly Starburn technology:

http://www.starburnsoftware.com/

As offered today it competes on an equal footing with the Starburn freeware, but a prospective $40 wallet hit for any future reinstall rules it out. As Giovanni rightly says, this software sector is over-subscribed: where once Nero reigned supreme, it's nowadays the case that Open Source / SourceForge freeware trounces Nero's horrendous bloat. A Softonic blog piece may be of interest:

http://onsoftware.en.softonic.com/5-free-alternatives-to-nero-burning-rom

although I'd recommend staying well away from Nero's tricksy, and largely pointless, freeware Lite version.

Thanks GAOTD, but no thanks. The developer's desire to simplify things is laudable but simplification without real depth and / or unique and original coding under the hood is hardly going to signal a longterm commercial future for RecordMax Burning Studio 6.0.

RecordMax Burning Studio uses the Starburn engine, which is a good alternative burning package - it may work in some hardware / Windows configurations which other burning engines may not, and vice versa. It's a decent package, but not fantastic.

However, it would be great if giveawayoftheday was able to convince Rocket Division to release a newer version of the complete Starburn package (hint, hint). Burning on a remote burner over the network via iSCSI is its forte.

My primary burning tool of choice for data disks has been Lightning UK's ImgBurn - which is free. It will allow you to tweak most everything - even to the point of making an illegal but valid disc. It allows you to choose between using several different burning engines. It's the only one that is capable of a full verification after burn. It also allows multiple copies to be run at the same time, but I would suggest not exceeding 25% CPU utilization or 50% I/O utilization when using multiple copies (in case some other Windows app or background task decides to do something). The only drawback is that it does not do multi-session disks - but then again, which current burner package does? If anybody knows of anything current that handles multi-session well, please post.

CDBurner XPpro, which is free, is the package I recommend to my more basic knowledge users for burning audio CDs. It will convert from MP3 to CDAudio on the fly, and has a reasonably easy to understand GUI.

Sorry that you seem to like Ashampoo, Giovanni - though it's easy to use, it does a lousy job for anything but simple tasks.

Nero - alas I've given up on Nero. Unreliable burns. Massive bloating. The only reason it's still around is for LightScribe labelling. 'Nuff said.

#24 burn simultaneously with several writers

The only free software I know (http://cdrtfe.sourceforge.net/):
“cdrtfe is an open source CD/DVD/BD burning application for Microsoft Windows. You can burn data discs, Audio CDs, XCDs, (S)VCDs and DVD-Video discs. It supports creation and writing of ISO images and bootable discs. Disc images and Audio CDs can be written simultaneously to multiple writers. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cdrtfe is a win32 frontend for the cdrtools (cdrecord, mkisofs, readcd, cdda2wav), Mode2CDMaker, VCDImager and other well-known tools.
cdrtfe has a multi-language interface and is also available as portable version.
For Windows 9x, ME, 2k, XP, Vista, 7.”

This is a repetition of part of my comment concerning BurnAware Home, had been #32 when awaiting moderation.

I have 2 burners installed on my PC. Can RecordMax burn 2 identical cds or dvds simultaneously?
If not, what free software can?

This software is ok but I have found others offered here that are better. Give it a try and decide for yourself.

Giovanni, please continue your extensive reviews and freebies. I have seen them shrink since that Assraf has returned. You are genuinely the best at what you do here. You have no other agenda as he does. His web site is falltering and he figures he can use GOTD to get more attention.
As he did before.
We overwhelmingly want you to continue your wonderful reviews. Thank you for all your efforts.

Downloaded and installed software without a hitch. That is where it ended. I opened, started the process to burn a DVD and a window opened, telling me that it was scanning my pc for DVD drives. I let it attempt to do this three times. It froze on my every time. There are to many software out there that do the same thing to go through this type of thing. I was unable to get to the point of some of the other comments to find out for myself the limitations of this software. I have deleted the software. Thank you GOTD as always, you guys rock.

DukeBlues

Installed A-OK on Vista Hm Prem., X64.

Appreciate all the Info that Giovanni Adds to this Site ... Very Helpful.

Ashraf was gone for a long while, now is back ... nice addition also.

But I really appreciate GIOVANNI's Contribution ... gives me some ideas on the proggies that I might have Not known about.

Most of all Appreciate GOTD Team and WR for providing this Service, YOU GUYS are the BEST! :)

Installs and executes fine on Windows 8 Pro.

I go with GIOVANNI, I don't accept any softwares only because of FREE one unless it contains useful multi-features than freely available online.

Looks like it has everything needed to do the job. Thanks, Hope I get a cd/mp3 player for car for Christmas now.

shame it does not rip to mp3 format

Tried #4 ; ABS 13 & will do for me thankyou .

Installed and registered easily on MSWindows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. Runs fine.

#7 "Also it can’t create mp3 discs so I will be uninstalling and going back to good old Nero."

To create an mp3 disc, use "data disc" then burn your mp3s to the disc. This is a burner program, not a converter.

I have and like very much ashampoo 2013 pro think I will just stick with that, great offer tho for those people that need a good program...

well downloaded and activated OK on Windows 7 Ultimate

Nice GUI butt tools seemed very similar to Starburn (Freeware) and when I looked in the program files folder I even noticed the Starburn.dll file there.

So it's obviously based on the Starburn SDK.

Unfortunately it cannot create movie DVDs, only VCD or SVCD.

Also it can't create mp3 discs so I will be uninstalling and going back to good old Nero.

Thanks for letting me try this though

Downloaded, installed and activated fine on 32-bit XP Pro, SP3 - with NO BluRay drive (I THINK that's what you were asking, Stortch?) and no hint of one being necessary.

The interface is (sort of) simple and basic. That's not (exactly) a criticism, since it's obviously been designed that way. However, I can't find an option to create a bootable disc, as Ashraf says it can do. It may be that that's something that becomes apparent during certain processes, but I don't know (I should probably investigate the WaveMax homepage, I suppose).

At present, I'm not sure how much I like/dislike the main interface - in making it nice and simple, they may have made it TOO simple for me (or maybe I'm just expecting too much from my meagre abilities..;-$).

But I'll keep hold of it for a while, at least.

#2 Stortch. Do you actually read the details from the website before commenting.

Of course it does DVD's but it also will do BluRays if you have a BluRay burner.

According to the website it creates movie DVD's so I'm going to download this and try it out, and will report later if I have time.

Achtung Achtung ==> SUPER SATURATED FIELD detected!

- ASHAMPOO BURNING STUDIO 11
http://www.ashampoo.com/uk/gbp/lpa/computeractive
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/ashampoo-burning-studio-2013-full-version-11-dlc-pc-free-regular-40-a-1270323

- ImgBurn
http://www.imgburn.com

- (Portable) CDBurnerXP (==> Softpedia Editor Pick)
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/en/features

- StarBurn
http://www.starburnsoftware.com/products/starburn/features

- (Portable) cdrtfe 1.4.1
http://cdrtfe.sourceforge.net/cdrtfe/index_en.html

- (Portable) InfraRecorder
http://infrarecorder.org

Enjoy!!

Just wondering... Did "NITBits Inc." realy looked inside of a compact-disk unit and found that type of read- and write-head that shows in the icon of the program, and that shows in the picture near the top of this page. Doesn't it remind you a little bit of a read- and write-head inside a harddisk. As I said, just wondering!
And I know, this is a extremely useful comment :-)

Tried burning an audio CD, got this error..................

6:18:06 AM StarBurn_CdvdBurnerGrabber_TrackAtOnceFromFile() failed, exception 8, status 0, text "CStarBurn_ScsiTransportSPTI::ExecuteCDB(): Command failed"

#2 There isn't an app or program out there that can make a DVD read or write Blueray they are a different technology

I didn't try everything out.
But it installed just fine on my netbook without a dvd drive.
Then I connect drive
And I burn data disc.

My only bitch is there should be more of a drag/drop way of organizing things, I barely burned 1/4th of my disc thinking I filled the whole 4.7G I wasn't even close.

So this app in my opinion needs a basic drag and drop interface, which doesn't need a disc in the drive to play with. I don't know, I get it, it's not nero, but the questioning each step as opposed to leaving settings dumped somewhere..

If all you are trying to do is get data off a disc with no complexity, this is great, small, and so far burned one out of one for me, when I didn't really want to install the whole insanity of NERO and it's services and debugging for the system stability, anyway. You know what I mean.

To me, SMALL download is the main feature here. It works on my itty bitty netbook so what can I say, thumbs up. I had ZERO problems.

The registration goes nice and easy with the activation code already provided in the readme file. No need for e-mails. The interface layout is very simple and easy to use. If you just need the burning basics, nothing fancy, you can try this program. What i miss though is the option to copy an entire disk with one click.

#2 rather stating the obvious surely, like say you cannot burn a DVD on a CD burner

Yes bout you done still need blue ray recoder in the compter for this app to work, huh? Like this cannot work with dvd only? See what I sayin? Thanc

Pros
*Big buttons with clear instructions make this a user-friendly program
*Backup all of your important data on a disc
*Create your own custom audio CDs that play on just about any music player
*Rip music from a CD that you own
*Create your own DVDs that play on just about any movie player
*Allows you to create and burn your own ISO files
*Create bootable discs for your computer
*Erase data off rewritable discs

Cons
*At the time of this writing, it does not officially support Windows 8

Free Alternatives
ImgBurn
Ashampoo Burning Studio 2012 (not freeware, but a perma freebie)

Final Verdict
Click here for final verdict and full review.