How to Burn a DVD

The process of burning DVDs is not nearly as hard as it use to be, nor is it difficult to acquire the resources with which to burn a DVD. These days, most new computers come standard with the software and hardware necessary to burn both CDs and DVDs, but even if your computer does not have the proper software for creating DVDs, there are dozens of programs available to download, most of which are either free or extremely affordable. As far as that goes, each program has a different set up and process involved in burning a DVD, but at the same time, most programs follow the same essential and fundamental steps. Therefore, the following offers step by step instructions on how to burn a DVD using a completely generic DVD burning program which will hold true for most, if not all, actual programs. Step One: Observe the type of DVD disk you have, as that is the most important factor regarding how much information you can put on the DVD.

There are two main types of burnable DVD: the first are one-sided DVDs, which can be either writeable or re-writeable and usually hold up to five gigabytes worth of data and information; the second are two-sided discs, which can also be either writeable or re-writeable, and usually has a capacity for more than eight gigabytes of information. Step Two: Insert the DVD into your computer's DVD drive, then load up the burning program. Step Three: With most programs, users have to specify whether they are about to burn a CD or a DVD so, next, make sure that you have chosen DVD from the appropriate menu. Step Four: The next step is to specify what kind of DVD you want to make - for example, a data DVD or a movie DVD.

Step Five: When the appropriate window opens, click the "Add" or "Browse" button, which allows you to select the files located on your computer that you wish to burn onto the DVD. Select as many as you want and then indicate that you are finished. Step Six: When prompted, go on to the next stage of the DVD burning process, which generally involves choosing the speed at which you want the disc to be written, and then click "Burn" or "Start" to begin the burning process. At this point, you are finished.

The program will let you know when your DVD has been successfully burned.

Al Munroe writes on topics such as How to Burn a DVD, Copy DVD and Copy DVD Movies for The Tech FAQ.