Burning
After all your files are in order, you will burn the audio
first, then the video. Burn the audio in a regular audio format
but make sure you do NOT close the disk. You need to leave
it "open" so you can burn a second session. After you're done
burning the audio session, burn your second session as either
an ISO9660 (will play in either Mac or PC) or Mac/PC Hybrid
(if you're doing an auto-run on the Macintosh you need to
make it Mac/PC Hybrid).
Testing
Listen closely here: Do NOT assume that your CD works just
because it plays the first, second, or even third time you
test it. Unless you have access to a large-array cross-platform
testing suite, you need to get creative to find out how well
your CD actually works out there in the real world on the
wide variety of machines all your fans are using. You need
access to a bunch of different types of computers to see if
the CD will play in all or most of them. For this part of
the process, I like to employ some sneaky guerilla tactics.
Go to a local used computer store, or somewhere like Best
Buy and Circuit City, and try the CD in as many computers
as you can. More than likely, one or two computers won't play
the CD. But don't despair — if you see an 80 to 90 percent
success rate, consider that a victory. (And if the store employees
ask what you are doing, just tell them you are testing out
their CD-ROM drives.)
Pressing
When it comes time to press your CD, look around the Web
and you will find plenty of CD-pressing plants. Americ
Disc, Failsafe
Media Company, and Disc
Makers are some solid options, but the one we like the
best is CDman
because you can go through the entire ordering process online,
and they email you a couple of times a day to let you know
the status of your order.
Whichever you choose, try to find a pressing plant that is
double-session or Enhanced-CD friendly. Also, make sure you
include a letter with your CD-R informing the pressing plant
that it is a double-session CD, with audio as session one,
and data as session two.
Once you've made an E-CD, you might want to dive into some
deeper, cooler waters ... namely, DVD.
A lot of the same concepts are involved in making a DVD,
but you get to play with much, much more space. Which means
much, much more fun.
Making
Enhanced CDs