What factors come into account when deciding on what speed to burn a cd or dvd? Is it ok to always just have it on max? If you burn it on a relatively slow speed all the time, then decide to burn it on a max/relatively high speed will that be bad since it is "used to" being on a slow speed?
The best speed it the one best matched to your burner and the particular media being used. A good rule of thumb is to limit burn speed to half or less the rated speed of the media. Burning at max is generally not recommended since it leaves no room for error. With good quality media I burn 16X media at 8X, otherwise at 4X since that's what works for me. You might try experimenting at various speeds -- 4X, 8X, and Max -- and see which speed produces the higher quality burns. Burn quality can be assessed with the Nero CD DVD Speed utility program, as well as other utility programs. Not all CD/DVD drives are compatible with all utility programs, however.
