# Can you burn a CD on a DVD disc? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057 "2008-10-08T20:29:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/21 "2008-10-09T16:56:53Z")
I’ve bought 2 DVD burners and and they both came with a SATA/PATA adapter. (granted they were the same brand, Samsung) ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/22 "2008-10-09T17:10:34Z")
After considering the advice of the helpful dopers who’ve weighed in on my problem, I just went out and Best Buy’ed a cd/dvd burner. Not as cheap as online, or wholesale computer stores, I imagine ($65 including tax), but if it’s as easy to install as I’m led to believe, I should be up and running in no time. Factoring in the stupidity factor, I intend to report back here in a matter of an hour or so, hopefully after having seen my son’s vacation pictures. xo, C ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/23 "2008-10-09T17:13:42Z")
Thank you Good People. You clarified it better than 30 minutes of Google searching had done. I’ve got a CD drive (read only) that appears to be going and I hadn’t even thought about a DVD reader/burner until reading this thread. I figure that for $20-30, why not upgrade? So, look for a IDE/PATA model or make sure an adapter is included. Good information. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/24 "2008-10-09T18:01:22Z")
You could even get a CD/DVD/ **BD** reader or writer, but those are still expensive. BD (Blu-ray Disc) units haven’t really hit the mainstream yet. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/25 "2008-10-09T18:03:08Z")
> [@CC](#): > > …but if it’s as easy to install as I’m led to believe, I should be up and running in no time. Factoring in the stupidity factor, I intend to report back here in a matter of an hour or so, hopefully after having seen my son’s vacation pictures. xo, C :smack: Ok. It’s not as easy to install. I’m going back to BB and getting an external drive - one I can simply plug in to the USB ports on the front. I don’t know what I was thinking. I can fix all manner of mechanical ills around the house. This is something else. Apparently the stupidity factor is much larger than I had thought. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/26 "2008-10-09T18:34:30Z")
Optical drives are pretty straightforward to install, **CC** , but they are not always _intuitive_. Usually the hardest part is getting the case opened up to the point that you can access all (usually) 4 screws that hold it in. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/27 "2008-10-09T18:39:00Z")
Fact is, the configuration of my computer, a Dell, is such that I could see that I’d have to remove all sorts of stuff before I could even get to the drive. I just ordered an external drive from [Geeks.com](http://Geeks.com) and it’s 2/3 the price of the one I returned. It takes smarts to know what you don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057/28 "2008-10-09T19:26:07Z")
Ahh, Dell. Yeah I remember struggling with one of these cases for a friend. He also was having trouble putting in a DVD drive. I thought he was so silly for not being able to do this simple task until I took a crack at it. Dell REALLY doesn’t want you opening up your PC. I remember it taking me an hour (of sweaty confusion) to do what should have been a 5 minute job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-burn-a-cd-on-a-dvd-disc/467057.md?page=1)