# How often can I rewrite to a CD? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-can-i-rewrite-to-a-cd/298126 "2005-04-06T23:58:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-can-i-rewrite-to-a-cd/298126/1 "2005-04-06T23:58:57Z")
There’s a chance this belongs in IMHO as I’m sure the answer will depend on the brand of disc, but for now I’m just looking for an approximate number. Move if needed, please. I subscribe to the _Bob and Tom Show_ website, which allows for downloading the show, ad-free, in MP3 form. Then I can burn it to disc and listen to it in the car or the living room. Each show is broken down into 4 one hour packets, each being anywhere from 38-43 minutes. For the most part, it’s 4 discs per day. So in a 50-disc bundle, I get just over 2 weeks’ worth of media. I’m wondering if it’s cheaper in the long run to buy R/W discs? (Yes I have a CDR/W) So if I had 4 R/W discs, how many days could I reasonably expect to use them? Side question. Is the time to erase a disc comparable to writing one? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-can-i-rewrite-to-a-cd/298126/2 "2005-04-07T00:18:34Z")
The number of times a RW disc can be successfully rewritten _should_ be in the hundreds - I say _should_ because what will probably happen long before the dye layer suffers fatigue is that the playing surface will become scratched to the extent that the media is unplay/writeable. If the CDRWs cost (say) four times the price of the CDRs, you’ve just got to make sure you treat them kindly enough to get five re-uses out of them and you’ll be saving money - the actual life of the recording layer isn’t likely to come into play. Erasing a full disc does take a minute or two on my machine (last time I did it, which was a long while ago - it might be faster with today’s drives). Are you sure your car stereo will work with RW media? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-can-i-rewrite-to-a-cd/298126/3 "2005-04-07T00:35:19Z")
I’m not even sure the home theater system will play the media as I’ve never used it. But given the apparent longevity it would be worth it in my case to buy a few and try them out. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-can-i-rewrite-to-a-cd/298126/4 "2005-04-07T01:06:44Z")
It will probably be cheaper in the long run to buy an [FM Xmitter](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5755426&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat33100050012&id=1056899518024) and a [cheap CD/MP3 player](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6778935&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat27600050008&id=1093468042045). Burn the MP3s as a data track, don’t finalize the disc, and just keep burning new shows until a disc is full. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-can-i-rewrite-to-a-cd/298126/5 "2005-04-07T02:54:36Z")
> [@1010011010](#): > > It will probably be cheaper in the long run to buy an [FM Xmitter](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5755426&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat33100050012&id=1056899518024) and a [cheap CD/MP3 player](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6778935&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat27600050008&id=1093468042045). Burn the MP3s as a data track, don’t finalize the disc, and just keep burning new shows until a disc is full. If you’re going to buy a new player, you might want to just replace your car CD player with a [CD/MP3 player](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6986728&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat52600050007&id=1099389701695) - it’ll definitely work with CD-RWs, and there won’t be as much equipment lying around to attract thieves or fall between the seats. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacinewas\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Thylacinewas\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacinewas_taken)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-can-i-rewrite-to-a-cd/298126/6 "2005-04-08T00:44:27Z")
I think it would be worth it to buy the CD-RWs, but as another person said, make sure your car will play them first. I used to use CD-RWs to carry stuff between college and home and they were pretty reliable. Since you’re just listening to the shows and erasing them, reliability doesn’t sound like much of an issue. I got many uses of mine. Some of them probably still work after dozens of formats and erases. 4 CD-RWs are, what, $10? If it doesn’t work out, you’ve only lost 3 hamburger’s worth of money, and saved some CD-Rs in the process.