Reader ST discovered that aging data backup CDs he had burned had become unreadable, so now he uses QuickPar to make recovering data on disc with bad sectors possible. Here's how he does it.

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Windows only: Free application DVDCoach burns any video file (like DivX or Xvid videos you've downloaded off BitTorrent) to a playable DVD. The application provides a simple front-end for converting the files to the proper format (using the very popular media conversion tool ffmpeg) and burning the results to a DVD. DVDCoach Express doesn't have many advanced features—for example, you can't create custom DVD menus—but what it lacks in features it makes up for in simplicity. Just drag and drop the videos you want to burn to DVD into the application, set the few preferences available (PAL or NTSC, aspect ration, and quality), and get burning. If you're looking for a more robust feature set, check out how to burn any video file to a playable video DVD using other free apps. DVDCoach Express is a free download, Windows only.

Windows only: Selecting blank media would seem to be a straight forward affair. You discover a certain brand works great for your purposes so you plan to buy more in the future. Simple! The label wrapped around the spindle of DVDs you just purchased doesn't tell the whole story however. While there are dozens and dozens of DVD brands, there are only a few actual manufacturers. If you're looking for that perfect burn and want to take another step towards becoming a blank-media connoisseur, DVD Identifier will help you dig beneath the labels and find more detailed information about your media. No need to waste burn time if you know the discs are low quality or won't be accepted by a finicky console or DVD player. DVD Identifier is freeware, Windows only, and works on CD, DVD, HD DVD, and BLU-RAY media.

The internet has made it easier than ever to share media and data with friends, family, and co-workers, but that doesn't mean burning your own CDs and DVDs is a thing of the past. Blank optical discs are dirt cheap, they work virtually everywhere, and if you bought your computer sometime in the last 5 years, chances are you've got the necessary hardware to quickly burn anything you want to a disc in just a few minutes. Now all you need is the right authoring tools. Photo by the trial.

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The proliferation of thumb drives and external hard drives has made optical media like DVDs seem a little less handy—but there are still plenty of ways to put DVDs to good use. These shiny, multi-gigabyte discs can run entire operating systems, put movies on your computer and vice-versa, host a robust copy of Wikipedia, and do so much more, if you know how to work them. Check out some of our favourite hacks and tips for getting the most out of DVDs, whether released by Hollywood or purchased at OfficeMax. Photo by MiNe (sfmine79).

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With your BitTorrent addiction in full swing, you've filled hard drives with media but can't seem to figure out how to burn any of the videos you downloaded to a DVD. Sound familiar? It's a common problem, and there was a time that it didn't have many simple (or free) solutions. Luckily that's no longer the case, and today we're taking a look at two dead simple solutions for burning virtually any video to a DVD you can pop into your DVD player and enjoy.

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Windows only: Free application Ashampoo Burning Studio Free is yet-another CD and DVD burning utility. Ashampoo handles virtually any burning need, from music CDs and video DVDs (Blu-ray support included) to data discs. It also supports burning compressed and encrypted backup discs. Granted, there are already plenty of burning utilities already available, but for anyone who remembers how difficult it used to be to find a free app to handle this sort of thing (i.e., not Roxio), the more options the merrier. For a look at the flip side of the coin, check out the Hive Five Best DVD Ripping Tools.

Wikipedia school edition is an offline DVD version of Wikipedia by SOS Children's Villages (a charity for orphans) filled with "checked content" from the user-edited online encyclopedia. The 2.9GB download is available only via BitTorrent, and to top it off, here's a quote you don't hear every day: "It helps our charity if you keep µTorrent running after your download is finished."

RealDVD, the DRM-laden, DVD-copying commercial software from the folks who brought you RealPlayer, has been taken out of commission by Hollywood studios. Luckily you already know how to rip full DVDs to your hard drive for free without the nasty DRM, so you should be just fine. [via]

Web site VCD Quality tracks videos distributed online and provides a wealth of information about each release—including a screenshot or two demonstrating the quality of the video and separate video and audio ratings. The site also links to the movie's IMDb page, lets you know what group released it, and informs you of the source media (e.g., DVD rip). If you download a fair share of movies online, you've probably been burned by a grainy, low quality download before. VCD Quality is there to help you avoid wasting those hours downloading a bum film. You can't actually download anything directly from VCD Quality, but if you've followed our beginner and intermediate guides to BitTorrent, you already know what you're doing.