CDC 3.4 - Disc Notes (supported discs and MP3 compatibility)

Supported Discs

The CDC-3.4 supports the following discs.

• Some audio CDs use copy protection that doesn’t conform to the official CD standard. Since these are nonstandard discs, they may not play properly in the CDC-3.4.
• The CDC-3.4 supports CD-R and CD-RW discs. However, some CD-R and CD-RW discs may not
  work properly for any of the following reasons: disc burner characteristics, disc characteristics, the disc is damaged or dirty. See the manual supplied with your disc burner for more information. Condensation or dirt on the optical pickup lens can also affect playback.
• The CDC-3.4 supports 8 cm and 12 cm discs.
• The CDC-3.4 does not support disc types not listed.
• Don’t use discs with an unusual shape, such as those shown below, because you may damage the CDC-3.4.

• Don’t use discs that have residue from adhesive tape, rental discs with peeling labels, or discs with custom made labels or stickers. Doing so may damage the CDC-3.4 and you may not be able to remove the disc properly.

Discs Made on Personal Computers
Discs made on personal computers, including those of a compatible format, may not work properly in the
CDC-3.4 because of incorrect settings in the disc burning software. Check the manuals supplied with your disc burning software for additional compatibility information.

MP3 Compatibility

• MP3 discs must be ISO 9660 Level 1 or Level 2, Romeo or Joliet compliant. Supported formats:
  Mode 1, Mode 2 XA Form 1.
• Folders can be up to eight levels deep.
• MP3 files must be MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3 format with a sampling rate of between 8 kHz and 48 kHz and a bit-rate of between 8 kbps and 320 kbps (128 kbps recommended). Incompatible files cannot be played.
• Fixed bit-rate MP3 files are recommended, however, variable bit-rate (VBR) MP3 files between 8 kbps and 320 kbps are supported. (Playing times may display incorrectly.)
• MP3 files must have a “.mp3” or “.MP3” file name extension. MP3 files without the proper extension will not be recognized. To prevent noise and malfunction, do not use these extensions for other types of files.
• On a single disc, the CDC-3.4 can recognize a total of 499 files and folders, with 99 being the maximum number of folders. Files and folders in excess of this cannot be played. Note that if the file and folder structure is very complicated, the CDC-3.4 may not be able to read or play all of the MP3 files on the disc.
• Disc, file and folder names may contain up to 32 characters.
• The maximum time that can be displayed for a single track is 99 minutes and 59 seconds.
• The remaining time cannot be displayed when playing MP3 files.
• MP3 file and folder names (excluding the extension) are shown on the display.
• Multisession discs are supported, however, some multisession discs may take a long time to load and some may not load at all. When burning CDs we recommend that you use a single-session (disc-at-once), and select “Disc Close.”
• Normally, the music in the audio session of a CD Extra disc is played. However, you can set the CDC-3.4 so that it plays any MP3 files in the data session of a CD-R/RW disc instead. If the data session contains no MP3 tracks, the audio session will be played regardless. See “MP3 & APD (Auto Power Down) Preferences” on page 24 for more information.
• The following ID3 tags are supported: versions 1.0/1.1 and 2.3/2.4. Versions 2.2/2.5 and later are not supported. Normally, version 2.3/2.4 tags have priority and will be displayed regardless of the ID3 VER 1.
• For ID3 version 2 tags, information in the first 2,048 bytes at the beginning of the file are recognized. We recommend that you include only title, artist name, and album name information in ID3 tags. Compressed, encrypted, and unsynchronized ID3 tags cannot be displayed.

Notes:

• With CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW discs that contain many files and folders, and files other than MP3s, it may take a long time to read the disc. We recommend that you include only MP3 files on your discs, use about 20 folders, and limit folder nesting to three levels deep.
• In this manual, MP3 files are referred to as tracks.

Handling Discs

Never touch the underside of a disc. Always hold discs by the edge, as shown.

Never attach adhesive tape or sticky labels to discs.

Cleaning Discs

• For best results, keep your discs clean. Fingerprints and dust can affect the sound quality and should be removed as follows. Using a clean soft cloth, wipe from the center outwards, as shown. Never wipe in a circular direction.                                               
• To remove stubborn dust or dirt, wipe the disc with a damp soft cloth, and then dry it with a dry cloth.
• Never use solvent-based cleaning fluids, such as thinner or benzine, commercially available cleaners, or antistatic sprays intended for vinyl records, because they may damage the disc.

Storing Discs

• Don’t store discs in places subject to direct sunlight, or near heat sources.
• Don’t store discs in places subject to moisture or dust, such as in a bathroom or near a humidifier.
• Always store discs in their cases and vertically. Stacking, or putting objects on unprotected discs may cause warping, scratches, or other damage.