Burn

• Audio Disc Creation: Effortlessly create standard Audio CDs from popular audio formats. Burn supports CD-Text, allowing you to include track information on the disc.
• Video Disc Authoring: Convert video files into formats suitable for VCDs, SVCDs, and DVDs. The application provides basic dvd-menu-maker features, allowing for simple navigation menus on DVD-Video discs.
• Data Disc Flexibility: Burn allows you to create data discs using various file systems, including Mac OS Standard (HFS+), Joliet, UDF, and more. This ensures compatibility across different operating systems, a key advantage for sharing files.
• Disc Copying and Imaging: Directly dvd-copy discs or create and burn iso-creator images. This is particularly useful for backing up or duplicating existing discs.

Software Review: Burn

Burn is a classic macOS application specifically designed for creating and burning various types of discs, including CDs, DVDs, and limited support for Blu-rays. It positions itself as a straightforward solution for users needing to archive data, create audio CDs, or author video DVDs.

The application's interface is notably simple and divided into distinct sections for Data, Audio, Video, and Copy. This clear organizational structure makes it easy for users to select the type of disc they want to create and proceed with the necessary steps. Adding files is typically a drag-and-drop operation, which streamlines the process.

Key Functionality and Performance

Data Burning: Burn excels at creating data discs. It offers support for several file systems, which is crucial for ensuring that burned discs can be read on different operating systems. This flexibility in file system selection is a significant advantage. The burning process itself is generally reliable and comparable in speed to other burning utilities.

Audio Burning: Creating Audio CDs is another core strength. Burn supports common audio formats and includes functionality for adding CD-Text, which displays track information on compatible players. The process is intuitive, and the resulting audio quality is dependent on the source files and the burning hardware.

Video Authoring: While not a professional-grade video editing suite, Burn provides useful video authoring capabilities for creating Video CDs, SVCDs, and DVDs. It can convert common video formats and offers basic menu creation options, suitable for simple video disc projects.

Disc Copying and Imaging: The ability to directly copy discs and create or burn ISO images adds further utility. This is valuable for creating backups of existing discs or working with disc image files.

Usability and Design

Burn's strength lies in its simplicity. The interface is uncluttered, and the options for each burning task are clearly presented. This makes it highly accessible, even for users who are not experienced with disc burning software. However, its simplicity also means it lacks some of the advanced features found in more complex or professional burning applications.

Limitations and Considerations

One significant point to consider is that Burn is officially Discontinued. This means there are no ongoing updates or support for new features or compatibility issues that may arise with future macOS versions or hardware. While it remains functional on older systems, its long-term viability may be limited. The included video authoring tools are basic, and for more complex video projects, a dedicated video editing and authoring suite would be necessary. It also lacks some of the more advanced burning options found in commercial software, such as overburning or more granular control over burning speeds in all cases.

Conclusion

Burn is a solid and reliable application for fundamental disc burning tasks on macOS. Its straightforward interface and support for various disc and file formats make it a convenient tool for creating physical media. However, its discontinued status is a crucial factor for users considering it for long-term use. For those needing a simple, free solution for basic burning needs on compatible systems, Burn remains a viable option.