What is packet writing?
Packet writing is a method of writing data in small increments surrounded by run-in and run-out blocks, rather than in a single large block as was the case with early CD burning. Packets can be a variable or fixed size depending on the application. The small increments are what allow the CD recorder to be used like a floppy drive.
Packet writing is a form of recording information on compact disc that allows information to be written in blocks over a portion of the CD, rather than in a general format using pieces of the entire disc. Without packet writing, some discs may only be capable of being burned with information once, no matter how much available space was still on them. The advantage of packet writing is that it greatly enhances the use of a CD as a storage and file management alternative. While computer users have always appreciated the fact that CDs have more available space than traditional storage devices such as floppy disks, it has always been a drawback that CDs store information awkwardly, compared to those other formats. CDs were very useful if a great deal of information needed to be stored at once. However, it could be a very expensive storage alternative for users who needed to store a few smaller files a little at a time. The ability of packet writing to store data on blocks enables more info
There are three methods for writing data (or audio) to a CD using a CD recorder: Track-at-Once (TAO), Disc-at-Once (DAO) and Packet Writing. Track-at-Once is, by far, the most popular method today. Both Track-at-Once and Disc-at-Once use a table of contents mechanism to look up each chunk of data written to the disc. Use of a Table of Contents (TOC) requires that each session (or disc) must be closed at the end of a write, updating the table of contents which allows that session to be readable. Use of TAO and DAO methods also requires the creation of an ISO image before the disc may be written; converting the data from its form on your filesystem to a form that can be cleanly written to CD. Packet writing is a method quite different from TAO and DAO; it is designed for writing data to CD in small increments. Packet writing must be supported by hardware (not all CD writers support packet writing). The largest benefit in packet writing comes in its ease of use; packet writing enables the
