Burn XGD3 Games How To

This makes burning discs about as easy as it gets. Steps 1-3 only need to be done once. Steps 1 and 2 are optional, but will make burning even easier. I've edited this guide to add info about burning using a burner flashed with Burner Max.

1. Use the automatic write speed option.

If you're always using the same types of discs, you can set ImgBurn to always burn those discs at a particular speed without you having to tell it what that speed is every single time.

1. Fire up ImgBurn and insert one of your blanks.
2. Click Tools - Automatic Write Speed...
3. In the Settings section, the disc ID will be filled in, so set the write speed you want to use.
4. Click the Add button, then click OK.
5. Change the write speed on the main screen to "AWS" (automatic write speed).

From now on, every time ImgBurn detects that one of those particular types of discs is inserted, it will always burn it at the speed you chose. You can do this for multiple types of discs if you want to set automatic write speeds for regular DVDs and CDs as well and ImgBurn will choose the burn speed automatically depending on the disc you've put in the drive.

You only need to do that once.

2. Associate .dvd files with ImgBurn.

If .dvd files are associated with ImgBurn then when you double-click one, ImgBurn will automatically open. If they're not associated with ImgBurn, you can associate them like this: -

1. Right-click a .dvd file and choose "Open with" then choose "Choose default program".
2. Select ImgBurn as the default program.
3. Tick the box next to "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file".
4. Hit OK.

You only need to do that once.

3. Set the layer break to "Calculate Optimal".

The .dvd file tells ImgBurn where to set the layer break, so you never need to fill in the layer break box manually, although some people do. As XGD3 games use a different layer break, if you set the layer break manually for burning older XGD2 games, you now have to change it back to "Calculate Optimal".

1. Fire up ImgBurn and hit Tools - Settings - Write (tab).
2. On the right-hand side set the layer break to "Calculate Optimal" and hit OK.

You only need to do that once.

4. Burning XGD2 and XGD3 games WITHOUT Burner Max (NOT RECOMMENDED FOR XGD3 TITLES).

XGD2 - If you have done everything I've mentioned above, insert your blank disc, double-click the .dvd file which will launch ImgBurn, then press the burn button. Wait for the disc to burn and verify (verification is optional, but it's a good idea to do it). Job done.

XGD3 - If you have done everything I've mentioned above, insert your blank disc, double-click the .dvd file which will launch ImgBurn, then press the burn button. As XGD3 ISOs are too large to fit on a dual-layer disc, an extra window will open. Choose the option to "Write to end of disc (Truncate)" and hit OK. Wait for the disc to burn and verify. Job done.

As only around 97% of an XGD3 ISO will fit on the disc if you're not using a Burner Max burner, this is not the optimal method for burning XGD3 games. Certain games (Forza 4, for example) feature new checks that will fail if you burn the game using this method, so it's recommended to get a Burner Max-compatible drive and burn using the instructions in steps 5 and 6.

5. Burning XGD2 and XGD3 games WITH Burner Max.

XGD2 - Use the same procedure as mentioned for XGD2 games in step 4.

XGD3 - You can burn the games as you would burn XGD2 games, although pay attention to the recommended media and burn settings in step 6 of this guide. There is no longer any need to truncate the ISO as 100% of it will fit on the disc and ImgBurn will no longer give you this option at the start of the burn once your burner is flashed with Burner Max.

6. Recommended media and burn settings for Burner Max burns.

Verbatim is the recommended media. You can try other media, but your mileage may vary.

Recommended settings for Verbatim media: -

MKM-001-00 discs (rated at 2.4X) - Burn at 2.4X.

MKM-003-00 discs (rated at 8X) - Burn at 2.4X, or at 4X with OPC turned on in ImgBurn (Tools - Settings... - Write (tab) - Place check mark next to "Perform OPC Before Write").

My personal recommended settings for Verbatim MKM-003-00 discs (based on Lightning UK's settings): -

Fire up EEPROM Utility, make sure you select the correct burner if you own more than one, then click on the Options tab. Clear the OPC history and power cycle the drive (just reboot your PC) if you've used other settings previously that haven't worked for you, then enable the following options: -

Smart Burn
Hyper Tuning

Do NOT enable Over Speed Writing or Online Hyper Tuning.

That only needs to be done once, then you can burn MKM-003-00 discs at 4X with OPC off and you should find that the results are excellent. These settings may also improve burn quality with other media so experiment with them and see how it goes.

7. How do I know how good my burns are?

You should leave the "Verify" box checked in ImgBurn as this checks the data on your burned disc to see that it matches up 100% with the ISO on your computer's hard drive, plus it also checks that the disc can be read properly.

That alone doesn't tell the full story though, so to check the quality of burns you can use a free tool called KProbe. Search Google for it.

To use it, put your burned game in the drive then fire up KProbe. If you have more than one burner, make sure your Burner Max drive is selected from the drop-down list at the top. Hit the "Start test" button (looks like a triangular "play" button at the top of the app's window) and the test will begin.

Once the test is complete, you'll see a couple of graphs and some other info. The max PI/C1 error rate should not exceed 280 (and it's recommended that it's under 100 for XGD3 burns) and the max PO/C2 error rate should not exceed 4. If you get the occasional spike that goes up higher than these maximums, you should be OK, but if the graph lines are consistently above these recommended levels then your burn is poor and it may make your 360's drive work harder to read the disc, it may cause disc read errors, a failed game install, or the game may freeze up or crash. This may also lead to your 360 failing certain challenges as the game will not mimic a proper pressed original disc.

Using the recommended settings in step 6 and Verbatim media, all my burns have PI/C1 max of less than 50 and PO/C2 max of less than 4, which is an excellent result.