If you want your audience to be able to play back your video and audio files on a CD‑ROM drive (rather than a disc or Blu-ray player), you can encode the file in a fomat playable on computers. You create the encoded file on your hard drive, and then burn it to recordable CD media (known collectively as CD+/‑R/RW) using third-party CD-burning software and a CD burner.

You must encode your files so that they do not exceed the storage capacity of the target CD: 650 MB or 700 MB. However, to ensure that your files play back successfully, you must also encode them with your audience’s hardware and software in mind. In other words, you may need to reduce a file’s data rate not only to limit its size to a CD’s capacity, but also to ensure smooth playback on a range of systems. This is particularly true if any of your intended viewers use older CD‑ROM drives, or computers with slower processors (CPUs). When choosing export settings in the Adobe Media Encoder, you can take the following steps to adjust the data rate and ensure smooth playback:

• Determine your audience’s range of hardware and software configurations, and identify the limits of the least‑capable configuration. This way, you can set the frame rate low enough for smooth playback, and retain as much quality as possible.

• Choose a file type and codec appropriate for the target audience. For example, in the Export Settings window, you might choose the Windows Media format for an audience primarily made up of Windows users, since they will all have the Windows Media Player that can play this format.

• If necessary, reduce the frame size. Generally, it’s best to specify a multiple of the full screen size, taking into account the pixel aspect ratio. For example, if the full screen size is 640 x 480 (square pixels), then try 320 x 240.

• If necessary, lower the frame rate. For example, full frame rate is approximately 30 fps (in NTSC); reducing the frame rate to 15 fps should reduce the data rate significantly without making the motion appear too choppy.

• If permitted by the codec, adjust the data rate and quality settings according to your output goal. For example, codecs like Cinepak and Sorenson let you adjust the amount of compression by specifying a quality or target data rate.

• If necessary, lower the color depth. This is particularly effective if the source video contains less than the full range of colors (known as 24‑bit color, Millions of Colors, or True Color), or if the video will be shown using a monitor or software that displays a limited range of colors.

• Test the file by playing it on a system comparable to the least‑capable system in your intended audience, and make adjustments accordingly.

  Note: Applying a noise reduction filter can improve the appearance of video compressed with certain codecs, such as Cinepak. (See Filter options for encoding.)