Standalone consumer audio CD recorders like the Philips CDR880
and others are designed to record on CDR blanks marked as
"Digital Audio". They all have a circuit inside to check
if the CDR is a Data CD or an Audio CD. There is no difference
in the media, except that the Audio CD blanks have a special
code. They cost more than data CD blanks because a portion
of the sales goes to the recording companies.

Recording companies assume that you are making illegal
copies of copyrighted audio CDs and so they exact the money
upfront from you!

A typical generic data CD costs about 14 cents. A typical
digital audio data CD costs about 50 cents.

Having said that, you can still fool the Philips CDR880 in
accepting generic data CDs. All you have to do is insert
a digital audio CD, close the tray, let the Philips scan
the blank CD for the code, and give it a few seconds to
auto calibrate. Now that the Philips is happy, pry out
the tray very slowly and exchange the digital audio CD
blank with the cheaper data CD blank. Close the tray
back very slowly. Begin recording. Problem bypassed!

However, if you are using your computer CD burner, all
this does not apply - it works with any CD blank.

Tapas.