Preferred Blank DVD's?

[HAZ74]

Hi,

I want to get more into trading & was wondering what you guys use as blanks for burning/backing up DVD's? I've got some from fujifilm that are okay. Is there a preferred brand? Does the color of the DVD make any difference? I see some are gold-ish & others look different.

Thanks,

h

[Sleepman]

Hello, when trading i like to use the same brand silver tops nexxtech dvd+r (dvd+r writing is more advanced
and came after dvd-r) they are inexpensive and i buy them about 100 at a time. For backing up well for now
i also back them up on nexxtexch. Nexxtech is not the type of media you ultimately want to store you dvd-r
on if you want them to last. I am going personally to be switching over to taiyo yuden.

Taiyo Yuden dvd-r and dvd+r are reportedly the finest blank media you can buy. It's worth the price if you
want to keep your movies for a long time. Otherwise dvd-r break up a lot faster and beging to pixelize.etc

How long before standard dvd-r become corrupt im not really sure ive hear 2 years to 10 years, regardless
it would be a good idea to invest in quality blank media, such as verbatim or silver top taiyo yuden.

www.supermediastore.com/t...media.html (http://www.supermediastore.com/taiyo-yuden-silver-thermal-8x-dvd-r-media.html)

[Thekfc]

Try only using the below 2:
TY: Taiyo Yuden. You can get them online. If you prefer to shop in store, the Sony brand MIJ 16x -R with a white octagonal spacer are TY, the MIJ 16x +r are NOT TY. If you can get hold of the Sony MIJ 8x they are TY. The Fuji MIJ 8x are TY as well as the Maxell MIJ 8x, but this don't hold true for the 16x.

Verbatim: MCC Best Buy or any of your 'favorite' store.

Try to stay away from the others, stick to TY & MCC.

[magicpoe]

Taiyo Yuden.

I also recommend Taiyo Yuden.

If I were to recommend a brand I'd say Taiyo Yuden.

I'd buy them here:
www.supermediastore.com/media1.html (http://www.supermediastore.com/media1.html)

A rule of thumb I've discovered is if a store name appears on the DVD, ie Best Buy, Office Depot, or any other store name, and you have those DVD's in your hand, take the container of DVD's you have in your hand and place them directly back where you picked them up from. Then, walk away.

If you are forced to buy any DVD's at a store I'd recommend Maxell or Sony.

[Thekfc]

Here is a little guide on what is what, I will mostly concentrate on the 16x.
First the best 2:
TY (Taiyo Yuden);
They MUST be label MIJ (Made in Japan) period.
Sony -r 16x With the white octagonal spacer. The +r are not TY. (The Sony MIJ +/-R 8x are TY)
Panosonic -r 16x (The +r are NOT TY but Ricoh) The 8x -r are also TY
Datawrite 16x -r (and some 8x +/- r)
Plextor +r 16x (all the other speed are TY)
TDK +r 16x (also +/- r 8x)
That's (TY house Brand)
Verbatim +r 16x (Europe only) The lower speed MIJ are TY.
Fuji +/_ r 8x ONLY
Maxell (+/-r 4x ONLY, they are still around)

MCC (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation):
Verbatim all are MCC except the MIJs which are TY
Infinity +/- 16x
Office Max +/- 16x
Datawrite -r 16x
Iomega 16x -r (the +r are CMC)
Memorex 16 x +r ONLY (Be VERY careful as the vast majority of Memorex are lower quality-See Below)

BRAND NAMES
FUJI:
-r MBI, Prodisc or Ritek
+r Philips or Prodisc

HP:
-r CMC
+r CMC or Philips

Imation:
-r CMC, MBI or Optodisc
+r MBI, Optodisc or Philips

Maxell:
-r MXL, Prodisc or Ritek
+r CMC, Maxel, Philips or Ricoh

Memorex:
-r CMC or Ritek
+r CMC, Prodisc, Philips, Ricoh & if you are lucky MCC.

TDK:
-r CMC & TTH
+r CMC, TDK or Yuden (TY)

Philips:
-r CMC
+r Philips, ritek & if you lucky MCC.

SONY:
-r TY (MIJ w/ white octagonal spacer) & SONY
+r Sony (own brand)

STORE BRANDS:
Best Buy
Dynex -r (Ritek) / +r (Ricoh)

Circuit City
Nexxtech (CMC or AML)

Compusa
Princo

Office Depot
-r (Ritek) / + (Ricoh)

Office Max
-/+ r MCC--Hope it stays that way

Staples
CMC
Playo (AML or UME)

These are just for the 16x unless noted.

Most companies DO NOT make their own media, instead they outsource to one or more companies. Some have improve (i.e Office Max-from Fujifilm & MBI to MCC), while others have gone down (i. e. Fuji & Maxell from TY & MCC to Prodisc, Philips Ritek & CMC).

Also some companies may outsource the -r from one comapny & the +r from another (one being excellent & the other crap)

Your input is appreciated.

[Isfahani]

That is a very good breakdown. I only use TY or the CMC Verbs (not Prodisc, you can tell by the font on the spindle top, serif font with a slight rectangle opposite side) +R's, These work really nice with my LiteOn burners.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v105/isfahani/verbatim-cmc.jpg

The problem with those generic house brands is that while you have a fiar chance of getting decent media, what if you don't... and unless you keep up with the crowd at cdfreaks.com you won't be able to tell which is which... It's like being a disc hunter!

On a side note -I think from now on I am only going to trade with people that use the top grade media, I am getting really pissed off that I send TY silvers (which should last years if not decades) and get these bargain bin cheeepshit discs in return, (even if you paid retail for them, they're still crap) forcing me to rerip and reburn dozens of discs... If you don't have to do this, then why should I?

Brand Names Don't Mean a Thing, it's who manufactures them!

[Thekfc]

I only use TY or the CMC Verbs

That looks like the MCC (not CMC) Verb, excellent/top quality media. The only CMC Verbs are the 8x Pearl White, Verbatim stop using CMC-the currently only use TY & MCC-Both excellent media.
The problem with those generic house brands is that while you have a fiar chance of getting decent media, what if you don't.
Folks should just do what we do, avoid them & stick to the goods ones. That was the main reason that CMC upgraded the quality of their media, everyone was avoiding them, including some companies.
On a side note -I think from now on I am only going to trade with people that use the top grade media,
That is perhaps the best thing I have read all week, I just wish that everyone would follow your lead, or a least a good amount. There isn't that much difference in price between TY/MCC & the crappy media, actually they are the same. I usually buy TY/MCC on sale $25 for a spindle of 100, sometimes even less if I use a coupon.
forcing me to rerip and reburn dozens of discs
Same here, I have had to rerip & reburn dozens of discs. Now before I trade, I always ask the person what media that they are using, I tell them I use the best media & expect the same in return.
Brand Names Don't Mean a Thing, it's who manufactures them!
That is something alot of people don't seems to understand.

[TheManInWhite]

There is an old thread that's worthy of revisiting. Also, it'll be made a sticky thread.

[oldeschool17]

I use Verbatim DVD-R Shiny 8x, 4.7gb. These are made in Taiwan, so i dunno if that has any indication of quality control.

[Milkyway]

I've great use of Traxdata DVDs, as they provide both DVD5 and DVD9 in excellent quality (after the burning process). neat label!

[thekfc]

oldeschool17, the Verbatim you use are excellent media, they are some of the best, stick with them if possible.
Milkyway, the Traxdata ones are either Ritek or Ricoh also good, the last ones I tried were the 8x, I haven't tried the 16x yet.
There are also the Verbatim MII (made in India) disc, the one I have used are great but I haven't had them long enough to know how they hold up but using the MCC dye & quality control should keep them up at the top with TY.

[HAZ]

I was using memorex but I'v switched to vrbatim after reading this thread

[Winfred]

I only use Verbatim and so far, none of my DVD+R or DVD-R have any problems.

[oldeschool17]

oldeschool17, the Verbatim you use are excellent media, they are some of the best, stick with them if possible.
Milkyway, the Traxdata ones are either Ritek or Ricoh also good, the last ones I tried were the 8x, I haven't tried the 16x yet.
There are also the Verbatim MII (made in India) disc, the one I have used are great but I haven't had them long enough to know how they hold up but using the MCC dye & quality control should keep them up at the top with TY.

Thanks for the nod. Ive used up that spindle and now use the Verbatim 4.7gb 16x/120min w/ AZO dye spindle now. Ive only had maybe 2 coasters so far(due to my fault,not the disc). So far so good.

[Liquid]

Nevermind, just found an extra bunch of DVD-Rs under my bed for now.
________
screplays (http://screplays.com)

[oldeschool17]

Get 16x if your dvd burner supports it. Honestly, i cant tell much from those pages. Maybe if you go to the store and write down the model# and then compare them to reviews online.

[gfanikf]

Basically the Sonys I got from BB are most likely not that good (I have to say I've never had a lot problems with Sony or Verbatim). I've had few problems with them down the road and lots with other companies. DVDs will skip or the pic will break up. So If I use TY, the disc will read and play better than anything else on the market or I have used before?

Also what should I use for Dual Layer?

Also what is a really good cheap player that handles DVD-R media well the old players sucked at it. I just want something for a small tv in the bedroom.

[thekfc]

You should stick with TY or MCC (Verbatim) disc - they are currently the best ones out there. The Sony disc are good but sometime they do some outsoursing. If anyone can get their hands on the 8X Made in Japan Fuji, Maxell or TDK disc - they are excellent media - TY.

For Double Layer disc use the Verbatim made in Singapore - NOT the made in India ones also the Sony DL (Made in Singapore) - not the Sony DL Made in Taiwan. Both the Verbatin DL MIS & Sony DL MIS are manufactures in the same factory.

I have given away my "cheap" dvd players, currently my Philips DVP 3040 will play anything I throw at it - including Divx files. It cost about $40.

[Senor Quack]

Just wanted to chime in re: dual layer burning. Personally I use Nero for burning everything EXCEPT dual layer discs. For that I use freeware called ImgBurn (designed by the same person that created DVD Decrypter). I find it does a much better job burning dual layer discs in that the resulting disc plays on more stand alone players. In other words even if I DON'T use premium media like Verbatim dual layers, I'm much more likely to get a disc to play in my machines if I burned it with ImgBurn.

Also, in the U.S. you can get really good deals on unbranded (blank top) TY discs from vendors like Supermediastore, Meritline or american-digital.com. This is the route I always go as I have a thermal printer to print titles on my DVDs so I have to have blank top discs. I believe Am Dig sells blank top dual layer TYs as well.

[thekfc]

If anyone have an OfficeMax near them, they are having a great sale on Verbs this week. 100/$19.99, the lowest it have ever been. Or you can order online or do a price match to another store near you that carry them.

[ekisha]

philips is also good.
________
CHEAP AIRSOFT HIGH QUALITY (http://airsoft-shop.info/tag/high-quality)

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

I have about five or six TY100s, none more than four years old, none played more than six or seven times, and they has speckling all over the playing area. Useless. On the other hand, I have a battered- looking DVD-R with a picture of Goofy printed on it that's held a good copy of GALLANT DUO for four years.

I always use Verbatim now, but nothing's foolproof.

Oh, and this should probably be moved to the General forum.

[venom10463]

I have a battered- looking DVD-R with a picture of Goofy printed on it that's held a good copy of GALLANT DUO for four years.

Me too:D:p

[thekfc]

I have about five or six TY100s, none more than four years old, none played more than six or seven times, and they has speckling all over the playing area. Useless. On the other hand, I have a battered- looking DVD-R with a picture of Goofy printed on it that's held a good copy of GALLANT DUO for four years.

I always use Verbatim now, but nothing's foolproof.

Oh, and this should probably be moved to the General forum.

Can you guys run dvdindentifer on those disc & see what they are coded as?

Also, look in the inner hub/ring of the disk - in the clear part there should be a series of letters/numbers that looks like this GG000xxx what are theses numbers?

I am curious as I too had some disc from a couple of years ago that I thought were TY but they turned out to be fake TY. Just as there are bootleg movies - there are bootleg disc.

There are also some companies selling "High Quality" TY02 disk - these disk are NOT genuine TY disk but fake TY disk - they are just "borrowing" the TY code.

For TY the code on the inner ring/hub should be either:
-R:
8x = GG00xxxx
16x = GH00xxxx
+R
8x = TG00xxxx
16x = TH00xxxx

If they do not have these coding on the inner hub/ring - They are NOT TY. :(

[thekfc]

philips is also good.
Depending on which ones you get. If you lucky enough to get the MCC ones which are the same as Verbatim. There are also some Philips that are Ritek available BUT Philips have switch over to CMC. So it depends on your luck of the draw / roulette. ;)

[tokenganjaclan]

I wanted to come in and give an opinion. As most of you know I've authored 1,000s of dvds ever since the beginning of dvdrs. I ALWAYS bought and stored my stuff on Taiyo media. I always said grab them they are the best. But I CAN'T say use them only anymore. I have stored all my movies proper, out of the light, dust free areas ect!!! But after at least 5 or 6 years MANY of my dvds are totally useless. It seems while the dye used on Taiyo is good for burning they break down super fast as far as long time storage. Many reviews will say they are great but no one really has giving a long period of time on them. I never really burned a coaster with them so for burning they are great if you are worried about bad burns? But for Long storage forget it. The dye just breaks down.

Now on the other hand I have used Sonys for almost as long, even treated them like crap. tossing them in my entertainment center ect!!! But they are the ONLY media thats lasted over 5 years of storage. So if you want to keep you data for along time I HIGHLY say use SONY discs.

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

The good Sonys are TYs though, aren't they?

The number on the underside of the bad discs is GD000321. I know they're not fake TYs because they weren't even sold as TYs.

Here's DVDIdentifier's take on the worst-affected one that still actually loads in a DVD drive (PURPLE DARTS, now completely unplayable from the menu onwards):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/misterdeeds/taiyo.png

[thekfc]

von, according to your info - that disc is a 4X dvd-r TY disc.

The older Sonys were either TY or MCC (Verbatim) EXCELLENT disc. The made in Japan Sony are TY & Made in Taiwan are Verbatim. The 16X MIJ Sonys are TY & the 16X MIT are made by Sony themselves. Although do some outsourcing - just make sure you get the MIJ or MIT Sony.

There are alot of debating about burning at the Max speed. From personal experience & what I have notice/read it is NOT wise to burn at the max speed. At first the burn will look fine & play fine BUT done the road you may encounter problems. The "sweet" spot for most burns is 8X. The difference in time between an 8X & a 16X burn is only about 1 minute.

Also use a good program to burn - I have stop using Nero & now using either ImgBurn or CloneDvd or Dvd Shrink. I still have over 12 burning programs, Nero, Rebuilder, DVD2One, 1ClickDvd, etc. I have disable them all to make sure that they do not interfere with Img or Clone.

DO NOT use paper labels on your disc - It will throw of the balance of the disc if not properly put on. I stopped using them & now use a sharpie.
If you are having playback problems with a disc that have a paper label - remove the paper label, clean the disc & play the disc again.

Fuji, Maxell, TDK, Imation & memorex at one time were good disc - in the age of 4X & 8X when TY & MCC were making the disc for them - now all their 16X stuff are of lower quality.

Enough said:
Verbatim - Stick with the MIT ones. There are also Made in India ones.
TY - Made in Japan.
Sony - Made in Japan (TY) or Made in Taiwan (Sony Own) - There are also -R popping up that are Made in Malaysia. Stick with the MIJ & MIT.

To ensure that your disc are genuine & NOT fake - Run Dvd Indentified & Look in the inner Hub/Ring:
TY - Should start with 2 letters then 6 numbers
Sony - Will say Sony Corporation, say either dvd-/+ & give will you the ver of the disc.
Verbatim - a series of letters & numbers combination

Avoid the B-Grade media.

There are companies out there that will tell you the stuff they are selling are genuine TY or Verbatim when infact they are using fake TY/MCC code.

DO NOT OVER BURN.

Do Not Use Paper Labels.

FYI, Meritline, Supermediastore & CdrDvdrMedia at one time were all own by the same company - COMPTREECN. I do not know if this is still the case. They are all reliable companies & sell Genuine stuff. I do shop with them.

[oldeschool17]

thanks for the info thekfc. Good to know

[venom10463]

von, according to your info - that disc is a 4X dvd-r TY disc.

The older Sonys were either TY or MCC (Verbatim) EXCELLENT disc. The made in Japan Sony are TY & Made in Taiwan are Verbatim. The 16X MIJ Sonys are TY & the 16X MIT are made by Sony themselves. Although do some outsourcing - just make sure you get the MIJ or MIT Sony.

There are alot of debating about burning at the Max speed. From personal experience & what I have notice/read it is NOT wise to burn at the max speed. At first the burn will look fine & play fine BUT done the road you may encounter problems. The "sweet" spot for most burns is 8X. The difference in time between an 8X & a 16X burn is only about 1 minute.

Also use a good program to burn - I have stop using Nero & now using either ImgBurn or CloneDvd or Dvd Shrink. I still have over 12 burning programs, Nero, Rebuilder, DVD2One, 1ClickDvd, etc. I have disable them all to make sure that they do not interfere with Img or Clone.

DO NOT use paper labels on your disc - It will throw of the balance of the disc if not properly put on. I stopped using them & now use a sharpie.
If you are having playback problems with a disc that have a paper label - remove the paper label, clean the disc & play the disc again.

Fuji, Maxell, TDK, Imation & memorex at one time were good disc - in the age of 4X & 8X when TY & MCC were making the disc for them - now all their 16X stuff are of lower quality.

Enough said:
Verbatim - Stick with the MIT ones. There are also Made in India ones.
TY - Made in Japan.
Sony - Made in Japan (TY) or Made in Taiwan (Sony Own) - There are also -R popping up that are Made in Malaysia. Stick with the MIJ & MIT.

To ensure that your disc are genuine & NOT fake - Run Dvd Indentified & Look in the inner Hub/Ring:
TY - Should start with 2 letters then 6 numbers
Sony - Will say Sony Corporation, say either dvd-/+ & give will you the ver of the disc.
Verbatim - a series of letters & numbers combination

Avoid the B-Grade media.

There are companies out there that will tell you the stuff they are selling are genuine TY or Verbatim when infact they are using fake TY/MCC code.

DO NOT OVER BURN.

Do Not Use Paper Labels.

FYI, Meritline, Supermediastore & CdrDvdrMedia at one time were all own by the same company - COMPTREECN. I do not know if this is still the case. They are all reliable companies & sell Genuine stuff. I do shop with them.
While it's good to burn at 8x, you can also burn at 12x too.
If you want to decide which burn speed to use... download cd/dvd speed and run variou tests at different speeds. Look at the chart for which speed have a straight line, to many jagged lines will result in deterioration over time.

[venom10463]

von, according to your info - that disc is a 4X dvd-r TY disc.

The older Sonys were either TY or MCC (Verbatim) EXCELLENT disc. The made in Japan Sony are TY & Made in Taiwan are Verbatim. The 16X MIJ Sonys are TY & the 16X MIT are made by Sony themselves. Although do some outsourcing - just make sure you get the MIJ or MIT Sony.

There are alot of debating about burning at the Max speed. From personal experience & what I have notice/read it is NOT wise to burn at the max speed. At first the burn will look fine & play fine BUT done the road you may encounter problems. The "sweet" spot for most burns is 8X. The difference in time between an 8X & a 16X burn is only about 1 minute.

Also use a good program to burn - I have stop using Nero & now using either ImgBurn or CloneDvd or Dvd Shrink. I still have over 12 burning programs, Nero, Rebuilder, DVD2One, 1ClickDvd, etc. I have disable them all to make sure that they do not interfere with Img or Clone.

DO NOT use paper labels on your disc - It will throw of the balance of the disc if not properly put on. I stopped using them & now use a sharpie.
If you are having playback problems with a disc that have a paper label - remove the paper label, clean the disc & play the disc again.

Fuji, Maxell, TDK, Imation & memorex at one time were good disc - in the age of 4X & 8X when TY & MCC were making the disc for them - now all their 16X stuff are of lower quality.

Enough said:
Verbatim - Stick with the MIT ones. There are also Made in India ones.
TY - Made in Japan.
Sony - Made in Japan (TY) or Made in Taiwan (Sony Own) - There are also -R popping up that are Made in Malaysia. Stick with the MIJ & MIT.

To ensure that your disc are genuine & NOT fake - Run Dvd Indentified & Look in the inner Hub/Ring:
TY - Should start with 2 letters then 6 numbers
Sony - Will say Sony Corporation, say either dvd-/+ & give will you the ver of the disc.
Verbatim - a series of letters & numbers combination

Avoid the B-Grade media.

There are companies out there that will tell you the stuff they are selling are genuine TY or Verbatim when infact they are using fake TY/MCC code.

DO NOT OVER BURN.

Do Not Use Paper Labels.

FYI, Meritline, Supermediastore & CdrDvdrMedia at one time were all own by the same company - COMPTREECN. I do not know if this is still the case. They are all reliable companies & sell Genuine stuff. I do shop with them.
While it's good to burn at 8x, you can also burn at 12x too.
If you want to decide which burn speed to use... download cd/dvd speed and run various tests at different speeds.
Look at the chart for which speed have a straight line, to many jagged lines will result in deterioration over time.

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

Two of the TYs that are unplayable were recorded on a Samsung DVD Recorder - so that would have been at 1x. Doesn't get much slower than that.

There's nothing you can do to guarantee your discs will last. In fact, I can guarantee they won't. I have a tape of MAD MISSION from 1984 that still plays, but in 24 years time all our DVDRs, factory pressed DVDs, Blu-Ray discs and whatever else will just be so much **** in a landfill.

[thekfc]

While it's good to burn at 8x, you can also burn at 12x too.
If you want to decide which burn speed to use... download cd/dvd speed and run various tests at different speeds.
Look at the chart for which speed have a straight line, to many jagged lines will result in deterioration over time.

I also burn at 12X.
8x on my Mod NEC drive
12X on my Mod Benq

I haven't updated the firmware on my LG yet so I stay with 8x on it.

[thekfc]

but in 24 years time all our DVDRs, factory pressed DVDs, Blu-Ray discs and whatever else will just be so much **** in a landfill.

So true. Well we can always build something with them like a house. lol



Two of the TYs that are unplayable were recorded on a Samsung DVD Recorder - so that would have been at 1x. Doesn't get much slower than that.


1X WOW - thats ages ago.
Now if I try to burn @1X on my mod Benq or NEC drive I would get all sorts of errors.

[thekfc]

One more note to add.
Some disc, Playo (Staples),NexxTech (Circuit City), Dynex (Best Buy) etc., uses a fake media code (usually MCC) this is for better compatibility, as many burners don't have proper write strategies for their media usually AML or UME. Some companies have been known to use the big 3 media code(TY, MCC & Sony) so their disc can have better compatibility while other compaines just fake them & pass them off as such.
This is one reason you are hearing some people say they bought these disc & they "burnt flawlessly".
Some of these disc may have the MCC/TY/Sony code yet they are Made in China, India or Hong Kong - which should NOT be the case.

TY - Taiyo Yuden - Made in - Japan
Verbatim: MCC or MKM - Made In Taiwan Singapore or Japan (by TY)
Sony - Sony Corporation - Made in Taiwan or Japan (by TY)

Both Sony & Verbatim do some outsourcing to India, Verb for some Dl. But do stick with their Taiwan / Japan / singapore made media.

[thehangman]

Verbatim dvd-r
Infiniti dvd-r
are always good

[thekfc]

Verbatim dvd-r
Infiniti dvd-r
are always good


Infiniti dvd-r are very good. They are manufactured by Mitsubitchi Chemicals Corporation(same company that manufactures Verbatim) & it also shares the same code & uses the same dye as Verbatim.
They use to outsource but they stopped & IIAC uses MCC for all their 16x media.

[PsiKnifeKFT]

Two of the TYs that are unplayable were recorded on a Samsung DVD Recorder - so that would have been at 1x. Doesn't get much slower than that.

There's nothing you can do to guarantee your discs will last. In fact, I can guarantee they won't. I have a tape of MAD MISSION from 1984 that still plays, but in 24 years time all our DVDRs, factory pressed DVDs, Blu-Ray discs and whatever else will just be so much **** in a landfill.

So I guess the better question would be: Preferred External Hard Drives?

[thekfc]

So I guess the better question would be: Preferred External Hard Drives?

A lot can go wrong with an external hard drive - But I am currently using (in addition to physical media) but just for music.
I do plan on getting 2 more - one for files & one for movies.

[thehangman]

I usually use verbatim ones.

[bigrogie]

I have been using Verbatim and Memorex for years. I find that they are the ones who are the most compatible with a wide variety of DVD players and I do thousands of DVDs. DVDs I made 8-9 years ago still look and play like brand new! Yuden are excellent too, many say it's the #1 brand, but I personally don't think their more expensive price is worth the difference, if any! I don't like Maxell as I find they are too thin and scratch easily. I also hate silver shining tops! Not that they record badly, but heck they attract dust like a magnet! Most other named brand will do the job too and basically cost the same price. I avoid no name brands. Far and foremost it's better to invest in quality burners!

[mbuddy]

I stick with Verbatim

[kungpowmaster]

I'm not a fanatic about what label I use, I try to go with a name that's known, and I can find at a decent price. I just used up my Memorex discs, and now have TDK. They seem fine to me.

[Fightingfist]

I use memorex, maxell which are fine.

[bolofan]

I've used ritek for a long time, never had a problem yet.

[soulborn]

and Verbatim are the best ones for sure.

[kungfusamurai]

I use whatever is on sale! :) But I stay clear of Memorex. I just don't trust them after getting mixed results from their CDs. Usually I bite if there are Verbatims or Fujis on sale.

KFS

[ThunderScore]

I use whatever is on sale! But I stay clear of Memorex. I just don't trust them after getting mixed results from their CDs. Usually I bite if there are Verbatims or Fujis on sale.

I concur. Memorex BAD!

[Fightingfist]

Verbatim is very good also.

[Shaolin_Fox]

I use RiData DVD-R and Philips DVD+R, no problems with them so far.

My question is, what is mostly preffered by you guys, DVD-R or DVD+R?

[the nothing]

use gigaware dvd+r from radioshack, always on sale between 5 and 13 depending on the sale week. Never had a problem with any of them and they last because I take care of them.:nerd:

[inframan]

Has anyone had a problem with sharpie ink bleeding thorough over the years? Don't know if it was true but I always heard that it would ruin cd's and dvd's after a while.

I bought some markers that were made for writing on DVD-R's that's not supposed to bleed, haven't had any problems with those.

[teako170]

Has anyone had a problem with sharpie ink bleeding thorough over the years? Don't know if it was true but I always heard that it would ruin cd's and dvd's after a while.

I bought some markers that were made for writing on DVD-R's that's not supposed to bleed, haven't had any problems with those.

I have DVD-Rs from 2004/05 that don't have any bleed through (and still play just fine).

[kungpowmaster]

I use DVD+R, and any known brand, that I find on sale. Currenty have TDK.

[thekfc]

I have DVD-Rs from 2004/05 that don't have any bleed through (and still play just fine).
I also have no problems with any of my sharpie written DVD +/-R.

The only problems I had were with those that had the paper/stick labels. After removing the labels - they worked fine.

[Karlos]

I use DVD-R's, my favoured brands being Sony, Verbatim and TuffDisc.

Also, I always burn at 4x speed!!

[Daigoro]

Verbatim. They also make SD cards and External drives. Taiyo Yuden, is no more they have been bought by JVC.

[plus]

Single layer Verbatim spindle packs with purple on the packaging and AZO logo.

[Jay]

Single layer Verbatim spindle packs with purple on the packaging and AZO logo.

Are you talking about the consumer or the archival grade AZO stuff?

The former is getting harder to come by, as even Verbatim has started to cheap out on their discs, and it's not what it used to be.

The latter is pretty much the best you can get, but runs around $160 per 50.

[plus]

Verbatim 95037 and 95098 I have one of each and both contain MCC004. Google 'em.

[Charuto]

...even Verbatim has started to cheap out on their discs, and it's not what it used to be...

That's sad. I know you buy whatever you want online, but after Fujifilm stopped being made by Taiyo Yuden, Verbatim was my readily-available, in-store, go-to brand of choice.

[MattC]

Verbatim. They also make SD cards and External drives. Taiyo Yuden, is no more they have been bought by JVC.

Actually that's the exact opposite as to what really happened. Taiyo Yuden bought out JVC to try to get the Taiyo Yuden products more out there to buyers. You can read all about it over at after dawn. Maxell and Memorex are two brands you don't want to buy. I do tons of trades (non martial art movies) and I have over 1300 dvdr discs. I have made copies of videos on Maxell and Memorex discs before, a year or two later I've gone back to watch them and they freeze and won't play. Luckily, I didn't wait long enough to where the data couldn't be saved off of the discs. That's when I started doing research on the best media out there. Taiyo Yuden comes in at 1st place, Verbatim at 2nd place. I have videos that have been on Taiyo Yuden media now for about 4 years and they still play flawlessly. They're guaranteed for a hundred years (though I don't think any of us will be around for that long to find out if they hold up until then). Concerning the +r and -r concern. The only difference about that is about 93% of dvd players play -r media and about 84% of players will play +r media. I still buy Taiyo Yuden through super media store. They are as good as they ever have been. TYG02 are the best! You can get 100 pack spindles for thirty dollars (plus free shipping), which is only about ten dollars more than what you will get TDK 100 packs for on sale (when you can find them on sale)

[zeus]

i've been using maxell for a long time and had no problem . i think it also depends where you store them.i had a few stored where humidity was hi and then i had problems cause i can see the "stain"marks on the disc

[Son Of A Gun]

I have made copies of videos on Maxell and Memorex discs before, a year or two later I've gone back to watch them and they freeze and won't play.

I second that. I had some movies sent to me on Maxell and Memorex discs, and when I went to watch again 10 months later they wouldn't play anymore. Just kept freezing and breaking up into blocks. Terrible brand of discs! Cheap rubbish.


Verbatim all the way! :smile:

[bigrogie]

I totally disagree. I have hundreds of movies made on Memorex, some over 8 years old, and they all play extremely well. I have tried many brands. Verbatims, Sony, Maxell, Tayo Yuden, Fuji, Imation, Kodak, Memorex, JVC, TDK, MBI, Ridata. When used with good quality burners, you can hardly tell the difference. I've been burning movies for over 12 years and done too many thousands to remember how many but it's well over 10000! Verbatims are great, true. So are the other brands I just mentioned! The only one I would point out as less good are the Maxells as they seem to scratch easier and are slightly thinner than the other brands (at least they were 2 years ago). It all has to do with the burner used, the burning software used and how they are kept and the player used to read them. It's only my humble opinion but it's based on lots of experience! :wink:

I second that. I had some movies sent to me on Maxell and Memorex discs, and when I went to watch again 10 months later they wouldn't play anymore. Just kept freezing and breaking up into blocks. Terrible brand of discs! Cheap rubbish.


Verbatim all the way! :smile:

[Gaijin84]

It all has to do with the burner used, the burning software used and how they are kept and the player used to read them. It's only my humble opinion but it's based on lots of experience! :wink:

100% agree, it's all the burner and the software. I've never understood the reviews I've read where people claim a 50pk of discs (insert brand here) were 90% coasters. I've used the same ones and never had a single issue. :squigglemouth:

[zeus]

the burner affect in this also,i used the burning program that came with my computer and had problems and the when i got a different program never had problems..cause when im finnaly catching up on movies that had burned like 3 years ago they still play good...but need to change 8 year old dvd player..still the first one i bought

[MattC]

Sorry guys but I'm gonna have to stick with my tried and true ways. I've went through quite a few burners in the last 7 or 8 years, just about any type of program out there as well. Granted I'm not saying that it isn't a bad burner but the Taiyo Yuden discs is what I go with simply because so many swear by them. I've never had one to go bad so far. They're guaranteed to last a hundred years (I know I won't be around to see if they live up to their expectations) but if they last through my lifetime that will be good enough for me lol

[Son Of A Gun]

100% agree, it's all the burner and the software. I've never understood the reviews I've read where people claim a 50pk of discs (insert brand here) were 90% coasters. I've used the same ones and never had a single issue. :squigglemouth:

Well that's partly because the discs can have the same brand name but be made in different countries and have different quality. Even "Verbatim" can be dodgy if your discs turn out to be made in a certain asian country. You have to put the disc in your computer and find out the code/date/location it was made, somehow. I'm no expert, I just know that the brand name isn't always the thing to go for. It's where those particular batch were made.

:D

[ChineseSausage]

TDK's white unlabeled DVD's have worked great for me. They do not deteriorate or have any playback problems years after you recorded them.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

ChineseSausage, hahahhahahahahahahahh!!!!!!!

[makone]

some people have stated it`s to do with the burner and programmes used.
could anyone tell me what burner and programme they recommend please.

[bigrogie]

some people have stated it`s to do with the burner and programmes used.
could anyone tell me what burner and programme they recommend please.

For burners, I have been using LG, Samsung and Pioneer for over 10 years without flaws.

For softwares, I use 1clickdvdcopypro, anydvd, imgburn, DVDdecrypter and nero8 (many people don't like nero but I do, but only nero8, not nero9 or nero10). All of them works very well for me.

[Phoenix]

Also, different models of burners by the same companies have different compatibility rates with various media.

Some writers just don't like certain media. It's kind of trial and error although you can look up reviews before purchasing equipment.

[makone]

thanx bigrogie , much appreciated

[kungfumoviecinema]

I think i would go personally for data write they are reliable and never have i once had an error with them when am burning any kind of data so for me yes data write,but there are other good makes like trax data and some good ones now have the printable surface which is good.

[blue_skies]

Well that's partly because the discs can have the same brand name but be made in different countries and have different quality. Even "Verbatim" can be dodgy if your discs turn out to be made in a certain asian country. You have to put the disc in your computer and find out the code/date/location it was made, somehow. I'm no expert, I just know that the brand name isn't always the thing to go for. It's where those particular batch were made.

:D

can anyone expand on this?

[Phoenix]

can anyone expand on this?

There are disc ID apps, Nero does one I think, that tell you the manufacture date and location and other information.

Basically, the make of the disc isn't a guarantee of quality.