DVD Quality

[bigal40]

I have chep Memorex DVD+RW and they seem to scratch very easily compared to a retail DVD. I don't know if it is just this type or if all DVD+RW are like this. Does anyone else notice this? Are there any DVD+RW's that are higher quality or harder to scratch?

 

[BlueWeasel]

I don't know about scratch resistance, but Ricoh media (made in Japan) is generally considered the best. You might try the Imation and/or TDK brands, as I have been getting Ricoh media lately with the DVD+R purchased from OM and Staples.

I've got some Imation DVD+RW media, but I don't know the media code. I can check tonight when I get home and see if it's Ricoh, CMC, etc.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
I don't know about scratch resistance, but Ricoh media (made in Japan) is generally considered the best.

How does Ricoh media compare with the Ritek stuff? What's the price delta like?

I use Ritek DVD-Rs, and my Sony DVD player has played back every disc I've burned perfectly.

 

[Richard98]

I picked up some Verbatim datalifeplus +RW discs some time ago at a very good price. These are great quality discs. May be difficult to find as they're only 2.4X and were very expensive, though, you might find a deal on ebay. They look like these:
http://www.buy.com/retail/prod...earchitemnumber=CYLV4J

 

[SickBeast]

The problem with the +RW and -RW discs is that they are not good for archiving things over a long duration of time. Due to the nature of the chemicals in the discs, they naturally degrade. I wouldn't count on data lasting more than a few years on a cheap disc. Even on a good disc, I would not burn a movie backup or anything critical. To top it all off, the burn speeds are pretty slow.

 

[bigal40]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The problem with the +RW and -RW discs is that they are not good for archiving things over a long duration of time. Due to the nature of the chemicals in the discs, they naturally degrade. I wouldn't count on data lasting more than a few years on a cheap disc. Even on a good disc, I would not burn a movie backup or anything critical. To top it all off, the burn speeds are pretty slow.

are you recommending i go with -, +r discs or tha all dvd disc are cheap. I am no taking about over years. i get scratches on the from gently wear like rubbing them with a soft cloth or sliding them lightly on a table to pick them up. htey are not deep scratches but they are enough to make it skip

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: bigal40
are you recommending i go with -, +r discs or tha all dvd disc are cheap.

Yes, go with +/- R discs; they are generally much more reliable and compatible (not to mention cheaper and faster to burn). I use +/- RW discs solely for temporary file storage.

 

[yhelothar]

Get DVD-RAM instead, more versatile.

 

[klah]

Have you tried TDK's "Armor Plated" series of media?

 

[bigal40]

no i haven't tried them but they look nice, problem is i don't have a dual format drive and i can not find the "armor plated" discs in + format

 

[Big Lar]

You'll want some Taiyo Yuden's for the best you can get, with Verbatims Made in Taiwan running a close second. Verbatim is made by MCC at this time,( Mitsubishi Chemical), and are very good, but Taiyo Yuden are Hands down the best. Rima/meritline/Supermedia and a few others sell them online.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The problem with the +RW and -RW discs is that they are not good for archiving things over a long duration of time. Due to the nature of the chemicals in the discs, they naturally degrade. I wouldn't count on data lasting more than a few years on a cheap disc. Even on a good disc, I would not burn a movie backup or anything critical. To top it all off, the burn speeds are pretty slow.

Jeez, I just read this last night and I cannot remember the numbers... DVD Demystified has the general timeline for life of the media. I think +-RW was 15 to 100 years, BUT I will not swear to it. I think how often it was rewritten also matters. DVD-R was 30-200 and DVD-ROM was 50-300, IIRC. That's what you get for reading before you go to bed and are tired.

 

[caz67]

I use TDK or Verbatim..Ritek are pretty good too.