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2008
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Top Ranked Blank DVD Media
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These are the most important things to know about blank DVD media: - Depending on quality, you may have as much as 75% of your burns fail because of poor quality blank DVDs.
- The worst media can have a 0%-50% success rate.
- The best media can have a 95%-100% success rate.
- The best media will ensure your copies will last for years.
- Poor quality media can break down and fail to work as early as 6 months from when you burned it.
- Brand name makes almost no difference.
Here are a few very good quality blank media choices. You may have success with others not on this list. We've just tried to give you some easy choices for blank DVDs that are of the highest quality.- #1 Taiyo Yuden from SuperMediaStore.com
- #2 Ritek from SuperMediaStore.com
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Frequently Asked Qustions: Click on a topic.
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What is the best quality DVD media?
excerpt from www.digitalfaq.com...
DVD Media Quality Varies Greatly:
Not all media is
good. In fact, with the high influx of cheap media from
Taiwan and Hong Kong, most media is bad. This
guide is meant to shed some light on the how and why of DVD
media quality.
This guide also gives examples of what generally works as
the best media, but your mileage may very, depending on the
burner and how that batch of media chooses to cooperate.
While some cheap media may work for you, it's a gamble that
often loses.
Who
makes the disc: Brand vs. Media ID
Most blank DVD media is
produced by a relative small number of factories, located in
several different places. These factories are present in
Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Hong Kong, India, and Ireland...
maybe a few more, but not many. The best media generally
comes from Japan and Singapore. The worst typically comes
from Taiwan (in stores) and Hong Kong (online).
The media brands
means nothing. Apple is a great brand, but they do not make
their own discs, instead outsourcing to MXL
(Hitachi/Maxell), MCC
(Mitsubishi Chemicals), and PVC (Pioneer). Verbatim became infamous by switching from
high-quality MCC to
ultra-cheap CMC (CMC Magnetics) media, although they have
since returned to using MCC. Companies like
Memorex, Fuji and Imation all outsource to media vendors.
Always be aware of fake media too. Fake media is normally
sold in flea markets, on eBay and online. This fake media
normally has no brand markings and the company being faked
normally only sells branded discs.
It is the Media ID that is important, as it
reveals the disc maker.
Media ID
Quality Guide
The following list is in preference order. The best discs
are near the top of the list. The discs at the bottom of the
list are suitable only for a landfill. PVC is the best
of all, LONGTEN is the worst of all, etc. Note: Some codes may be listed twice, done because a -R, -RW,
+RW and +R by the same company may not be the same quality.
The format is listed because of this.
1ST CLASS MEDIA
Almost flawless burns with 95-100% reliable results:
TAIYOYUDEN, YUDEN, TYG01, TYG02 = Taiyo Yuden = (-R)(+R) ... be aware of
fakes
MXLRG01, MXLRG02 = Maxell = (-R)(-RW) ... be aware of fakes
MCC = Mitsubishi Chemicals = (-R)(-RW)(+R)(+RW)
TDKG02, TTG01 = TDK Corp = (-R)(-RW) ... be aware of fakes
2ND CLASS MEDIA
Decent discs, though not perfect, about 80-95% success
rate:
PRODISC = Prodisc Media = (-R)(+R)
INFODISC = Infodisc Media = (+RW)
SONYD04 = Sony = (-R) ... be aware of fakes
RICOHJPN = Ritek or Ricoh = (+R)(+RW)
RITEK = Ritek = (+R)(-R)(-RW)(+RW)
OPTODISC = Optodisc = (-R)
FUJIFILM = Fuji = (-R)(+R)
3RD CLASS MEDIA
Quality can be very questionable, about 50-80% success
rate:
LEADDATA, LD01, LD, LEDA = Lead Data = (-R)(-RW)
BEALL = Samsung BeAll = (-R)(+R)
MBI = Moser Beaur (India) = (-R)(+R)(+RW)
PRINCO, fake TDK = Princo = (-R)(-RW)
ONIDTECH = Unknown OEM = (-R)
MUST = Unknown OEM = (-R)
GSC001, GSC002 = Unknown OEM = (-R)(+R)
4TH CLASS MEDIA
Pathetic garbage media, landfill material, about 0-50%
success rate:
RITEKG01, RITEKG02 = Ritek = (-R)
CMC, CMCMAG = CMC Magnetics = (+R)(-R)
PIODATA, PIO = LeadData, Ritek = (-R) ... once sold as "Pioneer" but that's
false
Fake SONY, MXL = Fake Sony/Maxell from Hong Kong OEM (Infosmart?) = (-R)
OPTODISC = Optodisc = (+R)(+RW)
AN31, AN32, ANWELL, AN30 = Hong Kong OEM (Infosmart?) = (-R)
INFOSMART = Hong Kong OEM = (-R)(+R)
VANGUARD = Unknown OEM = (-R)
YIJHAN = Hong Kong OEM = (-R)
MATRIX = Hong Kong OEM = (-R)
VDSPMS = Unknown OEM = (-R)(+R)
LONGTEN = Hong Kong OEM = (-R)
ANYTHING ELSE = Unknown OEM or NEW
New medias to watch for: MXLRG03
Download this free utility that can tell you the media id to make
sure the blank DVD you purchase is what you ordered.
- Find and download the free version web. They keep changing the URL so we have to direct you to their web site and you need to browse around to find this. Otherwize, purchase the pro version. It's worth it..
- Once installed, put a blank DVD in your DVD Writer/Burner click the "Media/Info" icon (top toolbar) to see something like the image below:
Are there exceptions to this list?
Sure, but not many. LD01 inkjet media and RITEKG04 inkjet
media has proven to be almost flawless media for many users.
But those are the only two we've seen as consistent
exceptions. Use this list as a guide. This list is a
"sure bets" kind of list, and is pretty reflective
of the media market as a whole.
What do the % numbers mean?
This list is constructed from many tests on many burners
from a handful of experienced people that use a lot of
media. These numbers reflect
the number of discs in a spindle that will give good
results. For example, out of a 100 spindle of media, 1st
class discs may kick out a few bad discs (0% to 5% of the
media may have playback imperfections or be outright bad
burns). The 2nd class media may have a dozen or so bad
discs. The 3rd class discs could give you a half-spindle of
duds. And the 4th class stuff can be pure trash. These
are mean averages too,
simple statistics math, meaning best tests and worst tests
are discarded, and the middle range of tests is the basis
for these numbers. You may sometimes find the rare instance
where a CMC spindle will be perfect and a Taiyo Yuden
spindle will be completely flawed, but those times are the
exception rather than the rule (and are not part of a mean
average).
Testing procedures:
Burns are subject to playability/reflectivity tests (usage
tests), as well as software verification. Test equipment is
under controlled hardware/software environments to eliminate
user variables. Burns are at least 4GB or more to test the
entire length of the media.
Branding
Guide
Although this will change on a regular basis, the
following brands are known to use the following media makers
for their outsourced discs.
Be careful for CMC and PRINCO discs, as those are becoming
more common in those "special sales" seen almost
every week since early 2004. Some companies prefer dollars
over quality, so be careful. Also be especially careful of
"house brands" or no-names. Stores like Fry's and CompUSA
have horrible return policies too, so if you end up with an
unfavorable media ID, do not burn a test, just take it back
for a refund and take your business elsewhere.
Accu = LEADDATA
Americal = RITEKG01, PRINCO, LEADDATA
Apple = MXL, MCC
Arita = RITEKG03, RICOHJPN
Bulkpaq = PRINCO, PRODISC
CompUSA = PRINCO, OPTODISC, LD
Datawrite = PRINCO, PRODISC, AN31, RITEKG03
DupEZ = PIODATA, LEADDATA
Esbuy = RITEK, LEADDATA, other budget IDs
Fuji = TAIYOYUDEN, MCC, RICOHJPN, PRODISC, FUJIFILM
GQ = PIODATA, PRINCO, RITEKG03, RITEKG02, LEADDATA, LD
HP = CMC, RICOHJPN, MCC
Imation = RITEKG03, CMC
KHypermedia = CMC, TTG01
LiquidVideo = OPTODISC
Matrix = MATRIX, LONGTEN, YIJHAN, MUST
Maxell = MXL, RITEK, RICOHJPN, TYG01
Memorex = CMC, RICOHJPN, PRODISC, INFODISC
Meritline = Various budget IDs
Mirror = AN31, ONIDTECH, PRINCO
Optodisc = OPTODISC
Philips = CMC
Pioneer = PVC
Princo = PRINCO, Fake TDK
Prodisc = PRODISCS03, MCC
Ritek = RITEKG01-04, RICOHJPN
Samsung = TYG01, BEALL, RITEK
Sonic, Shop4tech = LONGTEN, MATRIX, MUST, YIJHAN, various budget IDs
Sony = SONYD04, RICOHJPN, MCC
Supermedia, Linkyo = Various budget IDs
TDK = TDK, RITEKG04, RICOHJPN, MXL, CMC, MCC
Verbatim = MCC, CMC, YUDEN, RICOHJPN, RITEKG03
For unusual brands and media IDs, check out the www.videohelp.com
media section. In most cases, unknown media IDs would be
re-branded or ID-hidden discs, often of dubious quality.
Some unknown brands are overstock from other media
companies. This is often the mark of very cheap media. Buyer
beware.
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Where do I buy the best quality dvd blank media?
excerpt from www.digitalfaq.com...
Trusted USA companies, suggested by digitalFAQ
Rated #1. Supermediastore.com.
Favorite from 1/1/2004 to present (as of this writing, 1/17/2005). In recent months,
this store has begun to stock many great items, especially
when it comes to blank media. And the prices are among the
best around. Shipping is lightning fast, and real people
answer the phone if you need to call for anything. Not one
single "out of stock" problem to date! A
division of Linkyo.
Rated #2. RIMA.com. Cheap and somewhat fast. Great prices, and the
discs arrive within mere days. They have a large inventory,
and have some of the best deals for 100-, 200- and 500-disc
spindles. Excellent return policy on defective media. Has
been known to send samples on request, free of charge.
Rated #3. AllMediaOutlet.com. Another favorite place to shop.Cheap
and fast. Great prices, and the discs arrive fairly quickly,
in about a week or so. They have many deals that include
free shipping, have been an authorized seller of Ritek (may
have changed at some point), and are
rarely out of stock on their media.
Rated #4. DVD-RWmedia.com. Was always a great to place to
buy media. Came fast, had great deals. Used them for Princo
and Ritek media for thousands of discs. A division of Linkyo.
Warning! Be
careful dealing with these companies:
Americal.com. Expensive and
not always honest about their products. They exaggerate
about the quality of their discs, cases, and stickers, and I
was disappointed several times before I quit using
them. They are also known to pull a bait-n-switch and
send you products different than what was ordered.
Meritline.com. Although this seemed to be a good company a year ago
,we've recently had complaints that they have Consistent delays,
deliver the wrong Items, and have nearly “non-existent” Customer Service.
Shop4tech.com. This review is only about their
blank media, not hardware or other products: Their in-house discs may be cheap
(Matrix, Sonic, etc), but the
quality has historically been some of the worst media
around. You have to dig
through the site to find mainstream media, and it often has
high pricing. Individuals claiming to
be shop4tech employees have been banned from online video
sites more than once for immature
behavior.
Yesbuy.net. Terrible customer service, not great
prices, and the discs are normally fake. This company has
sold TDK, Maxell and Pioneer fakes. Many of the
"2x" and "4x" discs were actually 1x
discs with forged media codes.
Esbuy.com. The products pictured are not what they
have available. The discs were completely different when
received, and getting a refund took weeks. Prices are
extremely high. Most of the media was LeadData, Princo and
Ritek. Customer service reps were quite clueless.
CompUSA.com. This store (both online and
brick-n-mortar) has one of the worst return policies on the
face of the planet. Avoid them at all costs, no matter what
you plan to buy. Even if the media is bad, you're stuck with
it.
QtcCDR.com. Extremely high prices. Site difficult
to manage. Most of the media is low grade. Has been known to
sell fake MXL and TDK media.
Naked-Geek.net. Never in all my days shopping
online have I come across such a vile, filthy-mouthed
individual. Not much is known about this company except that
it's owner, Alexander Hanff, has been banned from video
forums numerous times due to his unsavory behavior. His
"magic" DVD-R are simply cheap AN32 media,
well-known coaster material.
Offline
USA stores that carry media
Rated #1. Walmart, walmart.com. A store that is
open 24 hours a day and carries Maxell (MXL/TY) and SONY
media at low prices. What more could you ask for?
Rated #2. Fry's Electronics, outpost.com. Huge
selection of media, and often the best prices you can find
in stores. Excellent selection of DVD-RW and DVD+RW. Sells
lots of video hardware too.
1. Office Depot, officedepot.com. Carries most
brand-name media using first/second-class Media ID codes,
typically at very good prices, especially when on sale. Has
had many good sales on Maxell media.
2. Staples, staples.com. Carries most brand-name
media using first/second-class Media ID codes, typically at
very good prices, especially when on sale.
3. Best Buy, bestbuy.com. Carries most brand-name
media using first/second-class Media ID codes, typically at
very good prices, especially when on sale. Watch for CMC
products made in Taiwan. Has had good sales on TDK and
Verbatim (MCC) in the past.
4. OfficeMax, officemax.com. Carries most brand-name
media using first/second-class Media ID codes, typically at
very good prices, especially when on sale. Carries FUJI
brand media. Avoid the Arita/Ritek deals.
5. Walgreens, walgreens.com. Carries Maxell (MXL/TY)
and TDK (TDK) media, often with decent prices and sales.
6. Circuit City, circuitcity.com. Mostly sells
LiquidVideo (OPTODISC) media. Has a few other brands.
7. RadioShack, radioshack.com. Has a little bit of
media, has been known to have nice sales in the past.
8. Target, target.com. Always has a nice selection of
major brands like TDK (TDK).
9. K-mart, kmart.com. Blah. Mostly carries Memorex
(CMC) media. Cheap store with cheap stuff.
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What makes a blank DVD good or bad?
excerpt from www.digitalfaq.com...
Why discs are "bad" or "go bad"
Background:
DVD media is somewhat new, and methods for creating faster
and better discs are always being perfected. Discs are
created in an interesting manner (note that this is a basic
description). Plastic is laid down, then metal reflective
foil, then dyes are poured onto the foil. Another plastic is
laid on top, then the disc is spun at high speed to spread
out the dye, hopefully evenly. It even sounds like an
unstable method!
Dye imperfections. Bad foils and dyes, as well as bad
dye spread are the most common issue that
causes bad media. If the dye is uneven or does not reach to
the edge of the disc, it is often bad. CMC is known for bad
inner-disc spread (dye thinning) and Princo is known for not
reaching the edge (short spread).
User error. A common "error" with "bad
media" is actually user error. Even I'm
guilty of this. For best quality burns, leave your computer alone while burning.
Using your computer while burning takes CPU from the burner and can cause the burn to fail.
You should also test your copies and keep the source DVD in a safe, dust free place if possible.
Balancing
is also a side effect caused by faulty plastic, foils or dye
spread. A disc spins faster on the outside than it does on
the inside (ask any college physics professor). And round
objects tend to be most unsteady at the outside. While DVD
media allows for some degree of error (data is written in a
"wobble groove"), exaggerated wobble will caused
the laser to spew data in areas not meant for writing. It
thus disappears, and the data comes up as missing on the
disc, resulting in freezing, blockiness and other odd visual
errors (caused from the decoder attempting to compensate for
material that is missing).
Fake media.Fake media is often bad. If you ever
acquire good media like TDK, RITEK or MXL, and the results
are bad, check to see if the media is legitimate. Many of
these top-tier media companies only have branded discs, not
plain white-top or silver-top ones. TDK, MXL, and RITEK have
been spoofed before. These discs often are cheaply-made
unbranded 1x
media with fake 2x or 4x Media ID speeds and maker ID codes.
Dye melting from excess burn speed.
Some discs simply cave in under high speed burns. Optodisc
4x DVD-R media is known to corrupt on 4x burns. Some recent
April 2004 RITEKG04 media are reported as doing this too. The dye
simply cannot handle the write speed. Poor production is to
blame. This happens mostly on
bad discs, but can also happen on good discs due to user
error. Many hacked firmwares and poorly-written firmwares
will allow a user to burn a disc faster than it's write
strategy and media ID speed. The side-effect of these
illegitimate burns is ruined dye. The dye appears discolored
or otherwise unusual.
Not a media error.
This is another very frequent "problem" with
discs. The simple fact is not every player or DVD-ROM will
read a burned DVD media. Some players were not made to play
anything other than official to-spec pressed metal discs.
Non-media errors may also include players that have a weak
laser or a dirty laser. A non-playing disc is not a sign of
a "bad" disc, but rather just means that
particular player/ROM cannot play it. Run real tests to see if
the disc is truly a coaster. Also be aware that some formats
are more compatible than others (with DVD-R being most
compatible of them all for DVD-Video content). This is often
call a reflectivity error. This
is not necessarily the media's fault.
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Will poor quality media really break down in as little as six months?
excerpt from digital dvd online forum
Life of a backup made on poor quality disc is questionable. We've been told
that data, music and video backups on CD's and DVD's will last
forever. Wrong. Don't throw the originals
away, you may very well need them. Your video camera tapes and family picture
CD's and DVD's, may not be there the next time you want to look at them.
"Point of fact," inferior discs have a tendency to "Break
down" in time. In a very short time, we're talking disc can
breakdown in less than a single year, in as little as 6 to 8 months.
This article was written about CD discs but DVD discs are produced nearly
the same way, and if anything, are more complicated and more likely to fail. Perhaps you'll find it as
important as I did.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=513486
My
personal observations on this subject -
I have had about 40 backups that
have refused to play after being stored for a year or more. I test all of my
backups when they are burnt to be very sure that there are no problems. "In the
Golden, Olden times," before I knew any better, the Memorex, Maxell and
professional "Store Brand" discs (and any thing that was on sale) was what used
before I switched to Taiyo Yuden and Maxell. It is the poor quality stuff that I
have been experiencing my trouble with. I noticed that backup DVD's I had
refused to play in my standalone player and on my PC. VOB
files wouldn't play either and other discs that I backed up about the same time
would "Freeze" part way through the movie. After switching to Taiyo Yuden and Maxell
, I've not had 1 go
"Flat" in over 1 ˝ years. I still have some backups about 90 of them done on the
"cheap stuff" and, as time wears on I lose a few more as I attempt to check
them. I say to you, why did a backup play fine in "01"and "02" then "fail" in
"03 ?? Some that were done in "01" never made it till "02" (it took me some time
to learn, lol) and others done about the same time and "Failed" time, we're
talking disc can breakdown in less than a single year,
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