The Dolphin tells it like it is....

[NG]

']There's an easy way to tell if they're real MKM. Since, MKM is currently only making DL media in their (not CMC or Prodisc's) plant, it should be made in Singapore. ;)

EDIT - I just read one of DD's post @ CDRLabs and he says there are no visible markings of the country of origin on the packaging.. so YMMV.

Thanks for the info. Actually if they only have one plant (and no other companies are lifting their MKM code to make DL then I should be set)


Isn't it illegal to not put the country of origin on the packaging?

So's smoking pot but I saw my neighbour smoking a fattie on his patio yesterday so, as you say, YMMV. Perhaps both are scoff laws of sorts.

[Fightguard]

what's the deal with Maxell now?? gone the way of Fuji...
all the new retail spindles (25/50) are now MIT. What happened to MXL RG03 discs (and future MXL discs)? no longer available to North American (retail) markets?

[duckdown]

what's the deal with Maxell now?? gone the way of Fuji...
all the new retail spindles (25/50) are now MIT. What happened to MXL RG03 discs (and future MXL discs)? no longer available to North American (retail) markets?

I've only been able to find the made in Taiwan ones for quite some time now..

Haven't had the MXLRG* code for a while now..

[The Digital Dolphin]

']There's an easy way to tell if they're real MKM. Since, MKM is currently only making DL media in their (not CMC or Prodisc's) plant, it should be made in Singapore. ;)

EDIT - I just read one of DD's post @ CDRLabs and he says there are no visible markings of the country of origin on the packaging.. so YMMV.

Isn't it illegal to not put the country of origin on the packaging?

It's illegal to not put the country of origin on something when it is exported/imported, but I'm not so sure about whether it is illegal to repackage products once they have reached their destination. I think the country of origin thing is only used for duties/taxes when crossing the border.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks for the info. Actually if they only have one plant (and no other companies are lifting their MKM code to make DL then I should be set)


Actually, I've heard of plants in China/Hongkong working on dual layer with MKM code... but I'm pretty sure that these aren't *THAT* low in quality.

[The Digital Dolphin]

what's the deal with Maxell now?? gone the way of Fuji...
all the new retail spindles (25/50) are now MIT. What happened to MXL RG03 discs (and future MXL discs)? no longer available to North American (retail) markets?

Are you surprised? There's no way of keep a quality Japanese manufactured disc at the prices the market is demanding. But MXL code media will still be avaiable in Maxell's BQ line of DVDs... but I don't think a lot of people plan on spending $2/disc for DVDRs again (even if they are ultra top notch, with protective coatings, and maximum professional manufacturing).

[Fightguard]

Are you surprised? There's no way of keep a quality Japanese manufactured disc at the prices the market is demanding. But MXL code media will still be avaiable in Maxell's BQ line of DVDs... but I don't think a lot of people plan on spending $2/disc for DVDRs again (even if they are ultra top notch, with protective coatings, and maximum professional manufacturing).
fair enough...I guess I was just getting used to the thought (delusion) that high quality discs at bargain prices were now the norm and will remain that way.
reality check now in effect :)

[[buck]]

The Maxell 25pack 8X DVD-R and DVD+R Staples delivered today (for $6 a spindle :D) were both MIJ... thank you Staples for having old stock!

oh yeah, and DD, what's your oppinion of RICOHJPNR02? I think it's pretty good stuff, certainly worthy of the Maxell brand name. At least Maxell MIT DVD+R is good, no?

[apvm]

About CD-R, My spindle of Dysan 48X CD-R is running out, they were Made in Japan and Taiyo Yuden, Best Buy don't seems to stock them any more, and all brands I found there were Made in Taiwan, wonder which brand is good nowadays? TIA

[rahzel]

']
oh yeah, and DD, what's your oppinion of RICOHJPNR02? I think it's pretty good stuff, certainly worthy of the Maxell brand name. At least Maxell MIT DVD+R is good, no?
i agree, i get very good results with my ridata ricohjpnr01 DVD+R's (im guessing theyre actually made by Ritek though).

[The Digital Dolphin]

']The Maxell 25pack 8X DVD-R and DVD+R Staples delivered today (for $6 a spindle :D) were both MIJ... thank you Staples for having old stock!

oh yeah, and DD, what's your oppinion of RICOHJPNR02? I think it's pretty good stuff, certainly worthy of the Maxell brand name. At least Maxell MIT DVD+R is good, no?

It's better then RITEKG05 for sure. Worthy of Maxell's name? only in North America, where all brand names are ruined in the name of lower prices :evil:

Thank you Walmart, Futureshop/Bestbuy, and Meritline.

[[buck]]

i agree, i get very good results with my ridata ricohjpnr01 DVD+R's (im guessing theyre actually made by Ritek though).

Unfortunately all Ricoh media is made by Ritek. :cry: Ritek's crapiness is evident by the fact that the plastic hubs in many of my Maxell branded Ricoh discs have minor imperfections in the plastic - like one ring not completely meeting. NEVER have I seen anything like this in TY media.

I thought i'd share my results of my Maxell media from the Staples PM ($6 for 25!).

MXL RG03

http://img186.echo.cx/img186/1424/mxlrg03piscan8x20kt.png

http://img186.echo.cx/img186/5131/benqdvddddw1620b7v920june20051.png

MAXELL 002

http://img186.echo.cx/img186/5438/maxell002piscan8x325px.png

http://img186.echo.cx/img186/6164/benqdvddddw1620b7v920june20053.png

Both burned at 8X with B7V9 F/W. WOPC On.

Sorry they're not full, but I have nothing else to burn ATM. :( I might post some full ones later.

And DD, regarding Ricoh media, is this not good enough? :lol:

http://img273.echo.cx/img273/5944/ricohjpnr02piscan8xb7v9124fk.png

[rahzel]

']Unfortunately all Ricoh media is made by Ritek. :cry: Ritek's crapiness is evident by the fact that the plastic hubs in many of my Maxell branded Ricoh discs have minor imperfections in the plastic - like one ring not completely meeting. NEVER have I seen anything like this in TY media.

yeah but obviously the ricoh media made by ritek is much better than their own media.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']And DD, regarding Ricoh media, is this not good enough? :lol:

http://img273.echo.cx/img273/5944/ricohjpnr02piscan8xb7v9124fk.png

I've seen better :cheesygri

But seriously, it's a very good scan for sure! But Ritek's problem has never been getting good results.... it's been *consistantly* getting good results. And as you've already noticed, Ritek's manufacturing is not all that great either in some cases... so discs can degrade quicker then they normally would if they were made more carefully.

[NG]

I found a store that had the 16x Nexxtech. Quite mixed on the results actually.

The upside is that they show up as MCC 03RG20 with Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. as the manafacturer name. I was able to find one other Nexxtech in videohelp (for some reason the internal search didn't bring it up but google did) for +R 8x with a CMC (yuck) code so their might not be any rhyme or reason for who supplies their discs.

I'm thinking these are legit MCC discs since there isn't a glut of no-name discs when I searched for the code on videohelp:
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia.php?dvdmediadvdridsearch=MCC%2003RG20%20

The down side:

DVDIdentifier only identified a max of 4x (8x cannot be detected) according to the results.

Running Nero 6.6.0.6 it would only give me a max burn speed of 8x tho on my 16x burner. I can update to the latest version of Nero and run that scan test you guided me through before and post the results if you want to see them and if you think updating Nero would even make a difference.

I don't know if you saw it or not but I was wondering your take on Dynex MCC DL discs for my dw22a and if I should keep the BYS3 or flash it to the retail Sony or Lite-on drive. I do apologize if I sound pushy - it's just that I've been waiting so long to get a DL test disc to try with my dvd players but even at $5 per disc the last thing I'd want is a coaster :(

Thanks again for any suggestions and lemmie know if you'd be interested in checking those scans :D

Cheers
NG

[[buck]]

I found a store that had the 16x Nexxtech. Quite mixed on the results actually.

The upside is that they show up as MCC 03RG20 with Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. as the manafacturer name. I was able to find one other Nexxtech in videohelp (for some reason the internal search didn't bring it up but google did) for +R 8x with a CMC (yuck) code so their might not be any rhyme or reason for who supplies their discs.

I'm thinking these are legit MCC discs since there isn't a glut of no-name discs when I searched for the code on videohelp:
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia.php?dvdmediadvdridsearch=MCC%2003RG20%20

The down side:

DVDIdentifier only identified a max of 4x (8x cannot be detected) according to the results.

Running Nero 6.6.0.6 it would only give me a max burn speed of 8x tho on my 16x burner. I can update to the latest version of Nero and run that scan test you guided me through before and post the results if you want to see them and if you think updating Nero would even make a difference.

I don't know if you saw it or not but I was wondering your take on Dynex MCC DL discs for my dw22a and if I should keep the BYS3 or flash it to the retail Sony or Lite-on drive. I do apologize if I sound pushy - it's just that I've been waiting so long to get a DL test disc to try with my dvd players but even at $5 per disc the last thing I'd want is a coaster :(

Thanks again for any suggestions and lemmie know if you'd be interested in checking those scans :D

Cheers
NG

and where can I find these nexxtech, discs, and for how much?

[NG]

']and where can I find these nexxtech, discs, and for how much?

They're $15 for 25 at RadioShack/The Souce.


Edited and replied to via PM to avoid thread clutter: On sale from $20. Also 16x 50 packs for $35 regular price

[[buck]]

They're $15 for 25 at RadioShack/The Souce.

is that the regular price, or a sale price? i think i might have to pick up a pack to test em out.

[callous]

Digital Dolphin, I was wondering, when companies such as Fuji or Maxell buy their dvd+/- media from 3rd parties such as TY or Ricoh, do the discs come preassembled, or does the 3rd party just give them the silver foil(media) on 1 transparent disc and Fuji and maxell buys their own 2nd disc and melts them together to form the final dvd?

[[buck]]

Digital Dolphin, I was wondering, when companies such as Fuji or Maxell buy their dvd+/- media from 3rd parties such as TY or Ricoh, do the discs come preassembled, or does the 3rd party just give them the silver foil(media) on 1 transparent disc and Fuji and maxell buys their own 2nd disc and melts them together to form the final dvd?

I aint no DD, but I can say with 99% certainty that the they buy media already in one piece. Some vendors even do the labelling for whoever their customer is (ie the matte surface with logo).

[NG]

About CD-R, My spindle of Dysan 48X CD-R is running out, they were Made in Japan and Taiyo Yuden, Best Buy don't seems to stock them any more, and all brands I found there were Made in Taiwan, wonder which brand is good nowadays? TIA

I don't think anyone is using TY cdr's anymore. You might have to get some off ncix or somewher.

[rahzel]

blankmedia.ca carries a lot of Taiyo Yuden CD-R's. NCIX has them listed but not in stock.

http://www.blankmedia.ca/prodsubcats.asp?id=111

[NG]

blankmedia.ca carries a lot of Taiyo Yuden CD-R's. NCIX has them listed but not in stock.

http://www.blankmedia.ca/prodsubcats.asp?id=111

DOH! Thanks for correcting me. I wouldn't want the OP thinking they didn't exist anymore. But OY! that sucks that there's only 1 store in Canada that has TY CDs in stock. Really creates an enviroment for a price monopoly.

Thank you Walmart, Futureshop/Bestbuy, and Meritline.[/url]

Agreed. Tho I love a deal I still wanna have usually 2 spindles of the good stuff (at whatever the fair market price is for them) as well as 1 spindle of cheapo crap for just general stuff. I would think that Maxell/Fuji/TDK etc would go out of their way to explain why MIJ etc media is better on the top of the spindle or something to show why they're better than Memorex etc.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I found a store that had the 16x Nexxtech. Quite mixed on the results actually.

The upside is that they show up as MCC 03RG20 with Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. as the manafacturer name. I was able to find one other Nexxtech in videohelp (for some reason the internal search didn't bring it up but google did) for +R 8x with a CMC (yuck) code so their might not be any rhyme or reason for who supplies their discs.

I'm thinking these are legit MCC discs since there isn't a glut of no-name discs when I searched for the code on videohelp:
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia.php?dvdmediadvdridsearch=MCC%2003RG20%20


MCC 03RG20 can be made by 3 companies legally: Mitsubishi Chemicals in Singapore, CMC in Taiwan, and Prodisc in Taiwan (and this last one is only a maybe, but I know they *HAVE* made them!). Of the 3 I can guarentee you that Nexxtech is *NOT* made by Mitsubishi Chemicals.

Now, there are also OTHER companies making 16x media with MCC's codes... Infosmart is one of them I believe.


The down side:

DVDIdentifier only identified a max of 4x (8x cannot be detected) according to the results.

Running Nero 6.6.0.6 it would only give me a max burn speed of 8x tho on my 16x burner. I can update to the latest version of Nero and run that scan test you guided me through before and post the results if you want to see them and if you think updating Nero would even make a difference.

I don't know if you saw it or not but I was wondering your take on Dynex MCC DL discs for my dw22a and if I should keep the BYS3 or flash it to the retail Sony or Lite-on drive. I do apologize if I sound pushy - it's just that I've been waiting so long to get a DL test disc to try with my dvd players but even at $5 per disc the last thing I'd want is a coaster :(


I would suggest upgrading to the latest Sony retail release... your current firmware is being left in the dust it seems. I'm not 100% sure if the Sony retail will perform better over the LiteON retail firmware, but it shouldn't be worse I don't think (Sony DOES try to protect their reputation at least a LITTLE bit). The new firmware will also help you in burning those Nexxtech discs at 16x I suspect.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Digital Dolphin, I was wondering, when companies such as Fuji or Maxell buy their dvd+/- media from 3rd parties such as TY or Ricoh, do the discs come preassembled, or does the 3rd party just give them the silver foil(media) on 1 transparent disc and Fuji and maxell buys their own 2nd disc and melts them together to form the final dvd?

The discs are purchased already completed, usually with the silkscreen already printed on the discs. Some companies purchase the discs prepackaged, and some purchase them in bulk form and package them themselves.

The only situation where partial discs are sold is when disc *stampers* are sold by one company to another. For instance, when Fuji sells their stampers to Prodisc, to make Fuji code/dye media.

[The Digital Dolphin]

DOH! Thanks for correcting me. I wouldn't want the OP thinking they didn't exist anymore. But OY! that sucks that there's only 1 store in Canada that has TY CDs in stock. Really creates an enviroment for a price monopoly.

That's not true... there are lot's them all over Canada. The thing is that Blankmedia.ca sell CD-Rs without levy, and most stores that sell Taiyo Yuden don't pick and choose which laws they want to follow. (Yes, I'm starting to get a little pissed off about this!).

But for anyone who owns a business and gets proper CPCC levy zero rating status, and wants to purchase products ethically, I can help them out with getting in touch with real distributors of Taiyo Yuden.
[/QUOTE]


Agreed. Tho I love a deal I still wanna have usually 2 spindles of the good stuff (at whatever the fair market price is for them) as well as 1 spindle of cheapo crap for just general stuff. I would think that Maxell/Fuji/TDK etc would go out of their way to explain why MIJ etc media is better on the top of the spindle or something to show why they're better than Memorex etc.

Well, TDK, Fuji and Maxell are not really much better then Memorex these days. TDK is either CMC or Ritek, Maxell is Ritek, and Fuji is Prodisc. Memorex is mostly CMC now. So Maxell CD-Rs are on top (especially their Pro line Taiyo Yuden CD-Rs), with TDK and Memorex next in line, and then Fuji on the bottom. (Yes, I'm now rating CMC CD-Rs above Prodisc!). (This is regarding CD-Rs only)

[NG]

That's not true... there are lot's them all over Canada. The thing is that Blankmedia.ca sell CD-Rs without levy, and most stores that sell Taiyo Yuden don't pick and choose which laws they want to follow. (Yes, I'm starting to get a little pissed off about this!).

But for anyone who owns a business and gets proper CPCC levy zero rating status, and wants to purchase products ethically, I can help them out with getting in touch with real distributors of Taiyo Yuden.


Too true my good Dolphin....err...man. I suppose I should have said most prolific. I gotta say I've been wondering how the levy will work when this bill before the house to crimalize all copying/sharing and reverse engeneering of copy protection. Since the levy basically made it legal for us to download and to do home burning if they're making copying/sharing/cracking illegal then I can't see how they could logically still have the levy. Perhaps, tho they usually get on my nerves lol, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation will have a beef with this when the law passes.


So Maxell CD-Rs are on top (especially their Pro line Taiyo Yuden CD-Rs), with TDK and Memorex next in line, and then Fuji on the bottom. (Yes, I'm now rating CMC CD-Rs above Prodisc!). (This is regarding CD-Rs only)

How the mighty have fallen. I wonder if Fuji even realized they were destroying their reputation when they were racing for the bottom with these crappy cds and MIJ dvds.

MCC 03RG20 can be made by 3 companies legally: Mitsubishi Chemicals in Singapore, CMC in Taiwan, and Prodisc in Taiwan (and this last one is only a maybe, but I know they *HAVE* made them!). Of the 3 I can guarentee you that Nexxtech is *NOT* made by Mitsubishi Chemicals.

Now, there are also OTHER companies making 16x media with MCC's codes... Infosmart is one of them I believe.

Wow. This is all like a game of three card monte it seems. The industry really should create a legitimate ratings system so people can tell the difference in quality and then opt to pay more for higher quality discs. These are listed as being made in Taiwan so it appears they've been "mislabeled" as Mitsubishi discs. Glad I just bought these to try fast discs and not for quality :lol:


I would suggest upgrading to the latest Sony retail release... your current firmware is being left in the dust it seems. I'm not 100% sure if the Sony retail will perform better over the LiteON retail firmware, but it shouldn't be worse I don't think (Sony DOES try to protect their reputation at least a LITTLE bit). The new firmware will also help you in burning those Nexxtech discs at 16x I suspect.

Thanks - will do :D I was actually wondering what if I should upgrade to the Sony or Lite-on drive. Lite-on seems to have newer releases but I still don't turst any company that'd release a standalone DVD recorder with a mono tuner!

Well it looks like I'm off to learn about how to change the model of my dvd burner (called cross flashing I think?). I'm guessing it's not just as simple as running the firmware for the DRU-700/710 (seems to be a bit of confusion online as to what the dw22a actually is).

[snplow]

Hey DD,

I'm planning to back up some important things (Pictures, work, and other stuff) and I would like a media that has a long shelf life (somewhere around 60~100 years). I hear you always talking about Tayio Yuden(sp?) media, but I don't think any Regina stores sell any of that, and I prefer not to order over the internet for that stuff. Right now, I'm using Verbatin DVD-Rs. Would you say that those are any good? Also, I have a Sony DW-U18A DVD +/- R/RW (not DL) if that helps. (It's also a relabeled Lite-on if that also helps).

Thanks!!

[callous]

Hey DD,

I'm planning to back up some important things (Pictures, work, and other stuff) and I would like a media that has a long shelf life (somewhere around 60~100 years). I hear you always talking about Tayio Yuden(sp?) media, but I don't think any Regina stores sell any of that, and I prefer not to order over the internet for that stuff. Right now, I'm using Verbatin DVD-Rs. Would you say that those are any good? Also, I have a Sony DW-U18A DVD +/- R/RW (not DL) if that helps. (It's also a relabeled Lite-on if that also helps).

Thanks!!

The life expectancy of DVD +r/-r is about 30 years after it's been burnt. If it hasnt been burnt I believe someone said it was 5 years from date of production.

You wanted 60 years? Not going to happen.

[to_munda]

Hi,
Ur name has been recommended by a fellow RFDer.
I have a problem:
I got this Sony DRU-710A Double Layer DVD burner that i installed about 6mos ago. Was working fine till a few days ago (was being used mostly to burn CDs. I only burnt 1 DVD when I installed it, just to check).
Now yest when i tried to use it, its not reading any CDs, blank or otherwise.
I dont know much about comps, but if U can help me with this in layman terms, I wud really appreciate that.
Thanx
heres my thread;
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1803430#post1803430

[i6s1]

Hey DD,

I'm planning to back up some important things (Pictures, work, and other stuff) and I would like a media that has a long shelf life (somewhere around 60~100 years). I hear you always talking about Tayio Yuden(sp?) media, but I don't think any Regina stores sell any of that, and I prefer not to order over the internet for that stuff. Right now, I'm using Verbatin DVD-Rs. Would you say that those are any good? Also, I have a Sony DW-U18A DVD +/- R/RW (not DL) if that helps. (It's also a relabeled Lite-on if that also helps).

Thanks!!


Don't bother with a 60 year shelf life. DVD players and readers won't be around that long. Imagine if your stuff was on 5-1/4" disks. They're only 20 years old. You'll have to reburn your stuff onto the latest media every 10 years at the most.

[rahzel]

The life expectancy of DVD +r/-r is about 30 years after it's been burnt. If it hasnt been burnt I believe someone said it was 5 years from date of production.

You wanted 60 years? Not going to happen.
AFAIK DVDR's degrade no matter what, burning an image on the disc doesnt refresh the life of the disc. Also, it depends on a few things - The quality of the burn, the quality of the dye, the quality of the manufacturing of the DVDR and how its stored. Taiyo Yuden is good at all of those (except of course how its stored =]). Taiyo Yuden has good burn quality, it uses AZO Metal Dye and each disc is manufactured with quality.

60 years isnt impossible. If the quality of the burn is good, the DVDR is stored properly and the DVD itself is good (like Taiyo Yuden) i think its possible but who really knows...

i agree with i6s1. DVD players probably wont even be around in 60 years. You can trust Taiyo Yuden media to last ATLEAST 15-25 years if stored properly which is good enough IMO.

Also, i live in Regina too and no there definitely is no store here that sells genuine Taiyo Yuden media. I always buy my media from blankmedia.ca and/or NCIX.com. If youre just ordering like a spindle or 2, its best to buy from blankmedia.ca because their shipping prices are generally cheaper than NCIX to Regina.

[charge]

Ok, I don't know how many people have asked me to make a thread somewhere detailing... stuff. So here it is, in the most appropriate place I could think to put it. In this thread I will post information that I think is pertinant to blank media sales in Canada. Feel free to ask me questions, but don't get pissed off if I say I don't know, or refuse to answer if I feel the question is to personal or unwarrented.

So, to start this little thread off....

-The Digital Dolphin

*Posted June 25 2004*


Happy anniversary!!

Thanks, and keep fighting the good fight!

:D

[elty]

I think those Armor DVD R from TDK will last longer than ordinary DVD. But they are like $5 a peice.

And best backup that last 60 years is paper?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD,

I'm planning to back up some important things (Pictures, work, and other stuff) and I would like a media that has a long shelf life (somewhere around 60~100 years). I hear you always talking about Tayio Yuden(sp?) media, but I don't think any Regina stores sell any of that, and I prefer not to order over the internet for that stuff. Right now, I'm using Verbatin DVD-Rs. Would you say that those are any good? Also, I have a Sony DW-U18A DVD +/- R/RW (not DL) if that helps. (It's also a relabeled Lite-on if that also helps).

Thanks!!

If you want something to last a long time, forget the media at this point, and get a new drive. Your Sony is an OEM LiteON 812s, which even when firmware hacked to a 832s (with dual layer) will still not perform well enough to really give the media a chance to last that long :|

I suggest the Pioneer DVR-109, with Maxell's BQ 8x DVD-Rs. Why? because these two will probably give you the best results you can get with regard to lifespan and manufacturing quality. The media is pricey, but I can help you get it. The drive should be easy enough to find (make sure you use firmware 1.55, which is currently the latest).

If you aren't going to listen to my suggestion, the best results you could possibly expect with your drive will probably be with Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD+Rs, burn them at 4x.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi,
Ur name has been recommended by a fellow RFDer.
I have a problem:
I got this Sony DRU-710A Double Layer DVD burner that i installed about 6mos ago. Was working fine till a few days ago (was being used mostly to burn CDs. I only burnt 1 DVD when I installed it, just to check).
Now yest when i tried to use it, its not reading any CDs, blank or otherwise.
I dont know much about comps, but if U can help me with this in layman terms, I wud really appreciate that.
Thanx
heres my thread;
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1803430#post1803430

I think people have already given you some pretty good advice on that. But here's my take on it anyways ;)

#1: Open the computer, unplug the drive, take it out of the case
#2: Put the drive back into the case, plug it in (using different connectors if possible, but not needed)
#3: Check to make sure the drive is recognized in the system's bios when booting
#4: If not recognized, repeat steps #1-#3 again, and if still not recognized, move to step #5
#5: Try the drive in a seperate computer
#6: (if drive is recognized) Upgrade to the latest OFFICIAL firmware
#7: RMA the drive

[The Digital Dolphin]

Don't bother with a 60 year shelf life. DVD players and readers won't be around that long. Imagine if your stuff was on 5-1/4" disks. They're only 20 years old. You'll have to reburn your stuff onto the latest media every 10 years at the most.

It's been more then 25 years since the first CDs came about. I don't think that we'll see an end to them in the next 10 years either (I just don't see DVD Audio being the next car audio format :cheesygri ).

For DVDs, keep in mind that BluRay and HDDVD players will almost certainly be backword compatible.

Even as the industry leaps and jumps ahead at faster and faster speeds. There are many people who are happy with current technology (really the majority). And even audio cassettes are still used today.

[The Digital Dolphin]

*Posted June 25 2004*


Happy anniversary!!

Thanks, and keep fighting the good fight!

:D

Wow... I never imagined it would get this huge! It must be the longest thread on this forum by now!

Thanks to all the people who have helped me out on here! I couldn't keep this up without you! :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

And best backup that last 60 years is paper?

Nah, rock carvings will last thousands of years ;)

[elty]

is there any 5x DVD-RAM on the market at all?

[The Digital Dolphin]

is there any 5x DVD-RAM on the market at all?

Yup, hundreds of thousands of Maxell 5x DVD-RAM just waiting to be purchased.

There are some distribution issues though. I know blankmedia.ca is waiting to get some in. Precision Sound can get it in for you as well.

As far as I know, only two companies make 5x DVD-RAM. Maxell, and Optodisc, and Optodisc isn't sharing theirs with North America at *ALL*.

[sandman804]

I hope this question hasnt been answered, but I am too lazy to read through 6000 pages of this thread.

Is Maxell going to have 16X DVD-R's released in the near future?

[[buck]]

I hope this question hasnt been answered, but I am too lazy to read through 6000 pages of this thread.

Is Maxell going to have 16X DVD-R's released in the near future?

They're out. (http://club.cdfreaks.com/showpost.php?p=1010199&postcount=53)







...not in North America however... hehe :razz:

[The Digital Dolphin]

I've hads them for a while, but they won't be in North America for a while. Maxell's research has shown (according to them) that North America is in no rush to move to 16x media, so neither are they.

[The Digital Dolphin]

is there any 5x DVD-RAM on the market at all?

Blankmedia.ca should now have these soon! :cheesygri

[willy]

I've hads them for a while, but they won't be in North America for a while. Maxell's research has shown (according to them) that North America is in no rush to move to 16x media, so neither are they.
Just curious ... Why does the other part of the world need 16x media more than NA ?? Or should I say they might be getting better margins by selling them elsewhere .... ?!

[The Digital Dolphin]

Just curious ... Why does the other part of the world need 16x media more than NA ?? Or should I say they might be getting better margins by selling them elsewhere .... ?!

Well, their way of looking at it is like this:

Maxell: 85% of our sales in North America was for 8x DVDRs, and less then 5% of it was 16x, so there must be very little demand for it, so we won't bring it to North America (Maxell HAS been selling PHILIPSC16 code 16x DVD+Rs in London Drugs).

Edit: On top of that, Maxell didn't give most of their distributors access to their 16x DVD+Rs either.... so it's really a VERY skewed report from Maxell :evil:

[ZeeTX]

Hey DD - When is 1640 expected to hit NA market.. :?: NEC3540 is already out. Got to know from CDRInfo.com Review of BenQ DW1640 (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=14268) that it can burn a DL DVD in 14-15min.. :!: - faster than NEC3540 (16-17min).. :?:

How much longer we all have to wait.. :|

[[buck]]

Well, their way of looking at it is like this:

Maxell: 85% of our sales in North America was for 8x DVDRs, and less then 5% of it was 16x, so there must be very little demand for it, so we won't bring it to North America (Maxell HAS been selling PHILIPSC16 code 16x DVD+Rs in London Drugs).

Edit: On top of that, Maxell didn't give most of their distributors access to their 16x DVD+Rs either.... so it's really a VERY skewed report from Maxell :evil:

DD, I thought Maxell was going to phase out Japanese media completely in the north american market, no (excluding that "BQ" stuff?)? It sounds like they were considering selling Japanese 16X, so what's the deal? I sure hope they don't go all MIT! :(

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD - When is 1640 expected to hit NA market.. :?: NEC3540 is already out. Got to know from CDRInfo.com Review of BenQ DW1640 (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=14268) that it can burn a DL DVD in 14-15min.. :!: - faster than NEC3540 (16-17min).. :?:

How much longer we all have to wait.. :|

Trust me, that speed comes at a price you won't be willing to pay! The DW1640 can't burn Dual Layer media properly :cry:

But it should be fixed in the next firmware! BenQ has been working on it for sometime now :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

']DD, I thought Maxell was going to phase out Japanese media completely in the north american market, no (excluding that "BQ" stuff?)? It sounds like they were considering selling Japanese 16X, so what's the deal? I sure hope they don't go all MIT! :(

16x media might be Japanese for a short period of time, but it will not last long... especially since 16x DVD+Rs are already made in Taiwan! :cry:

[ZeeTX]

Trust me, that speed comes at a price you won't be willing to pay! The DW1640 can't burn Dual Layer media properly :cry:

But it should be fixed in the next firmware! BenQ has been working on it for sometime now :cheesygri
You mean to say that BenQ DW1640 is not as good as DW1620..:?: So should I wait for it but you say its going to cost high... :arrowu: :arrowu:

OR buy a NEC3540 OEM now or Get a cheap OEM BenQ DW1620 now and forget about BenQ DW1640.. :(

The probability of RMA of BenQ1620 OEM are quite high as I have observed. Even if the drive works well when you buy it, burn CD/DVDs, swap firmwares, but many people suffer sudden deaths of the drive after 2-3 or 4-6 months of usage..:!:

Right now I don't have any DVD burner. Had a NEC ND1100A but now no more as I sold it.

[The Digital Dolphin]

You mean to say that BenQ DW1640 is not as good as DW1620..:?: So should I wait for it but you say its going to cost high... :arrowu: :arrowu:

OR buy a NEC3540 OEM now or Get a cheap OEM BenQ DW1620 now and forget about BenQ DW1640.. :(

The probability of RMA of BenQ1620 OEM are quite high as I have observed. Even if the drive works well when you buy it, burn CD/DVDs, swap firmwares, but many people suffer sudden deaths of the drive after 2-3 or 4-6 months of usage..:!:

Right now I don't have any DVD burner. Had a NEC ND1100A but now no more as I sold it.

I'm DEFFINATELY not saying the DW1640 is inferior to the DW1620, I'm just saying it isn't 100% mature yet. And Dual Layer media is its' achellies heel for the moment. By the time it reaches North America, the new firmware will probably be out. I expect it to be here within the month (of July). I think one shop in the US has been sited with the retail model already.

[rahzel]

ive also heard a lot of people complain about BenQ writers dying, but it is a very popular drive and it does sell a lot. Even if there are a lot of complaints, the percentage of faulty drives still might be low because they sell so many.

btw, can you tell us when the review of the benq 1640 is gonna be posted at CDRlabs DD?

[The Digital Dolphin]

ive also heard a lot of people complain about BenQ writers dying, but it is a very popular drive and it does sell a lot. Even if there are a lot of complaints, the percentage of faulty drives still might be low because they sell so many.

btw, can you tell us when the review of the benq 1640 is gonna be posted at CDRlabs DD?

My 2 BenQ DW1620's see a LOT of action, nearly 24/7 (due to testing all my media on them, and using them for all my personal burning as well), and neither of them have died :cheesygri But BenQ drives do have a higher RMA rate then say a Pioneer drive does. LiteON drives are still worse though ;)

As for my review on the DW1640, it will be posted when it is finished! :cheesygri

83 DVDR/RW/DL tested and counting. The intro is also finished. That means I need to test another 20+ DVDR/RWs, and maybe 15-20 CDR/RWs and I can begin writing the last (longest) 4 pages.

[Tiberius]

I tried to copy a CD last night and the exact moment I clicked to start the copy, the computer crashed and rebooted... what could cause this?? I happened twice in a row (but I uninstalled the old version of Nero I had after the first crash, and re-installed a newer version before trying the second time)

Some background info:

1) I have successfully burned stuff before (DVDs)
2) I was using Nero
3) The burner is an LG 4163 Dual Layer 16x Dvd-/+r Burner
4) The first attempt was direct "on the fly" CD to CD
5) The second attempt was not "on the fly", but was set to copy to the HD first, then burn to CD
6) The second drive is a 16x DVD drive (where I had the original CD to be copied)

I'm hoping this is something as simple as needed drivers or something?? Any help/insite would be appreciated. Thanks.

[rahzel]

I tried to copy a CD last night and the exact moment I clicked to start the copy, the computer crashed and rebooted... what could cause this?? I happened twice in a row (but I uninstalled the old version of Nero I had after the first crash, and re-installed a newer version before trying the second time)

Some background info:

1) I have successfully burned stuff before (DVDs)
2) I was using Nero
3) The burner is an LG 4163 Dual Layer 16x Dvd-/+r Burner
4) The first attempt was direct "on the fly" CD to CD
5) The second attempt was not "on the fly", but was set to copy to the HD first, then burn to CD
6) The second drive is a 16x DVD drive (where I had the original CD to be copied)

I'm hoping this is something as simple as needed drivers or something?? Any help/insite would be appreciated. Thanks.
is your computer overclocked at all? how is your computer temperature? could also be your memory has errors. When i got random reboots all of a sudden, it was because of my memory. Theres a chance its because of your DVD writer, but i think its something else.

[callous]

My 2 BenQ DW1620's see a LOT of action, nearly 24/7 (due to testing all my media on them, and using them for all my personal burning as well), and neither of them have died :cheesygri But BenQ drives do have a higher RMA rate then say a Pioneer drive does. LiteON drives are still worse though ;)

As for my review on the DW1640, it will be posted when it is finished! :cheesygri

83 DVDR/RW/DL tested and counting. The intro is also finished. That means I need to test another 20+ DVDR/RWs, and maybe 15-20 CDR/RWs and I can begin writing the last (longest) 4 pages.

How many dvds/cds has each of your benq 1620's burnt so far. And how many scans using the 1620's?

[rahzel]

How many dvds/cds has each of your benq 1620's burnt so far. And how many scans using the 1620's?
lol, i think that question is gonna be hard to answer... im sure DD has burnt/scanned A LOT with his benq writers.

[The Digital Dolphin]

is your computer overclocked at all? how is your computer temperature? could also be your memory has errors. When i got random reboots all of a sudden, it was because of my memory. Theres a chance its because of your DVD writer, but i think its something else.

It could also be an over taxed power supply. When I put more then 2 DVD burners and an HDD in my system with a 300W PSU, it tends to shut off from time to time.

Just got a new 500W PSU to fix that though :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

lol, i think that question is gonna be hard to answer... im sure DD has burnt/scanned A LOT with his benq writers.

I've burned hundreds of DVDRs on my BenQ DW1620's, and they tested 500-600 discs or so.

[callous]

I've burned hundreds of DVDRs on my BenQ DW1620's, and they tested 500-600 discs or so.

Like 400+ burns on each benq 1620? I just wanted to know the lifespan of my drive

[rahzel]

hey DD, if you remember, my NEC 3520 had huge PIF spikes, usually in 1 part of my scans with all my burnt DVDRs. I know NEC and Pioneer drives arent good for PIE/PIF scanning so i didnt worry since my backups (DVD movies) played back fine. I also did Transfer rate tests with all of my burnt movies and the graphs were smooth, but now all my burns have dips in transfer rate tests. Again, playback seems to be OK, but its kind of hard to tell. Do you think this is a good enough reason to RMA my drive? I'm selling my computer to one of my bros friends and i dont want to sell it to him if its faulty and since its under warranty, im tempted to RMA it.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Like 400+ burns on each benq 1620? I just wanted to know the lifespan of my drive

Hrm... more like 200-250 burns. One of my BenQ DW1620's is pretty much retired right now though, due to lack of space/power in my systems. I'll probably give it away soon to one of my family members always begging for DVD burners :razz:

EVERY time I get a new drive, people always ask me where THEIRS is.... it's getting so old! Some people just can't realize that I actually USE 6-7 burners and have need for another 2-3 to be on call. Oh well.

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, if you remember, my NEC 3520 had huge PIF spikes, usually in 1 part of my scans with all my burnt DVDRs. I know NEC and Pioneer drives arent good for PIE/PIF scanning so i didnt worry since my backups (DVD movies) played back fine. I also did Transfer rate tests with all of my burnt movies and the graphs were smooth, but now all my burns have dips in transfer rate tests. Again, playback seems to be OK, but its kind of hard to tell. Do you think this is a good enough reason to RMA my drive? I'm selling my computer to one of my bros friends and i dont want to sell it to him if its faulty and since its under warranty, im tempted to RMA it.

Are the dips in the same place that the spike occured? Do you get dips in transfer rate tests done on pressed DVDs?

RMA'ing won't hurt, so why not. It sounds now like there MIGHT be a problem beginning in the drive, so better to get it replaced now before it's too late.

[rahzel]

Are the dips in the same place that the spike occured?
nah, the dips in the transfer rate tests arent in the same spots as the PIF spikes.
Do you get dips in transfer rate tests done on pressed DVDs?
by pressed DVDs, do you mean real DVD movies? i didnt know those could do transfer tests. I just tried it with one of my movies and it didnt work.

i think im going to RMA it. I have VIP with NCIX so i can get free RMA shipping.

[The Digital Dolphin]

nah, the dips in the transfer rate tests arent in the same spots as the PIF spikes.

by pressed DVDs, do you mean real DVD movies? i didnt know those could do transfer tests. I just tried it with one of my movies and it didnt work.

i think im going to RMA it. I have VIP with NCIX so i can get free RMA shipping.

If the DVD has CSS copy protection, you need to open a DVDPlayer window, begin playing the movie, then start the transfer rate test, and quickly close the DVD Player.

You only need to get the movie opened by the player, then it's all good :cheesygri

Yet another reason why CSS is useless as copy protection! :lol:

[rahzel]

If the DVD has CSS copy protection, you need to open a DVDPlayer window, begin playing the movie, then start the transfer rate test, and quickly close the DVD Player.

You only need to get the movie opened by the player, then it's all good :cheesygri

Yet another reason why CSS is useless as copy protection! :lol:
ok it worked and the transfer rate test on a pressed DVD came out ok, no dips at all. I already e-mailed NCIX though...

[The Digital Dolphin]

ok it worked and the transfer rate test on a pressed DVD came out ok, no dips at all. I already e-mailed NCIX though...

Well, it can't hurt comparing a different drive right. If it doesn't change things, then you know it wasn't the drive. NCIX tests all the hardware that's RMA'd anyways.

[Alexo]

Any thoughts on the BenQ 1640 vs. the Plextor 740?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Any thoughts on the BenQ 1640 vs. the Plextor 740?

Well, CDRinfo now has a review done on both. I haven't had a chance to check out the PX-740's results yet, but you can pop on over to cdrinfo.com and take a look for yourself if you like?

[optimus]

I don't want to go through 137 pages for this answer (I went through the last few pages), so sorry if this question's already been asked.

after hearing lately about how the batches have been bad/mixed, let me ask: how's the quality on the MIJ Fujis now? I guess they're still mostly mixed. however, does that mean that even the crappy ones are better than, say Riteks or CMCs? I'm considering the GC Superstore sale on Fujis. wonder if they're worth getting since I'm guessing MIJ DVDs are going to get rare these days.

thanks.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I don't want to go through 137 pages for this answer (I went through the last few pages), so sorry if this question's already been asked.

after hearing lately about how the batches have been bad/mixed, let me ask: how's the quality on the MIJ Fujis now? I guess they're still mostly mixed. however, does that mean that even the crappy ones are better than, say Riteks or CMCs? I'm considering the GC Superstore sale on Fujis. wonder if they're worth getting since I'm guessing MIJ DVDs are going to get rare these days.

thanks.

The quality of Fuji MIJ media is variable. Some of it is about the same as the Value Line products sold at NCIX.com and Blankmedia.ca.... and some of it is much much worse. Most of it is not very bad, but the possability exists. All newer batches of Fuji are Made in Taiwan though, and are not that great quality either.

[ZeeTX]

I'm DEFFINATELY not saying the DW1640 is inferior to the DW1620, I'm just saying it isn't 100% mature yet. And Dual Layer media is its' achellies heel for the moment. By the time it reaches North America, the new firmware will probably be out. I expect it to be here within the month (of July). I think one shop in the US has been sited with the retail model already.
Hey DD:
Just got the BenQ1620Pro from FS to try out the drive and keep alive my hopes of getting a 1640 soon.. :)

Just wanted to know - Does the drive's LED(Green) stays always on if there is a CD/DVD in the drive..:?: (Because I have always seen the LED flash only when the drive accesses the CD/DVD and not always..)

Is this normal with BenQ drives or is this any indication of any danger.. :eek:

[Amourek]

Hey DD, what's your opinion of the best DVD writers to buy right now? The recommendation post in your sig is a couple of months old. ;)

[elty]

Hey DD (cuz everyone was saying that)

What brand of DVD R (retial brand as well as disc manufacturer) do you strongly recommand NOT to buy?

Also, is there any retail brand that has good quality?

[i6s1]

Just wanted to know - Does the drive's LED(Green) stays always on if there is a CD/DVD in the drive..:?: (Because I have always seen the LED flash only when the drive accesses the CD/DVD and not always..)

Is this normal with BenQ drives or is this any indication of any danger.. :eek:

Normal, my 1620 does it, everyone's does it.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD:
Just got the BenQ1620Pro from FS to try out the drive and keep alive my hopes of getting a 1640 soon.. :)

Just wanted to know - Does the drive's LED(Green) stays always on if there is a CD/DVD in the drive..:?: (Because I have always seen the LED flash only when the drive accesses the CD/DVD and not always..)

Is this normal with BenQ drives or is this any indication of any danger.. :eek:

As has been mentioned, it's normal. Don't worry :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, what's your opinion of the best DVD writers to buy right now? The recommendation post in your sig is a couple of months old. ;)

I'll try to update that soon! thanks for reminding me :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD (cuz everyone was saying that)

What brand of DVD R (retial brand as well as disc manufacturer) do you strongly recommand NOT to buy?

Also, is there any retail brand that has good quality?

Hrm... don't buy Dynex, Prodisc, Smartbuy, anything made in China or Hongkong.

Actually, I'd really only recommend buying the following:

Taiyo Yuden
Maxell (Made in Japan ONLY)
Acro Circle (don't use on PX-712a, works great on PX-716a though!)
Sony (their media seems pretty stable, EXCELLENT RW media)

Verbatim for certain things (Dual layer, and RW media).

[rahzel]

do you mean actual made by Sony media DD?

is there anyway to tell what youre going to get when you buy a Sony spindle/pk? seems like most of the manufacturers that make sony branded DVDR's are MIT. Sony's plant also seems to be in Taiwan.

[The Digital Dolphin]

do you mean actual made by Sony media DD?

is there anyway to tell what youre going to get when you buy a Sony spindle/pk? seems like most of the manufacturers that make sony branded DVDR's are MIT. Sony's plant also seems to be in Taiwan.

*SONY's* plant is in Japan... but forget about seeing THAT media. Their OEM media is made by Daxon, and so far it seems to be pretty good. Thier 8x media that is. I've had problems with Sony's 4x DVDRs made by Daxon.

[pcguy]

My 2 BenQ DW1620's see a LOT of action, nearly 24/7 (due to testing all my media on them, and using them for all my personal burning as well), and neither of them have died :cheesygri But BenQ drives do have a higher RMA rate then say a Pioneer drive does. LiteON drives are still worse though ;)




What firmware do you recommend for a retail boxed 1620? Having problems with buring SVCDs to Verbatim 12X CD-RWs. The Benq 1620 has firmware B7L9 and is only burning at 10x. As well I have problems with the burns failing under XP under Nero.However if I try to burn the same .mpg file on another computer and Win2k with an LG CD burner there is no problem. How can one tell whether the model is 1620 or 1620Pro?

[The Digital Dolphin]

What firmware do you recommend for a retail boxed 1620? Having problems with buring SVCDs to Verbatim 12X CD-RWs. The Benq 1620 has firmware B7L9 and is only burning at 10x. As well I have problems with the burns failing under XP under Nero.However if I try to burn the same .mpg file on another computer and Win2k with an LG CD burner there is no problem. How can one tell whether the model is 1620 or 1620Pro?

Go with the latest firmware for this, which is B7V9. the DW1620 *IS* a DW1620Pro, once you install firmware B7P9 or later (that's the ONLY difference).

[pcguy]

Go with the latest firmware for this, which is B7V9. the DW1620 *IS* a DW1620Pro, once you install firmware B7P9 or later (that's the ONLY difference).

Thanks for the info. Tried both the B7P9 and B7V9 firmware and the burn fails on both. Yet there is no problem with the LG CD burner doing the burn. Looks like I will have to copy the MPG to the other machine and burn it there. Also Nero InfoTool shows that System ASPI is not installed under XP however Nero's is. >:(

[ZeeTX]

Hey DD:
I am using the default firmware for BenQ1620 (B7S9). Is it good or should I try something else. I am doing both CD/DVD burning (More DVD)..:?:

Here is a sample 2.4X Memorex DVD+RW media Disc Quality test result:

General Information
Drive: BENQ DVD DD DW1620
Firmware: B7S9
Disc: DVD+RW (RICOHJPN W01)
Selected speed: Maximum
PI errors
Maximum: 20
Average: 6.36
Total: 69440
PI failures
Maximum: 14
Average: 2.17
Total: 25764
PO failures: 0
Jitter
Maximum: 12.1 %
Average: 8.97 %
Scanning statistics
Elapsed time: 9:39
Number of samples: 16157
Average scanning interval: 8.04 ECC
Glitches removed: 0

Quality Score 92%

Also, when are you going to review the lastest drives from NEC and BenQ - 3540 and 1640 respectively..:?:

The NEC ND-3540A is now very commonly available at a pretty good price - $61.99 (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170635)
When is the BenQ1640 reaching the NA market..:?: I am getting weary waiting long for it.. :D

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks for the info. Tried both the B7P9 and B7V9 firmware and the burn fails on both. Yet there is no problem with the LG CD burner doing the burn. Looks like I will have to copy the MPG to the other machine and burn it there. Also Nero InfoTool shows that System ASPI is not installed under XP however Nero's is. >:(

Well, B7V9 is your best bet for CD-R/CD-RW burning... sadly it still isn't that great. Better stick with your LG for that sort of thing I think.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD:
I am using the default firmware for BenQ1620 (B7S9). Is it good or should I try something else. I am doing both CD/DVD burning (More DVD)..:?:

Here is a sample 2.4X Memorex DVD+RW media Disc Quality test result:

General Information
Drive: BENQ DVD DD DW1620
Firmware: B7S9
Disc: DVD+RW (RICOHJPN W01)
Selected speed: Maximum
PI errors
Maximum: 20
Average: 6.36
Total: 69440
PI failures
Maximum: 14
Average: 2.17
Total: 25764
PO failures: 0
Jitter
Maximum: 12.1 %
Average: 8.97 %
Scanning statistics
Elapsed time: 9:39
Number of samples: 16157
Average scanning interval: 8.04 ECC
Glitches removed: 0

Quality Score 92%

Also, when are you going to review the lastest drives from NEC and BenQ - 3540 and 1640 respectively..:?:

The NEC ND-3540A is now very commonly available at a pretty good price - $61.99 (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170635)
When is the BenQ1640 reaching the NA market..:?: I am getting weary waiting long for it.. :D

Your scan results seem fine, the jitter's a little higher, but the DW1620 is a little too harsh when testing for jitter anyways.

Regarding the NEC 3540, I have no plans to review that drive at this time.

Regarding the DW1640, I'm nearly done my testing, I'm HOPING it'll be up within 2 weeks. No guarentees though.

BenQ says it will be arriving soon in North America... my rep's just gone on vacation though, so getting a more deffinitive date is hard (plus she's an engineer not in sales, so it's not something she will have immediate access to).

[callous]

Im looking for the following media that has the manufacturer of the following:

Brand:
That’s Write - Thanks to That’s Write for providing it.
Manufacturer:
Ricoh (by Ritek)
Code:
RICOHJPNW11
Disc Type:
DVD+RW
Capacity:
4483MB
Certified Speed:
4x

or

Brand:
Verbatim DataLifePlus
Manufacturer:
Mitsubishi Kagaku Media
Code:
MKM A02
Disc Type:
DVD+RW
Capacity:
4483MB
Certified Speed:
4x

for my Benq 1620. It seems these 2 are the best dvd+rw media for the benq. Which brand/line avail in Toronto would have the same manufacturer as these 2 brands?

Verbatim would be available but probably wouldnt be cheap.

[Evil Techie]

here are a list of the ones with RICOHJPNW11 and W01

W11 is rated for 4x

Fujifilm's DVD+RW 4x looks like it has pretty good quality
you might want to check out london drugs if you are on the west coast
they stock quite a bit of fujifilm media products

[callous]

Hmm is there a webpage that lists which brand is using which manufacturer?

Besides fuji (not happy with them with their 8x media), who else do you recommend, Evil?

[Evil Techie]

oops sry forgot to post link

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia.php?dvdmediasearch=&dvdmediadvdridsearch=RICOHJPNW11&idexact=1&type=6&size=All&dvdburnspeed=All&order=Name&hits=25&search=Search+or+List+Media

videohelp posts the media
but not always accurate as it is user input based so ppl can add in crap if they want

just keep that in mind

RICOH is good, so is Maxell, JVC...
RiDATA uses it too
and quality with my PX-708A is pretty good

maybe DD can shed some light on this too

btw when will 8X DVD+RW come out?
or DVD-RW or is 8X DVD-RW already out?

[callous]

oops sry forgot to post link

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia.php?dvdmediasearch=&dvdmediadvdridsearch=RICOHJPNW11&idexact=1&type=6&size=All&dvdburnspeed=All&order=Name&hits=25&search=Search+or+List+Media

videohelp posts the media
but not always accurate as it is user input based so ppl can add in crap if they want

just keep that in mind

RICOH is good, so is Maxell, JVC...
RiDATA uses it too
and quality with my PX-708A is pretty good

maybe DD can shed some light on this too

btw when will 8X DVD+RW come out?
or DVD-RW or is 8X DVD-RW already out?


Ok thanks! I dont know when 8x rw comes out, the media. I just know that you should always burn at the maximum speed specified by the rw media or results might well be poor.

In my case i should only use 4x rw media.

[The Digital Dolphin]

oops sry forgot to post link

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia.php?dvdmediasearch=&dvdmediadvdridsearch=RICOHJPNW11&idexact=1&type=6&size=All&dvdburnspeed=All&order=Name&hits=25&search=Search+or+List+Media

videohelp posts the media
but not always accurate as it is user input based so ppl can add in crap if they want

just keep that in mind

RICOH is good, so is Maxell, JVC...
RiDATA uses it too
and quality with my PX-708A is pretty good

maybe DD can shed some light on this too

btw when will 8X DVD+RW come out?
or DVD-RW or is 8X DVD-RW already out?

It's a pretty common media code... possibly the most common in the world? It's pretty well supported, and it's quality is usually pretty good. I've had some duds come out of Memorex's brand of the RICOHJPNW11 discs though.

As for 8x DVD+RWs, they are REALLY hard to get. Ritek will be releasing them soon. Verbatim is holding them back for some reason... the quality isn't really that great on them yet (or possibly support is still too slow). 6x DVD-RWs will be available soon from Verbatim and Ritek, and these are doing better with support then the 8x DVD+RWs.... probably it is much more difficult to burn RWs at 8x, which would have prompted the DVD Forum to limit their speed to 6x for reliability, instead of going with 8x to compete with the DVD+RW Alliance.

Currently, I have samples of the following:
Verbatim 8x DVD+RWs
Ricoh 8x DVD+RWs
Ritek 8x DVD+RWs (promised to me to arrive soon... not actually in hand)
Verbatim 6x DVD-RWs
Ritek 6x DVD-RWs (promised to me to arrive soon... not actually in hand)

I think Prodisc and Optodisc are working on some as well, but no ETA yet.

[Evil Techie]

woot so 8X DVD+RW is coming
so any burners that will burn them?

[The Digital Dolphin]

woot so 8X DVD+RW is coming
so any burners that will burn them?

Sure lot's!

LG 4163B, BenQ DW1640, Plextor PX-716a, Plextor PX-740a, NEC 3540, Pioneer DVR-110 (Maybe DVR-109 I can't remember). The LiteON 1693s might as well, I can't remember.

[willy]

Sure lot's!

LG 4163B, BenQ DW1640, Plextor PX-716a, Plextor PX-740a, NEC 3540, Pioneer DVR-110 (Maybe DVR-109 I can't remember). The LiteON 1693s might as well, I can't remember.
Yeap, my NEC 3520A can do that too ...

http://gfx.cdfreaks.com/reviews/dee_vs_nec3520/nec002.png

[rahzel]

yup the Pioneer DVR109 and NEC 3520 do.

[optimus]

I don't know why people get so caught up in the speed thing. even 4x is sufficient. seems like 8x would really make is hard for me to watch videos or other HD related activities while burning a DVD.

anyway, DD
can you tell me what's better, the 8x Sony -R or +R? They're both made in Taiwan. but since the MIJ stuff is getting rare now, I figured I'd grab a spindle from Walmart. Are the Sony's better than say MIT Maxells, which have Ritek media code.

[rahzel]

hmm, off topic but is it only me, or is DD's Avatar all messed up?

to optimus, not all maxell MIT is ritek, some is ricohjpn. I think its made by ritek too, but its much better than ritek's own media.

[ZeeTX]

yup the Pioneer DVR109 and NEC 3520 do.
Yes, but less CD-R / CDRW and DL (+/-) speeds.

[[buck]]

I don't know why people get so caught up in the speed thing. even 4x is sufficient. seems like 8x would really make is hard for me to watch videos or other HD related activities while burning a DVD.

anyway, DD
can you tell me what's better, the 8x Sony -R or +R? They're both made in Taiwan. but since the MIJ stuff is getting rare now, I figured I'd grab a spindle from Walmart. Are the Sony's better than say MIT Maxells, which have Ritek media code.

There's no Japanese Maxells left at your Wal-Mart? Because if there are, I would definately get those.

Anyway, here's a couple scans of some 8X sony media, both burned at 8X on my BenQ DW1620.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7564/maxell002piscan8x22zr.png
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8992/sony08d1piscan8xb7v99ay.png

Based on my limited experience, I would have to say the DVD-R is a bit better. It should also be noted that every DVD+R disc i've burned so far have those awful spikes at the end. I could have just got a "bad" batch, though. Jitter is a little too high for my taste in both cases, as well.

[Evil Techie]

well i think 8x Taiyo Yuden's are so cheap now, ppl dont need to look for Maxell and Sony for quality anymore

[[buck]]

well i think 8x Taiyo Yuden's are so cheap now, ppl dont need to look for Maxell and Sony for quality anymore

they do if they want non-shiny silver tops! :mad:

[The Digital Dolphin]

']they do if they want non-shiny silver tops! :mad:

99% of people aren't that picky. I could actually change it so all people would get a matte surface on their Taiyo Yuden 4x DVD-Rs, but no one wants to pay the extra $$$... meaning the stores selling them.

Maybe if everyone is nice I'll put something together for Christmas for you ;) :cheesygri (but realistically, probably not :( )

[The Digital Dolphin]

I don't know why people get so caught up in the speed thing. even 4x is sufficient. seems like 8x would really make is hard for me to watch videos or other HD related activities while burning a DVD.

anyway, DD
can you tell me what's better, the 8x Sony -R or +R? They're both made in Taiwan. but since the MIJ stuff is getting rare now, I figured I'd grab a spindle from Walmart. Are the Sony's better than say MIT Maxells, which have Ritek media code.

Go for regular Taiyo Yuden's from NCIX or Blankmedia.ca for the best quality. Other then that, probably Sony media is now your best bet. Their - and + media is very similar, so it's more burner related which burns with slightly lower errors ;)

[goose204]

does anyone have an opinion on Dynex DVD-R/+R? futureshop is having a sale on them right now. a 200 pack for $59.99. any info would be helpful. thanks.

[rahzel]

does anyone have an opinion on Dynex DVD-R/+R? futureshop is having a sale on them right now. a 200 pack for $59.99. any info would be helpful. thanks.

Hrm... don't buy Dynex, Prodisc, Smartbuy, anything made in China or Hongkong.

i like pie.

[optimus]

Go for regular Taiyo Yuden's from NCIX or Blankmedia.ca for the best quality. Other then that, probably Sony media is now your best bet. Their - and + media is very similar, so it's more burner related which burns with slightly lower errors ;)

thanks, DD. can always count on you for the answers. :cheesygri

to [buck], thanks for the graphs.

so, can someone give me a link that explains how to read those Nero CD-DVD Speed graphs? and do those Taiyo Yudens from NCIX & Blankmedia have good playability in standalone DVD players (i.e. plays movies without hiccups or errors)?

[rahzel]

hey DD, i got my RMA'd burner back today and i think you might have been right about heat being the issue. As soon as i got the drive and burnt a DVDR, it came out fine. After using it 2-3 more times and doing several tranfer rate and disc quality tests, it started doing the same thing after burns... huge pif spikes and dips in the transfer rate tests. My case gets really hot since its some what small. My case temps reach as high as 43c-45c since its warmer now and we rarely use air conditioner at our house. I felt the bottom of the drive and it was pretty warm. Do you think this will cause perminent damage to the writer? or do you think it will be ok when it cools down?

this sucks, is heat really affecting the write quality of my burner? i cant wait until i get my new computer. My new case is bigger and has 2 120mm fans, so my computer case wont be nearly as hot.

[Alexo]

AnandTech Summer 2005 16x DVDR Roundup (http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=2470)

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, i got my RMA'd burner back today and i think you might have been right about heat being the issue. As soon as i got the drive and burnt a DVDR, it came out fine. After using it 2-3 more times and doing several tranfer rate and disc quality tests, it started doing the same thing after burns... huge pif spikes and dips in the transfer rate tests. My case gets really hot since its some what small. My case temps reach as high as 43c-45c since its warmer now and we rarely use air conditioner at our house. I felt the bottom of the drive and it was pretty warm. Do you think this will cause perminent damage to the writer? or do you think it will be ok when it cools down?

this sucks, is heat really affecting the write quality of my burner? i cant wait until i get my new computer. My new case is bigger and has 2 120mm fans, so my computer case wont be nearly as hot.

I don't know about permenant damage, but heat can deffinately affect both burning and playback to some degree. You may seriously want to consider leaving one of the sides of your case open, or getting a few extra fans.

[The Digital Dolphin]

AnandTech Summer 2005 16x DVDR Roundup (http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=2470)

I saw that... it's.... painful. Just in case anyone was thinking of copying them, using total PIE values is *NOT* a good way to test media.

...at least they included the test images in .zip format as an optional download.

[rahzel]

hey DD, i think i figured out my problem and i dont think it was heat afterall. When i updated the firmware for my drive, i didnt disable my secondary slave drive (cd writer). I re-flashed my drive properly and all seems ok now (transfer rate tests are smooth and PIE/PIF scans also seem to be back to normal). Heres my recent scan.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/untitled3.jpg

[The Digital Dolphin]

rahzel: Hooray!!! :)

[callous]

hey DD, i think i figured out my problem and i dont think it was heat afterall. When i updated the firmware for my drive, i didnt disable my secondary slave drive (cd writer). I re-flashed my drive properly and all seems ok now (transfer rate tests are smooth and PIE/PIF scans also seem to be back to normal). Heres my recent scan.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/untitled3.jpg


How did that happen? I dont understand how it could have failed to flash, after all you would have noticed which bios version it had prior to flashing.

[rahzel]

im not sure... on the NEC site it recommends to disable any slave drives running on the same IDE cable when you flash. i dont know for sure if this fixed the problem. Today was a little cooler so i guess i shouldnt rule out heat yet...

[Alexo]

I saw that... it's.... painful. Just in case anyone was thinking of copying them, using total PIE values is *NOT* a good way to test media.

...at least they included the test images in .zip format as an optional download.
Well, given the test images, do you agree or disagree with their conclusions?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Well, given the test images, do you agree or disagree with their conclusions?

Hrm... their testing lacks a lot of information that I normally like to base my opinions on. Keep in mind I never make a judgement on burn quality in my reviews without looking at the disc on 2 or 3 drives, with specific scanning abilities. I like to know the Beta error levels as scanned by a PX-712a or PX-716a (not given by Anandtech), the PIE, PIF, POF, and Jitter error levels as scanned by a BenQ DW1620 or DW1640 (not given by Anandtech) and a quick K-Probe scan done on a LiteON to round things out (not given by Anandtech). I also use a transfer rate test, done on the PX-712a or PX-716a (Anandtech DOES have transfer rate tests, but not done on the PX, but better then nothing).

But based on what I saw, I would say I do not agree with their conclusions. They completely ignored the POF errors that plextools picked up on the DVD-RDL test done on the disc burned by the BenQ DW1640 for one thing. But I'm not going to sit and list EVERY problem :razz:

They just need to stop thinking they can benchmark error rates like they do transfer tests.

[daveveitch]

hey i was looking for a thread to post this problem in and figured this was the one.

I recently bought a benq dw1620pro burner and am using maxell 8x dvd-r which i had bought from staples


Using nero I am burning movies onto dvds and then watching them in my dvd player. The problem is there are small "pops" or "clicks" that sound in the background at seeminly random times through the movie. If anyone has any advice/suggestions id love to hear em :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey i was looking for a thread to post this problem in and figured this was the one.

I recently bought a benq dw1620pro burner and am using maxell 8x dvd-r which i had bought from staples


Using nero I am burning movies onto dvds and then watching them in my dvd player. The problem is there are small "pops" or "clicks" that sound in the background at seeminly random times through the movie. If anyone has any advice/suggestions id love to hear em :)

What version of the drive's firmware are you running?

[daveveitch]

What came out of the box, whcih version do you suggest I use?

[The Digital Dolphin]

What came out of the box, whcih version do you suggest I use?

Generally, B7P9... but I'd need to check my notes at home (I'm at work now) and I won't be able to check them until MAYBE Sunday :( (busy weekend!)

[daveveitch]

No problem, thanks for the response :)

[Kosh]

I want to know the error rate so if i have a bad copy i can burn again.

[rahzel]

hey DD, do you know what kind of dye Maxell uses in their own media?

edit: btw, just noticed NCIX already has the Benq 1640.

[blitz]

Hey DD and/or his little helpers,

I got a LG 4163B and I've tried only burning one data 4x TY disc.

I used Nero CD/DVD Speed to run a transfer rate test and a scandisc (I believe they are basically the same but just displays info differently..correct?) in the LG and everything seems ok (no noticable dips and all green squares).

I do the same test in my Sony 1621 DVD-ROM and I can't complete the transfer rate test (get an error: "no additional sense information (030201)"). I also tried the scandisc and it has trouble reading the last 3% and I get red squares at the end of the disc.

Too bad I can't do any PI/PIF testing so I'm wondering if I have a bad burn or just my DVD-ROM sucks at reading it (which I think is the case)?

Do you know how I can tell what files are burned at what location of the disc so I can try to just copy the files?

[The Digital Dolphin]

I want to know the error rate so if i have a bad copy i can burn again.

Chances are it'll be better if you just do a transfer rate test. Doing a proper analysis of DVDR media quality can take a lot of time, and for the best understanding, should be done with multiple drives. A transfer rate test will tell you how readable the disc is with *YOUR* hardware, and that's really what you need to know in the long run. Testing the error rate will not tell you how quickly the disc will decompose anyways, so there is no real advantage to using an error rate scan.

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, do you know what kind of dye Maxell uses in their own media?

edit: btw, just noticed NCIX already has the Benq 1640.

Nope... that's pretty much a trade secret. I might be able to find out if they classify it as Azo or Cyanine, but in the end, that means next to nothing, sinced there are dozens of variations of both types (Phthalocyanine as well), and countless MINOR variations of each type (not so much with the Phthalocyanine though, since no one really uses it...).

One thing to consider is that almost every manufacturer that isn't TY or Verbatim mixes some Azo components with some Cyanine components to make a stable/affordable dye.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD and/or his little helpers,

I got a LG 4163B and I've tried only burning one data 4x TY disc.

I used Nero CD/DVD Speed to run a transfer rate test and a scandisc (I believe they are basically the same but just displays info differently..correct?) in the LG and everything seems ok (no noticable dips and all green squares).

I do the same test in my Sony 1621 DVD-ROM and I can't complete the transfer rate test (get an error: "no additional sense information (030201)"). I also tried the scandisc and it has trouble reading the last 3% and I get red squares at the end of the disc.

Too bad I can't do any PI/PIF testing so I'm wondering if I have a bad burn or just my DVD-ROM sucks at reading it (which I think is the case)?

Do you know how I can tell what files are burned at what location of the disc so I can try to just copy the files?

Well, I know that when I reviewed the drive, the TYG02 when burned at 8x had out of spec Beta error rates, and Sony made drives (not LiteONs!) are known for being rather picky readers. This could be the source of your problem. My suggestion would be to reburn the disc at 4x... that should solve the Beta problem I think (also, make sure to run the LG firmware tool to see if a newer version is available online. Keep in mind the firmware updater tool can get firmwares newer then the ones listed on LG's webpage sometimes!).

[Shearer]

Hey DD,

What do you think of the Benq 1640 compared to the 1620?

[ZeeTX]

I think (also, make sure to run the LG firmware tool to see if a newer version is available online. Keep in mind the firmware updater tool can get firmwares newer then the ones listed on LG's webpage sometimes!).
That's interesting.. Seems like the software has the capability to go online and gain access to the LG FTP server and download the latest firmware which is not even officially released/posted on their webiste.

[rahzel]

hey DD, im going to be selling my nec 3520 and buying a benq 1640 OEM from NCIX. i have a few questions about the benq 1640 and firmware.
1. can you use any firmware with an OEM benq 1640?
2. do you have to convert your oem benq 1640 to a retail to use the firmware on the benq site or is there anything you have to do to an OEM 1640 to use the firmware on the benq site?

i dont know much about the benq drives and firmware, but at CDFreaks, theres a thread discussing if its necessary to flash to B7L9 before flashing your benq 1620 to the firmware you want to. Also, in the benq faq, it says you need to flash your oem benq 1620 to a retail before using the retail firmware on the benq site.

[NDman]

Subscribing to this thread as I'm planning to buy the BenQ1640 drive. Looking forward to the reviews and other technical details about it. Thanks ahead.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD,

What do you think of the Benq 1640 compared to the 1620?

It's a better drive. It's more error tolerant, it's faster, better burn quality... and the WOPC does some incredible things even with illegal code media. The downside? It doesn't overclock media almost at all (SONY08D1 will, and that's all I think). Also, it's not a very good dual layer burner for quality.... YET. BenQ has already promised to fix this soon!

And yes, the DW1640 does better with CD-Rs then the DW1620. I'm not sure I'm comfortable saying it's GOOD with CD-Rs yet... but it burns them much faster then the DW1620, and with better quality for sure.

[The Digital Dolphin]

That's interesting.. Seems like the software has the capability to go online and gain access to the LG FTP server and download the latest firmware which is not even officially released/posted on their webiste.

Yup!

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, im going to be selling my nec 3520 and buying a benq 1640 OEM from NCIX. i have a few questions about the benq 1640 and firmware.
1. can you use any firmware with an OEM benq 1640?
2. do you have to convert your oem benq 1640 to a retail to use the firmware on the benq site or is there anything you have to do to an OEM 1640 to use the firmware on the benq site?

i dont know much about the benq drives and firmware, but at CDFreaks, theres a thread discussing if its necessary to flash to B7L9 before flashing your benq 1620 to the firmware you want to. Also, in the benq faq, it says you need to flash your oem benq 1620 to a retail before using the retail firmware on the benq site.

*IF* your drive comes with the OEM firmware, you'll need to hack your drive to retail firmwares before you can install one from the global BenQ webpage. It shouldn't be too hard to get these hacks.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Subscribing to this thread as I'm planning to buy the BenQ1640 drive. Looking forward to the reviews and other technical details about it. Thanks ahead.

There will be a big PDF of test data available soon.... feel free to PM me if you want an advance copy ;)

EDIT: Ok... that's enough of that... the rest of you can wait another hour or two :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

Ok, here's the link to the thread on CDRlabs where the test data has been posted for the DW1640. Enjoy!!

http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=143181

[NDman]

I know I should look up the thread as well as CDR labs' thread. But there's so much info there that it's hard to plow through them. In the PDF file, what is water-downed meaning of Beta error and jitter thing? The lower, the better, I assume? It's mostly at the 10's% region. Is that good, or bad? Thanks again

[The Digital Dolphin]

I know I should look up the thread as well as CDR labs' thread. But there's so much info there that it's hard to plow through them. In the PDF file, what is water-downed meaning of Beta error and jitter thing? The lower, the better, I assume? It's mostly at the 10's% region. Is that good, or bad? Thanks again

On the PX-712a:
Beta should have a minimum of greater then -5% and a maximum of less then +15%
PIE Max should be 280 or less
PIF Max should be 4 or less
POF Should be 0

on the LiteON SOHW-832s
PIE Max should be 280 or less
PIF Max should be 4 or less
(It doesn't really matter though, since the SOHW-832s a crappy useless POS tester, and I only include it for LiteON nuts)

On the BenQ DW1620
PIE Max should be 280 or less
PIF Max should be 32 or less
POF should be 0
Jitter Max should be ~12% or less, a little more is ok but not 13%

On the BenQ DW1640
PIE Max should be 280 or less
PIF Max should be 32 or less
POF should be 0
Jitter Max should be 12% or less (no more then 12%!)

[NDman]

Many many thanks again, DD. I hammered down the deal. This thread will be my holy grail for the next little while when the burner comes. :cheesygri Cheers

[rahzel]

*IF* your drive comes with the OEM firmware, you'll need to hack your drive to retail firmwares before you can install one from the global BenQ webpage. It shouldn't be too hard to get these hacks.
how do i know if its OEM firmware or retail firmware?

edit: i just found out that OEM benq drives have firmware that starts with a G instead of B, is this true?

also, if it is an OEM and i make it a retail drive, does that void my warranty?

[The Digital Dolphin]

how do i know if its OEM firmware or retail firmware?

edit: i just found out that OEM benq drives have firmware that starts with a G instead of B, is this true?

also, if it is an OEM and i make it a retail drive, does that void my warranty?

if the firmware starts with a 'B' then it's retail. If the firmware starts with a 'G' then it's OEM.

Will firmware hacking void your warranty? It depends on the store, but in general yes it probably should.

[i6s1]

DD;

My father in law wants a burner by the weekend. I was going to get him a 109, should I get him a 1640? He doesn't really care too much about price.

[[buck]]

DD;

My father in law wants a burner by the weekend. I was going to get him a 109, should I get him a 1640? He doesn't really care too much about price.

I would definately get him the 1640. :) While the Pio 109 can be good, the 1640 is pretty much the best drive on the market. (and they're cheaper :D )

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD;

My father in law wants a burner by the weekend. I was going to get him a 109, should I get him a 1640? He doesn't really care too much about price.

He'll probably be happy either way. The BenQ DW1640 does automatic bitsetting though, which means he won't have to worry about DVD+R or DVD-R media. The Pioneer DVR-109 is pretty close to the BenQ in media compatability though.

But since the DW1640 is cheaper, you might as well go that way :)

[rahzel]

if the firmware starts with a 'B' then it's retail. If the firmware starts with a 'G' then it's OEM.

Will firmware hacking void your warranty? It depends on the store, but in general yes it probably should.
reading the cdfreaks boards, it looks like you have to flash it with firmware BSGB in cvt format with WinDWflash. Does this turn it into a retail drive so you can use the retail benq firmware, or is there more to it? can you just tell me how to do it? =] is there any difference between an OEM turned Retail drive and a regular retail drive?

also, how would a store/benq know you used hacked firmware? couldnt you just say that your drive came with retail firmware?

sorry for all the questions but i just want to make sure that i am able to convert an OEM drive to a Retail (if i do get an OEM drive) before buying it from NCIX.

[The Digital Dolphin]

reading the cdfreaks boards, it looks like you have to flash it with firmware BSGB in cvt format with WinDWflash. Does this turn it into a retail drive so you can use the retail benq firmware, or is there more to it? can you just tell me how to do it? =] is there any difference between an OEM turned Retail drive and a regular retail drive?

also, how would a store/benq know you used hacked firmware? couldnt you just say that your drive came with retail firmware?

sorry for all the questions but i just want to make sure that i am able to convert an OEM drive to a Retail (if i do get an OEM drive) before buying it from NCIX.

You probably can flash it with ANY BSxB firmware in .cvt format to turn it into a retail drive. And yes, then you can use the retail firmware. The only difference between a hacked OEM drive and a retail drive is the face plate and eject button.

As for a store knowing what firmware you should be using, the drive has printed on it the firmware it comes with, so theoretically they could compare the firmware the drive shipped with to the firmware on the drive when returned, and know if you hacked it. But most people don't care, since the firmware *IS* a BenQ firmware, and shows itself to be, so it doesn't look weird or suspicious. I suspect it would be fine.

[elty]

I just get some DVD-R fom Blankmedia, but it is TYG01... is it the cheap version of TY?

[The Digital Dolphin]

I just get some DVD-R fom Blankmedia, but it is TYG01... is it the cheap version of TY?

Well, that's the value line of TY DVD-R, so it's not the best media made by TY, but it's still going to be better then 95% of the other media on the market.

[heavyarms]

I am looking to buy a dvd burner but what are features that I should look for? I read from you that the benq 1620 is fairly good. Are those dvd printable ones at costo good discs to buy? or should I stick to which brand(s)? Also, I happen to had bought a lot of well, I would say generic dvd-r spindles a while back when I was about to purchase a dvd burner but it simply got prolonged. I had successfully burned 7 discs at a friends house with no ease and wondering how well it will do on the 1620 or the new benq model that it out? Also, what are the cons of these low grade generic disc? (no labels/codes), are they such that eventually that the data could possibly be corrupted? Anyhow, I plan to use the burner for burning movies, chinese drama series, anime episodes and general programs and etc.

Thank you.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I am looking to buy a dvd burner but what are features that I should look for? I read from you that the benq 1620 is fairly good. Are those dvd printable ones at costo good discs to buy? or should I stick to which brand(s)? Also, I happen to had bought a lot of well, I would say generic dvd-r spindles a while back when I was about to purchase a dvd burner but it simply got prolonged. I had successfully burned 7 discs at a friends house with no ease and wondering how well it will do on the 1620 or the new benq model that it out? Also, what are the cons of these low grade generic disc? (no labels/codes), are they such that eventually that the data could possibly be corrupted? Anyhow, I plan to use the burner for burning movies, chinese drama series, anime episodes and general programs and etc.

Thank you.

The DW1620 was a very good DVD burner for it's time.... but it's time has now passed, and there are better burners on the market. The DVR-109 is a good example, and the DW1640 is another. Both drives are good with Generic type media like you described, so I would recommend either one. The BenQ DW1640 has the added benefit of automatic bitsetting on all DVD+R/RW/DL media, so if you have older DVD players, it might be the better choice.

I can't say much about your generic media without knowing more about it... b ut generally low grade media has shorter lifespans and less compatability with DVD Players, then higher grade media.

As for the TDK printable discs... like I said in the hot deals forum, the deal is VERY good... but the media is variable in quality. I've seen some excellent results and some horrible results from the codes mentioned, so don't put anything important on them. Still, from the sounds of it, they are probably better then the "Generic" stuff you mentioned you had.

[NDman]

Hey DD. COuld you please suggest some mid-range DVD's (in terms of price and mostly importantly quality) for the DW1640? I don't have any important stuff to be archived in the near future so I can wait and do more research on high quality stuff.

Also, what DVD burning software is free, and good? How do you find out the "codes" of the DVD-R's (TY, Prodisc, etc)? Last question, does it matter if it's +R or -R? Thanks again

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD. COuld you please suggest some mid-range DVD's (in terms of price and mostly importantly quality) for the DW1640? I don't have any important stuff to be archived in the near future so I can wait and do more research on high quality stuff.

Also, what DVD burning software is free, and good? How do you find out the "codes" of the DVD-R's (TY, Prodisc, etc)? Last question, does it matter if it's +R or -R? Thanks again

Acro Circle 8x DVD-Rs, or once the new Optodisc Generic 8x DVD-Rs come out with the OPTODISCR008 code, you can use those. I'm expecting some really good things later on this year with them :cheesygri

For free burning software... can't suggest too much. Use the demo of Nero I guess?

For MID checking, use either Nero CD/DVD Speed, or DVD Identifier.

Regarding DVD-R or DVD+R, it doesn't really matter... but DVD-R is more common.

[heavyarms]

thanks for the help so far DD. Anyways further on I had recently stored some semi-important information on some generic dvd-r's as I had to reformat my computer. Anyhow I was wondering in general what types/companies offer reliable dvd discs that are better in terms for lasting longer. As well, what types of disc do you find that you commonly use (med/high grade)

Thanks.

[rahzel]

thanks for the help so far DD. Anyways further on I had recently stored some semi-important information on some generic dvd-r's as I had to reformat my computer. Anyhow I was wondering in general what types/companies offer reliable dvd discs that are better in terms for lasting longer. As well, what types of disc do you find that you commonly use (med/high grade)

Thanks.
for easy to get DVDR's that are high quality and last long, go for Taiyo Yuden but be aware of fakes. They can be found at NCIX.com or blankmedia.ca and they are 2 of the best stores in Canada to buy Genuine Taiyo Yuden media from.

btw, thanks for the help DD.

[The Digital Dolphin]

thanks for the help so far DD. Anyways further on I had recently stored some semi-important information on some generic dvd-r's as I had to reformat my computer. Anyhow I was wondering in general what types/companies offer reliable dvd discs that are better in terms for lasting longer. As well, what types of disc do you find that you commonly use (med/high grade)

Thanks.

Rahzel has some good info in his reply.

Maxell's Japanese made media is also good. For extreme high quality, the best media I can recommend right now is probably Maxell's Broadcast Quality Japanese DVD-Rs. They run ~$2/disc, but they're the best archivability disc I can think of.

[heavyarms]

if possible, does anyone know what blankmedia usually charges for a pack of 50 or 100 if they had bought the Taiyo Yuden brand.

[blitz]

Well, I know that when I reviewed the drive, the TYG02 when burned at 8x had out of spec Beta error rates, and Sony made drives (not LiteONs!) are known for being rather picky readers. This could be the source of your problem. My suggestion would be to reburn the disc at 4x... that should solve the Beta problem I think (also, make sure to run the LG firmware tool to see if a newer version is available online. Keep in mind the firmware updater tool can get firmwares newer then the ones listed on LG's webpage sometimes!).Thanks..good too know about the LG firmware.

Well it was my Sony reader (rebadged BTC drive) that was the problem. Found that there was newer firmware then what I had, so I updated it and now it scans nicely without problems.

Should have known to check the firmware first. Thanks again.

[Max_Dealing]

DD,

From your experiences what kind of life span can you expect from a cd or dvd? I would think different quality media would play a big part, is this true?

For example,
If I have information I would like to hold on for 2 years what could I use? For 5 years+? 10 years??

Thanks,

[digdoug]

BinaryPorpoise (I mean DigitalDolphin):

Is Maxell going to stop 'making' MIJ DVDs? I'm wondering if I should stock up on the MIJ spindles at Wallfart ($26 for 50). Are the days of cheap MIJ DVDs over now? Cause I seem to see a lot of the brand names replacing their MIJ stuff with MIT only, at least in their non-premium lines. Is this the time to stock up on them while they're still available at a cheap price?

[ZeeTX]

Seeing the falling prices of DVD Writers and media -- It is clearly evident that the organizations are targetting the cheaper labour market like China, Taiwan, Malaysia....
Recently, NEC has evaluated to outsorce the production of their DVD writers and more and more comapnies are making the move to cut prices and sell more of their product.
NEC evaluates DVD burner outsourcing to Taiwan
In order to compete with the competitive OEM prices offer by Taiwan vendors, NEC may outsource its DVD burner orders to Taiwan, though the company regards quality and cost control as concerns. In related news, NEC has average monthly shipments of 1.1 million half-high DVD burners and 400,000 slim DVD RW drives.
http://digitimes.com/print/a20050715PR202.html
This means we will be seeing more and more numbers of MIT, MIC, MIM products in coming days and less MIJ which inturn rises the price of MIJ prodcts..:!:

Hopefully this does not happen but no one can be sure or bet on it.. :|

BinaryPorpoise (I mean DigitalDolphin):

Is Maxell going to stop 'making' MIJ DVDs? I'm wondering if I should stock up on the MIJ spindles at Wallfart ($26 for 50). Are the days of cheap MIJ DVDs over now? Cause I seem to see a lot of the brand names replacing their MIJ stuff with MIT only, at least in their non-premium lines. Is this the time to stock up on them while they're still available at a cheap price?

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD,

From your experiences what kind of life span can you expect from a cd or dvd? I would think different quality media would play a big part, is this true?

For example,
If I have information I would like to hold on for 2 years what could I use? For 5 years+? 10 years??

Thanks,

Yes, the quality of the disc makes a big difference. For CD-Rs, I would suggest the following:

2 Years: Ritek (*NOT* PRODISC!)
5 years: Taiyo Yuden
10 years: Maxell Pro (Taiyo Yuden with protective coatings) or Mitsui Gold

For DVDRs I would suggest the following:
2 Years: Acro Circle (Cheaper and more consistant then Ritek, don't even THINK Prodisc!!)
5 Years: Taiyo Yuden
10 years: Maxell Broadcast Quality (BQ) DVD-Rs (Japanese Maxell media with protective layers)

[The Digital Dolphin]

BinaryPorpoise (I mean DigitalDolphin):

Is Maxell going to stop 'making' MIJ DVDs? I'm wondering if I should stock up on the MIJ spindles at Wallfart ($26 for 50). Are the days of cheap MIJ DVDs over now? Cause I seem to see a lot of the brand names replacing their MIJ stuff with MIT only, at least in their non-premium lines. Is this the time to stock up on them while they're still available at a cheap price?

Well, basically.... with prices dropping so low, Fuji and Maxell can't have media made in Japan, and still sell at those prices. So if you can find cheap Japanese media, it's a good time to get it, but I'd be surprised if you can still find real volumes of it.

I happen to know that Maxell is currently using Ritek, but that they are exploring other options, which may include Taiyo Yuden again in the future. ;) (no promises of course)

[NDman]

So where's the best place to buy DVD media? Prices are not much of a concern. Deal would be nice, but I'd take quality for the momeny befoer I have a grasp of what exactly is happening in the DVD world.

[The Digital Dolphin]

So where's the best place to buy DVD media? Prices are not much of a concern. Deal would be nice, but I'd take quality for the momeny befoer I have a grasp of what exactly is happening in the DVD world.

In your area, blankmedia.ca is usually the best. NCIX.com might be an option sometimes depending on how much you're buying (no tax, but higher shipping).

[rahzel]

blankmedia.ca since youre in Ontario (bm is located in Kitchener, ON). Youll have to pay PST but the shipping will probably be cheaper (for smaller orders). They have more selection too.

[callous]

Yes, the quality of the disc makes a big difference. For CD-Rs, I would suggest the following:

2 Years: Ritek (*NOT* PRODISC!)
5 years: Taiyo Yuden
10 years: Maxell Pro (Taiyo Yuden with protective coatings) or Mitsui Gold

For DVDRs I would suggest the following:
2 Years: Acro Circle (Cheaper and more consistant then Ritek, don't even THINK Prodisc!!)
5 Years: Taiyo Yuden
10 years: Maxell Broadcast Quality (BQ) DVD-Rs (Japanese Maxell media with protective layers)

These figures, are they for unburnt media, from production date? Or burnt media?

[The Digital Dolphin]

These figures, are they for unburnt media, from production date? Or burnt media?

I don't have any official information on DVDR unburned media shelf life. I imagine 5-10 years from production is pretty safe though. The numbers I quoted were for burned media lifespan.

[callous]

I don't have any official information on DVDR unburned media shelf life. I imagine 5-10 years from production is pretty safe though. The numbers I quoted were for burned media lifespan.

I thought brand name CDs had a 70+ life after they were burnt. Im now confused.

[digdoug]

Well, basically.... with prices dropping so low, Fuji and Maxell can't have media made in Japan, and still sell at those prices. So if you can find cheap Japanese media, it's a good time to get it, but I'd be surprised if you can still find real volumes of it.

I happen to know that Maxell is currently using Ritek, but that they are exploring other options, which may include Taiyo Yuden again in the future. ;) (no promises of course)

thanks, is the current crop of Fuji's still of mixed? I grabbed a couple of their MIJ 25-packs from the Source cause it was so cheap. Should I get more?

also, anyone know the compatibility of these new Dual Layer burned DVDRs on DVD players? Like on the players people already have.

[rahzel]

I thought brand name CDs had a 70+ life after they were burnt. Im now confused.
i think hes just giving you a safe guess. Brand name CDs/DVDs SAY they will last 100+ years, but who really knows. It also depends on the quality of the burn. If you have a good quality burn with good media and its stored properly, then the disc will probably last a long time.

[rahzel]

thanks, is the current crop of Fuji's still of mixed? I grabbed a couple of their MIJ 25-packs from the Source cause it was so cheap. Should I get more?

also, anyone know the compatibility of these new Dual Layer burned DVDRs on DVD players? Like on the players people already have.
i think the FUJI MIJ are still variable in quality. Might want to wait for DD's word.

about the compatibility of new dual layer DVDs, dual layer media isnt really that new at all... as long as you change the booktype to DVD-ROM, it should play fine on most DVD players. If you have an older player, it might have troubles playing. If i were to get dual layer media currently, i would only get verbatim. They can be found at blankmedia.ca and NCIX.com. Also, i wouldnt get dual layer -R media, i would get dual layer +R media.

[rahzel]

first burn with my new benq 1640 BSJB.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/1640.jpg

how much jitter is too much DD? also, the transfer rate test with the same disc didnt look so good... not good at all.

edit: i just did a transfer rate test with a disc burnt on my NEC 3520. The transfer rate test was ok on my NEC, but shows a lot of dips on my new benq 1640. The dips are during pretty much the whole test, not just at high speed. Ill watch the movie to see if its playable but heres the transfer test of the disc that was burnt with the NEC.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/BENQ____DVD_DD_DW1640_BSJB_22-July-.png

[The Digital Dolphin]

I thought brand name CDs had a 70+ life after they were burnt. Im now confused.

Sure... the marketing all says that for sure... I'm talking realistic expectancies, not best case idyllic scenarios.

[The Digital Dolphin]

thanks, is the current crop of Fuji's still of mixed? I grabbed a couple of their MIJ 25-packs from the Source cause it was so cheap. Should I get more?

also, anyone know the compatibility of these new Dual Layer burned DVDRs on DVD players? Like on the players people already have.

Fuji and Taiyo Yuden aren't going to just *tell* me when it's safe :razz: But I think the bulk of the problem is passed now.... I wouldn't be surprised if some stock still existed, but most of it has been ok lately, so it looking positive. How's that?

DVD+RDL with bitsetting is compatible with a majority of players. DVD-RDL is NOT compatible with a majority of players.

[The Digital Dolphin]

first burn with my new benq 1640 BSJB.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/1640.jpg

how much jitter is too much DD? also, the transfer rate test with the same disc didnt look so good... not good at all.

edit: i just did a transfer rate test with a disc burnt on my NEC 3520. The transfer rate test was ok on my NEC, but shows a lot of dips on my new benq 1640. The dips are during pretty much the whole test, not just at high speed. Ill watch the movie to see if its playable but heres the transfer test of the disc that was burnt with the NEC.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/BENQ____DVD_DD_DW1640_BSJB_22-July-.png

Jitter should be 12% or less as a maximum... so you're fine! :) (technically it's SUPPOSED to be ~9% max, but realistically nothing will give you problems until ~12%+).

As for the transfer rate test... that doesn't look "bad" but it doesn't look smooth either. Let me play with my drive a little more. I haven't done a lot of transfer rate tests on it at all, so I don't know quite what to expect yet (I've been spending so much time burning!!). I would say from the scan you got, you should have nothing to worry about... unless the beta errors are too low or too high (the one thing the DW1620/DW1640 can't scan for :( ), but I dno't think it should be an issue. The Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD-R I burned played back flawlessly on every drive I threw it in to, so I doubt the quality is a problem.

[Drew_W]

Is it wise to keep using DVD-R media at this point? I just got the Fuji MIJ ones, my first foray into DVD+R media. All of my DVD players seem to read a DVD burnt onto +R media, but many of my older DVD-ROMs on computers (including my laptop) won't read it.

I also need a new burner. LG-4163B versus Pioneer 109...your take, DD?

[rahzel]

Jitter should be 12% or less as a maximum... so you're fine! :) (technically it's SUPPOSED to be ~9% max, but realistically nothing will give you problems until ~12%+).

As for the transfer rate test... that doesn't look "bad" but it doesn't look smooth either. Let me play with my drive a little more. I haven't done a lot of transfer rate tests on it at all, so I don't know quite what to expect yet (I've been spending so much time burning!!). I would say from the scan you got, you should have nothing to worry about... unless the beta errors are too low or too high (the one thing the DW1620/DW1640 can't scan for :( ), but I dno't think it should be an issue. The Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD-R I burned played back flawlessly on every drive I threw it in to, so I doubt the quality is a problem.
im guessing its just the heat again. have you heard anything about DVDs burnt with other drives having problems being read in other drives?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Is it wise to keep using DVD-R media at this point? I just got the Fuji MIJ ones, my first foray into DVD+R media. All of my DVD players seem to read a DVD burnt onto +R media, but many of my older DVD-ROMs on computers (including my laptop) won't read it.

I also need a new burner. LG-4163B versus Pioneer 109...your take, DD?

My suggestions would be BenQ DW1640, Pioneer DVR-109, Plextor PX-716a (held back due to cost mainly), and then maybe the LG 4163B.

[The Digital Dolphin]

im guessing its just the heat again. have you heard anything about DVDs burnt with other drives having problems being read in other drives?

Well, every drive has differernt tolerance levels, so it can happen quite easily... but not usually with discs that have such good scans.

[Drew_W]

My suggestions would be BenQ DW1640, Pioneer DVR-109, Plextor PX-716a (held back due to cost mainly), and then maybe the LG 4163B.

I was looking at the Pio 109, but heard it has media compatibility problems.

[callous]

Fuji and Taiyo Yuden aren't going to just *tell* me when it's safe :razz: But I think the bulk of the problem is passed now.... I wouldn't be surprised if some stock still existed, but most of it has been ok lately, so it looking positive. How's that?

DVD+RDL with bitsetting is compatible with a majority of players. DVD-RDL is NOT compatible with a majority of players.


You still havent told us if it is TY's fault or fuji's :razz:

Also, some ppl have suggested that the spots on the fuji were caused by excessive heat while in transportation to retailers or warehouse, can this be true?

[kingsley]

If someone or Digital Dolphin could provide some assistance...

I'm getting quite confused on what media is good or bad now. As I general rule, if I see it is Made in Japan can I assume it is good then? I'm getting paranoid now with bad disc qualities after I found out a few days ago that some Princo DVDs I burned a couple of years ago can't be read anymore. Thanks.

[[buck]]

I thought some of you might be interested in this:

http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/9281/8montholdrecsanprobablyb7s93mr.png (http://www.imageshack.us)

This is a 7mo old Optodisc Acro Circle 8X DVD-R with the (fake) TY code. Probably done with B7S9. This stuff really is holding up well! max PIF 2! DD, you're right about Acro Circle being good stuff. :cool:

[kingsley]

Can these graphs tell you how reliable a disc will be?

[[buck]]

Can these graphs tell you how reliable a disc will be?

These graphs tell you the number of correctable errors the scanning drives "sees". The lower the errors, the better the burn. However, PI errors are only half of the equation. There is also the stability of the dye that you need to consider. The low quality stuff tends to degrade alot faster than high quality, japanese media. ie ritek/prodisc/princo vs maxell/taiyo yuden/verbatim.

Any media designed by a respectable japanese manufacturer (doesn't have to be *made* in japan) with good scan results should last quite a while.

[Warlock]

... Also, some ppl have suggested that the spots on the fuji were caused by excessive heat while in transportation to retailers or warehouse, can this be true?


I would say, quite possible.
Encountered entire spindles of defective Sony DVD-R from Walmart location at Scarborough Town Center.
Meanwhile, Sony DVD-R discs from two other locations in Scarborough were perfectly fine.

EDIT: Yes, same media codes on the Sony. All purchases within 72 hours time frame.

[gthorley]

Are these brands from Blankmedia considered okay. Will be used for backing up hard drive and files.

DVD-RW 4X OPTODISC - ACROCIRCLE (10 PCS)

CD-RW RITEK 12X 80 MIN

[The Digital Dolphin]

I was looking at the Pio 109, but heard it has media compatibility problems.

A lot of those were solved with firmware version 1.50. I'm playing with the newest firmware 1.57 now, and it looks like it's an improvement. I'm mostly working with the BenQ DW1640 at the moment though, so I don't have a lot of extra time (read: none) for playing with the Pioneer at this time.

Actually, I already need to sneak in some quick QA on some brand new Emtec Media about to hit the Canadian market.... something special, but most people here won't be interested, since it'll cost too much ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

You still havent told us if it is TY's fault or fuji's :razz:

Also, some ppl have suggested that the spots on the fuji were caused by excessive heat while in transportation to retailers or warehouse, can this be true?

I don't *know*, but I suspect it is Taiyo Yuden's fault... as Fuji has almost nothing to do with the whole process, other then supposedly doing random quality checks.

It is unlikely that the media was damaged in transport. Heat is bad for discs... but much more so sunlight, and I don't think either of these things were in very high amounts since the bulk of this stuff was being shipped during the winter of last year/early this year.

[Evil Techie]

A lot of those were solved with firmware version 1.50. I'm playing with the newest firmware 1.57 now, and it looks like it's an improvement. I'm mostly working with the BenQ DW1640 at the moment though, so I don't have a lot of extra time (read: none) for playing with the Pioneer at this time.

Actually, I already need to sneak in some quick QA on some brand new Emtec Media about to hit the Canadian market.... something special, but most people here won't be interested, since it'll cost too much ;)

oh those gold ones for video?

[The Digital Dolphin]

If someone or Digital Dolphin could provide some assistance...

I'm getting quite confused on what media is good or bad now. As I general rule, if I see it is Made in Japan can I assume it is good then? I'm getting paranoid now with bad disc qualities after I found out a few days ago that some Princo DVDs I burned a couple of years ago can't be read anymore. Thanks.

Don't worry, the Princo thing happens to the best of us! Part of why I am so obsessed with testing and quality is because I've been hit with a few discs that died, that used to hold some pretty irreplacable things (although it was mainly Pacific Digital brand, and Memorex brand in my case).

As for quality media.... usually Made in Japan is enough. Fuji has had some problems, but most of that is gone now (but so is most of their Japanese media!). I suggest sticking just with Taiyo Yuden media either purchased from blankmedia.ca or ncix.com. For regular use non-super important stuff, probably Acro Circle brand is a good balance between price and quality (depends on the drive's support, but if you keep your firmware up to date, usually the results are good).

[The Digital Dolphin]

oh those gold ones for video?

Damn... how'd you know?

[The Digital Dolphin]

']I thought some of you might be interested in this:

http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/9281/8montholdrecsanprobablyb7s93mr.png (http://www.imageshack.us)

This is a 7mo old Optodisc Acro Circle 8X DVD-R with the (fake) TY code. Probably done with B7S9. This stuff really is holding up well! max PIF 2! DD, you're right about Acro Circle being good stuff. :cool:

Yeah, Optodisc did some good work with their TYG02 code media actually.... in SOME cases, it was nearly impossible to tell it from real TYG02 looking at just the scan. However their OPTODISCR008 media is now 99% of what's being shipped, but support in drives has become quite good, so it's not a problem :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

']These graphs tell you the number of correctable errors the scanning drives "sees". The lower the errors, the better the burn. However, PI errors are only half of the equation. There is also the stability of the dye that you need to consider. The low quality stuff tends to degrade alot faster than high quality, japanese media. ie ritek/prodisc/princo vs maxell/taiyo yuden/verbatim.

Any media designed by a respectable japanese manufacturer (doesn't have to be *made* in japan) with good scan results should last quite a while.

Dye stability is one of the least important things to consider really. Most of the dye's used by any major manufacturer (including Taiwanese) are now pretty reliable in themselves. The problems come up with other issues, like bonding. If the bonding on the disc is bad, then even the best dye will degrade really quickly! (oxydization is bad for DVD dyes). I've seen this happen with even Maxell's Japanese media. Other things to consider are the quality of the stamper when the discs are being manufactured, and the compatability of the drive burning the media.

For instance, back when Optodisc first brought out their 8x DVD-Rs, the support for their media code OPTODISCR008 was QUITE bad... the drives that COULD burn it at 8x, did it poorly, and most drives would only burn it at 4x. This was mostly due to the politics involved in media support (Japanese media is always supported first, along with Verbatim... especially if the drive maker is Japanese, Like Pioneer, NEC or Plextor!!!). But the media manufacturing quality on the same media was VERY good... much better then Ritek or CMC in many cases (Ritek and CMC can also make DAMN good media... just not for most of it)... but if the burn quality was very bad to begin with, it didn't really help. This is what prompted Optodisc to begin using the TYG02 code on their media. Which solved some problems (and created others...).

Now, take another example, in a different direction. Look at FUJIFILM03, which is a Japanese (Fuji) designed disc, and dye, manufactured by a Taiwanese company (Prodisc). Support for this media code is often one of the first things added to new drives (because of Fuji), but despite the good dye, and the stampers being made *BY* Fuji.... Prodisc manages to screw it up quite well on a regular basis (ever wonder why we see FUJIFILM03 generic Prodisc media? it's the stuff Fuji refused to buy from Prodisc... so they had to get rid of it somehow!). So here we have almost the opposite... good drive support in many cases, but poor media quality and manufacturing... despite the high involvement and designs of a well known Japanese company.

So it's not all cut and dry as you might think.... actually.... it is almost NEVER a simple answer anymore.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Are these brands from Blankmedia considered okay. Will be used for backing up hard drive and files.

DVD-RW 4X OPTODISC - ACROCIRCLE (10 PCS)

CD-RW RITEK 12X 80 MIN

Ritek's CD-RWs have been pretty good in the past for me. And Acro Circle 4x DVD-RWs are usually pretty good in most drives as well. I don't EXPECT a problem, but it always helps to know the drive and firmware you are using too ;)

[[buck]]

Dye stability is one of the least important things to consider really. Most of the dye's used by any major manufacturer (including Taiwanese) are now pretty reliable in themselves. The problems come up with other issues, like bonding. If the bonding on the disc is bad, then even the best dye will degrade really quickly! (oxydization is bad for DVD dyes). I've seen this happen with even Maxell's Japanese media. Other things to consider are the quality of the stamper when the discs are being manufactured, and the compatability of the drive burning the media.

For instance, back when Optodisc first brought out their 8x DVD-Rs, the support for their media code OPTODISCR008 was QUITE bad... the drives that COULD burn it at 8x, did it poorly, and most drives would only burn it at 4x. This was mostly due to the politics involved in media support (Japanese media is always supported first, along with Verbatim... especially if the drive maker is Japanese, Like Pioneer, NEC or Plextor!!!). But the media manufacturing quality on the same media was VERY good... much better then Ritek or CMC in many cases (Ritek and CMC can also make DAMN good media... just not for most of it)... but if the burn quality was very bad to begin with, it didn't really help. This is what prompted Optodisc to begin using the TYG02 code on their media. Which solved some problems (and created others...).

Now, take another example, in a different direction. Look at FUJIFILM03, which is a Japanese (Fuji) designed disc, and dye, manufactured by a Taiwanese company (Prodisc). Support for this media code is often one of the first things added to new drives (because of Fuji), but despite the good dye, and the stampers being made *BY* Fuji.... Prodisc manages to screw it up quite well on a regular basis (ever wonder why we see FUJIFILM03 generic Prodisc media? it's the stuff Fuji refused to buy from Prodisc... so they had to get rid of it somehow!). So here we have almost the opposite... good drive support in many cases, but poor media quality and manufacturing... despite the high involvement and designs of a well known Japanese company.

So it's not all cut and dry as you might think.... actually.... it is almost NEVER a simple answer anymore.

there's always something to learn in the world of blank media, isn't there? Thanks for the info. :)

[Evil Techie]

Damn... how'd you know?

ive got my sources... hehehe

anyways

DD, where can we canadians buy reliable 8x DVD+R DL?

[digdoug]

Fuji and Taiyo Yuden aren't going to just *tell* me when it's safe :razz: But I think the bulk of the problem is passed now.... I wouldn't be surprised if some stock still existed, but most of it has been ok lately, so it looking positive. How's that?

DVD+RDL with bitsetting is compatible with a majority of players. DVD-RDL is NOT compatible with a majority of players.

thanks! you're the only on the internet I can ask these questions to. :cheesygri

How do I read the graphs (or even use them to do my own testing) that everyone keeps posting? Do you run a site with this info, DD? thanks.

[The Digital Dolphin]

ive got my sources... hehehe

anyways

DD, where can we canadians buy reliable 8x DVD+R DL?

Umm... nowhere yet :(

But it shouldn't take too long... I know Verbatim is cranking out the MKM003 pretty quickly.

[The Digital Dolphin]

thanks! you're the only on the internet I can ask these questions to. :cheesygri

How do I read the graphs (or even use them to do my own testing) that everyone keeps posting? Do you run a site with this info, DD? thanks.

Every drive reads a disc differently, and the rules change accordingly. For instance, BenQ DW1600 series (DW1620, DW1625, DW1640 etc...) have a different set of rules and scanning abilities then LiteON/Sony drives do. Plextors also have additional scanning abilities different from the rest. Then there are the Pioneer and NEC drives which are pretty weird on their own also.

As for a website, I do this section of course... and I've also done a lot of stuff on cdrlabs.com. Maybe one day I'll open a section on cdrlabs.com for my own stuff, but for now I'm just a wandering media-phile ;)

[rahzel]

hey DD, i found out my problem with bad transfer rate test results... its because of the stupid IDE drivers from the nvidia nforce package. I uninstalled them and now my drive is working like a bute =]. I just burnt a TY 8x DVD-R and i got 7max pie and 2max pif. thats the lowest max pif score ive ever seen!

so to everyone who has a benq 1640, an nforce motherboard and installed the IDE drivers from the nvidia nforce driver package, make sure you uninstall them before you flash your firmware.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/BENQ.png

=O

[NDman]

so to everyone who has a benq 1640, an nforce motherboard and installed the IDE drivers from the nvidia nforce driver package, make sure you uninstall them before you flash your firmware.

Can you enlighten me how to find out if I have the driver instaleld? If so, how do I get rid of it? I onlyt know that I DO have an nforce mobo

[rahzel]

Can you enlighten me how to find out if I have the driver instaleld? If so, how do I get rid of it? I onlyt know that I DO have an nforce mobo
i dont know if this method will work for everyone, but the way i removed the Nforce IDE Drivers was: go to your Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and look for "Nvidia Drivers" listed (if you have an Nvidia videocard, make sure you dont select your videocard drivers). If you see it, click on it and click Change/Remove. It should bring up a menu asking you if you want to remove selected drivers (ie IDE, onboard sound etc). If you see IDE, check it and remove it.

[NDman]

Thanks.

If I remove the nVidia driver, do I have to find a 3rd party driver or the IDE channels will still work fine wtihout any IDE driver?

[rahzel]

Thanks.

If I remove the nVidia driver, do I have to find a 3rd party driver or the IDE channels will still work fine wtihout any IDE driver?
Once you remove the nforce iDE drivers, itll ask you to reboot. After the reboot, in the bottom right corner (by the clock) it should say, IDE channels found (or something like that) and scan for all your IDE drives (harddrive, cd/dvd drives etc) and install the microsoft drivers (which is what you want and all you need). You dont need to install any other IDE drivers.

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, i found out my problem with bad transfer rate test results... its because of the stupid IDE drivers from the nvidia nforce package. I uninstalled them and now my drive is working like a bute =]. I just burnt a TY 8x DVD-R and i got 7max pie and 2max pif. thats the lowest max pif score ive ever seen!

so to everyone who has a benq 1640, an nforce motherboard and installed the IDE drivers from the nvidia nforce driver package, make sure you uninstall them before you flash your firmware.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/BENQ.png

=O

*VERY* nice Rahzel, top notch scan there :cheesygri

[apvm]

Hi DD,

saw your pdf file over at cdrlabs.com, wondering what firmware was used for the 1620? and do you think it worth to upgrade to a 1640 from a 1620?

TIA

[Alexo]

so to everyone who has a benq 1640, an nforce motherboard and installed the IDE drivers from the nvidia nforce driver package, make sure you uninstall them before you flash your firmware.
Only for the flash or should we keep them uninstalled?

[rahzel]

Only for the flash or should we keep them uninstalled?
id recommend to keep them uninstall actually...

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi DD,

saw your pdf file over at cdrlabs.com, wondering what firmware was used for the 1620? and do you think it worth to upgrade to a 1640 from a 1620?

TIA

The DW1620 has had many firmware releases... I'm currently using B7V9 and B7P9 on my burners my two units, but for my review I think I was using B7H9 for nearly 100% of it.

[apvm]

The DW1620 has had many firmware releases... I'm currently using B7V9 and B7P9 on my burners my two units, but for my review I think I was using B7H9 for nearly 100% of it.

Thanks, wondering if it is worth upgrading to a 1640 from a 1620? I am using mostly Optodisc 8X DVD-R with TYG02 code, Benq 8X DVD-R with Sony Code and some real Taiyo Yuden, what do you think? TIA

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks, wondering if it is worth upgrading to a 1640 from a 1620? I am using mostly Optodisc 8X DVD-R with TYG02 code, Benq 8X DVD-R with Sony Code and some real Taiyo Yuden, what do you think? TIA

Well, the Optodisc will be switching to OPTODISCR008 code only very soon... but that shouldn't be a negative affect at all. Probably you're fine to stay with the DW1620, but the DW1640 will probably be a little better. In the long run, this margin of difference could increase.

[NDman]

[EDIT: I *think* I kinda figured it out, though not entirely. Doing some test and have questions later. :P]

[gthorley]

Received some cd-rw's from blankmedia today. I ordered CD-RW RITEK 12X 80 MIN (ID: 85) and received blank discs which I wouldn't have a clue what they are. There is a very hard to read number close to the centre M821-0202-4030807.

Shouldn't these discs have some name on them? I have never seen a disc that was totally blank before but then again the name of the company is Blankmedia!!

[NDman]

So I did the test just for the heck of it and trying something new. I have no idea what it means or antyhing. As I said previously, I bought the Benq DW1640 burner and also bought some Fiji DVD+R (8X, MIJ) from The Source's deal. This is the test result and I am really puzzled, and troubled why the speed never even hit 2x during the test even I set it out to 8X and I burned it at 8x as well. :(

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/6362/test17vi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[callous]

So I did the test just for the heck of it and trying something new. I have no idea what it means or antyhing. As I said previously, I bought the Benq DW1640 burner and also bought some Fiji DVD+R (8X, MIJ) from The Source's deal. This is the test result and I am really puzzled, and troubled why the speed never even hit 2x during the test even I set it out to 8X and I burned it at 8x as well. :(

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/6362/test17vi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Update to newest firmware, and then update to newest cd/dvd speed and restest.

[NDman]

Update to newest firmware, and then update to newest cd/dvd speed and restest.

Dumb question... how and where? Which firmware version would you recommend? Thanks

How do I check what firmware I have for the drive?

[rahzel]

Dumb question... how and where? Which firmware version would you recommend? Thanks

How do I check what firmware I have for the drive?
BSJB is the latest firmware and can be downloaded HERE (http://support.benq.com/front/BenqMain.asp?MenuHead=128&ShowType=program&FileURL=service/driverlist.asp&Dataid=18367&downloadclass=Driver&product=3731&langu=null&ops=2756&GenMenu=&RootId=undefined).

make sure no programs are running in the background, just in case, disable any optical drives that are connected to the same IDE cable and just run the exe file.

the firmware you have for the drive is BSGB. If you look at your screenshot of Nero CDSpeed and look at the top, it says "BENQ DD DW1640 BSGB". BenQ's firmware is usually in alphabetical order and they change the 3rd letter in, ie BSGB, BSHB, BSIB, BSJB.

i think you were the one i was explaining how to uninstall the nforce ide drivers, but if you have an nforce board, make sure you uninstall them.

also, i dont think firmware should effect the scan that much. I can tell you have an older version of CDSpeed by your screenshot. Download CDSpeed 4.01 HERE (http://www.cdspeed2000.com/go.php3?link=download.html).

[NDman]

i think you were the one i was explaining how to uninstall the nforce ide drivers, but if you have an nforce board, make sure you uninstall them.

Yeah, that's right. I checked that one and it's ok. Thanks for the firmware page. But does anyone have an explanation why the speed is so slow during the test? When I burned (set at 8x), it went fine. 3.5 Gb or stuff burned in about 6 minutes. But the test took good part of an hour...

[rahzel]

Yeah, that's right. I checked that one and it's ok. Thanks for the firmware page. But does anyone have an explanation why the speed is so slow during the test? When I burned (set at 8x), it went fine. 3.5 Gb or stuff burned in about 6 minutes. But the test took good part of an hour...
re-read my post (the end). i just edited it.

[NDman]

Thanks a lot again, rahzel. Seems to be working now

[The Digital Dolphin]

Yeah, that's right. I checked that one and it's ok. Thanks for the firmware page. But does anyone have an explanation why the speed is so slow during the test? When I burned (set at 8x), it went fine. 3.5 Gb or stuff burned in about 6 minutes. But the test took good part of an hour...

If you don't have the latest version of Nero CD/DVD Speed, and the compatible firmware, the drive can't test faster then what you experienced. Basically, it uses new commands for testing or something, and they have to be both available in the firmware, and the software... otherwise you get what you got ;)

BSJB and the latest Nero CD/DVD Speed will work fine together :)

[apvm]

My 1640 arrived yesterday came with BSHB firmware, burned a Optodisc 4X DVD-R white top with latest firmware BSJB and is a better burn than the 1620 I sold Tuesday. Now I'll test some Onditech cheapo 4X DVD-R which only 1620 "S" firmware can burn them within DD's limit (jitter under 12% etc) later, I have around 30 of these left. no more overspeed tho but it don't matter to me since I don't usually overspeed.

TYG02 no longer has the option of over 8X burn
Memorex 4X DVD+R no longer has the option of 8X burn (good burn at 8X with the 1620 with quality at 97%)
Prodisc 8X DVD+R no longer has the option of 12X burn (they don't burn right at 12X with the 1620 anyways.)
but Dynex DL+R with MKM001 code can burn upto 8X but I am not sure about this one since I have one success and once coaster with this media when I had the 1620.

Nice burner and upgrade since I sold my 1620 at a very good price.

Thanks DD otherwise I wouldn't sell my 1620 for the 1640.

[The Digital Dolphin]

My 1640 arrived yesterday came with BSHB firmware, burned a Optodisc 4X DVD-R white top with latest firmware BSJB and is a better burn than the 1620 I sold Tuesday. Now I'll test some Onditech cheapo 4X DVD-R which only 1620 "S" firmware can burn them within DD's limit (jitter under 12% etc) later, I have around 30 of these left. no more overspeed tho but it don't matter to me since I don't usually overspeed.

TYG02 no longer has the option of over 8X burn
Memorex 4X DVD+R no longer has the option of 8X burn (good burn at 8X with the 1620 with quality at 97%)
Prodisc 8X DVD+R no longer has the option of 12X burn (they don't burn right at 12X with the 1620 anyways.)
but Dynex DL+R with MKM001 code can burn upto 8X but I am not sure about this one since I have one success and once coaster with this media when I had the 1620.

Nice burner and upgrade since I sold my 1620 at a very good price.

Thanks DD otherwise I wouldn't sell my 1620 for the 1640.

Yeah, for some reason BenQ removed a lot of over speeding.... I'm guessing it was done at the request of the media manufacturers. So far it seems to be quite a forgiving drive. Not perfect (and no drive is), but it's deffinately my favourite drive right now :cheesygri

[Alexo]

Yeah, for some reason BenQ removed a lot of over speeding.... I'm guessing it was done at the request of the media manufacturers. So far it seems to be quite a forgiving drive. Not perfect (and no drive is), but it's deffinately my favourite drive right now :cheesygri
Is there a possibility to edit the media table to allow overspeeding?
I seem to remember reading that there were onofficial "patches" to some drives that did that.

[rahzel]

Is there a possibility to edit the media table to allow overspeeding?
I seem to remember reading that there were onofficial "patches" to some drives that did that.
Media Code Speed Edit might be able to.
http://ala42.cdfreaks.com/MCSE/

[[buck]]

In MCSE, you can replace write strategies, so for example, if you wanted to burn TYG02 @ 16X, all you would have to do is swap the TYG02 strategy with the TYG03 strategy. You can do the same with almost any media; just swap low speed media write strats with the same manufacturer's 16X media write strat.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']In MCSE, you can replace write strategies, so for example, if you wanted to burn TYG02 @ 16X, all you would have to do is swap the TYG02 strategy with the TYG03 strategy. You can do the same with almost any media; just swap low speed media write strats with the same manufacturer's 16X media write strat.

Or... you could just click on the "allow 16x" button for the TYG02 strategy ;)

[[buck]]

Or... you could just click on the "allow 16x" button for the TYG02 strategy ;)

yeah... i guess you could do that :o

[apvm]

Just burnt a Onidtech 4X DVD-R with the 1640, the burn quality is better than B7S9 with 1620.

[apvm]

Burnt some Optodisc TYG02 code 8X DVD-R and one TYG02 from blankmedia.ca and both better quality than 1620. My conclusion is a worthwile upgrade, the 1640 is a much easier burner for cheaper media, at least you don't have to switch firmware for the cheapie.

an improvement over the 1620 IMO.

[callous]

Hey DD, any news of whether the 1620 will have more firmware updates?

[sandman804]

I have seen in a lot of threads that the Maxell MIT media is not very good quality. Obviously, it will not be of the same quality as the MIJ TY media made in the past.

My question is, is the Maxell MIT media really that terrible? I picked up a couple of spindles, and I Am wondering if I should return them. I wanted to ask the expert.

[Evil Techie]

I have seen in a lot of threads that the Maxell MIT media is not very good quality. Obviously, it will not be of the same quality as the MIJ TY media made in the past.

My question is, is the Maxell MIT media really that terrible? I picked up a couple of spindles, and I Am wondering if I should return them. I wanted to ask the expert.

the Maxell DVD+R 4x MIT media are pretty good
Ricohjpnr01 code and burns well at 8x most of the time on my picky PX-708A

DVD-Rs that are MIT are not as good

[[buck]]

I have seen in a lot of threads that the Maxell MIT media is not very good quality. Obviously, it will not be of the same quality as the MIJ TY media made in the past.

My question is, is the Maxell MIT media really that terrible? I picked up a couple of spindles, and I Am wondering if I should return them. I wanted to ask the expert.

the 8X DVD+R isn't bad either, it *should* be ricohjpn r02, or at least mine is. Some say ricoh media is some of the best value stuff around. :) \

The 8X DVD-R is RITEK G05 which is usually considered complete junk, and while it doesn't scan great, the maxells seem to have a unique serial number that is degrading like most of the other ritek that is failing after only a few months.

Get the MIJ if you can, and if not get the MIT DVD+R.

[JLee]

How are the new TY printable surface dvds from NCIX's current sale?

[rahzel]

How are the new TY printable surface dvds from NCIX's current sale?
same quality as any other genuine 16x Taiyo Yuden media except theyre printable.

[[buck]]

same quality as any other genuine 16x Taiyo Yuden media except theyre printable.

i don't know if you're wondering about the surface itself, but if you are, based on my 8X sample, they're average. I've seen many better surfaces.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']i don't know if you're wondering about the surface itself, but if you are, based on my 8X sample, they're average. I've seen many better surfaces.

Gotta agree... nothing is superior surface wise to RiData's hub printable 8x DVD-Rs. Unfortunately, quality wise they are crap.

[rahzel]

hey DD, when reading CD's in your benq 1640, does it make little rattling noises? reading DVD's is nice and quiet but CD reading makes funny sounds. One time, i think my drive didnt even recognize a Taiyo Yuden CD-R, i ejected and put it back in and it recognized it. I'm not all that worried because i only use my 1640 for DVD writing only but it still kind of bugs me.

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, when reading CD's in your benq 1640, does it make little rattling noises? reading DVD's is nice and quiet but CD reading makes funny sounds. One time, i think my drive didnt even recognize a Taiyo Yuden CD-R, i ejected and put it back in and it recognized it. I'm not all that worried because i only use my 1640 for DVD writing only but it still kind of bugs me.

Several of my DVD Writers have problems recognizing CD-Rs 100% of the time... even my PX-712a! I'm not sure what causes it, but it's deffinately not brand specific. However, I don't recall any loud noises when reading CD-Rs in my DW1640.

[rahzel]

Several of my DVD Writers have problems recognizing CD-Rs 100% of the time... even my PX-712a! I'm not sure what causes it, but it's deffinately not brand specific. However, I don't recall any loud noises when reading CD-Rs in my DW1640.
well, the clicking sound isnt that loud at all and its only when the drive starts to read it. I was more worried about not being able to recognize CD's sometimes.

[Spike]

I complained a while ago about a problem with Maxell 4x -R discs (yellow top) having bad blocks after apparently excellent burns on my 1620. Well, I tried turning off WOPC with QSuite before burning and that seems to have solved it.


http://tinypic.com/9zlugl.jpg


Not bad for 10 cents a disc. :cheesygri

[[buck]]

I complained a while ago about a problem with Maxell 4x -R discs (yellow top) having bad blocks after apparently excellent burns on my 1620. Well, I tried turning off WOPC with QSuite before burning and that seems to have solved it.


http://tinypic.com/9zlugl.jpg


Not bad for 10 cents a disc. :cheesygri

Very nice! Where did you find them for $0.1/disc? (just curious)

[Spike]

Price match at staples. 25 pk of Maxell002 (+R 8X) and a 25 pk of RitekG04 (-R 4X) for $5.

[[buck]]

Price match at staples. 25 pk of Maxell002 (+R 8X) and a 25 pk of RitekG04 (-R 4X) for $5.

err... doesn't that come out to $0.2/disc? :lol: And aren't the PM deals usually around $6?

[Spike]

$5 for 50 discs equals $0.10 per disc. :rolleyes:

It was supposed to be $10 but they honored the $5 off coupon as well for dicking me around for a month. :mad:

[[buck]]

$5 for 50 discs equals $0.10 per disc. :rolleyes:

It was supposed to be $10 but they honored the $5 off coupon as well for dicking me around for a month. :mad:

nvm, i thought it was $5 per spindle! my bad!

[The Digital Dolphin]

well, the clicking sound isnt that loud at all and its only when the drive starts to read it. I was more worried about not being able to recognize CD's sometimes.

That's a drive struggling to recognize the disc, sort of sound... how's the jitter on the disc?

[apvm]

I just found out that my 1640 is not automatically bitset to DVD-ROM for +R media (+R, +RW or DL+R) I have to use the bitset manager to set them, anyone else notice this?

[rahzel]

That's a drive struggling to recognize the disc, sort of sound... how's the jitter on the disc?
well, the time it didnt recognize the CD-R was the first time i tried reading a CD-R with the drive. Then it progressively got better (didnt take long, only a few reads and 1 write with CD-R's) because now, it has no problems reading CD-R's, and it doesnt make any sound whatsoever reading. Again, im not too worried as im not going to be using this for CD reading or writing but it was kind of bugging me. Oh well, seems ok now =].

[c00lsnoopy]

I just found out that my 1640 is not automatically bitset to DVD-ROM for +R media (+R, +RW or DL+R) I have to use the bitset manager to set them, anyone else notice this?

yes when i burn it says bitset: set to recorder default
where do u get the bitset manager??? coz i don't know what is the default setting on my 1640.

[rahzel]

I just found out that my 1640 is not automatically bitset to DVD-ROM for +R media (+R, +RW or DL+R) I have to use the bitset manager to set them, anyone else notice this?
ive only tried a sl +R disc, but it did automatically set it to -ROM and i havnt touched the bitsetting settings.

if you want to change it, get Qsuite or you can do it in nero or DVD decrypter.

[apvm]

yes when i burn it says bitset: set to recorder default
where do u get the bitset manager??? coz i don't know what is the default setting on my 1640.

http://support.benq.com/front/BenqMain.asp?MenuHead=128&ShowType=program&FileURL=service/downloadquery_next.asp&product=3731&dclass=Software&ops=2756&language=all&flag=1&GenMenu=&RootId=undefined

[apvm]

ive only tried a sl +R disc, but it did automatically set it to -ROM and i havnt touched the bitsetting settings.

if you want to change it, get Qsuite or you can do it in nero or DVD decrypter.


Funny then, mine came with "H" firmware, I flashed it to latest "J" firmware and just burn a +R DL yesterday and it ended up as a DVD+R instead of DVD-ROM, I use bitset manager to change them to DVD-ROM and it was ok now, I just tested with a +RW and it ended up as DVD-ROM

[The Digital Dolphin]

well, the time it didnt recognize the CD-R was the first time i tried reading a CD-R with the drive. Then it progressively got better (didnt take long, only a few reads and 1 write with CD-R's) because now, it has no problems reading CD-R's, and it doesnt make any sound whatsoever reading. Again, im not too worried as im not going to be using this for CD reading or writing but it was kind of bugging me. Oh well, seems ok now =].

Hrm... maybe that's part of the drive's "learning" abilities? :lol:

[The Digital Dolphin]

Funny then, mine came with "H" firmware, I flashed it to latest "J" firmware and just burn a +R DL yesterday and it ended up as a DVD+R instead of DVD-ROM, I use bitset manager to change them to DVD-ROM and it was ok now, I just tested with a +RW and it ended up as DVD-ROM

Maybe a fluke?

[[buck]]

You guys have got to see this scan! This is its scan right after being burned:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/966/fujiyudent02piscan12x37wopcoff.png

Burned with BenQ DW1620 @ 12X. B7V9 FW, speedpatched, using YUDEN000 T03 write strategy. WOPC Off. Should probably add that it's a Fuji 8X DVD+R... hehe

Here it is scanned a day later in a cool drive:

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/966/fujiyudent02piscan12x37wopcoff.png

A whopping 16 PIF! This spindle of Fuji sure is giving me FANTASTIC scans! :cheesygri

edit- it is batch 1133, fyi. :)

[apvm]

Maybe a fluke?

Do they include auto booktype setting in their firmware for 1640?

[shadowfighta]

Hey DD, I just bought a 100 pack of Maxell MIT dvd+r and this is the media code I got (was expecting Ricoh):

Disc ID: RITEK-R03-02

How good are these discs (I'm using 1620)? I'm gonna assume that they aren't that great with Ritek's recent track record.

[[buck]]

Hey DD, I just bought a 100 pack of Maxell MIT dvd+r and this is the media code I got (was expecting Ricoh):

Disc ID: RITEK-R03-02

How good are these discs (I'm using 1620)? I'm gonna assume that they aren't that great with Ritek's recent track record.

Anywhere from good to horrible... but usually leaning towards the horrible side. ;) I wouldn't expect even the good ones to hold up with time very well, given the major problems people are having with G05 after only a few months.

[Razor Leaf]

What's a good DVD-RW media for the 1640?

(BTW, I got a 1640 recently and it works great.)

[[buck]]

What's a good DVD-RW media for the 1640?

(BTW, I got a 1640 recently and it works great.)

I'm no RW expert, but DVD+RW is supposed to be signifigantly better than DVD-R.

DD says Sony makes good RW, as well as Ricoh (I think these can be found in memorex - i'd say they're the most common quality DVD+RW), but I think the *best* quality DVD+RW are the JVC ones... but good luck finding those... hehe

[woof]

Sony makes outstanding DVD+RW (Japan). I was amazed when I tried one. I don't know about the -RW. And I haven't looked lately to see if its still MIJ on the shelves or if they've shifted to MIT or somewhere else.

[rahzel]

verbatim (made in singapore) also makes very good RW media. even their MIT stuff isnt bad (probably made by CMC, but to Mitsubishi standards). ive had a verbatim MIT DVD+RW for almost a year now (only used about 13 times) but it still works.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Yeah, for RW media, the best you can get is from Verbatim and Sony. And yeah, it's worth paying $4 or $5 for it.

[Razor Leaf]

Thanks for all the info, and good to know that DVD+RW is better. I read in another thread that it’s also faster.

$4 to $5 for a single disc? Yikes! Takes me back to the days of phase-discs and when CD burning was fairly new. ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks for all the info, and good to know that DVD+RW is better. I read in another thread that it’s also faster.

$4 to $5 for a single disc? Yikes! Takes me back to the days of phase-discs and when CD burning was fairly new. ;)

+RW can be a little faster (if you mean 4x DVD+RW vs. 4x DVD-RW), but not a huge amount. New technology however had +RW coming in a couple minutes faster then the newer DVD-RWs. (8x vs. 6x).

[audit13]

I saw some MIT and MIJ Maxell discs at a Futureshop. The MIT spindle had a white MIT sticker placed over the MIJ part of the label. Are the spindles without the MIT sticker really made in Japan ? Is there a way I can tell from the packaging ? The MIJ spindles and the spindles with the MIT sticker looked identical to me.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I saw some MIT and MIJ Maxell discs at a Futureshop. The MIT spindle had a white MIT sticker placed over the MIJ part of the label. Are the spindles without the MIT sticker really made in Japan ? Is there a way I can tell from the packaging ? The MIJ spindles and the spindles with the MIT sticker looked identical to me.

Well, you can look at the serial number in the hubs. Ritek discs have distinctive black writing in the very centre of the disc.

[Headhunter]

My drive makes a whining sound; when there's a disc in there, a frequent WWWHHHhhhhh or whhhhHHHHH happens.

I'm thinking the drive is struggling to read optical discs at high speed; I burn at 4-12x for pretty much everything, and the spin up/spin down (well, I'm thinking that's what it is) doesn't occur at those lower speeds.

I have a Sony dual layer burner (DW-D18A), and it's really irritating. What's going on?

[[buck]]

Well, you can look at the serial number in the hubs. Ritek discs have distinctive black writing in the very centre of the disc.

Only problem with that method is that Maxell spindles have those big stacking rings... which make it pretty impossible to see the hub...

[alkapone]

Just got my Maxell's from BB and MIJ 8x.

[audit13]

']Only problem with that method is that Maxell spindles have those big stacking rings... which make it pretty impossible to see the hub...

Yeah, the spindles I saw had the foam rings which covers the centre hole of the disc. I guess I could just get them and take a chance.

[bodobodo]

']Only problem with that method is that Maxell spindles have those big stacking rings... which make it pretty impossible to see the hub...

Ritek discs also have another number in the outermost silver part of the hub which should be readable even with the stacking rings. The 8X DVD-R discs seem to start with DR5A03-XXXXX format although the writing is inverted or backwards unlike the black numbers at the very centre of the hub. I haven't noticed any markings on the genuine Maxell MIJ discs. I have some of each so I have compared them side by side.

[[buck]]

Ritek discs also have another number in the outermost silver part of the hub which should be readable even with the stacking rings. The 8X DVD-R discs seem to start with DR5A03-XXXXX format although the writing is inverted or backwards unlike the black numbers at the very centre of the hub. I haven't noticed any markings on the genuine Maxell MIJ discs. I have some of each so I have compared them side by side.

that is true. the ritek discs look kind of "messy" with all the ring markings and silver bands, where as the maxell discs look perfect :)

[rahzel]

My drive makes a whining sound; when there's a disc in there, a frequent WWWHHHhhhhh or whhhhHHHHH happens.

I'm thinking the drive is struggling to read optical discs at high speed; I burn at 4-12x for pretty much everything, and the spin up/spin down (well, I'm thinking that's what it is) doesn't occur at those lower speeds.

I have a Sony dual layer burner (believe it's DVR-01A, can't check from work right now), and it's really irritating. What's going on?
with the benq 1640? the whining sound when the drive speeds up is normal but it should stop after a few seconds. does the whining sound stay as long as theres a disc in the drive?

[Headhunter]

with the benq 1640? the whining sound when the drive speeds up is normal but it should stop after a few seconds. does the whining sound stay as long as theres a disc in the drive?
I point you to my original post, which includes:

I have a Sony dual layer burner (believe it's DVR-01A, can't check from work right now), and it's really irritating. What's going on?
Confirmed, it is actually the DW-D18A.

[The Digital Dolphin]

My drive makes a whining sound; when there's a disc in there, a frequent WWWHHHhhhhh or whhhhHHHHH happens.

I'm thinking the drive is struggling to read optical discs at high speed; I burn at 4-12x for pretty much everything, and the spin up/spin down (well, I'm thinking that's what it is) doesn't occur at those lower speeds.

I have a Sony dual layer burner (DW-D18A), and it's really irritating. What's going on?

Probably exactly what you suspect. Either the media is too poor in quality to be read quickly, or the drive is failing and is having problems at faster speeds.

[audit13]

Yeah, the spindles I saw had the foam rings which covers the centre hole of the disc. I guess I could just get them and take a chance.

I purchased the Maxell dvd+r from Futureshop labelled MIJ and the media code according to DVD Identifier is Maxell 002.

[Reaper Man]

Newest firmware BSKB (August the 15th)



1. Improved writing quality for DVD+R & DVD-R media.
2. Added SolidBurn Technology.
3. Added Overspeed ability. (Enable via QSuite 2.0)



http://support.benq.com
Also available: QSuite v2.0 Setup.zip

I haven't tried it so...
G-Luck

[The Digital Dolphin]

BSKB and Qsuite 2.0 make the drive head and shoulders above anything else. The added features are VERY groovy :cheesygri

[rahzel]

should you just enable solidburn even for supported media all the time, or only for media that has variable quality?

[blitz]

Yeah, for RW media, the best you can get is from Verbatim and Sony. And yeah, it's worth paying $4 or $5 for it.
I saw some MIJ Sony 4x +RW for $2.50 each at London Drugs.

[The Digital Dolphin]

should you just enable solidburn even for supported media all the time, or only for media that has variable quality?

I would say only on variable quality, or if you're having problems.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I saw some MIJ Sony 4x +RW for $2.50 each at London Drugs.

I Didn't mean that's how much you'd always pay for them, just that they were WORTH $4 or $5 :cheesygri

[[buck]]

Dolph, I have a question for you.

Why is Verbatim DVD±R media so rare and expensive in Canada? A quick search shows FS carries no Verbatim DVD±R and Best Buy only carries 25packs of 16X media for $30 (excluding "novelties" like lightscribe/dual layer media).

Staples and Compusmart carry seem to carry their full product line, but they are exorbitantly priced at ~$1 disc.

They never seem to go on sale, either, or should I say a real sale, not a Staples wannabe sale.

In the US, Verbatim is carried everywhere, and it goes on sale periodically at BB/CompUSA/Circuit City etc just like Fuji/Sony/Memorex media does here in Canada.

Just recently, BB had 25 packs of Verbatim 16X media for $10 US, same price as their Fuji/Sony media goes on sale for.

I ask this because i'd really like to play with Verbatim media - but there's no way i'll buy it at these kind of prices. Just wondering if you have any insight. :)

Another observation, kind of unrelated, is that Staples in the US seems to be a bit more competitive in the computer related sector than it is here in Canada. For example, just recently, Staples in the US was selling 30pack Fuji Color DVD±R for only $10.

Thank you!

[apvm]

BSKB and Qsuite 2.0 make the drive head and shoulders above anything else. The added features are VERY groovy :cheesygri

Did not use Qusite 2.0 but BSKB is very good with the TYG02 code Optodisc 8X which I bought from Logic Computer House, before it Disk quality is 92-96% but with BSKB always 96-98%

Good job Benq

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Dolph, I have a question for you.

Why is Verbatim DVD±R media so rare and expensive in Canada? A quick search shows FS carries no Verbatim DVD±R and Best Buy only carries 25packs of 16X media for $30 (excluding "novelties" like lightscribe/dual layer media).

Staples and Compusmart carry seem to carry their full product line, but they are exorbitantly priced at ~$1 disc.

They never seem to go on sale, either, or should I say a real sale, not a Staples wannabe sale.

In the US, Verbatim is carried everywhere, and it goes on sale periodically at BB/CompUSA/Circuit City etc just like Fuji/Sony/Memorex media does here in Canada.

Just recently, BB had 25 packs of Verbatim 16X media for $10 US, same price as their Fuji/Sony media goes on sale for.

I ask this because i'd really like to play with Verbatim media - but there's no way i'll buy it at these kind of prices. Just wondering if you have any insight. :)

Another observation, kind of unrelated, is that Staples in the US seems to be a bit more competitive in the computer related sector than it is here in Canada. For example, just recently, Staples in the US was selling 30pack Fuji Color DVD±R for only $10.

Thank you!

Sorry! I've been away and busy lately, so I haven't been able to be on RFD lately.

Regarding Verbatim... things are changing but slowly. Verbatim was meant to be a professional product, like Taiyo Yuden, and Maxell's Japanese media.... but like Maxell's Japanese media, there is just not enough market for Verbatim as is. So prices are being dropped now, and it's becoming more of a consumer product. I know that prices dropped nearly 25% on the distribution level just this month, so more stores will likely begin carrying them at more reasonable prices.... but the big box stores will likely have the best pricing when they do their massive sales. Keep in mind it's these big box stores that lead to brands like Maxell and Fuji to having significantly inferior products in order to meet their price requirements though.... :evil:

[The Digital Dolphin]

In Other news.... my review on the DW1640 is now online!

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=270

:cheesygri

[[buck]]

In Other news.... my review on the DW1640 is now online!

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=270

:cheesygri

Thx for the reply DD. I'm reading through your review right now, and I see the 1640 does a horrible job with 16X DVD-+R media at 16X.

The problem with DVD+R media is well established, but so far I have only seen excellent 16X DVD-R burns from the 1640. Is this perhaps a problem with the older f/w's?

I also have to ask you... where are you getting all that miracle MXL RG03 with such (relatively) low PIF... all my RG03 and all that i've seen doesn't look that pretty... :( :razz:

[e-man]

Can anyone tell me why DVD-RAM never took off? I was playing around with it and it is pretty damn cool.

[[buck]]

Can anyone tell me why DVD-RAM never took off? I was playing around with it and it is pretty damn cool.

I'd guess because it's not compatible with the DVD standard, ie they can't be read in most DVD playing standalones and internal drives.

[NG]

']I'd guess because it's not compatible with the DVD standard, ie they can't be read in most DVD playing standalones and internal drives.

It's a shame too since many writers are starting to support it (either in read or read/write format) just when standalone dvd recorder w/ HD's are hitting the market at an affordable level - knocking out much of it's usefullness and fan base.

[NG]

Sorry! I've been away and busy lately, so I haven't been able to be on RFD lately.

Regarding Verbatim... things are changing but slowly. Verbatim was meant to be a professional product, like Taiyo Yuden, and Maxell's Japanese media.... but like Maxell's Japanese media, there is just not enough market for Verbatim as is. So prices are being dropped now, and it's becoming more of a consumer product. I know that prices dropped nearly 25% on the distribution level just this month, so more stores will likely begin carrying them at more reasonable prices.... but the big box stores will likely have the best pricing when they do their massive sales. Keep in mind it's these big box stores that lead to brands like Maxell and Fuji to having significantly inferior products in order to meet their price requirements though.... :evil:

Geez. You'd think that the big box stores would realize there's a market out there for a high quality product - it just has to be advertised and promoted that way. It's a shame that Verbatim will be going the way of MIJ Fuji's and Maxell.

I did see at WallyWorld awhile ago that they're selling 5 packs in dvd cases of Maxell MIJ media for $10 that claimed to have a special protective coating against scratches.

Back in VHS days I was used to paying $4-$8 for high quality VHS tapes so if these are actually better than standard MIJ media with the dvd case and all it might not be that bad of a deal if they catch on.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Thx for the reply DD. I'm reading through your review right now, and I see the 1640 does a horrible job with 16X DVD-+R media at 16X.

The problem with DVD+R media is well established, but so far I have only seen excellent 16X DVD-R burns from the 1640. Is this perhaps a problem with the older f/w's?

I also have to ask you... where are you getting all that miracle MXL RG03 with such (relatively) low PIF... all my RG03 and all that i've seen doesn't look that pretty... :( :razz:

My feeling is that the drive needs to work on its' DVD-R 16x burning quality, but 16x DVD+R needs less work. Of course, it depends on which results you look at as well ;) But I suspect if I had worked with SolidBurn a little more, the results would have looked a little better.

As for the "Magic" Maxell 8x DVD-Rs, I think I was using the coloured topped version for the regular Maxell, and then I also included testing on the DVD-R Plus series, and Pro series Maxell.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Can anyone tell me why DVD-RAM never took off? I was playing around with it and it is pretty damn cool.

It's been taking its' time, but it's getting better. Both NEC and BenQ will be releasing DVD-RAM compatible burners in the not TOO distant future ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Geez. You'd think that the big box stores would realize there's a market out there for a high quality product - it just has to be advertised and promoted that way. It's a shame that Verbatim will be going the way of MIJ Fuji's and Maxell.

I did see at WallyWorld awhile ago that they're selling 5 packs in dvd cases of Maxell MIJ media for $10 that claimed to have a special protective coating against scratches.

Back in VHS days I was used to paying $4-$8 for high quality VHS tapes so if these are actually better than standard MIJ media with the dvd case and all it might not be that bad of a deal if they catch on.

That would be Maxell's DVD-R Pro series media right? It's already been discontinued >:(

On the bright side, the Maxell BQ 8x DVD-Rs are still available, and their about $2/Disc as well.

[NG]

That would be Maxell's DVD-R Pro series media right? It's already been discontinued >:(

On the bright side, the Maxell BQ 8x DVD-Rs are still available, and their about $2/Disc as well.

That was them. Damn it's a shame it's been discontinued. Looked like nice stuff. What's this Maxell BQ?

[[buck]]

That would be Maxell's DVD-R Pro series media right? It's already been discontinued >:(

On the bright side, the Maxell BQ 8x DVD-Rs are still available, and their about $2/Disc as well.

How was the Maxell Pro DVD media different than the regular stuff? Special coatings, higher grade?

[[buck]]

That was them. Damn it's a shame it's been discontinued. Looked like nice stuff. What's this Maxell BQ?

Maxell Broadcast Quality media. Some fancy media targeted at real pro's with all these fancy coatings at about $2/disc, as DD says.

[[buck]]

My feeling is that the drive needs to work on its' DVD-R 16x burning quality, but 16x DVD+R needs less work. Of course, it depends on which results you look at as well ;) But I suspect if I had worked with SolidBurn a little more, the results would have looked a little better.

Dolph,

From what I have seen, it's the exact opposite. The 1640 currently has a bug which results in huge PIF spikes past the 3GB mark on DVD+R media burned at 16X. There are no such issues at 12X. This is true for *all* DVD+R media, high quality and junk alike.

This is what a typical scan of media burned at 16X:

http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/6150/benqdw1640bskbverbmcc00416xwop.png (http://imageshack.us)

The problem is BenQ refuses to fix it because they claim the spikes don't actually exist - their CATS machine doesn't show them. They claim it's some garbage about the write strategy and the scanning strat conflicting... i dunno. These spikes do however also show up on LiteOn's, so I'm not sure I believe their story.

DVD-R on the other hand is flawless @ 16X, MCC 03RG20, TYG03, and TYG02 all produce awesome results at 16X.

[Reaper Man]

Hiya, Digital Dolphin

I saw in your "DW1640" Review that the generic Optodisc DVD-4x was "inc". I guess that I would like to give others a warning about the Acro Circle 4x DVD-R OPTODISCR004.

I have the older shiney disc and the newer mat surface disc. They each have a different write strategy. Unfortunately out of the multiple attempts with both versions.. I may have gotten 2 or 3 burned discs with 0% scan quality, the rest would fail the "lead-in" burn. I checked with the Qscan from Qsuite v.2 and it reported unsuitable to burn at 4x.

My LG GSA-4040b will burn these well with around 97% quality.(Using the 1640 to quality scan.) I flashed to BSKB firmware right out of the couriers hands..would you suggest that your test results were more successful because of the BSHB firmware? Would you say that the quality of this brand is not up to snuff in general...?


Older Shiny surface
Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO
Media code/Manufacturer ID OPTODISCR004
Format Capacity Blank Disc
Free Blocks 412352512
Free Capacity 4.38GB(4.71GB)
Book Type DVD-R
Media Type DVD-R
Manufacturer Rated Speed 4.0x 5540KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.0x 2770KBps
Write Strategy Speed 4.0x 5540KBps
2x Speed OPC beta 0B
2x Speed OPC power 0F
2x Write Strategy field 1 11 86 67 80
2x Write Strategy field 2 88 80 00 00 00 00
4x Speed OPC beta 05
4x Speed OPC power 16
4x Write Strategy field 1 0D 10 0A 09
4x Write Strategy field 2 97 06 0E 0B
4x Write Strategy field 3 C0 00 00 00
4x Speed OPC beta multi-pulse 07
4x Speed OPC power multi-pulse 1A
4x Write Strategy field 4 17 B8 89 75
4x Write Strategy field 5 D5 79 88 80 00 00
4x Write Strategy field 6 00 00 D0 00 00
Data area starting sector 30000h
Linear Density 0.267um/bit
Track Density 0.74um/track
Number of Layers 1

Complete Media Code
00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 87 0E 13 .j...@....R.....
00000010 87 88 80 00 03 4F 50 54 4F 44 49 00 04 53 43 52 .....OPTODI..SCR
00000020 30 30 34 00 05 88 80 00 00 00 01 00 06 0B 0F 11 004.............


New mat surface
Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO
Media code/Manufacturer ID OPTODISCR004
Format Capacity Blank Disc
Free Blocks 412352512
Free Capacity 4.38GB(4.71GB)
Book Type DVD-R
Media Type DVD-R
Manufacturer Rated Speed 4.0x 5540KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.0x 2770KBps
Write Strategy Speed 4.0x 5540KBps
2x Speed OPC beta 0B
2x Speed OPC power 10
2x Write Strategy field 1 11 87 78 80
2x Write Strategy field 2 88 80 00 00 00 00
4x Speed OPC beta 06
4x Speed OPC power 17
4x Write Strategy field 1 0D 0F 0B 0B
4x Write Strategy field 2 98 08 0F 0B
4x Write Strategy field 3 00 00 00 00
4x Speed OPC beta multi-pulse 06
4x Speed OPC power multi-pulse 1C
4x Write Strategy field 4 13 A8 88 65
4x Write Strategy field 5 98 9A 88 80 00 00
4x Write Strategy field 6 00 00 D0 00 00
Data area starting sector 30000h
Linear Density 0.267um/bit
Track Density 0.74um/track
Number of Layers 1

Complete Media Code
00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 87 0E 15 .j...@....R.....
00000010 98 9A 90 00 03 4F 50 54 4F 44 49 00 04 53 43 52 .....OPTODI..SCR
00000020 30 30 34 00 05 CC C0 00 00 00 01 00 06 0B 10 11 004.............


Shiney surface (Maybe, I forgot which order...sorry)
General Information
Drive: BENQ DVD DD DW1640
Firmware: BSKB
Disc: DVD-R (OPTODISCR004)
Selected speed: Maximum
PI errors
Maximum: 11
Average: 3.06
Total: 20021
PI failures
Maximum: 4
Average: 0.05
Total: 281
PO failures: 0
Jitter
Maximum: 7.8 %
Average: 6.96 %
Scanning Statistics
Elapsed time: 7:24
Number of samples: 12299
Average scanning interval: 8.00 ECC
Glitches removed: 0


Mat surface (Maybe, I forgot which order...sorry)
General Information
Drive: BENQ DVD DD DW1640
Firmware: BSKB
Disc: DVD-R (OPTODISCR004)
Selected speed: Maximum
PI errors
Maximum: 30
Average: 5.00
Total: 54933
PI failures
Maximum: 38
Average: 0.58
Total: 5212
PO failures: 6281
Jitter
Maximum: 9.0 %
Average: 6.64 %
Scanning Statistics
Elapsed time: 9:41
Number of samples: 17758
Average scanning interval: 8.05 ECC
Glitches removed: 0

P.S. I Overburned some older Prodisc :!: DVD-4x @8x and had 93% quality (My LG GSA 4040B failed on half of these discs)

[[buck]]

I have a little tidbit of info for you all...

I found MIJ Sony media at a local Sears the other day, DVD-R only, no DVD+R, which means it's SONY08D1, just produced in Japan. MIJ DVD+R is YUDEN000 T02.

Maybe next time BB/FS has a sale i'll do a switcharoo over at Sears, there's no way i'm paying $25 for 25. :twisted:

I suspect Sears might source these from their American distribution channels... not that i'd know.. just speculating because Wal-Mart & FS/BB don't carry MIJ.

btw, you can pick out MIJ because they have a white spacer, while MIT have a grey spacer.

[rahzel]

In Other news.... my review on the DW1640 is now online!

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=270

:cheesygri
Great review DD. Was waiting forever for your review. :cheesygri

[Stephen Lee]

']

I found MIJ Sony, [...] MIJ DVD+R is YUDEN000 T02.

btw, you can pick out MIJ because they have a white spacer, while MIT have a grey spacer.

Hey are those Sony ones *real* TY? It just has the code, but comparing to DigitalDolphins, "how to spot real TY" but that is for dvd-r, and not dvd+r.. but errr.... I bought a spindle today.. the code is YUDEN000 T02 as well, MIJ, it has a white, Octogonal (sp?) (8-sided) spacer. It has in blue ink (DVD+R Ver 1.2/1X-8X Sony Corporation on center ring) and the serial is.. NF----- (i think, hard to read)

[[buck]]

Hey are those Sony ones *real* TY? It just has the code, but comparing to DigitalDolphins, "how to spot real TY" but that is for dvd-r, and not dvd+r.. but errr.... I bought a spindle today.. the code is YUDEN000 T02 as well, MIJ, it has a white, Octogonal (sp?) (8-sided) spacer. It has in blue ink (DVD+R Ver 1.2/1X-8X Sony Corporation on center ring) and the serial is.. NF----- (i think, hard to read)

Of course they're real TY! Anything made in Japan with a TY code is TY for sure. You can tell real 8X TY DVD+R by looking at the mirror band for TG0000xxx
and GG0000xxx for 8X DVD-R.

I would be very dissapointed if Sony was using fake TY. :lol:

BTW, where did you get them, the US?

[Stephen Lee]

No i just got them from a wal-mart.. was wondering why they had tonnes of dvd-r sony's and like almost none dvd+r.. I check it out and the dvd+r's are MIJ so I figure.. heck, I'll buy one spindle (50) and see what it is...check it out.. and if its bad, return it.. but then I find it has TY G02 code.. but code can be faked..

AH!! Thanks.. didn't notice the mirror band code,... it has TG0000xxx!! wow!! time to get some more!!! if they are real... lol.

Edit: poooo... all out.. though i should have expected that since there were only 3-4 cakes left after I bought mine. Looking for TY.. never find it. Not looking for TY... heck.. I finally get one. Im in Toronto.

[[buck]]

No i just got them from a wal-mart.. was wondering why they had tonnes of dvd-r sony's and like almost none dvd+r.. I check it out and the dvd+r's are MIJ so I figure.. heck, I'll buy one spindle (50) and see what it is...check it out.. and if its bad, return it.. but then I find it has TY G02 code.. but code can be faked..

AH!! Thanks.. didn't notice the mirror band code,... it has TG0000xxx!! wow!! time to get some more!!! if they are real... lol.

Edit: poooo... all out.. though i should have expected that since there were only 3-4 cakes left after I bought mine. Looking for TY.. never find it. Not looking for TY... heck.. I finally get one. Im in Toronto.

woa, I am very surprised you found MIJ DVD+R in a Canadian Wal-Mart! I have never, ever seen them there! :evil:

Maybe i'll check out my Wal-Mart today... i love that pearly white surface.

[freddyprinze]

Hi DD. I pose this question to you because I am guessing you have burned more DVD's than anyone. I have been backing up my DVD's using CloneDVD or DVDShrink. I have also seen two of my hard drives fail in the past 6 months. The first was a 120GB Seagate, the second a 250GB Maxtor. In both instances of failure, I was burning a DVD. The Seagate drive had my OS on it, the Maxtor which failed had my data and .vob files, etc. Have you experienced any hard drive failures in the process of burning DVD's?

[Stephen Lee]

woa, I am very surprised you found MIJ DVD+R in a Canadian Wal-Mart! I have never, ever seen them there!

Maybe i'll check out my Wal-Mart today... i love that pearly white surface.

I know it was pretty shocking as everything else was MIT. Plus, I love the white surface too... I have the maxell's and goddamnit.. it is sooo hard to write on it straight.. and its gold-orange is reflective and its, i dont know slightly annoying.. but eh.. its good media so I shouldn't complain.

freddyprinze: About the Maxtor's, a friend of mine went throught at least 3-4 Maxtor drives, they basically all died on him. So he constantly tells me never to get Maxtor. I dont know if that helps but.. if your warranty is still good u can get a replacement??... as for the Seagate, Ive never owned one. I mainly use Western Digital drives, I love them.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi DD. I pose this question to you because I am guessing you have burned more DVD's than anyone. I have been backing up my DVD's using CloneDVD or DVDShrink. I have also seen two of my hard drives fail in the past 6 months. The first was a 120GB Seagate, the second a 250GB Maxtor. In both instances of failure, I was burning a DVD. The Seagate drive had my OS on it, the Maxtor which failed had my data and .vob files, etc. Have you experienced any hard drive failures in the process of burning DVD's?

Nope.... not ever. And I've had several HDD's die on me in the last year and half or so (I think 3). They're all replaced with SATA Seagate drives now :cheesygri

[hagbard]

Nope.... not ever. And I've had several HDD's die on me in the last year and half or so (I think 3). They're all replaced with SATA Seagate drives now :cheesygri

Do you find those new Seagate drives to be noisy?

[freddyprinze]

Nope.... not ever. And I've had several HDD's die on me in the last year and half or so (I think 3). They're all replaced with SATA Seagate drives now :cheesygri

Thanks DD. I have burned maybe 600 DVD's over the span of having these 2 HDD's fail on me. In both instances of failure the result was a coaster. My system is pretty powerful P4, 3.0 GHz, HT, etc. but maybe it's the burning and accessing of the drives that is really hard on the HDD's. I wish I could endorse Seagate as many in these forums seem to be doing but it was the first HDD to fail on me. The Maxtor lasted all of 6 months so I'm not impressed. I am wondering if a lot of people who do a lot of burning have similar hard drive failures. Anyways, I realize the focus of this thread is DVD quality issues so l'll let you do what you do best! Thanks for the input.

:cheesygri

[whargoul]

I've got some Kodak CD-R's that read as being manufactured by Taiyo Yuden. I'm sure they're fake since the serial# on the disc is pretty generic (LMR0123456789) and they also say "NHPEARL" on the hub. Am I correct?

[[buck]]

Do they have a frosted plastic hub? Only TY CD-Rs have a frosted plastic hub.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Do you find those new Seagate drives to be noisy?

I have 10 CD/DVD Burners running in 2 PC's with multiple power supplies and fans. No HDD sounds noisy to me :lol:

[Rockstead]

Can anyone please tell me if Ritek blank DVD-rs are the same as Ridata DVD-rs?

If not, which one is better quality? and where is the cheapest place to buy them online in Canada?


Thanks

[goofball]

Do you find those new Seagate drives to be noisy?

SATA Seagates are noisy. whether 7200.7 or 7200.8. At least they are noisy when compared to their IDE counterparts.

[RFD Junkie]

I am sure this has been asked many many times but I can't find it in here with 155 pages of posts so forgive my asking.

I am new to DVD burning as my burner is about to arrive from NCIX anyday now.

I read the No More Coaters webpage about the manufactures and codes but was never mentioned on how or where to read them except when you get home and pop them in the computer.

I looked at Costco and they had TDK and Sony but nothing looked like the codes pointed out. I probably just missed it. Where are these codes located on the packages?

Thanks for your patients.

[[buck]]

I am sure this has been asked many many times but I can't find it in here with 155 pages of posts so forgive my asking.

I am new to DVD burning as my burner is about to arrive from NCIX anyday now.

I read the No More Coaters webpage about the manufactures and codes but was never mentioned on how or where to read them except when you get home and pop them in the computer.

I looked at Costco and they had TDK and Sony but nothing looked like the codes pointed out. I probably just missed it. Where are these codes located on the packages?

Thanks for your patients.

The media codes? Media codes aren't located on the packaging, they're "on" the disc. You need to pop them in a computer and run a program like DVD Identifier to find the MID.

The only ways you can know what you're buying before opening is to look for the serial # of the discs, which sometimes isn't easy, or buy based on others experiences.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Can anyone please tell me if Ritek blank DVD-rs are the same as Ridata DVD-rs?

If not, which one is better quality? and where is the cheapest place to buy them online in Canada? Thanks

RiData is made by Ritek. RiData is said to be higher quality, but in actual fact it's got the same quality variations as any other Ritek disc. Ritek and RiData media *SHOULD* be better quality then Ritek's crap brand Arita though, which is where their lowest grade media ends up (so Avoid Arita).

As for where the best quality is, it's a crap shoot. Ritek is too variable to know what you'll get from batch to batch. And as for who's the cheapest.... well that isn't something I am good at answering (and this is CERTAINLY not the kind of thread to discuss it in!) but I *CAN* tell you, that cheaper Ritek/RiData can EASILY mean someone has gotten a special price on B or C grade discs.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I am sure this has been asked many many times but I can't find it in here with 155 pages of posts so forgive my asking.

I am new to DVD burning as my burner is about to arrive from NCIX anyday now.

I read the No More Coaters webpage about the manufactures and codes but was never mentioned on how or where to read them except when you get home and pop them in the computer.

I looked at Costco and they had TDK and Sony but nothing looked like the codes pointed out. I probably just missed it. Where are these codes located on the packages?

Thanks for your patients.

As [Buck] said, you need to put the disc in a DVD burner to find out what the MID code is. User DVD Identifier (available for free, just do a search) for checking the MID.

I don't recommend using that No More Coasters webpage as a guide though... it's VERY old and outdated. Stick with Taiyo Yuden media and you'll be fine 100% of the time, unless you're burner is broken or something :P (note: not neccissarily true with 16x media)

[NG]

Not really a deal per se so I didn't see the point of posting this in hot deals however Canadian Tire seems to be the only retail place left with a healthy supply of MIJ media for anybody here looking.

Both those Maxell High Grade 5 pack DVDs (- and +) as well as Maxell photo CDs for $7.99/pk

Apprently the CDs have that extra coating as well. If it actually does something I think I might actually grab a pack of the - and cds to have lying around for slightly more important stuff than TY but not Mitsui important. Unless that extra coating is that good it'd place it in Mitsui quality level that is...

[[buck]]

Not really a deal per se so I didn't see the point of posting this in hot deals however Canadian Tire seems to be the only retail place left with a healthy supply of MIJ media for anybody here looking.

Both those Maxell High Grade 5 pack DVDs (- and +) as well as Maxell photo CDs for $7.99/pk

Apprently the CDs have that extra coating as well. If it actually does something I think I might actually grab a pack of the - and cds to have lying around for slightly more important stuff than TY but not Mitsui important. Unless that extra coating is that good it'd place it in Mitsui quality level that is...

"High Grade" (http://www.maxellcanada.com/press_releases/2005/DVDR_DVDRAM_camcorder_hardcoated.html)

The DVDRs look good, but pricey. Couldn't find any "Maxell photo CD-Rs", but I suspect they're very similar to Maxell CD-R Pros (TY with coatings) that are available at Wal-Mart and Staples for about $13/10.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']"High Grade" (http://www.maxellcanada.com/press_releases/2005/DVDR_DVDRAM_camcorder_hardcoated.html)

The DVDRs look good, but pricey. Couldn't find any "Maxell photo CD-Rs", but I suspect they're very similar to Maxell CD-R Pros (TY with coatings) that are available at Wal-Mart and Staples for about $13/10.

The Photo CD-Rs and the CD-R Pro's should be the same, but only the CD-R Pro's can come in 25pks.

[Nismo]

sorry, if this has been asked but are the verbatim 8x dvd-r at staples good? I went there today and saw a couple of 50pks left. They are going for $19.99. But i saw the label and it said MIT. Is that bad. Thanks for your feedbacks.

(couldnt find any MIJ maxell but bought a MIT maxell which were G05 from the last sale) :(

[[buck]]

sorry, if this has been asked but are the verbatim 8x dvd-r at staples good? I went there today and saw a couple of 50pks left. They are going for $19.99. But i saw the label and it said MIT. Is that bad. Thanks for your feedbacks.

(couldnt find any MIJ maxell but bought a MIT maxell which were G05 from the last sale) :(

they're $20/50? How come i didn't hear about this deal!?

edit - Staples.ca has them for $45 - 25 MIR, is that what you're referring to?

And on topic, all Verbatim single layer, write once media has been made in Taiwan or India for the past year or so. It is made by either CMC, Prodisc or Moser Baer India, using MCC's dye and standards.

It is good stuff.

[Nismo]

']they're $20/50? How come i didn't hear about this deal!?

edit - Staples.ca has them for $45 - 25 MIR, is that what you're referring to?

And on topic, all Verbatim single layer, write once media has been made in Taiwan or India for the past year or so. It is made by either CMC, Prodisc or Moser Baer India, using MCC's dye and standards.

It is good stuff.

yeah its the MIR, so are they any good? (i know that memorex doesnt like my dvd burner, burned with errors and doesnt read after burning) I have a Lg 4163B. Dont want to be stuck with crap media again. Need some "okay" media for now until i get a chance to order some TY from ncix later on.


edit: missed the last line. i'll probably grab a pk tomorrow then.
thanks

[[buck]]

yeah its the MIR, so are they any good? (i know that memorex doesnt like my dvd burner, burned with errors and doesnt read after burning) I have a Lg 4163B. Dont want to be stuck with crap media again. Need some "okay" media for now until i get a chance to order some TY from ncix later on.


edit: missed the last line. i'll probably grab a pk tomorrow then.
thanks

yes, this is excellent media. Almost as good as TY. You're lucky to get it for this price - it rarely goes on sale here in Canada.

[ezdoesit]

Hey DD,

I have a question for you.
Havent checked this thread lately so not sure if any of the Taiyo Yuden codes have been changed or if there is another way to tell if they're genuine.
Anyway I bought a 100 bulk pack of Taiyo Yuden 4x DVD-R from NCIX last week
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14051&vpn=TY4-4X/100BULK&manufacture=Taiyo%20Yuden&promoid=1048
recieved it today and noticed it had a different code on the ring.
It starts with GD followed by a 6 digit number.
The ones I bought last time started with GG followed a 6 digit number.
Are these new ones I bought genuine TY's??

Thanks.

[[buck]]

Hey DD,

I have a question for you.
Havent checked this thread lately so not sure if any of the Taiyo Yuden codes have been changed or if there is another way to tell if they're genuine.
Anyway I bought a 100 bulk pack of Taiyo Yuden 4x DVD-R from NCIX last week
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14051&vpn=TY4-4X/100BULK&manufacture=Taiyo%20Yuden&promoid=1048
recieved it today and noticed it had a different code on the ring.
It starts with GD followed by a 6 digit number.
The ones I bought last time started with GG followed a 6 digit number.
Are these new ones I bought genuine TY's??

Thanks.

Your old batch were TYG02, which is, normally, TY's 8X rated disc. However, since they are "value line" they're only rated for 4X. However, I suspect they burn better at 8X than 4X.

Your new batch is TYG01, which is TY's old 4X rated disc. These haven't been produced for quite some time.

Both are genuine. ;)

[ezdoesit]

Thanks for clearing that up, got a little worried there.
So was I supposed to get those TYG02 ones or did I just get lucky last time??
Any ideas which ones they sell at blankmedia.ca
and if the first batch are a lot better than the second??

[rahzel]

TY has different codes for different speeds. 4x is GD, 8x is GG and 16x is GH.

edit: blankmedia.ca and NCIX.com (or anywhere for that matter) get both TYG01 or TYG02 with their 4x rated value line DVDR's so you never know what youll get when you order. If you do get TYG02 with your value line 4x rated DVDR's, i dont think theyre quite as good as Premium line 8x rated DVDR's though.

[ezdoesit]

OK, thanks.

[The Digital Dolphin]

It's good to know that when I can't visit RFD as often as I'd like to answer the questions here in this thread, some very capable and intelligent people are lending a hand.

Thanks again to everyone filling in the blanks while I'm away! :)

[Pavel]

I'd like to mail some DVD's to Europe. Postage can be expensive. Was wondering if it is ok to sandwich two DVD's together without a case and mail it without damaging the DVD's?

[The Digital Dolphin]

I'd like to mail some DVD's to Europe. Postage can be expensive. Was wondering if it is ok to sandwich two DVD's together without a case and mail it without damaging the DVD's?

Not likely. But if you use a slim jewel case and tape it together on the edges it will hold up MUCH better then the discs would on their own.

[RFD Junkie]

As [Buck] said, you need to put the disc in a DVD burner to find out what the MID code is. User DVD Identifier (available for free, just do a search) for checking the MID.

I don't recommend using that No More Coasters webpage as a guide though... it's VERY old and outdated. Stick with Taiyo Yuden media and you'll be fine 100% of the time, unless you're burner is broken or something :P (note: not neccissarily true with 16x media)

I bought a BenQ 1640 (I liked your review) from NCIX a few weeks ago. Since I didn't know what was good or bad I decided to buy Sony +R and +RW media.

I have burned 3 discs and only 1 coaster due to my error.

If I stick with Sony, is this a safe bet? Sony wouldn't make junk would they?

[[buck]]

I bought a BenQ 1640 (I liked your review) from NCIX a few weeks ago. Since I didn't know what was good or bad I decided to buy Sony +R and +RW media.

I have burned 3 discs and only 1 coaster due to my error.

If I stick with Sony, is this a safe bet? Sony wouldn't make junk would they?

Sony MIJ DVD+RW media is excellent, while Sony MIT DVD+RW is above average to good.

Sony DVD-/+R media (MIT) is for the most part good, but not excellent. If you can find MIJ Sony media though, you've got a winner on your hands, with MIJ DVD+R being Taiyo Yuden, and the MIJ DVD-R being made by Sony themselves in Japan. The chances of finding MIJ are very slim however...

Sony MIT is probably the best media you can currently buy B&M, excluding Verbatim, which is usually prohibitively expensive (almost $1/disc most of the time), seeing how all the MIJ stock has dried up everywhere.

If you can live with "shiny silver tops", I would get these (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14051&manufacture=Taiyo%20Yuden&promoid=1006)
;)

and fyi, MIJ = made in Japan and MIT = made in Taiwan.

[The Digital Dolphin]

as is becoming quite usual, there's nothing much I can add to what [buck] has said :cheesygri

I should probably mention however that Sony 16x DVDRs have now become available from CompUSA in the US. I've got a bunch coming in on Friday for myself, and we can probably expect to start seeing them become more available in Canada in time too. Also Maxell 16x DVDRs will be appearing in the not too distant future (I mean 16x DVD-Rs MIJ, not the 16x DVD+Rs MIT at London Drugs!).

[Evil Techie]

hey DD,
may i ask u a question?

hows the MIT Sony DVD+RW compared to the MIT Maxell DVD+RW thats on sale now

in plextor PX708-A that is
hehe

still havent upgraded yet

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD,
may i ask u a question?

hows the MIT Sony DVD+RW compared to the MIT Maxell DVD+RW thats on sale now

in plextor PX708-A that is
hehe

still havent upgraded yet

Well, if you luck out and get SONYS11 then you've got some GOOD media (I'm not sure if Daxon is making it for Sony as well?). Otherwise you'll be getting either RICOHJPNW11 or PHILIPS041. Maxell also uses RICOHJPNW11 and PHILIPS041, so it'll probably amount to the same thing either way. I'd still aim for the Sony's though... just in case you get a SONYS11 disc! ;)

[[buck]]

Well, if you luck out and get SONYS11 then you've got some GOOD media (I'm not sure if Daxon is making it for Sony as well?). Otherwise you'll be getting either RICOHJPNW11 or PHILIPS041. Maxell also uses RICOHJPNW11 and PHILIPS041, so it'll probably amount to the same thing either way. I'd still aim for the Sony's though... just in case you get a SONYS11 disc! ;)

Well it's pretty easy to pick out SONYS11, isn't it? They are made in Japan, after all (or at least i'm pretty sure it's Japan only - you would know more than me). I know all the Wallyworlds i've been to have MIJ Sony DVD+RW, so I dont think it's that rare...

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Well it's pretty easy to pick out SONYS11, isn't it? They are made in Japan, after all (or at least i'm pretty sure it's Japan only - you would know more than me). I know all the Wallyworlds i've been to have MIJ Sony DVD+RW, so I dont think it's that rare...

It's possible that Daxon is making some DVD+RW for sony with their MID code, which is why I don't rule it out 100%.

[audit13]

I purchased some MIJ Sony dvd+rw discs a couple of weeks ago from BestBuy and, according to DVD Decrypter, the mid is Sony-S11-00. I was just about to return them until I read this thread.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I purchased some MIJ Sony dvd+rw discs a couple of weeks ago from BestBuy and, according to DVD Decrypter, the mid is Sony-S11-00. I was just about to return them until I read this thread.

They're DEFFINATELY worth keeping :cheesygri

[Evil Techie]

where is the cheapest place to get the good SONYS11?
is it only MIJ?

[mahjongmaniac]

I purchased some MIJ Sony dvd+rw discs a couple of weeks ago from BestBuy and, according to DVD Decrypter, the mid is Sony-S11-00. I was just about to return them until I read this thread.

oh man. u lucy SOB! :twisted: ;)

i've been lookin for'em for the past ~1/2 yr....:!: :|

[audit13]

oh man. u lucy SOB! :twisted: ;)

i've been lookin for'em for the past ~1/2 yr....:!: :|

I purchased them from the BestBuy at Laird and Eglinton when they were on sale for $5.99 for a 5-pack. There was one other MIJ 5-pack at the time but it had been opened. I went for the sealed discs instead. I guess I should have purchased the other package as well.

[RFD Junkie]

Here is what I have with the label saying made in Taiwan.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Disc Identifier : [DVD+R:SONY-D11-000]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disc & Book Type : [DVD+R] - [Not Available]
Manufacturer Name : [Sony Recording Media Co.]
Manufacturer ID : [SONY]
Media Type ID : [D11]
Product Revision : [Not Specified]
Blank Disc Capacity : [2,295,104 Sectors = 4.70 GB (4.38 GiB)]
Recording Speeds : [1x-2.4x , 4x , 6x-8x]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ DVD Identifier - http://DVD.Identifier.CDfreaks.com ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Am I correct in understanding that the D would mean Tiawan and S would mean Japan?

[audit13]

Here is what I have with the label saying made in Taiwan.



Am I correct in understanding that the D would mean Tiawan and S would mean Japan?

Are you reading the mid off a dvd+r ? I got the s11 off a mij dvd+rw disc.

[RFD Junkie]

Are you reading the mid off a dvd+r ? I got the s11 off a mij dvd+rw disc.

What is the Sony part number for the MIJ? My 5 pack DVD+RW that are MIT are 5DPW47L2.

I am assuming that the part numbers are the same but here is hoping.

I was using DVD Identifier to read the code on the disc and it came up D11.

So I just popped in the DVD+RW to see what came up and...


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Disc Identifier : [DVD+RW:RICOHJPN-W11-001]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disc & Book Type : [DVD+RW] - [Not Available]
Manufacturer Name : [Ricoh Co. Ltd.]
Manufacturer ID : [RICOHJPN]
Media Type ID : [W11]
Product Revision : [001]
Blank Disc Capacity : [2,295,104 Sectors = 4.70 GB (4.38 GiB)]
Recording Speeds : [1.6x-4x]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ DVD Identifier - http://DVD.Identifier.CDfreaks.com ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Boy have I got a lot to learn. :rolleyes:

[audit13]

The part # for my mij dvd+rw discs is also 5dpw47L2.

You had me worried with your first post. I thought I was seeing things :lol:

[Blehh]

Hey guys, I'm planning on buying a DVD burner, but I'm not really sure what's the best one, any recommendations for a best-bang for the buck burner? I'm thinking a BenQ 1640.

[RFD Junkie]

']Sony MIJ DVD+RW media is excellent, while Sony MIT DVD+RW is above average to good.

Sony DVD-/+R media (MIT) is for the most part good, but not excellent. If you can find MIJ Sony media though, you've got a winner on your hands, with MIJ DVD+R being Taiyo Yuden, and the MIJ DVD-R being made by Sony themselves in Japan. The chances of finding MIJ are very slim however...

Sony MIT is probably the best media you can currently buy B&M, excluding Verbatim, which is usually prohibitively expensive (almost $1/disc most of the time), seeing how all the MIJ stock has dried up everywhere.

If you can live with "shiny silver tops", I would get these (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14051&manufacture=Taiyo%20Yuden&promoid=1006)
;)

and fyi, MIJ = made in Japan and MIT = made in Taiwan.

They have some Sony DVD-/+ RW in Sears Pickering Town Center (along with DVD-R) that are MIJ. I posted it in the hot deals section but kept getting negitive remarks that I thought contradited these ones. So in case some missed it in the hot deals section I wanted to say it here as well.

[RFD Junkie]

Hey guys, I'm planning on buying a DVD burner, but I'm not really sure what's the best one, any recommendations for a best-bang for the buck burner? I'm thinking a BenQ 1640.


I bought one (BenQ 1640) after reading DD review. I really like it. Especially when for the price you can pick it up for. Has been working fine with Sony DVD+R's. But my opinion is a nonprofessional newbie's opinion. :cheesygri

I got mine from NCIX with a PM. (see previous posts)

[Blehh]

If I am getting a 1640, I'll prolly try CC at Pacific Mall first to save the shipping hazzle :P

[pcguy]

Does the 1640 burn CD-RWs? I have not had any luck using my 1620 and CD-RWs. The burns fail everytime. No problem using an LG CD burner on another computer.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Does the 1640 burn CD-RWs? I have not had any luck using my 1620 and CD-RWs. The burns fail everytime. No problem using an LG CD burner on another computer.

It's pretty bad with 32x CD-RWs, but it works on at least some 12x and 24x CD-RWs. I'd stick with Verbatim 12x CD-RWs if I were you. Maybe Ritek 12x CD-RWs.

[Evil Techie]

how are philips CD-RWs btw?

[audit13]

I've had no problems burning cd-rw discs with my Benq 1620. I've used Memorex, Imation, and Princo (4x and 10x). However, with my Nec 3520a, I always get a "power calibration" error when using the Imation 10x cd-rw discs.

[pcguy]

It's pretty bad with 32x CD-RWs, but it works on at least some 12x and 24x CD-RWs. I'd stick with Verbatim 12x CD-RWs if I were you. Maybe Ritek 12x CD-RWs.

THats what I am using "verbatim 12X" CD-RWs and I have yet to be able to burn to them in the 1620. Always gives me a failure message using Nero at 12x. The LG CD burner has no problems using Nero and this media.

[audit13]

THats what I am using "verbatim 12X" CD-RWs and I have yet to be able to burn to them in the 1620. Always gives me a failure message using Nero at 12x. The LG CD burner has no problems using Nero and this media.

Have you tried writing at 10x ? My 1620 hasn't had any problems with the 24x Verbatim cd-rw discs.

[callous]

1620 cant burnt at 12x for cdrw

[pcguy]

Duh! THanks .. should of tried that before. I must of had a brain fart ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

how are philips CD-RWs btw?

I don't know unfortunately... Philips isn't a regular brand around here most of the time, and none of my sources can provide me with any.

[Evil Techie]

I don't know unfortunately... Philips isn't a regular brand around here most of the time, and none of my sources can provide me with any.
ah ok thanx anyways

i am able to get some from a friend at a cheap price
ill test them out and post my results here
what can i use to test the CD-RWs?

[The Digital Dolphin]

ah ok thanx anyways

i am able to get some from a friend at a cheap price
ill test them out and post my results here
what can i use to test the CD-RWs?

You can use the DW1640, and Nero CD/DVD Speed. Even a transfer rate test will tell you some good info :)

[Evil Techie]

You can use the DW1640, and Nero CD/DVD Speed. Even a transfer rate test will tell you some good info :)
ok ill do that
except the part with DW1640
hehehe
havent got that one yet

btw what do u think about the cd burning capabilities on the Plextor dvd burner drives
as good as the old plextor premium cd burners?

[The Digital Dolphin]

ok ill do that
except the part with DW1640
hehehe
havent got that one yet

btw what do u think about the cd burning capabilities on the Plextor dvd burner drives
as good as the old plextor premium cd burners?

At least the PX-712a and PX-716a are.... I think the PX-708a is too, I have NO idea about the PX-504.

[Evil Techie]

At least the PX-712a and PX-716a are.... I think the PX-708a is too, I have NO idea about the PX-504.

thanx thats good to know
ill post some results when i meet up with my friend and get the philips CD-RW from him
12x i think

[Firehawk]

Hey Dolphin, and any other media experts in the arena. I've tried searching through the thread, but it's hard to sift through this many posts and what I'm looking for is very general so searching by keyword isn't really efficient either. I've got a LG 4160B DVD Burner, and a Lite-On SOHC 5232K Combo Burner. I'm wondering what's the top types of media to use for both CD-R and DVD-R/+R. I'm thinking of getting the Ritek 100 CD-R spindle from NCIX along with the TY 4X DVD's that are on sale this week, but I think I heard that the Ritek's lately are really hit and miss. Any suggestions? As of now I've been using MIJ Fujifilm DVD-R's and Memorex CD-R's.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey Dolphin, and any other media experts in the arena. I've tried searching through the thread, but it's hard to sift through this many posts and what I'm looking for is very general so searching by keyword isn't really efficient either. I've got a LG 4160B DVD Burner, and a Lite-On SOHC 5232K Combo Burner. I'm wondering what's the top types of media to use for both CD-R and DVD-R/+R. I'm thinking of getting the Ritek 100 CD-R spindle from NCIX along with the TY 4X DVD's that are on sale this week, but I think I heard that the Ritek's lately are really hit and miss. Any suggestions? As of now I've been using MIJ Fujifilm DVD-R's and Memorex CD-R's.

I think the Ritek CD-Rs are still "ok". They aren't nearly as good as TY, but they are good for day to day use. The TY 4x DVD-Rs are an excellent choice :)

[Gevaltech]

I got a 1620 a few months ago and was happily burning a number of DVDs. But for the last couple weeks, it goes through the whole burn process and the disk ends up being blank. I'm doing everything the exact same, using the same TY 8x media, same Decrypter and DVD Shrink software with the same settings. Everything looks like it works perfectly, right down to the "successfully completed" message at the end of the burn process by Decrypter. Anyone have a clue?

[The Digital Dolphin]

I got a 1620 a few months ago and was happily burning a number of DVDs. But for the last couple weeks, it goes through the whole burn process and the disk ends up being blank. I'm doing everything the exact same, using the same TY 8x media, same Decrypter and DVD Shrink software with the same settings. Everything looks like it works perfectly, right down to the "successfully completed" message at the end of the burn process by Decrypter. Anyone have a clue?


Hrm... Do you have QSuite installed? It sounds like you are running simulations instead of regular burns. :confused:

[rp_guy]

i'm getting a new dvd writer. what's the best to get? i have the ncix 4x TY's coming in this week as well, and i currently have a pioneer 109d.

you guys seem to like the benq dw1640, but DD your recommendation also says the 109 might be good with good media. should i get the 1640 or even a 110d?

[The Digital Dolphin]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't be happy with the DVR-109D... it's a good drive. The BenQ DW1640 is better in the long run, especially considering all the extra features... but I really don't see why the average consumer would need to upgrade from the DVR-109 at this point? Do you REALLY need 8x DVDRDL over 6x??

If you want my honest opinion, there is not enough difference between the DVR-109 and other drives available to warrant a switch. Just upgrade to the newest firmware (www.rpc1.org) and stick with what you've got.

P.S. Seriously, don't even THINK about the DVR-110D!!

[rp_guy]

oh no it's not gonna cost me anything.. i'm gonna put the 109 away into someone elses computer so it's basically a free upgrade for me. thanks!

PS: there's new firmware for the 1640 if anyone didn't see, BSLB

Firmware Update

1. Fix LED blinking like SB active while burning no support SB media.
2. Increase calibration accuracy.
3. Fix wrong LED behavior and SLWS setting rule.
4. Fix DVD-R SLWSO speed down problem.
5. Restrict SB setting cannot be modified when over speed setting is enabled.
6. Modify get DVD-R writing strategy function.
7. Prevent special spin down on +RW 8x inside (6x area).
8. Copy 4x SLWSO ws to current ws.

http://www.benq.us/serviceandsupport/Drivers/drivercounter.cfm?dpid=782&id=2309&size=971%20KB&type=D&filename=Bslb.zip&type=D&whereto=ftp://12.145.38.159/dvd-rw/firmware/dw1640/bslb.zip

[AnitaPeterson]

All this talk about recorders... meanwhile there's no more good media to burn!!! You're putting the chariot before the horses, people!

Can anyone figure out some current deals on good media? Something that won't die on us, like the current MIT Maxell and Fujifilm products ?

[woof]

Question for DD:

I look at all this talk of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD with their up to 25 Gig disks and I'm puzzled. The current DVD recordable technology (DVD+/-R) is barely able to squeeze 5 Gig (single layer) on blank disks at present. And the quality of these blanks currently available in stores could at best be described as only mediocre to good, with very questionable long term durability issues.

With manufacturing technology which isn't significantly different from what's currently in place how exactly are the manufacturers now going to get 25 Gigs on the same size disks with acceptable quality????? I just have trouble visualizing this great leap forward when I'm so underwhelmed with the current product. :confused:

[The Digital Dolphin]

Question for DD:

I look at all this talk of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD with their up to 25 Gig disks and I'm puzzled. The current DVD recordable technology (DVD+/-R) is barely able to squeeze 5 Gig (single layer) on blank disks at present. And the quality of these blanks currently available in stores could at best be described as only mediocre to good, with very questionable long term durability issues.

With manufacturing technology which isn't significantly different from what's currently in place how exactly are the manufacturers now going to get 25 Gigs on the same size disks with acceptable quality????? I just have trouble visualizing this great leap forward when I'm so underwhelmed with the current product. :confused:

Easy!

Say goodbye to the $0.50 disc ;)

BluRay and HDDVD are *NOT* consumer technologies. We'll see DVD±RDL become the regular standard before we see anything even REMOTELY close to consumer HD recordable media.

The technology is too complex for cheap ass Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers, and only companies like Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden will be able to pull it off properly at first. CMC, Ritek and Optodisc will follow, but the days of Princo, Lead Data and Prodisc will be numbered. If you want to know how a company will perform in the future, look at how they handle DVD+RDL media. Verbatim owns the market for quality, and is doing well for sales. Ritek has the highest sales, and lame ass quality (but at least they MAKE them!!). CMC has approved DVD+RDL discs, but so low volumes currently they're impossible to find in North America. But Lead Data has done nothing with DVD+RDL, and Prodisc only had 1 run of DVD+RDL, before scrapping the whole line due to huge (seriously worse then ritek!) quality problems. Optodisc made the choice to skip DVD+RDL and began R&D on HDDVD and BluRay a long time ago, in order to become very competitive very quickly. Princo can't even get 8x DVD-Rs working properly!! :lol:

So what we'll see is a weeding out of crappy manufacturers, and a large jump in selling prices for next generation products. Between these two events, I think it'll be MUCH easier for quality products to be manufactured.

Remember, competition may breed lower prices, but it's even worse for creating cut corners and poor quality products!

[Headhunter]

^ Very informative, I'll stay away from the crap brands from now on.

The Princos I got so far are holding up, but I'm not exactly impressed.

[JAC]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't be happy with the DVR-109D... it's a good drive. The BenQ DW1640 is better in the long run, especially considering all the extra features... but I really don't see why the average consumer would need to upgrade from the DVR-109 at this point? Do you REALLY need 8x DVDRDL over 6x??

If you want my honest opinion, there is not enough difference between the DVR-109 and other drives available to warrant a switch. Just upgrade to the newest firmware (www.rpc1.org) and stick with what you've got.

Hear, hear! I'm perfectly content with my 109 cross-flashed to A09. 1.58 seems to have eliminated the 16X -R lead-out bug, at least for me. I only use TY silvers from blankmedia.ca

[The Digital Dolphin]

For anyone interested, Optodisc and Prodisc are now merging to become the second largest optical media manufacturer in the world (possibly just DVD optical media, need to get more info on this still).

Booyah!

Whether Ritek or CMC will be number 1 is still a little uncertain however.

I'm expecting Lead Data and Daxon will also have to merge with someone in order to stay alive in the next couple years... or else they'll go under.

One thing is for sure, big changes are coming, and there will be lot's of twists and turns!! :cheesygri

[goofball]

I got a 1620 a few months ago and was happily burning a number of DVDs. But for the last couple weeks, it goes through the whole burn process and the disk ends up being blank. I'm doing everything the exact same, using the same TY 8x media, same Decrypter and DVD Shrink software with the same settings. Everything looks like it works perfectly, right down to the "successfully completed" message at the end of the burn process by Decrypter. Anyone have a clue?

are you burning them at 8x or higher? if it's higher, write them at 8x and see. you can also try doing a scandisc using Nero CD-DVD speed, that sometimes helps.

[goofball]

All this talk about recorders... meanwhile there's no more good media to burn!!! You're putting the chariot before the horses, people!

Can anyone figure out some current deals on good media? Something that won't die on us, like the current MIT Maxell and Fujifilm products ?

NCIX always has sale pricing on TY and Optodisc. The TY's are very good/excellent, the Optodisc are good. If you want dirt cheap media right now, you're basically going to be buying dirt media. Good for short term, not really for long term.

FS seems to be blowing out the BenQ media. It's usually Daxon, which is pretty good. Also, you may find some Sony media in Walmart that is good as well.

If what you're archiving is valuable, isn't the extra few cents/media worth it?

[The Digital Dolphin]

It looks like Daxon might be in trouble... I'm hearing rumours they might go under in the next several months to a year. I think they've lost some of their bigger OEM clients (possibly SONY!!).

In general, things are really changing in the optical media industry. I won't be surprised if all but 5 or 6 manufacturers are gone in the next 1-3 years, depending on when HD media becomes more standard.

[Firehawk]

Hey I got one more question Dolphin. The Silver Lacquer DVD-R 4X at blankmedia, are they the Value TY that I've been hearing about? If so, how's the quality/lifespan on them compared to the others?

[rahzel]

Hey I got one more question Dolphin. The Silver Lacquer DVD-R 4X at blankmedia, are they the Value TY that I've been hearing about? If so, how's the quality/lifespan on them compared to the others?
Yes.

the quality is better than most, but not quite as good as Premium Taiyo Yuden.

[JAC]

Yes.

the quality is better than most, but not quite as good as Premium Taiyo Yuden.
Please define 'Premium Taiyo Yuden'. Are you referring to the printable CDs/DVDs? Are the silver lacquered variants inferior in some way?

[[buck]]

Please define 'Premium Taiyo Yuden'. Are you referring to the printable CDs/DVDs? Are the silver lacquered variants inferior in some way?

Taiyo Yuden has two different product lines, "Premium" and "Value". All value is laquer, and most premium is laquer also. The Value stuff is as much as 40% less than the Premium at the retail level.

No one really knows what the differences, but it has to be assumed they're from later in the stamper's life than the premium stuff. Quite frankly, the it's pretty hard to tell the two apart; the differences are pretty minimal.

[BuddyGuy]

Question:

What's the difference (for TY at least) between silver laquer and silver inkjet printable?


And DD, what do you recommend for labelling discs? Any cheap/good thermal printers coming out soon (other than the Primera Z1)? How about hub labels?
Anybody have experience with them?

[rahzel]

Question:

What's the difference (for TY at least) between silver laquer and silver inkjet printable?
well, for starters, obviously one is printable and one isnt. Silver lacquer can only be written on, not printed on. im not sure as i never buy printable media, but im guessing the silver printable will have a finish so finger prints wont show unlike Silver lacquer. Thats one knock against Taiyo Yuden media with just silver lacquer but obviously printable media is more expensive.

[Defiant]

DD, whats the best DVD-RAM 5x capable drive out right now? I need to buy a new drive and DVDRAM support is a must.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Question:

What's the difference (for TY at least) between silver laquer and silver inkjet printable?


And DD, what do you recommend for labelling discs? Any cheap/good thermal printers coming out soon (other than the Primera Z1)? How about hub labels?
Anybody have experience with them?

Rahzel has a good answer for the media question, so I won't add anything to it.

As for thermal printers... there aren't any good consumer grade ones available. For best results you have to go prosumer or professional. If you want to make nice looking labels cheaply, then stick with an inkjet printer, the Epson R300 is probably the best choice (maybe the R200). If you want to take it a notch up you can go with a Bravo line printer from Primera... but it's pretty pricey.

Hub labels are fine... but I wouldn't suggest putting them on DVDs.

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD, whats the best DVD-RAM 5x capable drive out right now? I need to buy a new drive and DVDRAM support is a must.

The LG 4163B, no doubt about it. It's the only DVD-RAM capable drive worth looking at at this point. The newer models aren't as good, and other brands can't compete. Maybe the newer Pioneer A10 or BenQ DQ60 will change that in time, but if you want something *now* then the LG 4163B is the drive for you.

[Nai]

The LG 4163B, no doubt about it. It's the only DVD-RAM capable drive worth looking at at this point. The newer models aren't as good, and other brands can't compete. Maybe the newer Pioneer A10 or BenQ DQ60 will change that in time, but if you want something *now* then the LG 4163B is the drive for you.

What's wrong w/ the 4167B compared to the 4163B?

I recently picked up a 4167 thinking that it was a better model. Should I be regretting/returning it?

[The Digital Dolphin]

What's wrong w/ the 4167B compared to the 4163B?

I recently picked up a 4167 thinking that it was a better model. Should I be regretting/returning it?

Well, the 4167 is the non-lightscribe version of the 4166 as I understand it, and the things that the CDRlabs reviewer has said about the write quality of the 4166 could not be posted on a family friendly forum, if you know what I mean. But the 4167 does get more frequent firmware updates, so it might have improved somewhat. The 4163B is nice and stable though :)

[Hybrid88]

I picked up this drive a few weeks ago and its fine. I finally caved in and bought a dvd writer and I've been please with it (last writer was a plextor 8x cdr writer). The one thing I noticed is that the 16x dvd-r/dvd+r maxelle media do not burn at those speeds. Not sure if its the LG firmware, DVD software or the media but it does burn at a decent 8x. It also burns CDRs at 48x instead of the advertised 52x. Not really complaining but I have to find the source of the problem and hopefully get it burning at faster speeds.

Any suggestions/solutions?

[The Digital Dolphin]

I picked up this drive a few weeks ago and its fine. I finally caved in and bought a dvd writer and I've been please with it (last writer was a plextor 8x cdr writer). The one thing I noticed is that the 16x dvd-r/dvd+r maxelle media do not burn at those speeds. Not sure if its the LG firmware, DVD software or the media but it does burn at a decent 8x. It also burns CDRs at 48x instead of the advertised 52x. Not really complaining but I have to find the source of the problem and hopefully get it burning at faster speeds.

Any suggestions/solutions?

Well, if you're going to replace it, go with a BenQ DW1640... or if you need DVD-RAM, LG 4163B. If you aren't going to replace it, then tough it out. I can't tell you whether or not you should return it if the drive DOES work for you though. You have to make that decision on your own ;)

[squigly1]

I have a question about media. I'm getting a benq dw1640 but I'm not sure what media to get. I can go to Futureshop, etc. and get a spindle of whatever they have on sale ie. Fujifilm, Maxell, etc. or go thru blankmedia.ca and get some TY, etc. The TY will be more expensive. Which route am I better off taking?

Also, lets say I go with the TY, Silver Lacquer. Are both sides silver and look alike? Is it easy to tell the difference? Am I able to write a title or whatever on the disk (non burning side of course :))?

I'm new to the dvd burning world, or will be within the week, so bear with me :confused:

Thanks

[The Digital Dolphin]

I have a question about media. I'm getting a benq dw1640 but I'm not sure what media to get. I can go to Futureshop, etc. and get a spindle of whatever they have on sale ie. Fujifilm, Maxell, etc. or go thru blankmedia.ca and get some TY, etc. The TY will be more expensive. Which route am I better off taking?

Also, lets say I go with the TY, Silver Lacquer. Are both sides silver and look alike? Is it easy to tell the difference? Am I able to write a title or whatever on the disk (non burning side of course :))?

I'm new to the dvd burning world, or will be within the week, so bear with me :confused:

Thanks

TY is the better route to go for sure! And don't worry, the recordable side is a VERY different colour then silver ;-) As for writing with markers on the disc, make sure you use a waterbased soft tipped marker.... NOT A JIFFY marker.

[rahzel]

afaik, there is no recordable media that has a silver dye or silver bottom. most DVD media is purple or blue and most cd-r media is greenish.

[[buck]]

afaik, there is no recordable media that has a silver dye or silver bottom. most DVD media is purple or blue and most cd-r media is greenish.

I think Prodisc put out a CD-R with a silver dye that looked alot like pressed CDs... but that was a LONG time ago.

[audit13]

']I think Prodisc put out a CD-R with a silver dye that looked alot like pressed CDs... but that was a LONG time ago.

I remember those. I even had some ! I also had CDRs where the recordable side was purple, red, and green.

[BuddyGuy]

Hub labels are fine... but I wouldn't suggest putting them on DVDs.

Is there any reason why you wouldn't put Hub labels on DVDs?

[[buck]]

Is there any reason why you wouldn't put Hub labels on DVDs?

Balance issues, me thinks. According the Almightly (DD :razz:) DVDs are very sensitive the imbalances, so you might have troubles reading the discs down the road if they are not applied *perfectly*, which is impossible!

[BuddyGuy]

']Balance issues, me thinks. According the Almightly (DD :razz:) DVDs are very sensitive the imbalances, so you might have troubles reading the discs down the road if they are not applied *perfectly*, which is impossible!


Hmmm... if you use an applicator with the label at the hub only, there wouldn't be much of an imbalance. And since the label is sitting on plastic only, the data would be safe from any adhesive eating away at the dye layer (CDs generally).

[rahzel]

hey DD, have you tried any MKM 001 with your BenQ 1640? (im guessing you have). How were your results?

i just burnt my first MKM 001 DL DVD+R today and my results were pretty fugly. HUGE PIF's and terrible looking transfer rate test. In the transfer rate test, i got huge dips at just over 10x and i got huge PIF's near the middle of the test.

i burnt a DVD to it. Ill watch it tonight and see how the playback is.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']I think Prodisc put out a CD-R with a silver dye that looked alot like pressed CDs... but that was a LONG time ago.

Yup, they weren't the only ones either.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I remember those. I even had some ! I also had CDRs where the recordable side was purple, red, and green.

That is a combination of silver coloured dye, and specialty coloured plastic polycarbonate layers. The dye itself is not orange, red, green, purple.... etc..

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hmmm... if you use an applicator with the label at the hub only, there wouldn't be much of an imbalance. And since the label is sitting on plastic only, the data would be safe from any adhesive eating away at the dye layer (CDs generally).

A hub label will be less problamatic then a full covering label on the disc... but it still has the potential to off set the balance. Basically, do it at your own risk.

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, have you tried any MKM 001 with your BenQ 1640? (im guessing you have). How were your results?

i just burnt my first MKM 001 DL DVD+R today and my results were pretty fugly. HUGE PIF's and terrible looking transfer rate test. In the transfer rate test, i got huge dips at just over 10x and i got huge PIF's near the middle of the test.

i burnt a DVD to it. Ill watch it tonight and see how the playback is.

What speed did you burn it at? Was WOPC on or off?

I've played with probably 10 different MKM001 discs on the DW1640 under different conditions. I found that burning it at 4x or 6x would work relatively well with WOPC on, but going to 8x (ESPECIALLY with WOPC off) would have some problems usually.

Also, what firmware are you using?

[Nai]

Well, the 4167 is the non-lightscribe version of the 4166 as I understand it, and the things that the CDRlabs reviewer has said about the write quality of the 4166 could not be posted on a family friendly forum, if you know what I mean. But the 4167 does get more frequent firmware updates, so it might have improved somewhat. The 4163B is nice and stable though :)

According to CDRInfo's review last month (that I just gleaned over today), it seems that the drive performs SUBSTANTIALLY better with the DL11 firmware upgrade (as opposed to DL10). As I'm not a DVD-writer aficionado (yet), I cannot say whether or not it is better than its 4163B predecessor. However, the review does offer me some relief since I'll be installing this drive for a friend.

CRINFO LINK (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=14976&PageId=22)

[rahzel]

What speed did you burn it at? Was WOPC on or off?

I've played with probably 10 different MKM001 discs on the DW1640 under different conditions. I found that burning it at 4x or 6x would work relatively well with WOPC on, but going to 8x (ESPECIALLY with WOPC off) would have some problems usually.

Also, what firmware are you using?
WOPC was on and i burnt it at 2.4x with firmware BSLB.

the movie played back totally fine. maybe i just got a bad batch of verbatim MKM 001 discs because this disc was from the same pack of discs where i had bad burns with my NEC 3520 too (not quite this bad though).

i didnt even finish the whole scan but around the middle of the scan, the PIF's were spiking past 40 and again, just over 10x in the transfer rate test, i got big dips.

[The Digital Dolphin]

According to CDRInfo's review last month (that I just gleaned over today), it seems that the drive performs SUBSTANTIALLY better with the DL11 firmware upgrade (as opposed to DL10). As I'm not a DVD-writer aficionado (yet), I cannot say whether or not it is better than its 4163B predecessor. However, the review does offer me some relief since I'll be installing this drive for a friend.

CRINFO LINK (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=14976&PageId=22)

Part of the reason why I do not write reviews for CDRinfo (although I have been, and probably still am a Moderator there), is because I've never been able to get my own burn quality to match the results shown on their reviews. I blame this mostly on the fact that the media they test is from the European market, and not the North American market. The same is true for reviews from CDFreaks. And please trust me on this, media in Europe is VERY different from the media in Canada! Even if the brand and manufacturer are the same. For instance, Ritek's media is usually much higher in quality (except the stuff sold by E-Net Distribution), and their Optodisc media is much MUCH worse. Fuji and Ricoh brand products are also very different, and even Maxell.

But the fact remains, that when it's your drive, the ONLY person who has to be happy with it is YOU right? So if it's working for you, on the media you use, then I wouldn't worry... unless you plan on archiving things for many years... THEN you need to be more picky ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

WOPC was on and i burnt it at 2.4x with firmware BSLB.

the movie played back totally fine. maybe i just got a bad batch of verbatim MKM 001 discs because this disc was from the same pack of discs where i had bad burns with my NEC 3520 too (not quite this bad though).

i didnt even finish the whole scan but around the middle of the scan, the PIF's were spiking past 40 and again, just over 10x in the transfer rate test, i got big dips.

If you encounter playback issues, please contact Verbatim about them. They take complaints about their media very seriously (especially DVDRDL!!) and I've heard of them offering replacements on a 3-1 basis (3 new discs for 1 bad disc!!), although this was in Europe, so YMMV.

Better luck on the next batch! (and seriously, you CAN burn the stuff at 4x with no problem, and it's worth the time savings :) )

[CSR]

Hey DD, when will the price of dual layer disc go down and why havn't they already?

[rahzel]

Hey DD, when will the price of dual layer disc go down and why havn't they already?
its slowly going down.

futureshop and london drugs have a 3pack of fujifilm dual layer (ricohjpn) media onsale for 9.99. its not that much better than ritek dual layer media in general, but thats a pretty good price.

also, blankmedia.ca just got 10pcs verbatim 2.4x-6x dual layer media for 46.95.

If you encounter playback issues, please contact Verbatim about them. They take complaints about their media very seriously (especially DVDRDL!!) and I've heard of them offering replacements on a 3-1 basis (3 new discs for 1 bad disc!!), although this was in Europe, so YMMV.

Better luck on the next batch! (and seriously, you CAN burn the stuff at 4x with no problem, and it's worth the time savings )
i wanted to be absolutely sure i got the best burn quality possible but it didnt turn out good anyway =[.

i contacted Verbatim even though i dont think i saw any playback issues.

I bought a couple singles from blankmedia.ca and i had pretty good results with them but this 3-pack i bought were all pretty bad.

[bigredlemon]

Hi DD, I'm going to pickup a DVD burner today and have no idea what features I'm looking for. I don't even plan on burning much discs.


http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProdList&cmd=pl&id=CR.184

Can you tell me which one to get? Thanks :!:

[divx]

Hi DD, I'm going to pickup a DVD burner today and have no idea what features I'm looking for. I don't even plan on burning much discs.


http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProdList&cmd=pl&id=CR.184

Can you tell me which one to get? Thanks :!:

benq 1640

[bigredlemon]

benq 1640
thanks. u make it sound pretty clear cut. any particular reason? or just generally best price-reliability ratio?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, when will the price of dual layer disc go down and why havn't they already?

The price *HAS* gone down.... it wasn't THAT long ago when Verbatim was $12-$14 each, and Ritek was $8-$9 each. Now Verbatim is in the $4-$6 and Ritek in the $3-$5 range. I'd say that's pretty darn good!!

But I expect we'll see $3 on Verbatim near the end of the year.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi DD, I'm going to pickup a DVD burner today and have no idea what features I'm looking for. I don't even plan on burning much discs.


http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProdList&cmd=pl&id=CR.184

Can you tell me which one to get? Thanks :!:

How can I make suggestions on something if you don't even know what you want? Sorry I'm not a soothsayer ;)

[bigredlemon]

How can I make suggestions on something if you don't even know what you want? Sorry I'm not a soothsayer ;)
I just want a corolla of dvd buners... and nice safe choice for those who doesn't demand much :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

I just want a corolla of dvd buners... and nice safe choice for those who doesn't demand much :cheesygri

BenQ DW1640 for overall media support
Pioneer DVR-109 for slightly better burn quality on select quality media, with reduced media support compared to the BenQ DW1640
BenQ DW1625 for Lightscribe and decent media support
LG 4163B for decent media support, and crazy speed at the expense of quality

[ak47num1]

Hi. My friend bought the Dynex 200 DVD-R from FS the other day. Today I checked his discs' media code and discovered it to be SONY04D1. Just wondering if that is good or not.

Thanks!

[bodobodo]

BenQ DW1640 for overall media support
Pioneer DVR-109 for slightly better burn quality on select quality media, with reduced media support compared to the BenQ DW1640

Just out of curiousity what media seems to burn better on the Pioneer 109 vs the BenQ 1640?

[bodobodo]

I have another question regarding Maxell. I had read reports earlier this week that CMC media is now starting to appear in their 8x DVD-R 100 pack spindles. When I was at Future Shop tonight I noticed that most of the Maxell 100 pack DVD-R spindles did in fact look like they contained CMC discs rather than Ritek. The difference is quite easy to spot if you know what to look for. The Maxell DVD+R spindles still seemed to be all Ritek as far as I could tell from the 5 or 6 spindles I checked. It's possible that both are now shipping with CMC media but that this particular store has newer -R stock than +R stock. Is this switch to CMC Maxell's reaction due to recent complaints about the quality of Ritek media or is something else behind this like Ritek not being able to give Maxell a good enough price or enough supply?

Once Maxell starts shipping 16X media will it likely be their own MIJ discs or will it be outsourced? If outsourced do you have any guesses who will be supplying it?

Thanks.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi. My friend bought the Dynex 200 DVD-R from FS the other day. Today I checked his discs' media code and discovered it to be SONY04D1. Just wondering if that is good or not.

Thanks!

Not a clue.... can you post a hi-res picture of the hub, and list the serial numbers on the hub and mirror band of the disc? (the clear plastic part is the hub, and the mirror band is the shiny reflective part on the underside of the disc, just between the recordable area and the plastic hub).

I suspect it may be a faked code, but I need to check.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Just out of curiousity what media seems to burn better on the Pioneer 109 vs the BenQ 1640?

TYG03, TYG02, I think some verbatim as well.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I have another question regarding Maxell. I had read reports earlier this week that CMC media is now starting to appear in their 8x DVD-R 100 pack spindles. When I was at Future Shop tonight I noticed that most of the Maxell 100 pack DVD-R spindles did in fact look like they contained CMC discs rather than Ritek. The difference is quite easy to spot if you know what to look for. The Maxell DVD+R spindles still seemed to be all Ritek as far as I could tell from the 5 or 6 spindles I checked. It's possible that both are now shipping with CMC media but that this particular store has newer -R stock than +R stock. Is this switch to CMC Maxell's reaction due to recent complaints about the quality of Ritek media or is something else behind this like Ritek not being able to give Maxell a good enough price or enough supply?

Once Maxell starts shipping 16X media will it likely be their own MIJ discs or will it be outsourced? If outsourced do you have any guesses who will be supplying it?

Thanks.

I don't know for a fact if Maxell has ordered from CMC, but I *DO* know for a fact that it was very likely to happen a couple months ago, so I'm not surprised to hear you say it. Basically, after the Ritek incedent, I sent a report to Maxell detailing many of the complants listed both here and on several other forums, and made some rather damning comments to them. The report circulated around North America, and made it's way to Japan, and I've been lead to believe that it was used when confronting Ritek about the quality (or lack thereof) of their media sold to Maxell. Now, at the time Maxell was qualifying companies for OEMing their discs to way back when, there were three companies being looked at. Taiyo Yuden, Ritek, and CMC. Both CMC and Taiyo Yuden failed their qualifications, but Ritek Succeeded. Why? Because they looked only at the media quality of the media from those suppliers sold in Japan. The media supplied from Taiyo Yuden had some problems, which some have suspected may or may not be related to the bad Fuji stock TY incedant. CMC failed,initially but later was able to proove themselves to Maxell after Ritek got the deal. When the deal fell apart, I know Maxell had begun work with both companies, but CMC had a lead start.

For 16x media, Maxell is currently outsourcing their 16x DVD+R to PHILIPSC16 code discs, likely supplied by Philips themselves (from my information this seems most likely). The 16x DVD-Rs are currently Japanese, but are looking to be outsourced soon (mainly because they can't keep up on production!). Outsourcing is being considered with Optodisc according to some sources. Use of Ritek at this time is highly unlikely (and if used, they'll be sure to CAREFULLY MONITOR the media from them!!).

That's all I know, and have heard on the matter currently.... but I've got a meeting with Maxell tomorrow, so who knows what else will come up! :cheesygri

[Firehawk]

Hey Dolphin, quick and possibly dumb question. Are the 4X TY DVD-R's at NCIX the same as the 4X TY DVD-R's at blankmedia? My friend's making an order from NCIX so before I pull the trigger on 100 DVD's I wanna make sure it's the same.

Btw, any idea when that review site of yours is going up? Your FAQ thread kinda turned into a colossal discussion through which searching keywords is kinda hard ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey Dolphin, quick and possibly dumb question. Are the 4X TY DVD-R's at NCIX the same as the 4X TY DVD-R's at blankmedia? My friend's making an order from NCIX so before I pull the trigger on 100 DVD's I wanna make sure it's the same.

Btw, any idea when that review site of yours is going up? Your FAQ thread kinda turned into a colossal discussion through which searching keywords is kinda hard ;)

Yup the value 4x DVD-Rs at Blankmedia.ca are EXACTLY the same as the Value 4x DVD-Rs at NCIX.com. No difference at all. (some may be TYG01, some may be TYG02, but that's true for both companies).

As for my own site, it's pretty much permanently down now. I'm working with CDRlabs now and doing drive reviews when I can, and that's the extent of my reviewing for the moment. But if all goes well, I'll do more then just drive reviews in the future.... but probably entirely through CDRlabs, since they provide a very nice space for my work and are all around friendly sorts :cheesygri

[AllWheelDrift]

I just got myself a BenQ 1640. Great results compared to my TDK 840G (Plextor 708A OEM) drive.

Interestingly the TDK drive seemed to work fairly well with BenQ 4x +Rs (DAXON AZ1) but gave marginal results at 4x with anything else I threw at it, including Fuji (YUDEN000 TT02) and BenQ 8x +Rs (DAZON AZ2). I never found anything that burned acceptably at 8x.

The BenQ burns the TY Fujis at 8x with a 99 Quality rating in CDSpeed. Simply amazing. It also manages to burn Maxell 8x +R (RITEK R03) at their rated speed with a score of 97. Not quite as nice as the TY Fujis but much better than the TDK 840G ever burned.

I do seem to have several Memorex 4x +RWs (RICOHJPN W11) that have turned to garbage. Not sure if burning them on the TDK drive was a factor but I've tried a full erase and burning them on the Benq and there are always unreadable areas.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I do seem to have several Memorex 4x +RWs (RICOHJPN W11) that have turned to garbage. Not sure if burning them on the TDK drive was a factor but I've tried a full erase and burning them on the Benq and there are always unreadable areas.

Have you tried reburning the discs on your older TDK drive? It possible the discs have reached their limit. I picked up a 3pk of Memorex DVD+RWs (RICOHJPNW11) a while back, and out of the 3, one was dead to begin with (regardless of drive or situation), and 1 of the remaining 2 died after 4 or 5 burns (if I remember correctly). I think the 3rd is still around somewhere, but I stopped using it after the other two died.

[AllWheelDrift]

Have you tried reburning the discs on your older TDK drive? It possible the discs have reached their limit. I picked up a 3pk of Memorex DVD+RWs (RICOHJPNW11) a while back, and out of the 3, one was dead to begin with (regardless of drive or situation), and 1 of the remaining 2 died after 4 or 5 burns (if I remember correctly). I think the 3rd is still around somewhere, but I stopped using it after the other two died.
Yes, results were about the same. Actually, at first the BenQ refused to even recognize the disc but the TDK did. I eventually got it to burn on the BenQ. If I look at the surface of the disc, the dye appears all splotchy:

http://novuscom.net/~bwalter/DVDRW.JPG

I'm highly unimpressed with Memorex at this point. I returned a pack of CD-RW recently because 1/2 of them had damaged sectors on the first burn.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Yes, results were about the same. Actually, at first the BenQ refused to even recognize the disc but the TDK did. I eventually got it to burn on the BenQ. If I look at the surface of the disc, the dye appears all splotchy:

http://novuscom.net/~bwalter/DVDRW.JPG

I'm highly unimpressed with Memorex at this point. I returned a pack of CD-RW recently because 1/2 of them had damaged sectors on the first burn.

That's pretty nasty looking!! I'd send the picture into Memorex customer support and ask them what they intend to do about their media failing so quickly and lamely! :!:

[kingsley]

Can DVD writers write at 16x on every media now? If not, what are they at right now?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Can DVD writers write at 16x on every media now? If not, what are they at right now?

Your question is confusing....

Most new (i.e. 16x) DVD writers can write at 16x on most 16x DVDRs... but some (i.e. Pioneer) 16x DVD burners can only write to SOME 16x DVDRs at 16x, because they don't support a lot of media yet. Other DVD Burners (i.e. BenQ) can support almost EVERY 16x DVDR at 16x.

Most burners can not burn 4x, or 8x DVDRs at 16x, but it depends on the drive/media combination. For instance, many drives will allow Taiyo Yuden 8x DVDRs to be burned at 12x or 16x normally. Drives like the BenQ DW1640 when combined with OverSpeed in Qsuite 2.0 will allow you to burn ANY DVD±R at 16x (at your OWN risk!).

So it really depends on the drive/media chosen.

[BuddyGuy]

Just picked up a pack of TY Silver Inkjet printable DVDs...

Is there any downfall to the printable surface?

In terms of using a Lumocolor/Sharpie, which are better? Lacquer or Inkjet printables?

[AllWheelDrift]

That's pretty nasty looking!! I'd send the picture into Memorex customer support and ask them what they intend to do about their media failing so quickly and lamely! :!:
On 10/24/05, Consumer Relations wrote:
>
> Media / Jewel Case Replacement
>
> We are sorry for the inconvenience you have experienced with our
> products, and we hope that you will give us a second chance! We strive
> to produce a high quality product, and to ensure this quality; we do
> extensive research at our manufacturing facility. We also conduct
> various quality control tests.
> Memorex Warranty Replacement Procedure
> http://www.memorex.com/html/warranty_one.php
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: XXXX [mailto:xxxx@xxxx]
> Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2005 9:32 PM
> To: Consumer Relations
> Subject: Concerns about the quality of Memorex CD & DVD media.
>
>
> I purchased a 5 pack of 4x DVD+RWs less than a year ago and used most of
> them only once or twice, however 4 of the 5 now have unreadable areas
> even immediately after writing to them. 2 or 3 have developed
> "splotches" in the recording surface (I have attached a photograph of
> one.)
>
> This is only months after I was forced to return a package of CD-RWs
> because over 1/2 of them had errors already on the first burn. I know
> it's not my writers because I've tried the media on several and don't
> seem to have problems with other media.
>
> I thought you should be aware of the problems I've had and wonder if you
> have any plans to address the quality issues of the media you sell. I
> value my data and have concerns about ever using Memorex media again.
>
> XXXX


Sounds like I could warranty them, but I'm not sure it's worth the hassle and fear I'd just be setting myself up for more disappointment.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Just picked up a pack of TY Silver Inkjet printable DVDs...

Is there any downfall to the printable surface?

In terms of using a Lumocolor/Sharpie, which are better? Lacquer or Inkjet printables?

Inkjet Printable DVDs are harder to use a marker on... probably suck up more ink then a silver laquer disc too... but that's about it I'd say.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Sounds like I could warranty them, but I'm not sure it's worth the hassle and fear I'd just be setting myself up for more disappointment.

That was such an incredibly lame ass answer from them! If I were you, I'd be pushing for replacement discs.

[AllWheelDrift]

That was such an incredibly lame ass answer from them! If I were you, I'd be pushing for replacement discs.
Yeah, I filled out the warranty request last night. Sounds like they're mailing out replacements. Memorex is such a crap shoot though.

Oh, interestingly, the warranty response sounds almost the same...
Dear Valued Customer,

We are sorry for the inconvenience you have experienced with our products, and we hope that you will give us a second chance! We strive to produce a high quality product, and to ensure this quality, we do extensive research at our manufacturing facility, and we also conduct various quality control tests.

We will be shipping your replacement. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of the items you are requesting.

Thank you
Memorex Products, Inc.
Warranty Replacement
The exclamation mark annoys me. It seems so unprofessional but appears to be part of the standard response template. I find it interesting that their "replies" lead you to believe they actually produce their own media.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I find it interesting that their "replies" lead you to believe they actually produce their own media.

Well, last I checked one of the owners of CMC does own a good portion of Memorex as well... so it's not THAT far from the truth....

[rahzel]

atleast Memorex got back to you. I e-mailed Verbatim about my very poor results with all 3 DVD+R DL discs i burnt from the same 3-pack. It's been like 4-5 days and i havent heard back from them yet.

i dont even know if my e-mails got through though... i sent 2 because everytime i try to send them an e-mail, when i click "send" or "submit", the page loads but theres a page error in the bottom left of the page.

[AllWheelDrift]

Well, last I checked one of the owners of CMC does own a good portion of Memorex as well... so it's not THAT far from the truth....
True, though the only CMC coded media I got from Memorex was CD-RWs. Strangely they were utter crap while the 50 Hotan CD-RWs I bought for $14 from Tiger Direct that are also CMC burn nicely.

[The Digital Dolphin]

atleast Memorex got back to you. I e-mailed Verbatim about my very poor results with all 3 DVD+R DL discs i burnt from the same 3-pack. It's been like 4-5 days and i havent heard back from them yet.

i dont even know if my e-mails got through though... i sent 2 because everytime i try to send them an e-mail, when i click "send" or "submit", the page loads but theres a page error in the bottom left of the page.

That sucks!!

I'll see if my contact at Verbatim knows where I could forward you too :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

True, though the only CMC coded media I got from Memorex was CD-RWs. Strangely they were utter crap while the 50 Hotan CD-RWs I bought for $14 from Tiger Direct that are also CMC burn nicely.

Almost all CD-R and DVDR media is now made by CMC, CD-RWs are made by Infodisc. The DVDRWs can vary (although a LOT is Ritek), and the DVD+RDL is all Ritek now.

[rahzel]

That sucks!!

I'll see if my contact at Verbatim knows where I could forward you too :)
thatd be great DD. i have 3, $8 coasters (what i paid for them at the time). I ordered another 3 pack, hopefully i get better results.

[rahzel]

hey DD, i just bought another 3-pack of MKM 001 and im having the same problems. It seems like the PIF spikes and dips in the transfer rate test happen at the layer break. All the discs ive burnt with my BenQ drive have the spikes in the same spots (around the 3.3gb mark) and the same movie was burnt to all the discs.

the movie i ripped was a dual layer movie and was ripped with DVD Decrypter. I ripped with DVD Decrypter in ISO mode (ISO Read) and i used ImgBurn to burn the image.

is it normal to have HIGH PIF spikes and dips in the transfer test at the layer break? after the layer break, my results are fine.

[BuddyGuy]

DD.. I just bought a set of new TY blanks but I left them in the trunk overnight outside. It hit around 0c. Are the blanks still fine? Or should I question their integrity?

[[buck]]

hey DD, i just bought another 3-pack of MKM 001 and im having the same problems. It seems like the PIF spikes and dips in the transfer rate test happen at the layer break. All the discs ive burnt with my BenQ drive have the spikes in the same spots (around the 3.3gb mark) and the same movie was burnt to all the discs.

the movie i ripped was a dual layer movie and was ripped with DVD Decrypter. I ripped with DVD Decrypter in ISO mode (ISO Read) and i used ImgBurn to burn the image.

is it normal to have HIGH PIF spikes and dips in the transfer test at the layer break? after the layer break, my results are fine.

It's pretty common on ALL DL media, even Verbatim. No one has really mastered DVDR DL manufacturing, and the quality is very variable.

How about you post a CD Speed scan? :)

[rahzel]

']It's pretty common on ALL DL media, even Verbatim. No one has really mastered DVDR DL manufacturing, and the quality is very variable.

How about you post a CD Speed scan? :)
i know its pretty common for DL media, but not to this extent. My spikes are peaking past 50 PIF. Also, from looking at other peoples results, the transfer rate tests are still smooth. Some might have a very small dip right at the break, but mine, but mine, theres a couple of dips starting at 3.3gb and ends at the layer break.

im re-scanning one of the discs now and ill post the pics.

[[buck]]

i know its pretty common for DL media, but not to this extent. My spikes are peaking past 50 PIF. Also, from looking at other peoples results, the transfer rate tests are still smooth. Some might have a very small dip right at the break, but mine, but mine, theres a couple of dips starting at 3.3gb and ends at the layer break.

im re-scanning one of the discs now and ill post the pics.

50 is certainly alot higher than average, but bad batches like that are not rare at all. Hopefully you can get replacements...

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, i just bought another 3-pack of MKM 001 and im having the same problems. It seems like the PIF spikes and dips in the transfer rate test happen at the layer break. All the discs ive burnt with my BenQ drive have the spikes in the same spots (around the 3.3gb mark) and the same movie was burnt to all the discs.

the movie i ripped was a dual layer movie and was ripped with DVD Decrypter. I ripped with DVD Decrypter in ISO mode (ISO Read) and i used ImgBurn to burn the image.

is it normal to have HIGH PIF spikes and dips in the transfer test at the layer break? after the layer break, my results are fine.

I wouldn't say that big spikes are normal, but they are deffinately NOT unusal. I see them happen with some media/drive combinations.

[rahzel]

']50 is certainly alot higher than average, but bad batches like that are not rare at all. Hopefully you can get replacements...
well again, this is my second pack so i dont think i got 2 bad batches in a row.

the guy at Verbatim that im talking to is beginning to think its a software issue, and im thinking the same thing. I'm guessing DVD Decrypter is having problems reading the layer break or something.

[[buck]]

well again, this is my second pack so i dont think i got 2 bad batches in a row.

the guy at Verbatim that im talking to is beginning to think its a software issue, and im thinking the same thing. I'm guessing DVD Decrypter is having problems reading the layer break or something.

I've never heard of DVD Decrypter being a problem.. in fact i've always heard it's THE program to use for DVDR DL burning.

It's not *that* unlikely that you got two bad batches in row... but who knows? Verbatim is probably just saying it's a software problem so they don't have to replace them. :mad:

[jed]

Maybe try imgburn, DVDecrypters new brother?

[rahzel]

Maybe try imgburn, DVDecrypters new brother?
the disc burnt above was burned with ImgBurn.

[rahzel]

not the greatest results, but MUCH better. I ran the ISO image through DVDShrink to remove the original layer break.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/BENQ____DVD_DD_DW1640_BSLB_29-Octob.png
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/rahzel54/asdf2.png

[IzzLe]

Hey DD, I've got a question for you.

Is the DW-1640 a good buy at this point, or should I wait for DW-1650 or ND-4550?

What do you think?

[rahzel]

Hey DD, I've got a question for you.

Is the DW-1640 a good buy at this point, or should I wait for DW-1650 or ND-4550?

What do you think?
i dont know about the ND-4550, but the DW1650 uses a different drive design and is supposodly replacing the DW1640. Not much has been released about the DW1650 AFAIK, but we DO know that the DW1640 is a great drive. Only time will tell if the DW1650 will be better, so its kind of hard to say if you should wait or not. If you can wait, then wait, if not, it wont be a BAD choice to just buy the DW1640 now.

my .02.

[IzzLe]

i dont know about the ND-4550, but the DW1650 uses a different drive design and is supposodly replacing the DW1640. Not much has been released about the DW1650 AFAIK, but we DO know that the DW1640 is a great drive. Only time will tell if the DW1650 will be better, so its kind of hard to say if you should wait or not. If you can wait, then wait, if not, it wont be a BAD choice to just buy the DW1640 now.

my .02.


Thanks Razhel! I think I'll wait for some reviews on the DW1650 before I buy one of them!

[kingsley]

Your question is confusing....


UGH, I'm such an idiot.

I meant can DVDs write dual layers at 16x.

[IzzLe]

UGH, I'm such an idiot.

I meant can DVDs write dual layers at 16x.


No. The max for DVD+R DL is 8x I believe and DVD-R DL is 4x. (BenQ 1640, NEC 3540A, etc...)

[gaore]

Nice to see you, DD. I have got two questions for you, Thanks.

My DVD Writer is integrated to my Compaq laptop. The core is Matshita

DVD-RAM UJ-840S. The firmware is 1.00(old? No new one available yet).

First question :

The only problem I meet is : It only works at 2.4x when writing to Maxell

8x DVD+R (MIT) , Ritek g03. Should I keep away from Ritek or Maxell discs?

By the way, my maxell 8x DVD+R is in 10 packs, should be better MIT ones.

Or do you think the error is caused by firmware?

Second question : Should I use DVD+R or DVD-R ? I'm always using DVD+R

so far.

Could you give me some suggestions ? Thanks.

[woof]

"The only problem I meet is : It only works at 2.4x when writing to Maxell 8x DVD+R (MIT) , Ritek g03. Should I keep away from Ritek or Maxell discs?"

Haven't you effectively answered your own question?

[kingsley]

No. The max for DVD+R DL is 8x I believe and DVD-R DL is 4x. (BenQ 1640, NEC 3540A, etc...)

Ah ok thanks.


And DD, sorry for wasting your time typing all that stuff out :D

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, I've got a question for you.

Is the DW-1640 a good buy at this point, or should I wait for DW-1650 or ND-4550?

What do you think?

As Rahzel says, we KNOW the DW1640 is a good drive, we don't know what the DW1650 will be (I happen to know the BenQ DQ60 which is not going to be released here, is NOT that good....). But it is because of this fact that I would recommend buying the DW1640. It's a very good drive, with incredible firmware support, and uses SolidBurn to fill in the blanks. When the DW1650 comes out, this drive will be very hard to get!

So yes, it's a crap shoot... but if you buy the DW1640 the worst that can happen is the DW1650 is a little better. But if you DON'T buy the DW1640, then the worst that can happen is the DW1650 is crap, and you have less options.

[The Digital Dolphin]

No. The max for DVD+R DL is 8x I believe and DVD-R DL is 4x. (BenQ 1640, NEC 3540A, etc...)

The Pioneer DVR-110D can burn DVD-RDL at 8x (not that it works properly or anything... but it DOES burn it at 8x). Eventually, we'll probably see at least 12x for DVD+RDL, but I wouldn't be surprised if we even see 16x!

[gaore]

Nice to see you, DD. I have got two questions for you, Thanks.

My DVD Writer is integrated to my Compaq laptop. The core is Matshita

DVD-RAM UJ-840S. The firmware is 1.00(old? No new one available yet).

First question :

The only problem I meet is : It only works at 2.4x when writing to Maxell

8x DVD+R (MIT) , Ritek g03. Should I keep away from Ritek or Maxell discs?

By the way, my maxell 8x DVD+R is in 10 packs, should be better MIT ones.

Or do you think the error is caused by firmware?

Second question : Should I use DVD+R or DVD-R ? I'm always using DVD+R

so far.

Could you give me some suggestions ? Thanks.

[7-Endless]

A question for other DW 1640 owners:

Which -R and +R media do you find is the best for archival purposes?


Currently, I am using Maxell MXL RG03's but since these are not available anymore I'll have to go with something else next time. I guess the obvious choice wold be TY's but is there anything else that is pretty decent for longevity?

Also, it's getting a little tiresome only seeing Ridata/Ritek and SmartBuy's in basically every shop that I go to here in the GTA. The only other options seem to be the Maxell MIT's, Sony, Dynex, Fuji and Memorex spindles that you will find at Walmart, FS or Best Buy and I'm not sure how good those are with regards to longevity.

[[buck]]

A question for other DW 1640 owners:

Which -R and +R media do you find is the best for archival purposes?


Currently, I am using Maxell MXL RG03's but since these are not available anymore I'll have to go with something else next time. I guess the obvious choice wold be TY's but is there anything else that is pretty decent for longevity?

Also, it's getting a little tiresome only seeing Ridata/Ritek and SmartBuy's in basically every shop that I go to here in the GTA. The only other options seem to be the Maxell MIT's, Sony, Dynex, Fuji and Memorex spindles that you will find at Walmart, FS or Best Buy and I'm not sure how good those are with regards to longevity.

Look for Sony DVD+R made in Japan.. they're TYs. So far, i've only heard of them being found at Walmart in 50packs, and they're $25/50.

[7-Endless]

']Look for Sony DVD+R made in Japan.. they're TYs. So far, i've only heard of them being found at Walmart in 50packs, and they're $25/50.

Thanks, I think I'll grab a couple spindles. Does it say MIJ right on the spindle?

[[buck]]

Thanks, I think I'll grab a couple spindles. Does it say MIJ right on the spindle?

Usually near the barcode, or IIRC in Sony's case it's right under all the contact info.

An easier way to pick them out is to look for a white space on top, Taiwanese spindles have grey spacers.

Be aware however, that you might have to go to a few stores to find them, because MIT vastly outnumbers MIJ.

[7-Endless]

']Usually near the barcode, or IIRC in Sony's case it's right under all the contact info.

An easier way to pick them out is to look for a white space on top, Taiwanese spindles have grey spacers.

Be aware however, that you might have to go to a few stores to find them, because MIT vastly outnumbers MIJ.


Thanks, I hope Sony doesn't decide to stop making MIT spindles like Maxell...

Also, I wish there was a store in the GTA that carried authentic TY's too..

[rahzel]

Thanks, I hope Sony doesn't decide to stop making MIT spindles like Maxell...

Also, I wish there was a store in the GTA that carried authentic TY's too..
are you close to Kitchener? blankmedia.ca is in Kitchener.

[7-Endless]

blankmedia.ca is in kitchener. isnt that close?

Not really...at least not for a spindle of DVD-R's ;)

[miss_swan]

As Rahzel says, we KNOW the DW1640 is a good drive, we don't know what the DW1650 will be (I happen to know the BenQ DQ60 which is not going to be released here, is NOT that good....). But it is because of this fact that I would recommend buying the DW1640. It's a very good drive, with incredible firmware support, and uses SolidBurn to fill in the blanks. When the DW1650 comes out, this drive will be very hard to get!

So yes, it's a crap shoot... but if you buy the DW1640 the worst that can happen is the DW1650 is a little better. But if you DON'T buy the DW1640, then the worst that can happen is the DW1650 is crap, and you have less options.

The 1640 is ~ 49 bucks before taxes.

Unless you're seriously below the welfare line, it's not that much money to spend for a great drive. If the next model coming up turns out to be the next level ... then you're only out a minimal investment.

Heck, anyone perusing RFD and can't pony up 50 bucks for a proven drive shouldn't be here in the first place. ;)

Don't eat a Mickey D's for awhile, don't buy that pack of gum or that slurpee or that Tim Horton's coffee. Buy a bus pass and don't drive. Don't see any movies for awhile. Do something. You'll have 50 bucks in no time.

[IzzLe]

As Rahzel says, we KNOW the DW1640 is a good drive, we don't know what the DW1650 will be (I happen to know the BenQ DQ60 which is not going to be released here, is NOT that good....). But it is because of this fact that I would recommend buying the DW1640. It's a very good drive, with incredible firmware support, and uses SolidBurn to fill in the blanks. When the DW1650 comes out, this drive will be very hard to get!

So yes, it's a crap shoot... but if you buy the DW1640 the worst that can happen is the DW1650 is a little better. But if you DON'T buy the DW1640, then the worst that can happen is the DW1650 is crap, and you have less options.

Thanks! (Both DD and Rahzel) :)

I went to FS and PMed NCIX and I ended up paying 63$ for it :)

BTW, what's WOPC and SolidBurn? Should I turn them on, or off? I've heard they should be turned off when burning TY and on when I burning crappy media. Is that right?

[rahzel]

Thanks! (Both DD and Rahzel) :)

I went to FS and PMed NCIX and I ended up paying 63$ for it :)

BTW, what's WOPC and SolidBurn? Should I turn them on, or off? I've heard they should be turned off when burning TY and on when I burning crappy media. Is that right?
WOPC stands for Walking Optical Power Control. What it does is allow the drive to maintain control of the laser angle and the laser power to ensure you get the best quality burn. I heard it depends if you should have it on or not, but i just leave it on. With WOPC on, youll notice the buffer doesnt stay at 99%-100%, it will stay around 85%-90%.

Solidburn is useful for media that isnt recognized by the drive (which is rare as the BenQ DW1640 is THE most compatible drive out there) or its also useful for media thats variable in quality. Theres 2 settings for this - one for Unrecognized media and one for Recognized media. Default, Unrecognized media is Enabled and Recognized media is disabled. You could just enable it for Recognized media for media that is variable in quality, but media like Taiyo Yuden where the results are pretty consistant, you don't need to have it enabled. I myself keep it on the default settings all the time (Unrecog. Enable, Recog. Disable).

note: to enable/disable these options, you must have Qsuite 2.0 and Solidburn/Overspeeding was introduced in firmware BSKB or later.

[IzzLe]

WOPC stands for Walking Optical Power Control. What it does is allow the drive to maintain control of the laser angle and the laser power to ensure you get the best quality burn. I heard it depends if you should have it on or not, but i just leave it on. With WOPC on, youll notice the buffer doesnt stay at 99%-100%, it will stay around 85%-90%.

Solidburn is useful for media that isnt recognized by the drive (which is rare as the BenQ DW1640 is THE most compatible drive out there) or its also useful for media thats variable in quality. Theres 2 settings for this - one for Unrecognized media and one for Recognized media. Default, Unrecognized media is Enabled and Recognized media is disabled. You could just enable it for Recognized media for media that is variable in quality, but media like Taiyo Yuden where the results are pretty consistant, you don't need to have it enabled. I myself keep it on the default settings all the time (Unrecog. Enable, Recog. Disable).

note: to enable/disable these options, you must have Qsuite 2.0 and Solidburn/Overspeeding was introduced in firmware BSKB or later.

Thanks again rahzel!

[rahzel]

Thanks again rahzel!
np.

i forgot to tell you what solidburn does. what it does is the drive learns how to write the media with better results with the next burn and supposodly, it only needs 1 burn with the disk.

[The Digital Dolphin]

There's a brand new DW1640 firmware and brand new version of Qsuite on the BenQ webpage as of today :cheesygri

Firmware BSMB:
http://support.benq.com/files/storage/Firmware/DVDRW/DW1640/BSMB.zip

Qsuite 2.1:
http://support.benq.com/files/Storage/Software/QSuite/QSuite%20v2.1%20Setup.zip

I don't know anything about either yet, since they just went up. Enjoy!

[rahzel]

BSMB:
1. Modified the writing strategy for DVD-R, DVD-R DL & DVD+R DL media.
2. Improved the compatibility between SolidBurn and QSuite for DVD-R media.
3. Supported new feature in QSuite v2.1 (Show media support information)

Qsuite 2.1:
1. Supported to show media support information. (Enable with BSMB)

[The Digital Dolphin]

BSMB:
1. Modified the writing strategy for DVD-R, DVD-R DL & DVD+R DL media.
2. Improved the compatibility between SolidBurn and QSuite for DVD-R media.
3. Supported new feature in QSuite v2.1 (Show media support information)

Qsuite 2.1:
1. Supported to show media support information. (Enable with BSMB)

Thanks!!

It's also been noted that if you upgrade your firmware, you lose your solidburn information stored in the firmware... not too surprising really.

[IVNP]

It's been a while since I flash optical drive firmware so just wondering if I can just do it via USB since that's how my drive is connected. Any other hassle like need bootdisc or anything?^^; If it's kinda an hassle then I guess I'll skip it since so far my 1640 doesn't give me any problem at all. Mainly use it to burn +R(Fujifilms' TY and Verbatim double layer +R) 'cause it would automatically set them to -rom.

By the way, I have another question. I just opened a spindle of Fujifilms +R and noticed the recording side has some stuff around the rim which looks like came from the top of the next discs.(when you use the light to reflect to see them.) Not few but alot of them are like that. Do they affect the media much/at all? TIA

[gaore]

Hi, Buddies:

My situation becomes stranger and stranger, and I also doubt RICOHJPN

is made by Ritek.

My situation : Both of Fuji MIT 8x DVD+R & Maxell MIT 8x DVD+R can only

work at 2.4x with my DVD burner, they are both made by Ritek. But Fuji 4x

DVD+R(Ricohjpn) can work at 4x full speed. Somebody told me that Ricohjpn

is Ritek indeed. Why Ricohjpn works well but Ritek works very badly? So I

doubt Ritek=Ricohjpn. How can you explain my situation? :confused:

By the way, MIJ Fuji 8x DVD+R can work well at 8x full speed with my burner.

[rahzel]

Hi, Buddies:

My situation becomes stranger and stranger, and I also doubt RICOHJPN

is made by Ritek.

My situation : Both of Fuji MIT 8x DVD+R & Maxell MIT 8x DVD+R can only

work at 2.4x with my DVD burner, they are both made by Ritek. But Fuji 4x

DVD+R(Ricohjpn) can work at 4x full speed. Somebody told me that Ricohjpn

is Ritek indeed. Why Ricohjpn works well but Ritek works very badly? So I

doubt Ritek=Ricohjpn. How can you explain my situation? :confused:

By the way, MIJ Fuji 8x DVD+R can work well at 8x full speed with my burner.
ricojpn media IS made by Ritek but that doesnt mean both media are the same. ricohjpn media is made to ricohjpn's specifications, its made differently (with better quality) than Ritek's own media.

[gaore]

ricojpn media IS made by Ritek but that doesnt mean both media are the same. ricohjpn media is made to ricohjpn's specifications, its made differently (with better quality) than Ritek's own media.

So, RICOHJPN disc works much better than Ritek's with my burner.

[rahzel]

So, RICOHJPN disc works much better than Ritek's with my burner.
well, its hard to say since i dont know which burner you have, but i think its safe to say yes because Ricohjpn media is better than Ritek's own media in general.

[The Digital Dolphin]

well, its hard to say since i dont know which burner you have, but i think its safe to say yes because Ricohjpn media is better than Ritek's own media in general.

The problem's he's describing can only be attributed to the LG4040B (well, not really, but 99% of the time that's the drive causing the problem). It has no support for 8x DVDR media almost at all, so it defaults to 2.4x/2x burning speeds. Toshiba drives are also like this from the old 4x max burning speed days.

[The Digital Dolphin]

It's been a while since I flash optical drive firmware so just wondering if I can just do it via USB since that's how my drive is connected. Any other hassle like need bootdisc or anything?^^; If it's kinda an hassle then I guess I'll skip it since so far my 1640 doesn't give me any problem at all. Mainly use it to burn +R(Fujifilms' TY and Verbatim double layer +R) 'cause it would automatically set them to -rom.

By the way, I have another question. I just opened a spindle of Fujifilms +R and noticed the recording side has some stuff around the rim which looks like came from the top of the next discs.(when you use the light to reflect to see them.) Not few but alot of them are like that. Do they affect the media much/at all? TIA

I've only done a firmware update through firewire, and that was once only, and with a firmware designed for it.... but it MAY be possible! I think it's worth trying since it'll just fail if it can't work. The newer firmwares work a lot on DVD+RDL writing quality, so it might be worth it for you, but if you are happy already then maybe you shouldn't... if it ain't broke don't fix it right?

[miss_swan]

There's a brand new DW1640 firmware and brand new version of Qsuite on the BenQ webpage as of today :cheesygri

Firmware BSMB:
http://support.benq.com/files/storage/Firmware/DVDRW/DW1640/BSMB.zip

Qsuite 2.1:
http://support.benq.com/files/Storage/Software/QSuite/QSuite%20v2.1%20Setup.zip

I don't know anything about either yet, since they just went up. Enjoy!

Scary. I get an error while trying to run the BSMB executable.

Can't install the new firmware.

Anyone have this problem?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Scary. I get an error while trying to run the BSMB executable.

Can't install the new firmware.

Anyone have this problem?

Are you running the retail firmware or the OEM firmware right now?

[rahzel]

hey DD, i remember you saying that the 6x 10pcs of Verbatim DVD+R DL media is the same as the 2.4x rated Verbatim DVD+R DL disks. Are the 6x rated discs the same MKM 001 discs? what speed would you recommend burning them at?

[[buck]]

Dolphin, have you seen these? (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16373&promoid=1046)

$32/50 looks like a wicked deal for plus (presumably a higher grade than regular consumer grade [Japanese] Maxell), inkjet printable Maxells!

What do you think?

[The Digital Dolphin]

hey DD, i remember you saying that the 6x 10pcs of Verbatim DVD+R DL media is the same as the 2.4x rated Verbatim DVD+R DL disks. Are the 6x rated discs the same MKM 001 discs? what speed would you recommend burning them at?

Verbatim's MKM001 is rated as being 2.4x-6x by Verbatim themselves. I'd say 4x is VERY stable on most burners. 6x is usually ok, but I would recommend staying away from 8x at all costs. I've never seen it done properly. Even if some drives can get a good burn sometimes, it's impossible to get a proper burn every time.

[RFD Junkie]

I am still new with DVD burning as I have barely burnt even 10 disks yet.

My first experience was buying Sony MIT +R's.

Barely 10 discs and 2 coasters so far. That makes it a 80% success rate. NOT impressed.

As soon as I am done with these MIT I am going to get the MIJ's.


DD - Is this common for Sony MIT's?

[gaore]

Hi, Buddies:

My situation becomes stranger and stranger, and I also doubt RICOHJPN

is made by Ritek.

My situation : Both of Fuji MIT 8x DVD+R & Maxell MIT 8x DVD+R can only

work at 2.4x with my DVD burner, they are both made by Ritek. But Fuji 4x

DVD+R(Ricohjpn) can work at 4x full speed. Somebody told me that Ricohjpn

is Ritek indeed. Why Ricohjpn works well but Ritek works very badly? So I

doubt Ritek=Ricohjpn. How can you explain my situation? :confused:

By the way, MIJ Fuji 8x DVD+R can work well at 8x full speed with my burner.

I tested the Fuji 8x DVD-R(fijifilm03), it works well in my Panasonic

burner. It can be burnt at speed of 1x-2x-4x-6x-8x.(only 2.4x for Fuji

DVD+R, Ritek OEM.) Maybe I'll kick out Ritek OEM ones.......

[Cyber6]

I tested the Fuji 8x DVD-R(fijifilm03), it works well in my Panasonic

burner. It can be burnt at speed of 1x-2x-4x-6x-8x.(only 2.4x for Fuji

DVD+R, Ritek OEM.) Maybe I'll kick out Ritek OEM ones.......


I have not had any problems with Fuji 8x DVD+R (Ritek003). Then again my burner (Pioneer DVR-109) has proven to be very forgiving of quality of media. The most "crapiest" media has burnt succesfully on this burner. :D :D


C.

[gaore]

I have not had any problems with Fuji 8x DVD+R (Ritek003). Then again my burner (Pioneer DVR-109) has proven to be very forgiving of quality of media. The most "crapiest" media has burnt succesfully on this burner. :D :D


C.

Congratulations ! U have a perfect burner.

[miss_swan]

Are you running the retail firmware or the OEM firmware right now?

I flashed the oem firmware to the BSLB firmware a little while back. Got it from a link from The Firmware Page. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a hacked firmware but a link to the Benq official firmware.

Seeing that Benq has released their latest firmware I tried to upgrade but for some reason it didn't work. I emailed Benq support so we'll see what happens.

[apvm]

For those who has nf chipset based motherboard and have nf ide drivers installed, when flashing the 1640 firmware, if you experience hang after the flash is finished (the flash is completed and click ok to reboot message won't come up, it just hung) turn off your computer and on again, (don't do reset for bios won't detect your 1640, turn off/on will allow bios to redetect the drive) if you check your drive the flash looks like completed for it'll report having the new firmware version.

To be safe, uninstall nf ide drivers before flashing.

[apvm]

DD, can you share your insight on Fuji DL DVD+R with the Benq 1640 please, TIA

[Montague]

I have not had any problems with Fuji 8x DVD+R (Ritek003). Then again my burner (Pioneer DVR-109) has proven to be very forgiving of quality of media. The most "crapiest" media has burnt succesfully on this burner. :D :D


C.
But you forget that a "successfull burn" in itself is NOT the only thing you should look for.

It is how long the media lasts that should be equally if not more important.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I am still new with DVD burning as I have barely burnt even 10 disks yet.

My first experience was buying Sony MIT +R's.

Barely 10 discs and 2 coasters so far. That makes it a 80% success rate. NOT impressed.

As soon as I am done with these MIT I am going to get the MIJ's.


DD - Is this common for Sony MIT's?

What drive are you using? On an LG 4040B that'd be about right... or maybe a Samsung or Toshiba made drive.

[Montague]

What drive are you using? On an LG 4040B that'd be about right... or maybe a Samsung or Toshiba made drive.
My LG 4040B likes Sony MITs 8x DVDR+.

Zero coasters so far.

[Cyber6]

But you forget that a "successfull burn" in itself is NOT the only thing you should look for.

It is how long the media lasts that should be equally if not more important.


Again.. my VIP data is in top of the line Taiyo Yuden CD's. My crap data.. and my kids friends crap data.. (media presentations for high school - homework).. burns with no problem.... So yes.. in this case.. I was looking for a DVD burner that could burn anything.

C.

[The Digital Dolphin]

My LG 4040B likes Sony MITs 8x DVDR+.

Zero coasters so far.

You're lucky!! That things hates 90% of the media on the market. Stick with what you find works!

[Montague]

You're lucky!! That things hates 90% of the media on the market. Stick with what you find works!
Not 100% lucky. :cheesygri

I *have* had two coasters (both TY 4x media! :lol: ).

I generally stick to Grade "A" Optodiscs (4x) and "MIJ" 4x/8x spindles (and the MIT 4x Maxells) exclusively for this burner (the sonys were a gift from a friend).

[gaore]

Could I ask a question regarding DVD-R?

What's the defect of DVD-R compare to DVD+R? Burning slower or sth?

Is the speed of 8x DVD-R same as speed of 8x DVD+R?

[miss_swan]

For those who has nf chipset based motherboard and have nf ide drivers installed, when flashing the 1640 firmware, if you experience hang after the flash is finished (the flash is completed and click ok to reboot message won't come up, it just hung) turn off your computer and on again, (don't do reset for bios won't detect your 1640, turn off/on will allow bios to redetect the drive) if you check your drive the flash looks like completed for it'll report having the new firmware version.

To be safe, uninstall nf ide drivers before flashing.

Thanks for the info. I don't have an nf chipset though.

I'm pissed right now because I just tried to burn a 350mb .avi file onto a cdrw and i'm getting a session fixation error.

I've done this many times in the past with no problems whatsoever. In fact, this is the first problem that i've had with my 1640.

I'm pissed that my attempts to flash the bsmb firmware has ended with errors and now it looks like my drive might be toast. :mad:

Benq hasn't gotten back to me about this problem yet. Don't think they are in any hurry. I suppose it could be worse. If my drive is toast then i'm out 50 bucks plus tax. This would leave a bad taste in my mouth and i'd consider getting another brand.

Never thought about it before but if you have a bad flash and you did everything "right" would your drive be covered under warranty with Benq?

*edit*

Did some testing ... and it looks like it's water under the bridge ... hopefully.

Looks like it was a media failure. Great timing though making me all paranoid and stuff. Swapped to another cdrw and everything was fine after that.

Still have a problem with flashing the BSMB firmware though.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Not 100% lucky. :cheesygri

I *have* had two coasters (both TY 4x media! :lol: ).

I generally stick to Grade "A" Optodiscs (4x) and "MIJ" 4x/8x spindles (and the MIT 4x Maxells) exclusively for this burner (the sonys were a gift from a friend).

Maybe it's time to retire that burner ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Could I ask a question regarding DVD-R?

What's the defect of DVD-R compare to DVD+R? Burning slower or sth?

Is the speed of 8x DVD-R same as speed of 8x DVD+R?

DVD+R usually burns a couple of seconds faster then DVD-R, but it depends on the drive (assuming both discs are burning at the same listed speed... i.e. both are burning at 8x or 12x or 16x).

There aren't really any significant differences between the media types anymore. DVD+R used to be faster (came out with 8x and 16x media first), but now DVD-R compares. DVD+R used to be really incompatible with players, but with bitsetting, and newer players this is less and less of a problem.

[Montague]

Maybe it's time to retire that burner ;)
Hey it still works (course so does my 2x CD burner/24x CD burner/52X CD burner).

My optical drives never seem to crap out - they just get obsolete! :lol:

And I got lots of blank 4x DVD 'MIJ" left (Blank DL disks still too expensive for my taste so I can wait).

[miss_swan]

FWIW, I managed to update to firmware BSMB.

The culprit? Too many Virtual Drives from Alcohol 120%.

I use many Virtual Drives because of all my kid's game cd's. It's a royal pain to swap cd's in and out of the drive so it's just much easier to make an image of the originals and then Virtual Drive them. Quick and easy at the expense of hard drive space.

This was a suggestion from the mod over at another firmware site. Worked great ... but the strange thing is that I remember installing the previous BSLB firmware while having all these Virtual Drives present.

[The Digital Dolphin]

FWIW, I managed to update to firmware BSMB.

The culprit? Too many Virtual Drives from Alcohol 120%.

I use many Virtual Drives because of all my kid's game cd's. It's a royal pain to swap cd's in and out of the drive so it's just much easier to make an image of the originals and then Virtual Drive them. Quick and easy at the expense of hard drive space.

This was a suggestion from the mod over at another firmware site. Worked great ... but the strange thing is that I remember installing the previous BSLB firmware while having all these Virtual Drives present.

I try not to have more then 2 or 3 virtual drives running at a time... but even then I get annoyed at them eventually :P If I was a gamer, I'd use them more.

Glad to hear your problem is solved! You might want to e-mail BenQ about it and let them know what the problem was, so they can add it to their list of possible solutions for when other people call in.

[RFD Junkie]

What drive are you using? On an LG 4040B that'd be about right... or maybe a Samsung or Toshiba made drive.

Sorry, I left that info out.

BenQ 1640

[miss_swan]

I try not to have more then 2 or 3 virtual drives running at a time... but even then I get annoyed at them eventually :P If I was a gamer, I'd use them more.

Glad to hear your problem is solved! You might want to e-mail BenQ about it and let them know what the problem was, so they can add it to their list of possible solutions for when other people call in.

Yep, already did.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Sorry, I left that info out.

BenQ 1640

No, that's NOT usual for that drive.... especially since Daxon (a sister company to BenQ) is making the media!! Upgrade to BSMB firmware, and install QSuite 2.1. If need be, use SolidBurn when burning your Sony DVD+R media, but it really shouldn't need it.

[RFD Junkie]

No, that's NOT usual for that drive.... especially since Daxon (a sister company to BenQ) is making the media!! Upgrade to BSMB firmware, and install QSuite 2.1. If need be, use SolidBurn when burning your Sony DVD+R media, but it really shouldn't need it.

Thanks. I installed it. QSuite installed this time.

[RFD Junkie]

:arrowu:

Using Q Suite, I ran Q Scan on 8X mode and the scan concluded that the Sony DVD+R MIT should not be burnt at 8X in my 1640.

If I recall, that is the speed I was running when it made 2 coasters.

Now I know - no more 8X mode.

[The Digital Dolphin]

:arrowu:

Using Q Suite, I ran Q Scan on 8X mode and the scan concluded that the Sony DVD+R MIT should not be burnt at 8X in my 1640.

If I recall, that is the speed I was running when it made 2 coasters.

Now I know - no more 8X mode.

Hrm... that's very odd! It might just be a bad batch of Sony media :confused:

[miss_swan]

Just a FYI, I was at the Walmart in New Westminster (Queensborough) today and quickly passed the electronics section. I thought, what the heck, i'll quickly stop in and check out the Sony DVD blanks.

The -r 8X were MIT but the +r 8x were MIJ. Price was 24.99 for 50.

Not 100% sure if MIJ means it's a good thing as far as Sony DVD media products go.

They had ~ 20 spindles left. Much more of the MIT -r stuff.

[rahzel]

Just a FYI, I was at the Walmart in New Westminster (Queensborough) today and quickly passed the electronics section. I thought, what the heck, i'll quickly stop in and check out the Sony DVD blanks.

The -r 8X were MIT but the +r 8x were MIJ. Price was 24.99 for 50.

Not 100% sure if MIJ means it's a good thing as far as Sony DVD media products go.

They had ~ 20 spindles left. Much more of the MIT -r stuff.
Sony MIJ +R = Taiyo Yuden.

[miss_swan]

Sony MIJ +R = Taiyo Yuden.

That's what I thought but wasn't 100% sure.

Then the 25 bucks makes it a decent everyday deal.

[Sgt_Strider]

@ DD or anyone else that may know

Where can I buy the BenQ 1640 for the lowest possible price in GVRD? Atic has the OEM version for $49, but it's sold out :(.

[rahzel]

@ DD or anyone else that may know

Where can I buy the BenQ 1640 for the lowest possible price in GVRD? Atic has the OEM version for $49, but it's sold out :(.
buy online at NCIX.com, pricematch Atic, select pickup as shipping method.

[IzzLe]

buy online at NCIX.com, pricematch Atic, select pickup as shipping method.

I went to FS a week ago and the PMed NCIX.com without any problem. I was able to get it for 60$ tax included.

[miss_swan]

@ DD or anyone else that may know

Where can I buy the BenQ 1640 for the lowest possible price in GVRD? Atic has the OEM version for $49, but it's sold out :(.

www.a-power.com had it for ~ 50 bucks last time I checked. 51 bucks for the black version.

[7-Endless]

So how do you guys find the BSMB firmware so far? Is it much better than BSLB?

[The Digital Dolphin]

So how do you guys find the BSMB firmware so far? Is it much better than BSLB?

So far no issues at all, and I've gotten my best TYG03 results yet. But I haven't had much of a chance to play with it yet.

[Jeff146]

The BSMB firmware wasn't too good handling my media, eventhough it's cheap it burned fine with BLSB firmware

I get zero quality score for the BSLB firmware but for BSMB firmware I get around 97

Memorex 16X MCC 004

I guess I'll stick to BSLB firmware for now

BTW both burning @ 12X

[gaore]

Of Fuji 8x DVD-R, if your burner burns Fujifilm03 ones at up to 8x and

ProdiscF01 ones at up to 6x, which one do you prefer?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Of Fuji 8x DVD-R, if your burner burns Fujifilm03 ones at up to 8x and

ProdiscF01 ones at up to 6x, which one do you prefer?

Both media types are made by Prodisc, and have problems. Prodisc's media is poorly bonded, which causes a shortend lifespan. The media itself can be quite problamatic even just in getting it initially burned!

If those are the only two options, I'd suggest using the FUJIFILM03, since it sounds like it's the better one supported.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Just some general news:

I've been sitting on this for a few days, basically trying to work out all the details. I don't know everything I'd like to yet, but I'm going to share what I know.

There is a problem with much of the Taiyo Yuden DVDRs on the market. Currently, all brands that use Taiyo Yuden, including That's, Sony, Fuji, the odd Maxell here and there, and of course Taiyo Yuden's own unbranded media. The problem is that the media is not properly bonded. What does this mean? It means that over time air can get between the two plastic discs sandwhiching the organic dye, and it leads to oxidyzation. That's bad. It basically makes your disc unreadable. Unfortunately, the media LOOKS the same as properly bonded discs, so it's hard to tell by simply eyeballing it (for hard, read: Impossible). You can *TEST* the media though, to see how much it is affected by this problem. If you have medium or long length fingernails, you can use them to attempt to pry the two layers of plastic apart AT THE PLASTIC HUB OF THE DISC (Not the outer edge of the disc!). Now with Taiyo Yuden, you will likely find your finger nail slips between the layers QUITE easily. This is not neccessarily a bad thing, but it's NOT a good thing! If you can pull the two layers apart from this point, using your fingernails, then the disc was bad. Unfortunately... if you try to hard even with a good disc, it's going to effectively destroy it also. So it's not a very useful test for learning which discs can be used or not... but I'm sure SOME people will try it out for themselves. Another way of knowing if the disc is prone to early failure is by bending it by the outer edges (not recommended for media you intend to use, or keep!), if you hear the two plastic layers squeaking against each other, then you know there is movement between them, and therefor inproper bonding!

The highest quality brand that uses Taiyo Yuden media, worldwide, is the Plextor brand of DVDRs. They pay TOP DOLLAR (err, Yen) for the best media Taiyo Yuden has to offer... and even Plextor brand discs have been positively identified as having this problem.

What this problem means, is that Taiyo Yuden can NOT be trusted for absolute longevity at this time. What this does NOT mean, is that Taiyo Yuden is going to fail when you attempt to burn it. The media will almost NEVER fail! and all the quality tests will show excellent results.... UNTIL the oxydization begins. Then it'll suck.

Some media that is also known to have this problem is as follows:
Maxell Consumer Grade Japanese DVDRs
Prodisc manufactured media (may not be applicable to Prodisc made media sold under Verbatim's brand name... but *IS* applicable to Prodisc brand media with Verbatim's code!!!)
Most cheap Hong Kong made stuff

Somed media that is known to be WELL bonded is as follows:
Maxell Professional (Plus series and BQ) DVDRs (not perfect bonding, but much better then regular Maxell from Japan!! and of satisfactory quality)
Acro Circle / Optodisc A Grade DVD-Rs (Same as above, it's not perfect, but good enough to score quite high on longevity tests!!)
Ritek (So far Ritek media is manufactured with the best bonding seen anywhere, however Ritek suffers from so many other problems it's hard to recommend!!)
TDK A Grade media (This is true for TDK A Grade media in Europe... I'm still trying to find details on the differences between the good stuff sold there, and the crap that gets sold in Costco from time to time over here!)

At this point, I'm recommending people use Maxell Plus series DVDRs or BQ series DVDRs for their most important stuff. Mitsui Gold may also be good... but I have't checked yet.

I also don't know how long you can expect it to take for a poorly bonded Taiyo Yuden DVDR to fail from oxydization. These, and other things I'm still trying to find out! But I wanted to present what I *DID* know now, so people could at least be informed.

More news as I get it!

[willy]

Many thx for sharing the info :!:

[apvm]

So how do you guys find the BSMB firmware so far? Is it much better than BSLB?

slightly better with good media but much improved with cheap media, overall it is a better firmware (BSLB)

[miss_swan]

Thanks TDD for the info.

I'm kinda bummed out then. I've been backing up my precious digital files/data (pics/vids of family/kids) onto TY dvd-r 4x media (the 100pk, spindle, no label from NCIX) ... looks like I should have picked up some of that Maxell stuff.

Please keep us updated TDD.

[DVDManiac]

Thanks TDD for the info.

I'm kinda bummed out then. I've been backing up my precious digital files/data (pics/vids of family/kids) onto TY dvd-r 4x media (the 100pk, spindle, no label from NCIX) ... looks like I should have picked up some of that Maxell stuff.

Please keep us updated TDD.

Ditto...have all these blanks that may not last as long as I would have hoped. I tried separating the layers on one of those TY 4x from ncix, just spending about 10 seconds trying, I could see air pockets in between the layers...my vision may have been playing tricks on me since it was 6am. I'm assuming the Maxell Professional blanks are not the ones that everyone that has been buying in bulk at FS and Staples these past 10 months. And to think, I have been using the Arco Circles for my least important data but now find out they may last the longest...

Just re-read DD's post, does it mean that Maxell's made by Maxell themselves are okay?

[rahzel]

when did this start happening DD? i bought some Taiyo Yuden DVDR's from NCIX 2 months ago.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks TDD for the info.

I'm kinda bummed out then. I've been backing up my precious digital files/data (pics/vids of family/kids) onto TY dvd-r 4x media (the 100pk, spindle, no label from NCIX) ... looks like I should have picked up some of that Maxell stuff.

Please keep us updated TDD.

The TY 4x DVD-Rs with TYG01 code are more likely to be fine then the ones with TYG02 code. It's been said for some time though that these 4x DVD-Rs were basically a B Grade disc from Taiyo Yuden, but we didn't really know all the details about WHY they were B Grade (actually, we still don't....).

As I said in the above e-mail though, we don't know how badly the discs will be affected by this problem. We know it's widespread (world wide), and has been a problem for quite some time, so that most 8x DVD±Rs and 16x DVD-Rs are affected (most batches, but not neccissarily EVERY disc in a batch). The discs may still last 10 years without issues though... I honestly can't predict this yet. I won't be able to predict this until something goes wrong really...

[The Digital Dolphin]

Ditto...have all these blanks that may not last as long as I would have hoped. I tried separating the layers on one of those TY 4x from ncix, just spending about 10 seconds trying, I could see air pockets in between the layers...my vision may have been playing tricks on me since it was 6am. I'm assuming the Maxell Professional blanks are not the ones that everyone that has been buying in bulk at FS and Staples these past 10 months. And to think, I have been using the Arco Circles for my least important data but now find out they may last the longest...

Just re-read DD's post, does it mean that Maxell's made by Maxell themselves are okay?

Air pockets = dead disc. If it took you 10 seconds, that's a bad sign. It also means you have longer/stronger fingernails then me :razz:

The Maxell Professional DVDs are only the PLUS series discs, or the BQ series discs:

http://www.maxellcanada.com/computer_prod/menu/catleaf.asp?cat1=Professional+Video&cat2=DVD%2DR+Plus+Series&cat3=
and
http://www.maxellcanada.com/computer_prod/menu/catleaf.asp?cat1=Professional+Video&cat2=DVD%2DR+BQ&cat3=

Both are available from NCIX. Blankmedia.ca has also been offered the products, but I don't think they've picked up the line yet.

Futureshop and Staples do NOT have access to these products. Only a Maxell P/I dealer can sell them (you can check www.maxellcanada.com for a list of official dealers), and NCIX and Blankmedia.ca only can get them through an arrangement I personally put together to open the product line up to the public ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

when did this start happening DD? i bought some Taiyo Yuden DVDR's from NCIX 2 months ago.

I don't have a date, but several months I'm sure. The stock may be as much as a year old even and I wouldn't be surprised.

Don't panic though, there are still several questions left unanswered, and I'm doing my best to find out more.

[rahzel]

I don't have a date, but several months I'm sure. The stock may be as much as a year old even and I wouldn't be surprised.

Don't panic though, there are still several questions left unanswered, and I'm doing my best to find out more.
i heard of this happeneing to people, but i didnt think it was with a lot of batches. :(

[DVDManiac]

Thaks DD for giving us the inside scoop!

[jamied]

You can *TEST* the media though, [...] If you can pull the two layers apart from this point, using your fingernails, then the disc was bad. Unfortunately... if you try to hard even with a good disc, it's going to effectively destroy it also. So it's not a very useful test for learning which discs can be used or not... but I'm sure SOME people will try it out for themselves.

Thanks for the info Dolphin. Having just bought some TY's, I was a bit concerned and tried the "pull-apart" test. Curiosity got the best of me and I then tried it on every type of DVD disk I have. Results:

TY DVD+R 8x Media Code YUDEN000 T02 - pulled apart with minimal effort
TY DVD-R 8x Media Code TYGO2 - couldn't pull apart
CMC DVD-R 2x cheapies bought a few years ago - couldn't pull apart
Memorex DVD-R 4x - pulled apart but with maximum effort
Maxell DVD-R 8x - pulled apart but with maximum effort
BenQ DVD-R 8x - popped apart fully with almost no effort (Yikes!)

Not very scientific, but interesting results none-the-less. I'm going to be using my BenQs and TY DVD+R's for non-critical applications. I think this whole issue underscores the importance of using two different brands of media for every important backup/archive.

Thanks for keeping an eye on this issue as it evolves.

J.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks for the info Dolphin. Having just bought some TY's, I was a bit concerned and tried the "pull-apart" test. Curiosity got the best of me and I then tried it on every type of DVD disk I have. Results:

TY DVD+R 8x Media Code YUDEN000 T02 - pulled apart with minimal effort
TY DVD-R 8x Media Code TYGO2 - couldn't pull apart
CMC DVD-R 2x cheapies bought a few years ago - couldn't pull apart
Memorex DVD-R 4x - pulled apart but with maximum effort
Maxell DVD-R 8x - pulled apart but with maximum effort
BenQ DVD-R 8x - popped apart fully with almost no effort (Yikes!)

Not very scientific, but interesting results none-the-less. I'm going to be using my BenQs and TY DVD+R's for non-critical applications. I think this whole issue underscores the importance of using two different brands of media for every important backup/archive.

Thanks for keeping an eye on this issue as it evolves.

J.

That's odd.... Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD+Rs have been generally showing a little better bonding then the 8x DVD-Rs... but it vary's from batch to batch.

I think within a given spindle you can expect similar results, but other then that it's more difficult to say. I'm not surprised that CMC held up well... like Ritek, their issues are not bonding so much as consistant quality from burn to burn.

I appreciate the home testing quite a bit by the way! It backs up my info more, and people who are hesitant to believe this could be a situation with Taiyo Yuden will be more likely to believe it, or try it themselves.

Heh, it's actually kinda fun pulling DVDRs apart though :lol:

[ShadowVlican]

man it's so hard to find a benq dw1640 :evil:

[rahzel]

NCIX still has stock, and they have 5.99 shipping on this weeks sale (starts tonight).

[Sgt_Strider]

NCIX still has stock, and they have 5.99 shipping on this weeks sale (starts tonight).

Too bad the drive isn't on their sale.

[rahzel]

57 bucks isnt a terrible price. they seem to be the only ones who still have some 1640's in stock.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Update on the bonding issue:

I just pulled apart a BUNCH of DVDRs from my collection (no big loss!)

Taiyo Yuden Value Line DVD-Rs: Bad Bonding
Maxell Consumer 8x DVD-Rs (MIJ) Very bad bonding!!
BenQ 16x DVD-R: Very bad bonding!!
Fuji 8x DVD-R and DVD+R (MIT Prodisc): Very Good Bonding!!
Acro Circle 8x DVD-R: Very good bonding!!
Sony 8x DVD-R: Good bonding
Sony 8x DVD+R: Good Bonding
Memorex 16x DVD-Rs: Bad Bonding (surprised!!)
Verbatim 8x DVD-R (MIT CMC): Very good Bonding!!
Optodisc B Grade 2x DVD-Rs: Very good bonding!!

Now keep in mind I only ripped apart 1 disc each, and no other batches were cross compared.... but from what I've already heard, compared with the reports here, I've got the following guide:

Optodisc manufactured A Grade DVDRs: Good bonding to Very Good Bonding
Prodisc manufactured A Grade DVDRs: Not Good Bonding to Very Good Bonding
BenQ brand DVDRs: Very Bad Bonding
Sony brand (MIT Daxon): Good Bonding
Maxell DVDRs (MIJ Maxell): Very Bad Bonding to Good Bonding
Maxell PLUS/BQ Series DVDRs (MIJ Maxell): Good Bonding to Very Good Bonding
Taiyo Yuden DVDRs: Very Bad Bonding to Good Bonding
Memorex DVDRs: Very Bad Bonding to Very Good Bonding
RiData DVDRs: Very Good Bonding
Verbatim: Ok Bonding to Very Good Bonding
TDK A Grade: Good Bonding to Very Good Bonding
MAM-A Silver 8x DVD-Rs: Very Bad Bonding

For reference, I'm using the following scale:

Very Good
Good
OK
Bad
Very Bad

Currently, I recommend using Maxell Plus Series DVDRs (or BQ Series), Acro Circle (if you burner is compatible with it), Verbatim DVDRs made by CMC, Sony DVDRs made by Daxon (or Sony Japan!).

I can't recommend TDK since there are massive quality issues appearing in the stock available in Canada. I can't recommend Prodisc, since they don't perform well on longevity tests normally, bonding is not the only thing that can affect this though. I can't recommend RiData since it's too unpredictable between spindles (or even between discs in a given spindle!).

Please remember, that we still don't know how quickly discs with very bad bonding will start to fail... it may not affect even a majority of users. On the other hand... it might. I'm still working on it! (although not much I can do but wait for reports for this one).

[miss_swan]

man it's so hard to find a benq dw1640 :evil:

Man, no one reads my posts!

a-power.com has the 1640 for:

50 bucks beige
52 bucks black

Price match it with ncix if it's more convenient.

[bodobodo]

Given the opportunity to buy either 8x or 16x Verbatim DVD-R discs (both are MIT) for the same price ($19.55/50 pack spindle from Staples) which of the two would you choose based on quality? I don't normally burn faster than 8x so any speed difference isn't important to me. I have my suspicions from the letter styling used on the spindle that my local store's stock is made by Prodisc (rather than CMC) for Verbatim.

If it helps I burn on a variety of drives:

Pioneer 108
NEC 3500
Benq 1620 and 1640

Thanks.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Given the opportunity to buy either 8x or 16x Verbatim DVD-R discs (both are MIT) for the same price ($19.55/50 pack spindle from Staples) which of the two would you choose based on quality? I don't normally burn faster than 8x so any speed difference isn't important to me. I have my suspicions from the letter styling used on the spindle that my local store's stock is made by Prodisc (rather than CMC) for Verbatim.

If it helps I burn on a variety of drives:

Pioneer 108
NEC 3500
Benq 1620 and 1640

Thanks.

I would go with the 16x. If there are any problems (which I don't expect), you can always burn it at 8x, and likely everything would be solved. That sure as heck beats burning 8x DVDRs at 4x! ;)

[7-Endless]

DD, are the "Sony DVDRs made by Daxon" that you are recommending above the same ones that are available at Wallymart?

[ShadowVlican]

Man, no one reads my posts!

a-power.com has the 1640 for:

50 bucks beige
52 bucks black

Price match it with ncix if it's more convenient.
how about...... no one has it in stock locally in toronto :evil: ;)

i don't like buying stuff online, local shops here are much cheaper

[rahzel]

how about...... no one has it in stock locally in toronto :evil: ;)

i don't like buying stuff online, local shops here are much cheaper
pricematch NCIX with a-power and get it for 50/62 bucks shipped is too much for you? :confused:

[ShadowVlican]

pricematch NCIX with a-power and get it for 50/62 bucks shipped is too much for you? :confused:
still doesn't cover that i don't like buying stuff online

doh well, it's my loss :lol:

[miss_swan]

how about...... no one has it in stock locally in toronto :evil: ;)

i don't like buying stuff online, local shops here are much cheaper

Fair enough. I didn't pay attention that you were in the GTA.

Are you absolutely sure no one in the GTA has the 1640?

[IzzLe]

RicohJPN R02 (Memorex 16x DVD+R) : Very good
Ritek R03 (Fuji 8x DVD+R) : Good
CMC MAG M01 (Memorex 16x DVD+R) Bad bonding
CMC MAG AM3 (Memorex 16x DVD-R) : ok
MCC 003 (Verbatim 8x DVD+R) : Good
TY T002 (Sony DVD+R 8X): ok

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD, are the "Sony DVDRs made by Daxon" that you are recommending above the same ones that are available at Wallymart?

I made the distinction, since some Sony's are made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden, and those ones should be avoided (man, that feels *SO* wrong to say!!).

[IzzLe]

I made the distinction, since some Sony's are made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden, and those ones should be avoided (man, that feels *SO* wrong to say!!).

:( I have 2 full packs of 50 DVD+R 8x TY T002 from Sony :'(

Everybody told me they were the best!!! :mad:

Anyway, thanks for that information DD! At least, if I lost my $$$, I won't lose with my data!

[7-Endless]

I made the distinction, since some Sony's are made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden, and those ones should be avoided (man, that feels *SO* wrong to say!!).

And to think that I just bought a spindle of those Sony DVD+R TY's and archived a bunch of important stuff to them. Guess I should go and by the MIT Sony DVD-R's then and copy them over before they unbond (thought I'd never ever say that either!)

[Sgt_Strider]

I heard something about buying the retail drive in order to use the firmwares on BenQ's website. Is this true? Does this mean I should buy the retail drive instead of the OEM if the price difference is minimal?

[miss_swan]

I heard something about buying the retail drive in order to use the firmwares on BenQ's website. Is this true? Does this mean I should buy the retail drive instead of the OEM if the price difference is minimal?

Don't think there are any restrictions at all with regards to firmware/software.

Wherever did you hear that?

In any case, i'd venture that a good percentage of people having the Benq 1640 are OEM versions .... like me. Hell, I don't even think the retail versions where available when I picked up the Benq. :lol: I've updated to BSMB firmware with no problems.

[IzzLe]

Hi DD !

What do you think about Fuji's DVD+R DL 2.4x?
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10063692&logon=&langid=EN

I believe VCDHELP lists them as being RICOHJPND00.

Should be stay away from them ?

[Peralph]

DD, I saw one of your posts mentioning that the Pioneer DVR-110D was a very bad writer. How is it so? Isn't its writing quality extremely good?

[Madcatmk2]

I have a "Good" batch of sony 8x TY T002 +R from wallmart. Phew!
maxell ritek03 8x +R. bad to very bad, rare ok
Benq daxon AZ2 8x+R. Good, some rare ok. Something odd happened each time i pry one of those dvds, the reflective layer stayed on the bottom layer. Can the disc survive a few moments without its top layer?

[NG]

:( I have 2 full packs of 50 DVD+R 8x TY T002 from Sony :'(

Everybody told me they were the best!!! :mad:

Anyway, thanks for that information DD! At least, if I lost my $$$, I won't lose with my data!

I can top that :( 2 + Fuji Yuden002 full packs, 1 - Fuji TY02(?), and 2 half spindles of each.

So.....how useless are these discs now?

And how the heak could TY (let alone all the other companies affected (like BenQ) let this go on for so long)?

And do you think Fuji/TY/etc will be offering any sort of RMA to get good discs for full spindles?

Sorry for all the q's...this is just....very annoying...

Thanks for giving us the FYI btw :) I already ordered a 3 pack of those Maxell Professional discs from nc!x.

[Madcatmk2]

look who's back.

[sleepyguy]

Ugh... so much 'media' confustion... I got a 30% off any media itching to bused at fs.ca

[The Digital Dolphin]

I heard something about buying the retail drive in order to use the firmwares on BenQ's website. Is this true? Does this mean I should buy the retail drive instead of the OEM if the price difference is minimal?

Lot's of OEM drives shipped with the retail firmware (but not all). If you buy an OEM drive, and it has the OEM firmware, there is a hack to allow you to flash it with the retail firmware. So no worries ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi DD !

What do you think about Fuji's DVD+R DL 2.4x?
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10063692&logon=&langid=EN

I believe VCDHELP lists them as being RICOHJPND00.

Should be stay away from them ?

I'm not a fan of them. But they're generally a little better then Ritek media. Verbatim's DVD+RDL media is the only media I really consider worth buying.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I have a "Good" batch of sony 8x TY T002 +R from wallmart. Phew!
maxell ritek03 8x +R. bad to very bad, rare ok
Benq daxon AZ2 8x+R. Good, some rare ok. Something odd happened each time i pry one of those dvds, the reflective layer stayed on the bottom layer. Can the disc survive a few moments without its top layer?

Hrm... maybe. I've seen the same thing happen with some of the discs I seperated also. Wanna be the first to try putting 1/2 a disc in your drive? Personally I'm too concerned with the idea of bits of the reflective layer coming off IN the drive :!:

[The Digital Dolphin]

I can top that :( 2 + Fuji Yuden002 full packs, 1 - Fuji TY02(?), and 2 half spindles of each.

So.....how useless are these discs now?


Honestly I don't have a real answer to that. They still burn fine initially... the question is how long will they last? So far no one has reported a disc failure due to bad bonding, so I don't know if we're talking months, years, 10 years+.... I'm still trying to find out, but this is the most difficult kind of question to answer, since it's almost impossible to find a real answer until someone actually experiences the problem for the first time.


And how the heak could TY (let alone all the other companies affected (like BenQ) let this go on for so long)?

BenQ is manufactured by Daxon.... and though Daxon seems to be quite good at making Sony media, they don't put as much effort into their own. It's almost like you could say BenQ brand is 'B Grade' or maybe even 'C Grade' Sony media.... but that's not quite right either. But it *IS* lower grade. I think the main reason why this has gone on for so long is because companies are being pushed by big box stores to lower their prices to stupid levels, and they try to cut corners where they can. But now that the problem is coming out into the light, I think it will begin to be worked on.


And do you think Fuji/TY/etc will be offering any sort of RMA to get good discs for full spindles?

It's all in how you word it.... some box stores will probably tell you that pulling the disc apart is not covered by the warranty. Your job is to educate the CSR that pulling the disc apart SHOULD NOT be possible on a disc that's properly made. Sony, Maxell, and Fuji will almost certainly be ok with RMA's directly, since this is a problem they can take back to the manufacturer of their media. Taiyo Yuden is more difficult, you may have to go direct for them as well, but it's not always easy to get in contact with them.

Sorry for all the q's...this is just....very annoying...
I hear you.... we're ALL frustrated with this!


Thanks for giving us the FYI btw :) I already ordered a 3 pack of those Maxell Professional discs from nc!x.
I'll keep working Maxell for better pricing on those ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD, I saw one of your posts mentioning that the Pioneer DVR-110D was a very bad writer. How is it so? Isn't its writing quality extremely good?

It's extremely picky, and not half as good a writer as the DVR-109 in my opinion. My review of it will be up next week I hope. I'm nearly finished the 4th page (which is the longest of 5). Check back with CDRlabs.com next week for it (and hopefully I won't take 2 more weeks :P).

[rahzel]

Pioneer drives are usually really picky with media in their early releases. After a while (once Pioneer adds more media compatibility with firmware updates), it will probably be a good drive.

[NG]

look who's back.

I had a couple questions to ask DD. Is that ok with you?

I think the main reason why this has gone on for so long is because companies are being pushed by big box stores to lower their prices to stupid levels, and they try to cut corners where they can. But now that the problem is coming out into the light, I think it will begin to be worked on.

They better ;) However since this has been going on for seemingly the start of the 8x days Verbatim and Maxell Professional has overtaken TY in my books. I can't believe I'm the only one...


Sony, Maxell, and Fuji will almost certainly be ok with RMA's directly, since this is a problem they can take back to the manufacturer of their media.

That's what I'd be doing (for the Fuji's) however with their MIT stuff I'm not sure if that'd be anything better :lol: Perhaps they'll send me a generic Fuji GC for the cost so I can inspect them.


I'll keep working Maxell for better pricing on those ;)

If $2 is what it makes to make a quality disc then I'd hate to see them cut costs and have all this happen again. I would love to be able to get them in spindles tho since the dvd cases are next to useless for me. I did see the Maxell Plus series in spindles however they seem to be missing the scratch proof coating ala TDK's Armour Proof discs. (On a side note blankmedia seems to be carrying them in some funky foreign packaging).

[The Digital Dolphin]

I had a couple questions to ask DD. Is that ok with you?

It's what I'm here for ;)


They better ;) However since this has been going on for seemingly the start of the 8x days Verbatim and Maxell Professional has overtaken TY in my books. I can't believe I'm the only one...


I know how you feel! It's a little dis-illusioning really. I'm sure many people share your opinion. Still, I wouldn't say it's safe to trust *ANY* brand 100%. I think it's better to keep your ears and eyes open, and watch for changes in the trends.


That's what I'd be doing (for the Fuji's) however with their MIT stuff I'm not sure if that'd be anything better :lol: Perhaps they'll send me a generic Fuji GC for the cost so I can inspect them.


Yeah, that's the trouble with replacement discs.... But they often send you more media then you originally bought, so it's better then nothing. You can always re-sell the new media and buy better media ;)


If $2 is what it makes to make a quality disc then I'd hate to see them cut costs and have all this happen again. I would love to be able to get them in spindles tho since the dvd cases are next to useless for me. I did see the Maxell Plus series in spindles however they seem to be missing the scratch proof coating ala TDK's Armour Proof discs.

Heh! Far be it from me to disagree with you! :cheesygri And to be honest, I'm not fighting for a better price on the BQ at all right now. I think it's an excellent mastering grade disc, and sometimes it's good to have something a little overpriced if it comes with peace of mind. Of course, only having the one option kind of sucks, since some drives don't do too well with Maxell code media (usually if there is an issue, it's because they try to overclock it and problems are caused).

If you like the scratch proof coating of the Maxell BQ media... I've got GOOD NEWS for you!! Maxell told me last week that their working on spindle packaging for that line. So likely you'll be able to buy 15pks and 25pks in the not TOOOOO distant future.... but with Maxell sometimes things do take a while.


(On a side note blankmedia seems to be carrying them in some funky foreign packaging).

Ergh.... yeah..... Well, Blankmedia.ca greymarket imports a lot of media. I'm not really too keen on that personally. Really it's the only beef I have with the company. I like the owner Tom a lot. He's an excellent person, and he works very hard to keep his sources legit, and his prices reasonable (or psychotically low I'd even say :P). Unfortunately, when you get into greymarket importing of media, you lose a LOT of control over your orders, since you can't really hold the supplier accountable, other then by not ordering from him. You also piss off the companies who release the various brands of media, since you aren't following proper channels, and might be getting off grade media (how could you know otherwise?).

[grouch]

umm...maybe i didn't find this in all the 100+ pages,
but is there a reason why the benq 1640 is going outta stock everywhere in the GTA??
is it being discontinued or are retailers just trying to make more money by not selling it??
i mean there's a sony and plextor drive that's based on the 1640 and more expensive, so it would make sense that they'd shuffle away the cheaper benq

[IzzLe]

umm...maybe i didn't find this in all the 100+ pages,
but is there a reason why the benq 1640 is going outta stock everywhere in the GTA??
is it being discontinued or are retailers just trying to make more money by not selling it??
i mean there's a sony and plextor drive that's based on the 1640 and more expensive, so it would make sense that they'd shuffle away the cheaper benq

BenQ will release ** or has? ** a new model very soon. So they are clearing off stocks of the BenQ 1640

[divx]

Hey DD, about memorex DL, why do they suck so much? So far all mine memorex DL give me problems, xbox/ps2 backup using memorex DL all freezes or unreadable and lags. I was gona backup all my anime on them but they are like 100% problematic so far, guess I will be using single layer for now.

[The Digital Dolphin]

umm...maybe i didn't find this in all the 100+ pages,
but is there a reason why the benq 1640 is going outta stock everywhere in the GTA??
is it being discontinued or are retailers just trying to make more money by not selling it??
i mean there's a sony and plextor drive that's based on the 1640 and more expensive, so it would make sense that they'd shuffle away the cheaper benq

There's no more stock left, and the drive is out of production. Last I heard NCIX was trying to get BenQ to realocate the last shipment going to Mexico JUST for themselves :cheesygri

BenQ will be releasing the DW1650 and DW1655 soon ;-)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, about memorex DL, why do they suck so much? So far all mine memorex DL give me problems, xbox/ps2 backup using memorex DL all freezes or unreadable and lags. I was gona backup all my anime on them but they are like 100% problematic so far, guess I will be using single layer for now.

What do you expect from a bottom of the barrel disc? Ritek has horrible quality control, and it's much MUCH more noticable when discs are difficult to make (like DVD+RDL). On top of that, not many drive makers care to support the media. Although Ritek is the number 1 manufacturer of DVD+RDL right now (for volume), Verbatim kicks their a$$ in every possible way but price. And soon Verbatim will be more competitive too.

[Macross_Freek]

DD, seems like all the consumer grade MIJ discs are affected by this as listed in your list. But it seems like the majority of MIT discs do not have this problem. I just bought a bunch of Maxell 8x MIJ (Maxell 002) DVD+R spindles from Staples too with the recent sale. Maybe I should go back and return them?

[divx]

What do you expect from a bottom of the barrel disc? Ritek has horrible quality control, and it's much MUCH more noticable when discs are difficult to make (like DVD+RDL). On top of that, not many drive makers care to support the media. Although Ritek is the number 1 manufacturer of DVD+RDL right now (for volume), Verbatim kicks their a$$ in every possible way but price. And soon Verbatim will be more competitive too.
Yes, but I didn't think it would suck this badly. Their single layer is fine.

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD, seems like all the consumer grade MIJ discs are affected by this as listed in your list. But it seems like the majority of MIT discs do not have this problem. I just bought a bunch of Maxell 8x MIJ (Maxell 002) DVD+R spindles from Staples too with the recent sale. Maybe I should go back and return them?

Well, *my* Maxell DVD+Rs were not that good.... but as I've said, I'm not sure how quickly bonding issues will affect the media's lifespan.

[othy]

Hi DD,

Been out of the whole DVD media loop for a while, but as I'm planning on getting a new DVD writer drive (my NEC-2500A is being ceremoniously retired to my parent's pc as they need a DVD writer now (??)) I thought I'd ask a couple (or 3) questions:

1) Are there a number of SATA drives "in the pipe" about to be released? I know the added bandwidth etc isn't of much concern, but I do so like not having a mass of ribbon cables around. Not if there is a huge price difference, however!

Leads me to..

2) I noticed the only drive currently out with SATA is a plextor one.. And it is about 3x the cost of most other brands. Is there a reason why plextors are still so bloody expensive? Are they much better quality?

3) I loaded up on those costco TDK 16x 2 for 1 spindles of 100, what drive would perform the best with these puppies?

Thanks for any and all info!

[lead]

ok I just went picking thru a spindle of fuji mij's and a spindle of maxel ritek 03 mit's. The fuji were a damn better bonded than the maxel spindle.These guys were bought within a week of each other in july. I used a pin to test any gapping and didn't want to apply to much pressure to separate them. The quality of the seams wasn't good for either but it was more noticeable with my finger on the maxells by ritek than the mijs. I had a few packs of maxel richojpn and checked those out and they were virtually identical to the mit. But then again I didn't use enough pressure to completely separate any.So how long can these last for with oxidation now being a factor.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi DD,

Been out of the whole DVD media loop for a while, but as I'm planning on getting a new DVD writer drive (my NEC-2500A is being ceremoniously retired to my parent's pc as they need a DVD writer now (??)) I thought I'd ask a couple (or 3) questions:

1) Are there a number of SATA drives "in the pipe" about to be released? I know the added bandwidth etc isn't of much concern, but I do so like not having a mass of ribbon cables around. Not if there is a huge price difference, however!

Nothing I'm aware of... Plextor seems to be the only ones doing it right now for some reason. BenQ had one planned, but it never got released for some reason.

Leads me to..

2) I noticed the only drive currently out with SATA is a plextor one.. And it is about 3x the cost of most other brands. Is there a reason why plextors are still so bloody expensive? Are they much better quality?


Plextor is a big name, that used to be synonymous with quality and professionalism. They've screwed up BIGTIME over the last 3 or 4 drives however, and lost a lot of their customers because of it. Right now they are struggling to keep competitive, so they've begun offering 2 lines of drives... ones made by themselves, and others OEM'd from other suppliers (BenQ mostly) at a cheaper price. FYI: The PX-504 was an OEM, with lame support, the PX-708 was an ok drive, but too picky on media. The PX-712a was a good reader/ripper, but again was very picky with most media. The PX-716a had to be recalled initially, and the first several hardware revisions were horrible. The current PX-716a is a good drive though (same goes for PX-716SA).


3) I loaded up on those costco TDK 16x 2 for 1 spindles of 100, what drive would perform the best with these puppies?

Thanks for any and all info!

It's up to the media, not the drive... the media code is well supported, but some batches of the discs are low grade and don't perform well. The PX-716, or BenQ DW1640 will perform well with them (assuming there aren't disc problems). The LG 4167B would probably be fine too.

[Macross_Freek]

Hey DD. Assuming that in the long run these bondings issues do affect the disc, what type of media would you recommend other than TY and other MIJ media? I just picked up a few spindles of Verbatim 16x DVD+R advanced azo dye. How do these rate compared to MIJ media with and without bonding issues?

[rahzel]

Verbatim DVDR's are very good imo and they dont seem to have the bonding issues. Usually theyre pricey, but lately some stores have had some pretty good deals on Verbatim DVDR's. Like staples had 50pcs for 19.55, and thesource has the 25pcs 16x DVD+R's/8x DVD-R's for 8.99 (im guessing you got those or you PM'd BB).

i just bought some 8x DVD-R's and 16x DVD+R's. I havent got the 16x DVD+R's yet, but my results with the 8x DVD-R's (MCC 02RG20) are looking pretty good with my BenQ DW1640, better than Maxell's own MIJ media, and pretty close to my most recent TYG02 batch (ive had much better TYG02 though).

[Sgt_Strider]

Just curious, the TY media that's having problems right now are only with the current batch? I have a TY DVD-R 8x purchased in March of this year. I haven't opened it to test it, but it should be fine?

[rahzel]

Just curious, the TY media that's having problems right now are only with the current batch? I have a TY DVD-R 8x purchased in March of this year. I haven't opened it to test it, but it should be fine?
unfortunately, this has been going on for a while. Batches even bought a year ago might have this problem. But i wouldnt be TOO worried as we dont even really know how bad this will affect the lifespan of the media. You can try the test if you have fingernails, by trying to pry the 2 layers appart from the middle hub.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Verbatim DVDR's are very good imo and they dont seem to have the bonding issues. Usually theyre pricey, but lately some stores have had some pretty good deals on Verbatim DVDR's. Like staples had 50pcs for 19.55, and thesource has the 25pcs 16x DVD+R's/8x DVD-R's for 8.99 (im guessing you got those or you PM'd BB).

i just bought some 8x DVD-R's and 16x DVD+R's. I havent got the 16x DVD+R's yet, but my results with the 8x DVD-R's (MCC 02RG20) are looking pretty good with my BenQ DW1640, better than Maxell's own MIJ media, and pretty close to my most recent TYG02 batch (ive had much better TYG02 though).

Verbatim is Generally above average media. Bonding is generally good, and burn quality is normally good. The problem comes in with the large number of potential suppliers the media could be coming from, and each one varies from the others, even though the same dye and quality standards are used. It's the same as two different people tracing a picture. The lines are there, but how each person holds the pencil can affect how dark or how smooth the lines are. So in Verbatim DVDs, these same sort of variations exist. Some burners deal with them better then others.

Edit: It's important to remember that there is *NO* media without *SOME* flaw somewhere.

[[buck]]

Verbatim is Generally above average media. Bonding is generally good, and burn quality is normally good. The problem comes in with the large number of potential suppliers the media could be coming from, and each one varies from the others, even though the same dye and quality standards are used. It's the same as two different people tracing a picture. The lines are there, but how each person holds the pencil can affect how dark or how smooth the lines are. So in Verbatim DVDs, these same sort of variations exist. Some burners deal with them better then others.

Edit: It's important to remember that there is *NO* media without *SOME* flaw somewhere.

True. My some of my 10 month old Prodisc manufactured OEM Verbatim 8X DVD-Rs from blankmedia.ca are starting to fail on me. I blame Prodisc.

[NG]

Still, I wouldn't say it's safe to trust *ANY* brand 100%. I think it's better to keep your ears and eyes open, and watch for changes in the trends.

You're asking alot for a guy who loses his keys on almost a daily basis ;)


Yeah, that's the trouble with replacement discs.... But they often send you more media then you originally bought, so it's better then nothing. You can always re-sell the new media and buy better media ;)

How do they usually handle that? Would they send me pre-paid mailers to return the discs to them? If not it might just be worth it to use 'em (esp since most are the better bonded + discs) and just use them for DVD-Video stuff so the data isn't as compressed to better handle error correction and keep divx copies on Verbatim just in case.

Heh! Far be it from me to disagree with you! :cheesygri And to be honest, I'm not fighting for a better price on the BQ at all right now. I think it's an excellent mastering grade disc, and sometimes it's good to have something a little overpriced if it comes with peace of mind. Of course, only having the one option kind of sucks, since some drives don't do too well with Maxell code media (usually if there is an issue, it's because they try to overclock it and problems are caused).

lol. No no - You're the media expert - I'm just a hack wondering why things can't be as easy as the Maxell High Bias XLII audio tape and TDK EHG VHS days for knowing what's quality. If they can get cheaper while still being *the best* then that'd be awesome but even at 3/$7 it's still a better deal than when I was paying $5-$8 per quality VHS tape back in the day


If you like the scratch proof coating of the Maxell BQ media... I've got GOOD NEWS for you!! Maxell told me last week that their working on spindle packaging for that line. So likely you'll be able to buy 15pks and 25pks in the not TOOOOO distant future.... but with Maxell sometimes things do take a while.

Nice stuff :D Hopefully (when I finally get them shipped from nc!x) they'll be compatible with either my LG 4040B or my Sony/lite-on POS. If they're cool to use with my Panosonic DMR E50 stand alone recorder that'd be icing on the cake. Looking at them so far they look like *exactly* what I need to archive my spoken word stuff and divx files that'll never be released on DVD (nobody seems to remember Max Headroom or Dr. Katz anymore ;) )

Thanks for the work to get them to the consumer level :D When the pack arrives I'll take it into The Source and see if I can badger them into seeing if HQ will carry them.

Speaking of scratch proof dvds I was in The Source I stumbled across these bad boys and couldn't resist getting a - package:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0007QN19O.01-A1AJVWO2HMT2XY._PE33_SCMZZZZZZZ_.gif

I was going to buy a - pack of the Verbatim 25 pks on sale but (unlike the + spindle) they didn't have the AZO mark anywhere on them so I couldn't tell if they were Datalife Plus or Datalife Value however these scratch proof ones look pretty sweet - have you had any experience with them?

[[buck]]

I was going to buy a - pack of the Verbatim 25 pks on sale but (unlike the + spindle) they didn't have the AZO mark anywhere on them so I couldn't tell if they were Datalife Plus or Datalife Value...

Hmm... well we know MCC 003 isn't being made anymore, and that Taiyo Yuden, Ritek and CMC coded discs have all shown up in Europe.

If they're made in Japan they must be TY... otherwise my money is on CMC or Ritek.

TY and MCC discs always have some sort of AZO listed on the package, as far as I know, at least.

[rahzel]

']Hmm... well we know MCC 003 isn't being made anymore, and that Taiyo Yuden, Ritek and CMC coded discs have all shown up in Europe.

If they're made in Japan they must be TY... otherwise my money is on CMC or Ritek.

TY and MCC discs always have some sort of AZO listed on the package, as far as I know, at least.
i bought a 50 spindle of Verb 8x DVD-R's (MCC 02RG20) and they dont have the AZO logo anywhere on the spindle.

[[buck]]

i bought a 50 spindle of Verb 8x DVD-R's (MCC 02RG20) and they dont have the AZO logo anywhere on the spindle.

Weird. I guess i'm wrong. Sorry! :o

[NG]

']Weird. I guess i'm wrong. Sorry! :o

It's understandable - Verbatim seems to be really confused on how they want to market their discs. If they just had the one line of products I guess that'd be fine but it makes telling the value line from the plus line pretty hard.

The 16x + spindle I got from The Source a few days ago had the AZO logo, the 8x ones I saw today didn't have it (nor any mention of AZO) and didn't even say "Datalifeplus" and that fancy scratch proof package I posted above just mentions AZO in the product description on the back.

If I find out these 8x - are the plus line I might grab a spindle (but then again I can't help fiddling with the 10 pack I grabbed so I might get more of them if what people here say about them are good).

[rahzel]

']Weird. I guess i'm wrong. Sorry! :o
i thought they all did too... they are DataLifePlus, and i even looked on the Verbatim website, the 50 spindles don't seem to have AZO on the label, nor do they have it in the description. wonder why they dont have it on some spindles...

[Mike71]

Alright DD or anyone, where can I get the BenQ 1640 in black for the best price with cheap or free shipping to Alberta? Thanks for any info. Also, is this the most recommended drive right now?

[[buck]]

Alright DD or anyone, where can I get the BenQ 1640 in black for the best price with cheap or free shipping to Alberta? Thanks for any info. Also, is this the most recommended drive right now?

From me, of course! (just kidding)

But really, NCIX has the retail 1640 for $57 + $8 shipping... and the retail comes with a nicer faceplate, longer warranty (2yr vs 1yr), and a fancy box. :cheesygri

Alternatively you could try to get NCIX to PM ICCT.ca's price of $50 on the OEM drive.

[Mike71]

This BenQ drive is almost impossible to find, especially in black. I am trying to get someone to PM FS with BCom, as they have a few in stock. Apparently according to what FS said the retail one there comes with both the black and beige faceplates, can anyone confirm that? Also, DD or anyone, where would you rank the NEC-ND-3540A as far as quality of drives go? Is it comparable to the BenQ 1640? Thanks for any help guys.

[bionicbadger]

Alright DD or anyone, where can I get the BenQ 1640 in black for the best price with cheap or free shipping to Alberta? Thanks for any info. Also, is this the most recommended drive right now?

$53 at Sata computer in Edmonton
http://www.satacomputer.com/opticaldrives.htm

[rahzel]

where would you rank the NEC-ND-3540A as far as quality of drives go? Is it comparable to the BenQ 1640? Thanks for any help guys.
i owned the NEC ND-3520A, and i was very happy with it. Good compatibility, good write quality, reliable, and it was pretty quiet. One thing about NEC drives is their official firmware support is one of the worst, if not the worst, but their unofficial firmware support is one of the best. Also, theyre pretty bad scanners, and with their official firmware, it only changes DVD+RDL media to DVD-ROM (but theres probably unofficial firmware with autobitsetting for all + media).

If i didnt own a BenQ DW1640, and i couldnt get my hands on one, i would probably get an NEC ND-3540A or LG GSA-4167B.

[[buck]]

i owned the NEC ND-3520A, and i was very happy with it. Good compatibility, good write quality, reliable, and it was pretty quiet. One thing about NEC drives is their official firmware support is one of the worst, if not the worst, but their unofficial firmware support is one of the best. Also, theyre pretty bad scanners, and with their official firmware, it only changes DVD+RDL media to DVD-ROM (but theres probably unofficial firmware with autobitsetting for all + media).

If i didnt own a BenQ DW1640, and i couldnt get my hands on one, i would probably get an NEC ND-3540A or LG GSA-4167B.

Might I add that NECs really do a horrible job with jitter on alot of discs. Pickier players may have a hard time reading discs with high jitter.

DD, please correct me if i'm wrong. :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

NEC drives aren't bad, but I'm not too keen on the amount of hacking that has to happen to "bring them up to speed" with other drives. As for Jitter problems, I haven't seen to many tests run on NEC burned discs that included jitter testing (I don't get to review any NEC drives really :( ), so I can't comment on that one really.

And just so people know, I'm reading through this thread all the time, so if I don't answer your question, it's usually because someone else has done a really good job of answering it. That, or it's a question about where to find the best price on something.... frankly, that isn't my area, and I'm probably the worst person on this webpage to ask! :P I know some good media prices, but anything else I won't have even the slightest idea where to suggest (and usually my media recommendations are obvious or not considered good deals anyways.... since most people here expect things below cost with free shipping, and preferably a rebate on top of it all :P).

[IVNP]

Man, I wish I didn't flash the latest firmware on my 1640... Made two friggin DL coasters(Verbatim...damn that's expensive) Should've stick with my "if it ain't broken, don't fix it." policy... Now I need to find what firmware my drive was... :mad:

[Jeff146]

BSMB wasn't friendly with me too

Go back to BSLB much better

[[buck]]

I would say BSMB is better for DVD-R, BSLB for DVD+R. BSMB also supposedly produces marginally higher jitter than BSLB...

[Sgt_Strider]

Besides blankmedia, where is the cheapest place to buy Verbatim DVD+R DL?

[IVNP]

']I would say BSMB is better for DVD-R, BSLB for DVD+R. BSMB also supposedly produces marginally higher jitter than BSLB...

Oops...misread it.^^; I guess I'll go back to BSLB which is the older ones right? I use that drive burn +R mostly anyway since I do have a LG drive installed for -R burning. Only got 1640 'cause it'd automatically bitset +R to -ROM which is very handy.

[Canadianpsycho]

I've had a couple bad discs (MIJ Fuji DVD+R) using BSMB... Thinking about going back to BSLB.

[7-Endless]

I've had a couple bad discs (MIJ Fuji DVD+R) using BSMB... Thinking about going back to BSLB.


Keep reading mixed reviews about BSMB - I wonder if Benq will release another firmware update soon?

[Jeff146]

Oops...misread it.^^; I guess I'll go back to BSLB which is the older ones right? I use that drive burn +R mostly anyway since I do have a LG drive installed for -R burning. Only got 1640 'cause it'd automatically bitset +R to -ROM which is very handy.

BSMB is the older one

Because they follow the alphabet for the third letter

[[buck]]

BSMB is the older one

Because they follow the alphabet for the third letter

errr.. actually BSMB is the latest 1640 f/w. They usually go through the alphabet skipping a letter every once in a while.

Not sure what you mean by "they follow the alphabet for the third letter." :confused:

[gaore]

That's strange:

I can't burn ISO image file to any DVD-R disc(both MIT & MIJ), I tried 3

discs, it shows " unexpected error" when finalizing the DVD-R every time,

seemed like burn-at-once problem, but I can burn any ISO image file to any

DVD+R disc.

Anybody who met this problem as well ? Why? Does it mean DVD+R discs are

newer and better than any DVD-R one?

[rahzel]

BSMB is the older one

Because they follow the alphabet for the third letter
someone needs to re-learn the alphabet. :lol: :razz:

so far, im pretty happy with BSMB. My results seem to be pretty much the same with BSMB for both + and -, but i haven't tried and DL media yet.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Besides blankmedia, where is the cheapest place to buy Verbatim DVD+R DL?

NCIX next week... should have been this week, but they've been too busy for me to poke them lately :(

Other then that, Precision Sound Corp (www.precisionduplication.com) might not be bad either.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']errr.. actually BSMB is the latest 1640 f/w. They usually go through the alphabet skipping a letter every once in a while.

Not sure what you mean by "they follow the alphabet for the third letter." :confused:

They don't "skip" letters... they just don't release EVERY firmware ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

That's strange:

I can't burn ISO image file to any DVD-R disc(both MIT & MIJ), I tried 3

discs, it shows " unexpected error" when finalizing the DVD-R every time,

seemed like burn-at-once problem, but I can burn any ISO image file to any

DVD+R disc.

Anybody who met this problem as well ? Why? Does it mean DVD+R discs are

newer and better than any DVD-R one?

There's a slight size difference between DVD-R and DVD+R I believe. Maybe this is affecting it?

[rahzel]

this wouldnt be the issue, because DVD-R is the standard that is slightly larger than DVD+R. DVD-R is something like 4707319098 bytes, and DVD+R is like almost exactly 4700000000 bytes. this translates into about 6mb.

[Jeff146]

someone needs to re-learn the alphabet. :lol: :razz:

so far, im pretty happy with BSMB. My results seem to be pretty much the same with BSMB for both + and -, but i haven't tried and DL media yet.

woops lol I typed it wrong

my bad BSLB is the olrder one :(

[Sgt_Strider]

NCIX next week... should have been this week, but they've been too busy for me to poke them lately :(

Other then that, Precision Sound Corp (www.precisionduplication.com) might not be bad either.

Seriously??? If next week then I can wait!

[[buck]]

BSNB firmware for the BenQ DW1640 was just released this evening.

Release Reason:

1. Fixed QScan does not work properly.
2. Improved the writing quality of 4x DVD+/-R media.
3. Supported FTI 16x DVD-R media.

Can't tell you if it's any good because I haven't tried it! :razz:

http://support.benq.com/files/storage/Firmware/DVDRW/DW1640/BSNB.zip

[The Digital Dolphin]

Seriously??? If next week then I can wait!

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16037&vpn=DVD-95166&manufacture=VERBATIM

Check the member's price ;)

I poked them hard enough to circumvent the regular weekly sale :cheesygri

[[buck]]

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16037&vpn=DVD-95166&manufacture=VERBATIM

Check the member's price ;)

I poked them hard enough to circumvent the regular weekly sale :cheesygri

Best price i've seen yet in Canada. Too bad shipping is OUTRAGEOUS, it's $13 ship 1 tiny 10pack via Canada Post. :mad:

[Sgt_Strider]

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16037&vpn=DVD-95166&manufacture=VERBATIM

Check the member's price ;)

I poked them hard enough to circumvent the regular weekly sale :cheesygri

merci beaucoup :).

I'll buy 2 packs today!

[Pavel]

I decided to use my discs today after buying them a while ago from Netlink. I was backing up my software. After about 4 DVD's I came across one DVD that literally had the top layer glued on by a thread. Looking at all the DVDs in the spindle I definitely see that they were not manufactured very well. The glue is very sloppily applied.

These DVD's appear to be junk and not worth backing-up anything even remotely worth keeping. Now, I will buy a reputable brand name and back-up what I just backed up. What a waste of time.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I decided to use my discs today after buying them a while ago from Netlink. I was backing up my software. After about 4 DVD's I came across one DVD that literally had the top layer glued on by a thread. Looking at all the DVDs in the spindle I definitely see that they were not manufactured very well. The glue is very sloppily applied.

These DVD's appear to be junk and not worth backing-up anything even remotely worth keeping. Now, I will buy a reputable brand name and back-up what I just backed up. What a waste of time.

Generic Optodisc? Or Acro Circle?

The generic Optodisc is pretty well known to be a 'B Grade' disc, but the Acro Circle is actually manufactured to quite good standards (most of the time).

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Best price i've seen yet in Canada. Too bad shipping is OUTRAGEOUS, it's $13 ship 1 tiny 10pack via Canada Post. :mad:

Then order from Blankmedia.ca ;)

Or combine the Verbatim DVD+RDLs with something else on sale.

[Pavel]

Generic Optodisc? Or Acro Circle?

The generic Optodisc is pretty well known to be a 'B Grade' disc, but the Acro Circle is actually manufactured to quite good standards (most of the time).


Generic Optodisc. Is there such a thing as "C Grade"?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Generic Optodisc. Is there such a thing as "C Grade"?

Yeah... but it usually all gets dumped into one big batch of stuff that is regarded as "not A Grade" and commonly referred to as "B Grade".

Here's the deal though... every plant has their own manufacturing standards, and disc grading protocols. Which is why B grade from one manufacturer can be better then most A Grade from other plants.

[[buck]]

It's a litte late, but I just want to give my 2 cents on the whole Taiyo Yuden bonding issues fiasco.

Today I cam across my first poorly bonded Fuji branded 8X Taiyo Yuden DVD+R, at least the first one i've noticed.

I was able to pry the clear centre hub part with my fingers pretty easy; no more than 10 seconds of effort. It wasn't that there was no glue, it just seemed like there wasn't much of it. It certainly wasn't as bad as RJW's (at CDRLabs) TYG01, which he described as almost falling apart from taking it out of a jewel case.
Incidentally this disc was from what I thought was my best batch of TY.

It took a good 5 minutes to seperate the whole DVD+R in 2 pieces with bare fingers, though.

I guess the only question is much of problem this will be in the long run. The disc was airtight around the hub, it just didn't take much effort to pull apart. Will the aging process somehow unglue the hub and allow air in? I doubt it, but I'm not an expert.

I still think Taiyo Yuden is good stuff, however i've been diversifying my portfolio with TDK and Verbatim, if you know what I mean. :cheesygri

It seems to be true that these bonding issues do not affect all the discs in a given batch, because i've gone through my entire of pile of "coasters" (more like discs I rejected because of poor scans), and none of my other Taiyo Yuden, or any disc for this matter, has been bad. (Excluding a few consumer grade Maxells with visible air pockets)

Anyone have any comments?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Anyone have any comments?

Current estimate seems to be that about 25% of Taiyo Yuden is affected by the problem. That doesn't mean that 25% of the discs in a spindle will be affected, but you'll probably find spindles with more bad discs in them then others.

As for how ageing affects bonding. I'm not sure if ageing itself wears away the bonding, or if the material just slowly oxidyzes itself. Eventually, no matter what, oxygen corrupts the dye, and it becomes unreadable.

As you have said, diversifying is a VERY good idea. I wouldn't trust any of the TDKs in North America though. Verbatim on the other hand is a better choice (when not made in India!).

[rahzel]

i dont think this will affect most Taiyo Yuden DVDR's, i think its rare to find poorly bonded discs as bad as RJW's. Even if you can pry them appart with a decent amount of effort, i think you should be fine, and that this wont affect the longevity of the discs, unless you handle your discs with absolutely no care (if you do, they probably wont last long anyway).

but for the mean time, ive also diversified to other brands (namely Verbatim), until this gets fixed (although, i probably wont need any DVDR's for a while =]).

[bodobodo]

Question for DD:

Is Maxell starting to make 8x DVD-R and DVD+R media in Japan again or releasing some MIJ stock? The reason why I ask is my local Future Shop store hasn't had MIJ Maxell media for a while. However, last week I noticed that all the 50 packs of DVD+R media were MIJ. I figured that perhaps a box of MIJ spindles had sat around for a while before my store got it. However, just today I walked in and found that most of the recent stock of 100 pack DVD-R Maxell spindles were MIJ as well. In this case Maxell seemed to have put a white sticker with the UPC code as well as Made in Japan (plus Fabrique au Japon and Hecho en Japon) in dot matrix style writing over the original UPC code on the paper label itself. If you look you can read Made in Taiwan underneath the overlaid MIJ label. This suggests to me that this isn't old stock but recent MIJ media packed into containers with labels originally printed up for MIT media.

[[buck]]

Question for DD:

Is Maxell starting to make 8x DVD-R and DVD+R media in Japan again or releasing some MIJ stock? The reason why I ask is my local Future Shop store hasn't had MIJ Maxell media for a while. However, last week I noticed that all the 50 packs of DVD+R media were MIJ. I figured that perhaps a box of MIJ spindles had sat around for a while before my store got it. However, just today I walked in and found that most of the recent stock of 100 pack DVD-R Maxell spindles were MIJ as well. In this case Maxell seemed to have put a white sticker with the UPC code as well as Made in Japan (plus Fabrique au Japon and Hecho en Japon) in dot matrix style writing over the original UPC code on the paper label itself. If you look you can read Made in Taiwan underneath the overlaid MIJ label. This suggests to me that this isn't old stock but recent MIJ media packed into containers with labels originally printed up for MIT media.

Could it be Taiyo Yuden? :-0

[rahzel]

Question for DD:

Is Maxell starting to make 8x DVD-R and DVD+R media in Japan again or releasing some MIJ stock? The reason why I ask is my local Future Shop store hasn't had MIJ Maxell media for a while. However, last week I noticed that all the 50 packs of DVD+R media were MIJ. I figured that perhaps a box of MIJ spindles had sat around for a while before my store got it. However, just today I walked in and found that most of the recent stock of 100 pack DVD-R Maxell spindles were MIJ as well. In this case Maxell seemed to have put a white sticker with the UPC code as well as Made in Japan (plus Fabrique au Japon and Hecho en Japon) in dot matrix style writing over the original UPC code on the paper label itself. If you look you can read Made in Taiwan underneath the overlaid MIJ label. This suggests to me that this isn't old stock but recent MIJ media packed into containers with labels originally printed up for MIT media.
were they 4x or 8x?

[[buck]]

were they 4x or 8x?

Don't want to answer for bodobodo, but I can't see there being any signifigant number of 4X Maxells around these days. The made in Japan sticker would certainly suggest a new occurance, too.

I'm thinking they're new stock of Japanese Maxells... perhaps they're dumping all their "B grade" stuff in the consumer stuff? Since they've been using all MIT stuff for the past while, perhaps they've built up quite a stockpile of "B grade" stuff since they only use their "A grade" in the Pro media.

OR... and more likely:

They've given Taiyo Yuden the go ahead to OEM for them. We know Maxell had been looking at Taiyo Yuden as an OEM. IF they are indeed Taiyo Yuden, I would still think they're a step up from the current Ritek/CMC Magnetics stuff, regardless of bonding issues.

I would have though Dolph would have heard of any changes, though. :confused:

[The Digital Dolphin]

i dont think this will affect most Taiyo Yuden DVDR's, i think its rare to find poorly bonded discs as bad as RJW's. Even if you can pry them appart with a decent amount of effort, i think you should be fine, and that this wont affect the longevity of the discs, unless you handle your discs with absolutely no care (if you do, they probably wont last long anyway).

but for the mean time, ive also diversified to other brands (namely Verbatim), until this gets fixed (although, i probably wont need any DVDR's for a while =]).

RJW does seem to get the best and the worst of all media.... but the problem is real, and affects a large minority of the discs (note the word "Minority"). I'm told the number is 25% affected batches. That means there are probably whole batches unaffected. Batches are very VERY large volumes of discs ;)

As for how it will affect the longevity of a disc, I have to disagree with your assesment in that I think it WILL affect it in a noticable way.... but not for several years. I would *GUESS* (note the word "guess") the discs will probably last between 5 and 10 years, about the average lifespan of a good Ritek DVD-R (which are getting hard to find these days!). Most people would probably be happy with that I think though.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Don't want to answer for bodobodo, but I can't see there being any signifigant number of 4X Maxells around these days. The made in Japan sticker would certainly suggest a new occurance, too.

I'm thinking they're new stock of Japanese Maxells... perhaps they're dumping all their "B grade" stuff in the consumer stuff? Since they've been using all MIT stuff for the past while, perhaps they've built up quite a stockpile of "B grade" stuff since they only use their "A grade" in the Pro media.

OR... and more likely:

They've given Taiyo Yuden the go ahead to OEM for them. We know Maxell had been looking at Taiyo Yuden as an OEM. IF they are indeed Taiyo Yuden, I would still think they're a step up from the current Ritek/CMC Magnetics stuff, regardless of bonding issues.

I would have though Dolph would have heard of any changes, though. :confused:

I could see it being either Maxell's own media or Taiyo Yuden. As you say, Maxell was looking at approving Taiyo Yuden (for quite some time now!), so it's entirely possible. It's even more so unlikely to be Maxell's own media since they are using it for their plus series discs, which are becoming very successful :cheesygri But yeah, it could go either way.

As for whether Taiyo Yuden would be better then CMC made media.... I know one premium name brand who has a long standing relationship with Taiyo Yuden, who is now working with CMC to replace Taiyo Yuden as an OEM, because they do NOT think the same way as you on this one ;) (but since *I'm* not supposed to know, I'm DEFFINATELY not able to say who :P).

And regarding me not knowing before it happened.... it's true I've got excellent connections with Maxell. My Maxell rep is the same as Futureshop/Bestbuy's rep even ;) (and also the same as London Drug's and A&B Sound), but usually they don't just give me information unless I ask for it... so if I don't know to ask for it, I don't find out. And I'm not QUITE enough of a jerk to be consistantly perstering them about the status of their media on a daily basis (although if you ASK them they may disagree with me on that :P). It also doesn't help that my rep is in Winnipeg right now... but I'll drop him a line tomorrow if I get the time, and see if he can find out where it's coming from right now.

In other COMPLETELY unrelated news. I just bought the Logitech G15 keyboard for my mother for an early Christmas present, and that thing is AWESOME! I highly recommend getting one no matter WHAT you do on your computer. The backlight on the keys is FREAKING AWESOME!! And the software is very well made! The macro keys are super useful, and there is NOTHING BAD ABOUT THE KEYBOARD... at least that I can tell.

Ok, that's all for now :P

[rahzel]

well, the batches that are as bad as RJW's, ill agree that this will noticeably affect the longevity, but the ones that are bonded decently, that require a fair amount of effort to pry appart should be fine IMO. i just didnt think that many would be affected, as bad as RJW's.

[bodobodo]

Sorry I should probably have mentioned it.

All are 8x media in typical 8x packaging.

The DVD+R discs are definately Maxell media. I opened them and the have the Maxell 002 MID code.

The 8x DVD-R discs have no hub markings whatsoever (like the 8x DVD+R ones above) which is typical of Maxell's own media. They are definately not TY discs since those are very easy to spot. They aren't mislabelled MIT Ritek or CMC media either since I know how to spot those as well. I just picked them up tonight so I haven't opened them yet but I'm 99.9% confident that they are Maxell RG03 discs.

[The Digital Dolphin]

well, the batches that are as bad as RJW's, ill agree that this will noticeably affect the longevity, but the ones that are bonded decently, that require a fair amount of effort to pry appart should be fine IMO. i just didnt think that many would be affected, as bad as RJW's.

Well, like I said, the ones badly affected are only a minority. I don't know too many discs that fall apart with little effort.... but I *HAVE* experienced them personally ;)

[bodobodo]

Sorry I should probably have mentioned it.

All are 8x media in typical 8x packaging.

The DVD+R discs are definately Maxell media. I opened them and the have the Maxell 002 MID code.

The 8x DVD-R discs have no hub markings whatsoever (like the 8x DVD+R ones above) which is typical of Maxell's own media. They are definately not TY discs since those are very easy to spot. They aren't mislabelled MIT Ritek or CMC media either since I know how to spot those as well. I just picked them up tonight so I haven't opened them yet but I'm 99.9% confident that they are Maxell RG03 discs.

Just to follow up I opened the 8x DVD-R spindle and as expected it does contain MXL RG03 discs.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Just to follow up I opened the 8x DVD-R spindle and as expected it does contain MXL RG03 discs.

If you don't mind sacrificing a disc or two, check for bad bonding on one disc each per spindle... Maxell has been known to have the problem on their consumer discs just like Taiyo Yuden.

[Deal_Myster]

Hi Everyone,

Can someone tell me the best available DVD+R and DVD-R media available today in Ontario from FutureShop and BestBuy?

I generally buy in bulk on Boxing Day for the year and normally would buy whatever is TAIYO YUDEN, however I have read several threads claiming that TAIYO YUDEN has quality issues. (WOW! That was mind boggling to read).

The most important thing to me would be the archival life with excellent quality burn!
I would like to thank all of you in advance.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I generally buy in bulk on Boxing Day for the year and normally would buy whatever is TAIYO YUDEN, however I have read several threads claiming that TAIYO YUDEN has quality issues. (WOW! That was mind boggling to read).

The most important thing to me would be the archival life with excellent quality burn!
I would like to thank all of you in advance.

Then why are you buying at Futureshop? They don't sell any media that is really good with archival life spans. Consumer grade (Made in Japan) Maxell and Taiyo Yuden are the closest you'll find, *IF* you can find them... but both are known to have issues with bonding.

Why do people always expect to get Gold like quality for zinc level pricing?

[Deal_Myster]

Then why are you buying at Futureshop? They don't sell any media that is really good with archival life spans. Consumer grade (Made in Japan) Maxell and Taiyo Yuden are the closest you'll find, *IF* you can find them... but both are known to have issues with bonding.

Why do people always expect to get Gold like quality for zinc level pricing?

Thanks Digital Dolphin.

Let me rephrase my question.

What is the best DVDR media BestBuy and FutureShop currently carry?

BenQ,
ComStar,
Dataware,
Dynex,
Fuji,
HP,
JVC,
Kodak,
Maxell,
Memorex (I know these are crap),
Panasonic,
Pine,
Sony,
Verbatim,

Note: If none of the above are made in Japan which of the lot would be the best?
My guess would be "Fuji" or "Maxell"?

[yjxiao]

Verbatim baby, if nothign is MIJ

[[buck]]

If you're serious about quality you'd get these from NCIX:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16373&vpn=635061&manufacture=MAXELL

Another good alternative is 16X Verbatim DVD+R @ the source which cost $9 for a 25pk.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks Digital Dolphin.

Let me rephrase my question.

What is the best DVDR media BestBuy and FutureShop currently carry?

BenQ,
ComStar,
Dataware,
Dynex,
Fuji,
HP,
JVC,
Kodak,
Maxell,
Memorex (I know these are crap),
Panasonic,
Pine,
Sony,
Verbatim,

Note: If none of the above are made in Japan which of the lot would be the best?
My guess would be "Fuji" or "Maxell"?

Verbatim
Sony "Made in Taiwan" (Good quality, and not prone to bonding problems)
Maxell "Made in Japan" (It's only consumer grade, and prone to bonding problems)
Sony "Made in Japan" (It's prone to bonding problems)
Fuji "Made in Japan" (It's prone to bonding problems)
Maxell "Made in Taiwan"
Fuji "Made in Taiwan"
Memorex
BenQ (Short expected lifespan, but often better INITIAL burn quality then Memorex)
HP

Everything else is crap of expected crap (except JVC, which I just don't know much about).

[The Digital Dolphin]

']If you're serious about quality you'd get these from NCIX:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16373&vpn=635061&manufacture=MAXELL

Another good alternative is 16X Verbatim DVD+R @ the source which cost $9 for a 25pk.

The Maxell Plus series will be on sale soon ;)

[[buck]]

Verbatim
Sony "Made in Taiwan" (Good quality, and not prone to bonding problems)
Maxell "Made in Japan" (It's only consumer grade, and prone to bonding problems)
Sony "Made in Japan" (It's prone to bonding problems)
Fuji "Made in Japan" (It's prone to bonding problems)
Maxell "Made in Taiwan"
Fuji "Made in Taiwan"
Memorex
BenQ (Short expected lifespan, but often better INITIAL burn quality then Memorex)
HP

Everything else is crap of expected crap (except JVC, which I just don't know much about).

That list looks pretty accurate, except I would put HP just before Maxell, perhaps even before MIJ Maxell.

I've always seen good results HP, and i'm sure they're at least using high grade CMC. AT LEAST put it before Memorex!

edit DD, I *assume* that was a list from least to greatest, but if not, please disregard this post. :o :razz:

[The Digital Dolphin]

']
edit DD, I *assume* that was a list from least to greatest, but if not, please disregard this post. :o :razz:

HP, Memorex, and BenQ media are all very similar in quality. None of them have particularily picky standards, and HP doesn't make any effort to protect the quality of their media on an ongoing basis (but they don't ask for B Grade media either).

The problem with HP is that it's HEAVILY counterfeited... actually, I know the guy in Richmond who makes it ;) One day I'll find a way to proove it, and it won't happen anymore :cheesygri

[7-Endless]

Just wondering if the Sony 810a can also be used to test media with CD Speed since it is based on the Benq 1640?

[[buck]]

Just wondering if the Sony 810a can also be used to test media with CD Speed since it is based on the Benq 1640?

Err.. I think it can. Might as well give it a try.

Regardless, i'm recommend crossflashing your Sony into a BenQ.

Pros: Full access to Qsuite's features like QScan, WOPC, and Solidburn. Frequent firmware updates

Cons: Voids your warranty

You can flash it with BQFlasher (http://quikee.cdfreaks.com/BQFlasher.rar) and the BSNB .cvt file here (must use IE - firefox doesn't work) (http://hoppy****/dvd-rw/1640/).

[sandman804]

Hi Digital Dolphin,
How would the ones you have listed in order below compare with the TY media from blankmedia.ca? I am looking to buy more TY 16X DVD-Rs. Are the different types of 16X DVD-R TY's that blankmedia sells of different quality? IE, is the silver printable better then white printable? Are these better or worse tham the verbatims, sonys, or maxells you list below?

Verbatim
Sony "Made in Taiwan" (Good quality, and not prone to bonding problems)
Maxell "Made in Japan" (It's only consumer grade, and prone to bonding problems)
Sony "Made in Japan" (It's prone to bonding problems)
Fuji "Made in Japan" (It's prone to bonding problems)
Maxell "Made in Taiwan"
Fuji "Made in Taiwan"
Memorex
BenQ (Short expected lifespan, but often better INITIAL burn quality then Memorex)
HP

Everything else is crap of expected crap (except JVC, which I just don't know much about).

[[buck]]

Hi Digital Dolphin,
How would the ones you have listed in order below compare with the TY media from blankmedia.ca? I am looking to buy more TY 16X DVD-Rs. Are the different types of 16X DVD-R TY's that blankmedia sells of different quality? IE, is the silver printable better then white printable? Are these better or worse tham the verbatims, sonys, or maxells you list below?

Personally, I would take 8X TY DVDRs over anything on that list other than Verbatim. Why not 16X you ask? Because they are more expensive than the 8X, because drive support is somewhat mediocre, and because their quality seems to be slightly lower than their 8X counterparts.

Printable/unprintable shouldn't make a noticible difference.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi Digital Dolphin,
How would the ones you have listed in order below compare with the TY media from blankmedia.ca? I am looking to buy more TY 16X DVD-Rs. Are the different types of 16X DVD-R TY's that blankmedia sells of different quality? IE, is the silver printable better then white printable? Are these better or worse tham the verbatims, sonys, or maxells you list below?

Some value line Taiyo Yuden is now TYG03, but it's even worse quality then the Premium line TYG03 you can buy, which isn't really that good to be honest. I REALLY recommend getting TYG02. If you are seriously looking for quality, take it even one step up and pickup up Maxell Plus series DVD-Rs.

As for quality differences between surfaces. White inkjet printable can protect against scratches on the top surface slightly better (which doesn't really matter). What you should be considering however, if the fact that with Taiyo Yuden only the thermal silver DVDRs come in cake boxes, the rest comes in shrinkwrapped bundles (I think some silver inkjet printable comes in cake boxes too). Discs shipped in tape/shrink wrap have been known to have more problems then ones shipped in cake boxes. Actually, this is one of the leading theories behind why Ritek inkjet printable is more problamatic then silver matte or branded Ritek products (most, although not all silver matte or branded Ritek is sold in cake boxes, whereas inkjet printable is sold only in shrinkwrapped bundles).

Luckily, Maxell's Plus series of media ONLY comes in jewel cases or cake boxes, so you never have to worry! ;)

[HowEver]

Are there any reported problems with printing on CDs or DVDs and the ink leaking or leaching into the disk?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Are there any reported problems with printing on CDs or DVDs and the ink leaking or leaching into the disk?

Not that I'm aware of.... but do give the disc time to dry before doing anything with it.

[7-Endless]

']Err.. I think it can. Might as well give it a try.

Regardless, i'm recommend crossflashing your Sony into a BenQ.

Pros: Full access to Qsuite's features like QScan, WOPC, and Solidburn. Frequent firmware updates

Cons: Voids your warranty

You can flash it with BQFlasher (http://quikee.cdfreaks.com/BQFlasher.rar) and the BSNB .cvt file here (must use IE - firefox doesn't work) (http://hoppy****/dvd-rw/1640/).


Thanks, I'll pass the info over to a friend as I have the 1640 already but my friend is not having much luck finding one so he was thinking about the 810a...

[rahzel]

if hes planning on buying it, id tell him to wait if he can. the DRU-810A is a pricey drive, and the DW1650 should be available soon.

[The Digital Dolphin]

if hes planning on buying it, id tell him to wait if he can. the DRU-810A is a pricey drive, and the DW1650 should be available soon.

Hopefully ;)

But I *did* just get my DW1655, so it's looking good :cheesygri

[rahzel]

do you know why BenQ discontinued the DW1640 so quickly DD?

i think they should have kept making them ATLEAST until the DW1650/55 is available.

[othy]

is the DQ60 the successor to the 1640 or is it something different entirely?

[The Digital Dolphin]

do you know why BenQ discontinued the DW1640 so quickly DD?

i think they should have kept making them ATLEAST until the DW1650/55 is available.

Not a clue.... sorry!

[The Digital Dolphin]

is the DQ60 the successor to the 1640 or is it something different entirely?

The DQ60 is more like something completely different. the DW1650 and DW1655 are the successors to the DW1640.

[callous]

Which Benq will feature the DVD-RAM read/write?

[othy]

The DQ60 is more like something completely different. the DW1650 and DW1655 are the successors to the DW1640.

After a little bit of looking at the benq site, would you say the DQ60 would be more for perhaps less computer savvy people who just want to be able to put any old media in there and burn their pics of the grandkids to disc? They seem a little light on the techie features on the spec page..

I was a little confused because ncix didn't have the 1650/55 listed yet, just the DQ60..

[The Digital Dolphin]

Which Benq will feature the DVD-RAM read/write?

The DQ60, which is why it's something completely different. It's based on a Matsushita (Panasonic) chipset, instead of a Philips chipset. Which means that it doesn't get the kind of firmware support that the DW series gets. However there *IS* a new firmware coming out for it, and it's due out anytime now.

[The Digital Dolphin]

After a little bit of looking at the benq site, would you say the DQ60 would be more for perhaps less computer saavy people who just want to be able to put any old media in there and burn their pics of the grandkids to disc? They seem a little light on the techie features on the spec page..

I was a little confused because ncix didn't have the 1650/55 listed yet, just the DQ60..

I've heard not many good things about the DQ60 when it comes to writing quality. Wait until the the new firmware is released, and I'll take a look to see if things are fixed. This is a decision better left un-rushed ;)

[othy]

I've heard not many good things about the DQ60 when it comes to writing quality. Wait until the the new firmware is released, and I'll take a look to see if things are fixed. This is a decision better left un-rushed ;)

Indeed.. I'm in the market for a new DVD burner though, since I'm passing my ND2500 on to my folks.. Something that works well with TDKs would be nice since I have 200 of them from the costco deal..

Also howmuch is the media that works with the 1655 Lightscribe? That would be kind of nifty doing the good looking inscribed labels on there..

[rp_guy]

i'm having problems with my 1640.. all my audio cd's are skipping, no matter on BSLB or BSMB .. i've lost 4 discs already to this .. just random parts in songs will skip.. never had a problem before. should i RMA ?

[7-Endless]

i'm having problems with my 1640.. all my audio cd's are skipping, no matter on BSLB or BSMB .. i've lost 4 discs already to this .. just random parts in songs will skip.. never had a problem before. should i RMA ?


I had this problem after upgrading to Nero 7 but after going back to 6.6.0.18 all was fine again. Which software are you using to burn and which media are you using?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Also howmuch is the media that works with the 1655 Lightscribe? That would be kind of nifty doing the good looking inscribed labels on there..

It's expensive.... usually $2/disc or around there.

[gordholio]

It's expensive.... usually $2/disc or around there.
Lightscribe is a fantastic idea, especially if it's improved so you can print full color and graphics just like a regualar CD/DVD.
The price of the media is a bit much though.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Lightscribe is a fantastic idea, especially if it's improved so you can print full color and graphics just like a regualar CD/DVD.
The price of the media is a bit much though.

Don't forget the length of time taken to print the disc :razz:

[rp_guy]

I had this problem after upgrading to Nero 7 but after going back to 6.6.0.18 all was fine again. Which software are you using to burn and which media are you using?

nero 7.. lol i'll try that out, thanks !

[Amourek]

Hey DD, is there anyway to burn TY 4x DVD-Rs at 8x on my Pioneer 108? I bought them from NCIX and they're TYG01's... my last batch I got bought were TYG02's and I burned them all at 8x - now I'm spoiled and don't want to go back to 14min/burn. :(

[IVNP]

I had this problem after upgrading to Nero 7 but after going back to 6.6.0.18 all was fine again. Which software are you using to burn and which media are you using?

Funny that I had problem with 6.6 when I try to burn dual layer +R....damn thing made 4,5 expensive coaster. Upgraded to 7 and now it's all find. I guess depend on what you want to use it with?

[gordholio]

Don't forget the length of time taken to print the disc :razz:
If the media was inexpensive, I wouldn't mind waiting 5 or 10 minutes for a nice, full colour disc that doesn't rub off or smear.
The only problem I can see is that it is aligned properly.

[[buck]]

If the media was inexpensive, I wouldn't mind waiting 5 or 10 minutes for a nice, full colour disc that doesn't rub off or smear.
The only problem I can see is that it is aligned properly.

5 or 10 minutes!? Current lightscribe media takes like 50 minutes to label! :-0

[milhaus]

I think the 50 minutes is for fully patterned discs, right? That would be insane otherwise.

A update request for DD, if he's around: what are your first impressions of the 1655? I'm trying to figure out whether I want to wait for this at $70, or just buy the LG burner at $47.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, is there anyway to burn TY 4x DVD-Rs at 8x on my Pioneer 108? I bought them from NCIX and they're TYG01's... my last batch I got bought were TYG02's and I burned them all at 8x - now I'm spoiled and don't want to go back to 14min/burn. :(

You could get the hacked firmware for it?

[The Digital Dolphin]

I think the 50 minutes is for fully patterned discs, right? That would be insane otherwise.

A update request for DD, if he's around: what are your first impressions of the 1655? I'm trying to figure out whether I want to wait for this at $70, or just buy the LG burner at $47.

Yeah, 50min for a full/mostly full coverage disc, at best resolution... average labelling time is 20-30min I believe.

My first impression of the BenQ DW1655? It looks very pretty sitting in its' box on my desk. Seriously man, it's Christmas :cheesygri I've gotten about 4 hours of sleep every day this week between my day job and shopping, not to mention other more family related obligations... I've got media tests running in the background, but I'm not going to get to the DW1655 until early January at the soonest. I'm working my butt off to finish the SHW-1635S review right now, and then I'll do the DQ60 and DW1655 at the same time ;)

[Avenger]

Yeah, 50min for a full/mostly full coverage disc, at best resolution... average labelling time is 20-30min I believe.

My first impression of the BenQ DW1655? It looks very pretty sitting in its' box on my desk. Seriously man, it's Christmas :cheesygri I've gotten about 4 hours of sleep every day this week between my day job and shopping, not to mention other more family related obligations... I've got media tests running in the background, but I'm not going to get to the DW1655 until early January at the soonest. I'm working my butt off to finish the SHW-1635S review right now, and then I'll do the DQ60 and DW1655 at the same time ;)
Dude, we do not care about your family obligations, nor how busy shopping you are. Get your priorities in order, and get writing those reviews ;)

Just kidding of course. Thanks for all the hard work, and have a merry christmas!

[Amourek]

You could get the hacked firmware for it?

I see there's one here: http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_firmware.php?download_id=1898 , but it's based on 1.14 firmware. Know of anything newer?

[apvm]

']BSNB firmware for the BenQ DW1640 was just released this evening.

Release Reason:

1. Fixed QScan does not work properly.
2. Improved the writing quality of 4x DVD+/-R media.
3. Supported FTI 16x DVD-R media.

Can't tell you if it's any good because I haven't tried it! :razz:

http://support.benq.com/files/storage/Firmware/DVDRW/DW1640/BSNB.zip

A new one is released today BSOB

[The Digital Dolphin]

I see there's one here: http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_firmware.php?download_id=1898 , but it's based on 1.14 firmware. Know of anything newer?

I don't follow the hacked firmwares that closely unfortunately... sorry!

[The Digital Dolphin]

A new one is released today BSOB

Supposedly it fixes a significant flaw in DVDRDL recording from BSNB... maybe other things also.

[[buck]]

Supposedly it fixes a significant flaw in DVDRDL recording from BSNB... maybe other things also.

I thought the *only* reason listed in the release notes was fixing the bug in which the drive would not recognize PTP DL discs. Is that what you meant? :confused:

[Amourek]

I don't follow the hacked firmwares that closely unfortunately... sorry!

Ah okay. Thanks!

[Mike71]

So which of the media that is available on Boxing Day sales from FS and BB would you guys recommend? Does anyone have the media codes for any of it. Thanks for any info.:)

[[buck]]

So which of the media that is available on Boxing Day sales from FS and BB would you guys recommend? Does anyone have the media codes for any of it. Thanks for any info.:)

I think those jewel cased Maxell CDRs are pretty darn cheap @ $5/20.

Those Philips 16X DVDRs might be okay if they're A grade CMC, but I don't think 16X CMC media is very good to begin with. You'd be taking a risk buying them.

The 8X CMC or MIJ Maxells @ FS should be good, too.

[Mike71]

Thanks for the info. I think I'm just going to grab a couple packs of whatever is on sale and hope for the best.

[miss_swan]

Thanks to tDD, I picked up some of the Maxells on sale from NCIX.

As always ... props to you. :)

[[buck]]

Very nice price on those Plus Maxells @ NCIX, as well as those Verbatim DVD+R DLs. Nice work Dolph! :cheesygri

[woof]

On those Maxell Plus disks at NCIX what's with the description "Silver Thermal Printable Surface"? How would you print on them? I thought of Lightscribe but they don't use that term and that's unlikely at this price. Or is that just a reference to the regular writeable surface and not the top of the disk?

[[buck]]

On those Maxell Plus disks at NCIX what's with the description "Silver Thermal Printable Surface"? How would you print on them? I thought of Lightscribe but they don't use that term and that's unlikely at this price. Or is that just a reference to the regular writeable surface and not the top of the disk?

I believe they're just your average shiny silver discs, like OEM TY. You need some fancy expensive thermal printer that nobody uses to print on them AFAIK.

[YLSF]

I picked up a Benq DQ60 today at Futureshop since they had stock in store at $49.99.

I currently have an HP 300n in one of my machines and I was looking to upgrade to something that had higher speeds and could do both + and -. The HP burner has been really reliable though.

I just read that DD said he hasn't read good things about the Benq DQ60 and was waiting for the new firmware. Any update on the firmware? I guess I will keep the burner sealed for now and take a look around for more reviews/firmware updates...

[[buck]]

I picked up a Benq DQ60 today at Futureshop since they had stock in store at $49.99.

I currently have an HP 300n in one of my machines and I was looking to upgrade to something that had higher speeds and could do both + and -. The HP burner has been really reliable though.

I just read that DD said he hasn't read good things about the Benq DQ60 and was waiting for the new firmware. Any update on the firmware? I guess I will keep the burner sealed for now and take a look around for more reviews/firmware updates...

I think that new firmware is out, but I haven't heard anyone report back with results. To be honest, I seriously doubt this drive is going to get much better because it's not a true BenQ design, and they don't seem to be dedicating much firmware development resources to it. Oh yeah, and from what i've seen Panasonic chipsets suck.

You should return it and get this (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10068927&catid=10475). ;)

[Dealz-4-U]

Hey DD, I currently have a NEC 3500 burner and it has been a work horse for over a year now, but I am sensing it is dying on me because it is starting to make "ring burns" on discs, even Maxell and Fuji discs. Anyways, can you recemmond a good solid dvd burner?

Im thinking the BenQ DW1640 or another NEC.

Let me know what your input is.

Thanks

[vr6man25]

what's a good 1st dvd burner you recommend DD.
thanks

[Alexo]

Hi DD,

Rumor has it that the DW1640 and the DW1650 are practically the same drive.

Do you think it is true and, if it is, is it possible that the firmware will be compatible?

[wlee]

Master DD: :)

Can you comment on the 100-pack 8x Maxell +R and -R with MIJ sticker over MIT, they are sold at Walmart, FS and BB?

And how about the 16x Philips disc at FS?

I noticed my Fujifilm 8x +R MIT (RITEK-R03-02) doesn't play smoothly on Panasonic DVDS77S dvd player, sometimes the video goes blank for less a second, is it a problem of the disc and player?

Thanks :!: :D

[The Digital Dolphin]

']I believe they're just your average shiny silver discs, like OEM TY. You need some fancy expensive thermal printer that nobody uses to print on them AFAIK.

Yes, TY shiny silver media is all thermal printable as well.... and I wouldn't say that NO ONE uses thermal printers. They're VERY common in the business sector ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

']I think that new firmware is out, but I haven't heard anyone report back with results. To be honest, I seriously doubt this drive is going to get much better because it's not a true BenQ design, and they don't seem to be dedicating much firmware development resources to it. Oh yeah, and from what i've seen Panasonic chipsets suck.

You should return it and get this (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10068927&catid=10475). ;)

I haven't seen the new firmware yet... but I haven't been looking either. I took the last 3 days or so off ;) I'll check around for it soon.

As for the DQ60 not being a true BenQ design, that is false. It's a 100% BenQ design, using a Matsushita chipset... but that's the problem. The confusion comes in with the DW1620, DW1625, DW1640, and likely the DW1650, and DW1655 all being collabrative efforts between BenQ and Philips ;)

[[buck]]

I haven't seen the new firmware yet... but I haven't been looking either. I took the last 3 days or so off ;) I'll check around for it soon.

As for the DQ60 not being a true BenQ design, that is false. It's a 100% BenQ design, using a Matsushita chipset... but that's the problem. The confusion comes in with the DW1620, DW1625, DW1640, and likely the DW1650, and DW1655 all being collabrative efforts between BenQ and Philips ;)

So the DQ60 is a collaborative effort between BenQ and TEAC?

[YLSF]

']

You should return it and get this (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10068927&catid=10475). ;)


I took your advice and returned it :)

I got the 1655 instead.. Hope it is decent.

[lead]

D.D. whats your take on the recent benq batch that has showed up at futureshop. They say daxon az3 MIM. Are they any good? I bought a 50 pack for 16 bucks +R. They say 16x ran qscan recommends 12x or under and not 16. But would like your take on this mim stuff were seeing.

[Nismo]

Hey guys, well i got 2 pks of the phillips dvd-r from fs and a pk of fujifilm dvd-r from fs as well. They are both rated 16x. Dvd Idenifier showed that the fujifilm is ritekf1 and the phillips are cmc mag am3. Are these media any good for burning movies, clips, and backups.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, I currently have a NEC 3500 burner and it has been a work horse for over a year now, but I am sensing it is dying on me because it is starting to make "ring burns" on discs, even Maxell and Fuji discs. Anyways, can you recemmond a good solid dvd burner?

Im thinking the BenQ DW1640 or another NEC.

Let me know what your input is.

Thanks

The BenQ DW1640 is an awesome drive! I highly recommend it. NEC seems to be falling behind quite a bit lately. I've seen the upcoming review on the NEC 4550, and the thing is crap, can't even burn Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD-Rs!! So I'm not overly inclined to recommend them at this point (although you're probably looking at buying the older 3540 model right?).

The DW1655 or LG 4167 should make good drives as well, although I still need to begin testing the DW1655 at this point.

[The Digital Dolphin]

what's a good 1st dvd burner you recommend DD.
thanks

There's a link in my signiture...

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi DD,

Rumor has it that the DW1640 and the DW1650 are practically the same drive.

Do you think it is true and, if it is, is it possible that the firmware will be compatible?

My personal thought is.... not a chance in heck. The DW1650 and DW1655 are practically the same drive, and *MIGHT* be firmware flashable.... the question is whether BenQ was able to save money having only one production line for both models, or if the Lightscribe hardware made it more expensive then it was worth to double production capacity.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']So the DQ60 is a collaborative effort between BenQ and TEAC?

Not so much.... yeah, Teac OEM's it, and it was essentially made FOR Teac, but Teac has had pretty much nothing to do with the firmware support or anything much other then demand.

[The Digital Dolphin]

D.D. whats your take on the recent benq batch that has showed up at futureshop. They say daxon az3 MIM. Are they any good? I bought a 50 pack for 16 bucks +R. They say 16x ran qscan recommends 12x or under and not 16. But would like your take on this mim stuff were seeing.

It's standard BenQ (made by Daxon) media. Poor bonding, but decent compatability with most drives. I wouldn't put anything overly important on it. 12x recording is not a bad idea either.... but I'd suggest that for Taiyo Yuden 16x DVD-Rs too! Most of the time, 16x recording seems to leave a lot to be desired quality wise (oh sure, it'll scan well enough with regard to PI/PIF, but jitter and Beta scores are aweful!).

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey guys, well i got 2 pks of the phillips dvd-r from fs and a pk of fujifilm dvd-r from fs as well. They are both rated 16x. Dvd Idenifier showed that the fujifilm is ritekf1 and the phillips are cmc mag am3. Are these media any good for burning movies, clips, and backups.

RITEKF1 is pretty crappy so far on a lot of drives. I've only JUST gotten some CMCMAGAM3 media, so can't say much about it. I would burn both no faster then 12x... the Ritek media probably at 8x (you probably can't burn the Ritek faster then 12x anyways depending on your drive).

[7-Endless]

Just wondering out of all the media (Maxell, Fuji, Benq) that is on sale right now for Boxing Week, which one do you guys recommend to get? Or am I better off getting the Sony media from Walmart to avoid any bonding issues?

[Jon Lai]

Hey, some help here please :P

I was just curious and decided to do some tests on the disks I've burned, but when I tried doing a disc quality check in Nero cd/dvd speed, it says DRIVE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS FEATURE.

I'm using LG 4160B with A303 firmware.

[7-Endless]

Hey, some help here please :P

I was just curious and decided to do some tests on the disks I've burned, but when I tried doing a disc quality check in Nero cd/dvd speed, it says DRIVE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS FEATURE.

I'm using LG 4160B with A303 firmware.


You'll need a Benq or Plextor I believe in order to do disc quality scans as I don't think the LG has the ability to scan for PI/PIF errors...

[[buck]]

The BenQ DW1640 is an awesome drive! I highly recommend it. NEC seems to be falling behind quite a bit lately. I've seen the upcoming review on the NEC 4550, and the thing is crap, can't even burn Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD-Rs!! So I'm not overly inclined to recommend them at this point (although you're probably looking at buying the older 3540 model right?).

Yeah, the new NEC 4550/3550 looks to be a pretty goofy drive. Traditionally, NECs have hated DVD+R, and loved DVD-R. Well, it looks like this drive is changing that. From what I have read, this thing LOVES DVD+R media and hates DVD-R.

It might be my next drive since i'm a DVD+R guy. :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Just wondering out of all the media (Maxell, Fuji, Benq) that is on sale right now for Boxing Week, which one do you guys recommend to get? Or am I better off getting the Sony media from Walmart to avoid any bonding issues?

Well, Fuji brand Prodisc seems ok.... Maxell brand CMC is good. Sony *NOT TAIYO YUDEN* DVDRs are good. Avoid regular Prodisc, regular Maxell (made in Japan), and BenQ if you don't want bonding issues.

For best results, get the Maxell DVD-R Plus Series media NCIX.com has on for sale. If it's too expensive, go for one of the ones I recommended above.

[Nismo]

RITEKF1 is pretty crappy so far on a lot of drives. I've only JUST gotten some CMCMAGAM3 media, so can't say much about it. I would burn both no faster then 12x... the Ritek media probably at 8x (you probably can't burn the Ritek faster then 12x anyways depending on your drive).

is it possible to return dvd-r when they are opened to fs, if my burner does burn the media? I have a lg 4163 a105

[Jon Lai]

You'll need a Benq or Plextor I believe in order to do disc quality scans as I don't think the LG has the ability to scan for PI/PIF errors...

Really? Why is that? Is it that hard to make the drive compatable with scanning for disc quality?

[[buck]]

Really? Why is that? Is it that hard to make the drive compatable with scanning for disc quality?

Either the chipset LG is using does not support scanning, or LG hasn't shown any interest in supporting it.

[The Digital Dolphin]

is it possible to return dvd-r when they are opened to fs, if my burner does burn the media? I have a lg 4163 a105

Not sure... I never return media :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

Really? Why is that? Is it that hard to make the drive compatable with scanning for disc quality?

It hasn't even been confirmed as to whether or not the drive *CAN* be made to test media quality...

But the fact is that so many drives have REALLY wacky error tolerances now, and although that means you can play back crappy media, it also means you have no way of knowing what your point of reference is for good/bad quality.

The thing to remember is that there are no errors on the disc "per se". The errors reported by the software are only problems the drive reports while inturpretting the data being read. So if the drive can only test PIE and PIF errors, then Jitter and Beta problems will be mixed into the inturpretation of PIE and PIF values, which can be problamatic (especially with high speed recorded media!). Drives with very high error tolerances will always give media better scores then drives with low error tolerances, and vice versa.

Just some thing to think about ;-)

[[buck]]

I sure can't recommend Fujifilm ProdiscF01. For that matter, I can't recommend any Prodisc made DVD-R.

My 6 month old Fujifilm ProdiscF01 are all starting to show very high PIE rates in the last few hundred MB. They'll probably be out of spec within a few months. Same thing goes for my Prodisc Verbatim MCC 02RG20.

[LNahid2000]

is it possible to return dvd-r when they are opened to fs, if my burner does burn the media? I have a lg 4163 a105
I have done this before without a problem. This was over a year ago though.

[lead]

So is the jist now that TAIYO YUDEN aren't the choice anymore cause of bonding and this goes with all MIJ but on the lighter side they still use the higher quality dye which is more durable for regular use(like a kid who can't keep his grubby hands off the incredibles back up I made). I found that the bonding on those benq daxon even show visible air pockets around the center ring which probably would be an issue in the future.So again whats the better choice better dye or better bonding when chosing disks.Meaning ritek or cmc depending on the manufacture? Is that what we need to consider?As for bonding say with the ty whether oxidation can or will happen we won't know for sure for a few years right?

[wlee]

Not sure... I never return media :cheesygri
LoL :lol: u never bought any, right :cheesygri

[wlee]

is it possible to return dvd-r when they are opened to fs, if my burner does burn the media? I have a lg 4163 a105
i did return MIT before, just say it doesn't play on yr dvd player or whatever ;) give it a shot and be nice to the staff :cheesygri

[aphextwin2050]

Well, Fuji brand Prodisc seems ok.... Maxell brand CMC is good. Sony *NOT TAIYO YUDEN* DVDRs are good. Avoid regular Prodisc, regular Maxell (made in Japan), and BenQ if you don't want bonding issues.

For best results, get the Maxell DVD-R Plus Series media NCIX.com has on for sale. If it's too expensive, go for one of the ones I recommended above.

what do you mean by bonding issue?
thanks! and you rock

[wlee]

Well, Fuji brand Prodisc seems ok.... Maxell brand CMC is good. Sony *NOT TAIYO YUDEN* DVDRs are good. Avoid regular Prodisc, regular Maxell (made in Japan), and BenQ if you don't want bonding issues.

For best results, get the Maxell DVD-R Plus Series media NCIX.com has on for sale. If it's too expensive, go for one of the ones I recommended above.
OMG, i need to return 100-pack MIJ from Walmart then, have enough blank disc for 1+ year already :cheesygri

i guess Fuji Ritek is not recommended :| i got them almost free after MIR :D

[othy]

Just a heads up, the 1655 is currently on sale at Futureshop for $69.99 (Boxing week sale), seems like a decent price so I picked one up. There is a huge pile of them at the Broadway Futureshop in Vancouver.

$73something at ncix and none of the hanging around waiting for service usually involved there..

Looking forward to trying it out!

[7-Endless]

Arrggghh...lots of media on sale but so hard finding one that doesn't have bonding issues.

-Maxell's are either MIJ or MIT and then the MIT ones could be either CMC or Ritek
-Sony store has the Sony 25 pack DVDR's for $9.99 but the +R's seem to be MIJ TY's and I'm a bit unsure about the -R's after reading Dealmeister's post above :(

[Razor Leaf]

With the last 3 or 4 firmwares for the BenQ 1640, my Windows hangs when it tries to restart after flashing. So I have to push the reset button. The flash is fine, and there are no errors in the Event Viewer, but it's a little worrisome. Anyone else experiencing this?

[The Digital Dolphin]

i don't see any better bonding between fuji prodisc as compared to the sony TY's or the maxell MIJ's- or the maxelll cmc's either!! i did my own test & they layers on all the above snap apart with the same effort???

Fuji Prodisc SHOULD have decent bonding... probably the only Prodisc made media that is likely too. Any Taiyo Yuden's will have a chance of bad bonding. Maybe you've been lucky and haven't gotten a bad batch, but that doesn't mean you ALWAYS won't. The same is true for Maxell made in Japan (regular media). I haven't seen any poorly bonded CMCs, nor have I heard of any.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']I sure can't recommend Fujifilm ProdiscF01. For that matter, I can't recommend any Prodisc made DVD-R.

My 6 month old Fujifilm ProdiscF01 are all starting to show very high PIE rates in the last few hundred MB. They'll probably be out of spec within a few months. Same thing goes for my Prodisc Verbatim MCC 02RG20.

Verbatim will likely replace the media... and actually, you SHOULD report it, so they know the problem exists. Too many people ignore these problems, or treat it as normal, but then Prodisc just gets away with making crap. More complaints will make it more likely that it won't happen again.

[The Digital Dolphin]

So is the jist now that TAIYO YUDEN aren't the choice anymore cause of bonding and this goes with all MIJ but on the lighter side they still use the higher quality dye which is more durable for regular use(like a kid who can't keep his grubby hands off the incredibles back up I made). I found that the bonding on those benq daxon even show visible air pockets around the center ring which probably would be an issue in the future.So again whats the better choice better dye or better bonding when chosing disks.Meaning ritek or cmc depending on the manufacture? Is that what we need to consider?As for bonding say with the ty whether oxidation can or will happen we won't know for sure for a few years right?

Dye alone doesn't matter if the disc seperates in a matter of months (or less sometimes!). Even Acro Circle will hold up a lot better then some Taiyo Yuden out there :-0

[The Digital Dolphin]

LoL :lol: u never bought any, right :cheesygri

No... I've bought a fair amount of media in the past... but I NEVER return bad media, because I prefer to study it ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

what do you mean by bonding issue?
thanks! and you rock

If you can pull the two layers of plastic that make up a DVDR apart, with just your fingers and little effort, then the disc has bonding issues (the disc is also dead at this point :P). A disc with bonding issues means that the dye will oxidyze quicker then normal, and will die quickly. Media known to be REALLY bad for this is media made by Prodisc and media sold under the BenQ brand name. Taiyo Yuden is also having problems with bonding (but not as bad as Prodisc and BenQ!), and so does Maxell (but only their regular media, not their BQ or Plus Series DVD-Rs).

[[buck]]

Verbatim will likely replace the media... and actually, you SHOULD report it, so they know the problem exists. Too many people ignore these problems, or treat it as normal, but then Prodisc just gets away with making crap. More complaints will make it more likely that it won't happen again.

Alright, i'll get in touch with Verbatim than. It's too bad i've already canned alot of the bad discs.

And I hope they don't brush it off because i'm using a consumer scanner. :|

[The Digital Dolphin]

Arrggghh...lots of media on sale but so hard finding one that doesn't have bonding issues.

-Maxell's are either MIJ or MIT and then the MIT ones could be either CMC or Ritek
-Sony store has the Sony 25 pack DVDR's for $9.99 but the +R's seem to be MIJ TY's and I'm a bit unsure about the -R's after reading Dealmeister's post above :(

I'm not sure what's up with Dealmeister... I've never heard of that happening before! :confused:

[The Digital Dolphin]

With the last 3 or 4 firmwares for the BenQ 1640, my Windows hangs when it tries to restart after flashing. So I have to push the reset button. The flash is fine, and there are no errors in the Event Viewer, but it's a little worrisome. Anyone else experiencing this?

Nope.... might want to post that on www.rpc1.org, since it's a site mostly dedicated to firmwares, you'll probably get some good responses quickly ;)

[[buck]]

If you can pull the two layers of plastic that make up a DVDR apart, with just your fingers and little effort, then the disc has bonding issues (the disc is also dead at this point :P). A disc with bonding issues means that the dye will oxidyze quicker then normal, and will die quickly. Media known to be REALLY bad for this is media made by Prodisc and media sold under the BenQ brand name. Taiyo Yuden is also having problems with bonding (but not as bad as Prodisc and BenQ!), and so does Maxell (but only their regular media, not their BQ or Plus Series DVD-Rs).

Just curious, are you now recommending CMC or Ritek Maxell media over their consumer Japanese stuff? I'm not sure i'd take Ritek over consumer grade Maxell... but maybe CMC.

One more question, many posts back you listed Sony MIJ media has having poor bonding. Were you referring Sony branded Taiyo Yuden, or MIJ Sony coded discs.

Oh yeah, and i've gotten in touch with Maxell about a spindle of poorly bonded DVD+Rs I have, we'll see if they want to do something about it.

[7-Endless]

']One more question, many posts back you listed Sony MIJ media has having poor bonding. Were you referring Sony branded Taiyo Yuden, or MIJ Sony coded discs.


DD was referring to the Sony branded TY MIJ discs. The MIJ Sony coded discs should be fine.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Just curious, are you now recommending CMC or Ritek Maxell media over their consumer Japanese stuff? I'm not sure i'd take Ritek over consumer grade Maxell... but maybe CMC.

One more question, many posts back you listed Sony MIJ media has having poor bonding. Were you referring Sony branded Taiyo Yuden, or MIJ Sony coded discs.

Oh yeah, and i've gotten in touch with Maxell about a spindle of poorly bonded DVD+Rs I have, we'll see if they want to do something about it.

I'm not recommending Ritek...

Regarding the Sony discs, I meant just the TY had the bad bonding.

If Maxell DOESN'T do something about it, PM me, and I'll fix it for you ;)

[mannie511]

Well, Fuji brand Prodisc seems ok.... Maxell brand CMC is good. Sony *NOT TAIYO YUDEN* DVDRs are good. Avoid regular Prodisc, regular Maxell (made in Japan), and BenQ if you don't want bonding issues.

For best results, get the Maxell DVD-R Plus Series media NCIX.com has on for sale. If it's too expensive, go for one of the ones I recommended above.

Are you referring to these?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16373&vpn=635061&manufacture=MAXELL
Price seems alright. I rather pay for quality~

[[buck]]

Are you referring to these?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16373&vpn=635061&manufacture=MAXELL
Price seems alright. I rather pay for quality~

Those are them.

The shiny silver top version is on sale for $23.98

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16374&vpn=635062&manufacture=MAXELL&promoid=1065

[mannie511]

']Those are them.

The shiny silver top version is on sale for $23.98

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16374&vpn=635062&manufacture=MAXELL&promoid=1065

thanks~ and it doesn't matter that it's silver thermal surface does it?
i usually just use CD/DVD marker. is that ok?

[[buck]]

thanks~ and it doesn't matter that it's silver thermal surface does it?
i usually just use CD/DVD marker. is that ok?

Yeah they're okay for markers. I personally don't like shiny silver discs because they're fingerprint magnets! :mad:

[mannie511]

']Yeah they're okay for markers. I personally don't like shiny silver discs because they're fingerprint magnets! :mad:

haha. that's why I wanted the white printed surface. at least less noticeable.
but since the silver tops are on sale. it's ok. Thanks for the heads up on the deal~

[whargoul]

I'm not recommending Ritek...

Regarding the Sony discs, I meant just the TY had the bad bonding.

If Maxell DOESN'T do something about it, PM me, and I'll fix it for you ;)

If you're recommending CMC as a safer choice over MIJ, is there any way to identify CMC over Ritek with out opening the package?

Edit:
So I just checked the bonding on my Maxell MIJ that I bought this summer and was able to pull them apart in all of two seconds.

Here (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6108/cimg008013hm.jpg) is a picture of what happened. Here (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2079/cimg007318qe.jpg) is a picture of what looks like air pockets (around the very edge of the hub) that the whole spindle (100 +R) has. How would Maxell go about replacing the whole lot? Also, are the air pocket indicative of bonding issues or are they something else?

[[buck]]

Edit:
So I just checked the bonding on my Maxell MIJ that I bought this summer and was able to pull them apart in all of two seconds.

Here (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6108/cimg008013hm.jpg) is a picture of what happened. Here (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2079/cimg007318qe.jpg) is a picture of what looks like air pockets (around the very edge of the hub) that the whole spindle (100 +R) has. How would Maxell go about replacing the whole lot? Also, are the air pocket indicative of bonding issues or are they something else?

That's the exact same problem of my MAXELL 002 have. Some even have *big* air pockets. I would fire off an email to Maxell and see if they'll replace them. That's what i've done, and i'm still waiting for a reply.

[7-Endless]

If you're recommending CMC as a safer choice over MIJ, is there any way to identify CMC over Ritek with out opening the package?

Edit:
So I just checked the bonding on my Maxell MIJ that I bought this summer and was able to pull them apart in all of two seconds.

Here (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6108/cimg008013hm.jpg) is a picture of what happened. Here (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2079/cimg007318qe.jpg) is a picture of what looks like air pockets (around the very edge of the hub) that the whole spindle (100 +R) has. How would Maxell go about replacing the whole lot? Also, are the air pocket indicative of bonding issues or are they something else?


Thanks for the pics and info.

DD was recommending CMC for the Maxell branded discs. The SONY08D1 MIT discs were the ones recommended for Sony branded -R discs. I picked up a 25 pack spindle today at the Sony Store for $9.99 (I think the sale is on until Sat). I'll probably head back and pick up a couple more spindles.

The Sony +R MIJ's are trickier as they could be either the Sony branded MIJ or TY branded.

[7-Endless]

I'm not recommending Ritek...

Regarding the Sony discs, I meant just the TY had the bad bonding.

If Maxell DOESN'T do something about it, PM me, and I'll fix it for you ;)


DD, I know you mentioned in one of the other threads that it would be best not to buy any media at the moment from BB, FS or Walmart, but are the SONY08D1 -R's still ok to use?

[[buck]]

Thanks for the pics and info.

DD was recommending CMC for the Maxell branded discs. The SONY08D1 MIT discs were the ones recommended for Sony branded -R discs. I picked up a 25 pack spindle today at the Sony Store for $9.99 (I think the sale is on until Sat). I'll probably head back and pick up a couple more spindles.

The Sony +R MIJ's are trickier as they could be either the Sony branded MIJ or TY branded.

MIJ Sony 8X DVD-R (SONY08D1) are even more desirable than MIT Sony 8X DVD-R. So far, i've only seem them at Sears, though. :rolleyes:

And FYI, I do not know of any SONYD11 (Sony DVD+R 8X) being made in Japan, at least for the North American market. All MIJ Sony 8X DVD+R is TY AFAIK.

And just one more thing, I actually have a batch of poorly bonded Daxon SONYD11. So they're not immune to bonding problems, either. :(

[Macross_Freek]

I just noticed with a 50-pack MIJ Maxell 8x spindle I have the air pockets are visible without even splitting the two layers. They're very tiny and you have to look for them to see them but they're definitely. I then decided to see if I could split the two layers and unfortunately, it was quite easy. I just dug my fingernails into the middle with a little bit of effort and you could see the rippling effects posted by whargoul.

[steve.m]

DD,
I wonder if some kind of glue eg krazy glue or epoxy will fix the problem. It would certainly keep the dvd from fraying from the inner ring spreading apart.

I would put the glue between the layers just the clear part, not on the media about 0.5cm on the hub?

I am not in the mood to reburn 100 dvds.

[7-Endless]

']MIJ Sony 8X DVD-R (SONY08D1) are even more desirable than MIT Sony 8X DVD-R. So far, i've only seem them at Sears, though. :rolleyes:

And FYI, I do not know of any SONYD11 (Sony DVD+R 8X) being made in Japan, at least for the North American market. All MIJ Sony 8X DVD+R is TY AFAIK.

And just one more thing, I actually have a batch of poorly bonded Daxon SONYD11. So they're not immune to bonding problems, either. :(

Thanks for the info...I've definitely ruled out the Sony DVD+R discs from the Sony Store as they were all MIJ's.

But just to clarify, are there actually MIT and MIJ Sony branded discs that have SONY08D1 as their media code??

[[buck]]

Thanks for the info...I've definitely ruled out the Sony DVD+R discs from the Sony Store as they were all MIJ's.

But just to clarify, are there actually MIT and MIJ Sony branded discs that have SONY08D1 as their media code??

Correct.

[wlee]

http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/9615/bonding8qg.jpg
is this bonding issue? this is one of the extremes from my MAXELL 002, the hub near middle hole is not glued properly, the two plastic layer can be easily seperated from the middle hole. we need a recall from Maxell :mad:

[7-Endless]

']Correct.

Thanks for the confirmation. Well, until either NCIX has a free shipping promo or I can find some MIJ SONY08D1 media, I will stick with the MIT SONY08D1 for now.

Just hope that all these people in the Hot Deals and Boxing week forums who are going out of their way for MIJ Maxell spindles are not using these for archiving purposes.

BTW, I saw one of the Fujifilm 100 pk spindles at FS today and was wondering if anyone knew what their MID's are?

[IVNP]

Need some help here. Stuipd BenQ drive is spitting out DL coaster lately. Seven out of Ten discs of the Verbatim DL +R spindle I bought from Netlink's are junk now! I keep getting error burning around half way. Only 3 are good and I have no idea how I got them at all.

The drive is the 1640 with BSLB firmware(tried BSMB before and it did make a coaster too so I don't think it's the firmware problem.) and the program I use is nero which might be the problem but so far I've gotten only two good burn with the new 7.(upgraded it 'cause 6.whatever doesn't support DL from the looks of it...not sure though.) This is driving me crazy lately and really wasting my money.(not to mention I paid $46 for the spindle not from the recent sale...) I have no problem with single layer let it be - or + using the same program but DL... What could be wrong?! I've used the same disc with the same drive to burn images using dvd decrypter and that one disc is fine. I would try other program but have no idea what other dvd burning program let me compile my own dvd/files though. Easy DVD creator? I used to use that for CD back then but never try the DVD one. Is it better or there's other ones out there? Please help, thanks in advance.

[Jon Lai]

I've still got an old batch of 100 spindle of Maxells that are MIJ, happens to be MAXELL002. It was had in August this year at Best Buy.. anyone know if bonding issues existed back then? From the looks of it, I don't see any oxidization, though. I've yet to burn any disks with them, and even if I do, my LG drive won't even scan them for me anyways.. :(

[sleepyguy]

bit the bullet and paid $69 for dw1655 at fs.ca helps that i got a $50 gc for xmas :)

haven't installed it yet... will be the prodominant drive in my htpc... looks good too and that's a plus if it performs :) Probably use lightscribe like 1% of the time :(

[sleepyguy]

Yeah... i'm in the same debate! I'll probably end getting some +R maxell... and one set of - and + of FujiFilm... i'm a sucker for $25/100DVD :)

Arrggghh...lots of media on sale but so hard finding one that doesn't have bonding issues.

-Maxell's are either MIJ or MIT and then the MIT ones could be either CMC or Ritek
-Sony store has the Sony 25 pack DVDR's for $9.99 but the +R's seem to be MIJ TY's and I'm a bit unsure about the -R's after reading Dealmeister's post above :(

[7-Endless]

Yeah... i'm in the same debate! I'll probably end getting some +R maxell... and one set of - and + of FujiFilm... i'm a sucker for $25/100DVD :)

Ended up grabbing a 25 spindle of Sony MIT -R's from the Sony store and no issues at all burning with my 1640. I'll probably go back and grab a couple more and may also pick up the Philips CMC -R's which seem to be ok too.

Maybe Dealmeister got a bad spindle of SONY08D1's??

[Montague]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid198/p814dff2bc7b33cc4de3e9953dd7cd613/f0d74170.jpg
is this (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid198/p0d4de76efa8a0fe7d3a09c31ffd56913/f0d66091.jpg) bonding issue? this is one of the extremes from my MAXELL 002, the hub near middle hole is not glued properly, the two plastic layer can be easily seperated from the middle hole. we need a recall from Maxell :mad:
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /picture/sraid198/p0d4de76efa8a0fe7d3a09c31ffd56913/f0d66091.jpg on this server.
:confused: :?:

[wlee]

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /picture/sraid198/p0d4de76efa8a0fe7d3a09c31ffd56913/f0d66091.jpg on this server.
:confused: :?:
something is wrong with imagestation :mad: ,anyway i uploaded to imageshack
http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/9615/bonding8qg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[nicolaim]

I've only read the last few pages of this thread, so sorry if this has been asked already:

How do the MIT Maxell +Rs and -Rs rate? I'm trying to decide if I should return my $25 +R 100-disc spindle. The Maxell Plus' at NCIX are too expensive for me because of the $15 shipping.

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD, I know you mentioned in one of the other threads that it would be best not to buy any media at the moment from BB, FS or Walmart, but are the SONY08D1 -R's still ok to use?

That was in reference to Archival quality media only I believe ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

something is wrong with imagestation :mad: ,anyway i uploaded to imageshack
http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/9615/bonding8qg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

No... that's not neccissarily a bonding problem. THIS is a HUGE bonding problem:
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6108/cimg008013hm.jpg

[[buck]]

No... that's not neccissarily a bonding problem. THIS is a HUGE bonding problem:
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6108/cimg008013hm.jpg

No, that's what they look like BEFORE you pull them apart. All my discs that look like that come come apart quite easily.

[wlee]

']No, that's what they look like BEFORE you pull them apart. All my discs that look like that come come apart quite easily.
EXACTLY :mad:

[The Digital Dolphin]

']No, that's what they look like BEFORE you pull them apart. All my discs that look like that come come apart quite easily.

I have Ritek made discs that look similar to that, but still need a wedge to pry apart... it's not a 100% guarentee that the disc has a bonding problem, but with most brands it increases the chances a LOT.

[BeeBee]

Thx for all the info on dvds.
I am planning to buy a dvd camcorder (Sony DCR-DVD403), and i am wondering if the blank medias for dvd camcoders have these issues too.
I looked up some names on fs:
JVC 1.4GB dvd-rw (vd-w14du)
JVC doublesided 8cm dvd-r or dvd-rw
Fujifilm 1.4GB 8cm mini dvd-r (301039)
Sony DVD-W, DVD+/-RW single and double sided.
Thanks

[S U]

HI

Thanks for this thread.

I've been offered the Sanyo Xacti with a 3.2 megapixel Cameracorder for $400 (cdn). It's brand new. I realize that Sanyo has come out with a 5.1 megapixel, but I can't afford it.

Do you think that the 3.2 is worth the $400? Am I getting ripped off?

[[buck]]

I have Ritek made discs that look similar to that, but still need a wedge to pry apart... it's not a 100% guarentee that the disc has a bonding problem, but with most brands it increases the chances a LOT.

Yeah, Ritek bonding is pretty awesome.

[BeeBee]

I just went to sonystore and got the 25pack MIT DVD-R for $9.99 (originally $19.99). On the box it says Sony DVD-R AccuCORE, 1x-8x, there is some kind of number: 25DMR47LS3. Went home and check the dvd's id:SONY08D1.
First time I bought blank dvds!!!
Thanks guys for the tips!

[ootb98]

Here's my results:

MIJ Maxell 8X -R RG03 -> very bad
MIT Phillips 8X -R CMCMAG AE1 -> very bad

MIJ Fujifilm 4X +R RICOHJPN R01 -> good
MIT Sony 8X +R SONY D11 -> good

Bought some MIT 25pk Maxells from Best Buy on Boxing Day, haven't opened them yet to check...

It almost seems like Maxell and the others are dumping the cheap media recently, with 100pks going for $25 and whatever... maybe they are dumping all this cheap 8X media before they go to 16X?

Also, I'd be interested to hear if DD has investigated CD media, any comments on those? They don't have two layers, so separation is not an issue, but I'd be interested to know CD reliability, it seems like theres a lot of garbage CDs out there lately.

EDIT: Read some of the older posts. My Mitsui Gold/Silver, Basf CMC, and Kodak CDs have held up well, some from 1998. Only one that has failed is Princo :| The best CDs ive bought lately are the Fuji TYs, other than that its hard to find good ones.

I also checked the new 25pk MIT Maxells I got from Best Buy:
8X - R -> Ritek G05
8X + R -> Ritek R03

The 8X +R spindle is really weird. The top 12 discs or so look great, evenly made and smooth. The bottom 12 are really wavy around the edges, and the first one of the bad stack has a noticable glue separation in the middle hub. Its like they put B grade media on the bottom, and A grade on the top!

Is Maxell really turning to crap or what??? :evil:

[Spike]

I just tried with my Maxell002 MIJ and they didn't seem to have any glue at all at the hub. The moire pattern stopped at the outer rim of the hub though and I stopped forcing it.

The Fuji RitekR03-002 also spread fairly easily but I heard a sort of snap when I did it, as if I broke a glue seal.

The Ritek G04 was pretty solid, as were the Optodisc OR8 and the Value line TYG02.

I'm not concerned. :cheesygri

[Spike]

Need some help here. Stuipd BenQ drive is spitting out DL coaster lately. Seven out of Ten discs of the Verbatim DL +R spindle I bought from Netlink's are junk now! I keep getting error burning around half way. Only 3 are good and I have no idea how I got them at all.

Did you try with WOPC turned off?

[Razor Leaf]

I got a case of the Sony DVD+RWs that are on sale at FactoryDirect. They are MIJ with media type ID: S11.

Here are pictures of what the hubs look like:
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/5282/sonyhub14mn.jpg
http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/5365/sonyhub23xr.jpg

I can’t tell if the rings in the center are a bonding problem or if it’s extra glue to hold the layers together.

[SaraLee]

Hello DD. I am planning on to purchasing some media to back up my music cds. Are these two products the same except one comes with a case and is branded and the other unbranded?

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=870

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=889

I prefer to get the 80 min media if they are basically the same!

Thanks

[Spike]

I got a case of the Sony DVD+RWs that are on sale at FactoryDirect. They are MIJ with media type ID: S11.

Here are pictures of what the hubs look like:
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/5282/sonyhub14mn.jpg
http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/5365/sonyhub23xr.jpg

I can’t tell if the rings in the center are a bonding problem or if it’s extra glue to hold the layers together.

You could at least post decent sized pics. :rolleyes: Did you post the thumbnails by mistake?

Looks like the glue to me.

[barqy]

']That's the exact same problem of my MAXELL 002 have. Some even have *big* air pockets. I would fire off an email to Maxell and see if they'll replace them. That's what i've done, and i'm still waiting for a reply.


Hey I have the maxell RG02 dvd-r dics.

Do these have a problem with bonding?

I was able to 'force' it a part with my finger nails. Well I loosened it first with one finger nail and pryed it apart with a bit of effort.

i contacted maxell canada, hopefully they will do something about it


Thanks

[ootb98]

Hello DD. I am planning on to purchasing some media to back up my music cds. Are these two products the same except one comes with a case and is branded and the other unbranded?

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=870

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=889

I prefer to get the 80 min media if they are basically the same!

Thanks

I think they are the same in terms of quality, but the 650mb ones are branded, and have a lacquer coating on the cd. The 700mb unbranded ones have a matte coating, at least it looks that way from the picture.

Its been a while since I used Mitsuis, so maybe DD can confirm.

[[buck]]

Hey I have the maxell RG02 dvd-r dics.

Do these have a problem with bonding?

I was able to 'force' it a part with my finger nails. Well I loosened it first with one finger nail and pryed it apart with a bit of effort.

i contacted maxell canada, hopefully they will do something about it


Thanks

That would probably be defined as problematic bonding, but perhaps on the less severe side of things. What surprises me is that MXL RG02 is a 4X disc, and that would suggest Maxell discs have had this problem for a while, like Taiyo Yuden.

I too have emailed Maxell Canada, and i'm still waiting for a response.

[Razor Leaf]

You could at least post decent sized pics. :rolleyes: Did you post the thumbnails by mistake?

Looks like the glue to me.
Thanks for the reply. I tried pressing the rings and they don’t move or change shape, so it’s probably glue. BTW, I didn’t post the higher-resolution pictures because it made no difference in what you could see, so I might as well save people’s bandwidth. :)

[SaraLee]

I think they are the same in terms of quality, but the 650mb ones are branded, and have a lacquer coating on the cd. The 700mb unbranded ones have a matte coating, at least it looks that way from the picture.

Its been a while since I used Mitsuis, so maybe DD can confirm.


Thanks for looking at the links. So does the lacquer coating on the cd just gives it the branded look or does it offer more protection to the top of the disc? I am leaning towards the unbranded Mitsui (the second link).

[P__S__2]

I have a question...

are these Fujifilm dvd+r any good? It says Made in Taiwan....

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thx for all the info on dvds.
I am planning to buy a dvd camcorder (Sony DCR-DVD403), and i am wondering if the blank medias for dvd camcoders have these issues too.
I looked up some names on fs:
JVC 1.4GB dvd-rw (vd-w14du)
JVC doublesided 8cm dvd-r or dvd-rw
Fujifilm 1.4GB 8cm mini dvd-r (301039)
Sony DVD-W, DVD+/-RW single and double sided.
Thanks

Well, you can buy any of those if you like overpriced media :razz:

I know lot's of people who just use the Acro Circle Mini DVD-Rs and Mini DVD-RWs for their Sony DVD-Camcorders. I use these myself in my PC from time to time (for quick file transporting). You can pick them up from NCIX from time to time on sale.

[The Digital Dolphin]

HI

Thanks for this thread.

I've been offered the Sanyo Xacti with a 3.2 megapixel Cameracorder for $400 (cdn). It's brand new. I realize that Sanyo has come out with a 5.1 megapixel, but I can't afford it.

Do you think that the 3.2 is worth the $400? Am I getting ripped off?

Sorry.... my knowledge of camcorders is next to nil. I know some about DVD Camcorder compatability, but that's the extent. I'm sure if the post in the general hardware section, another forum member will be able to help you :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Here's my results:

MIJ Maxell 8X -R RG03 -> very bad
MIT Phillips 8X -R CMCMAG AE1 -> very bad

MIJ Fujifilm 4X +R RICOHJPN R01 -> good
MIT Sony 8X +R SONY D11 -> good


Can you explain in greater depth about the problems with MIT Philips DVD-Rs?


Bought some MIT 25pk Maxells from Best Buy on Boxing Day, haven't opened them yet to check...

It almost seems like Maxell and the others are dumping the cheap media recently, with 100pks going for $25 and whatever... maybe they are dumping all this cheap 8X media before they go to 16X?

Unlikely... there is too much demand for 8x DVDRs right now. Memorex made an odd move in switching 100% to 16x, and they're losing market share over it (mainly since their 16x media is less stable then competing brands of 8x media). In Europe, Verbatim is struggling to get 8x media to meet demand. Maxell will be switching more to 16x this year, but it's not going to be an immediate thing, and will probably happen over time.


Also, I'd be interested to hear if DD has investigated CD media, any comments on those? They don't have two layers, so separation is not an issue, but I'd be interested to know CD reliability, it seems like theres a lot of garbage CDs out there lately.

EDIT: Read some of the older posts. My Mitsui Gold/Silver, Basf CMC, and Kodak CDs have held up well, some from 1998. Only one that has failed is Princo :| The best CDs ive bought lately are the Fuji TYs, other than that its hard to find good ones.

Taiyo Yuden and Mitsui (now known as MAM-A) Gold CD-Rs are generally the best for long term archiving. I wouldn't recommend BASF or any current Kodak media though... both have gone QUITE down hill!

Maxell's Pro CD-Rs are pretty good too. They've got an extra protective coating on the disc, and they're a Taiyo Yuden OEM as well, so it's a good combination!


I also checked the new 25pk MIT Maxells I got from Best Buy:
8X - R -> Ritek G05
8X + R -> Ritek R03

The 8X +R spindle is really weird. The top 12 discs or so look great, evenly made and smooth. The bottom 12 are really wavy around the edges, and the first one of the bad stack has a noticable glue separation in the middle hub. Its like they put B grade media on the bottom, and A grade on the top!

Is Maxell really turning to crap or what??? :evil:

Well, in this case it's only half Maxell's fault. Maxell made the decision to use Ritek's media for their OEM'ing based on the media Ritek sells in Japan (Maxell is based in Japan remember). Once Ritek was approved for the deal, Ritek sold them substandard media. Maxell's fault lies in the fact that they didn't check the media carefully enough afterwards, and that they didn't pull it and return it to Ritek (maybe they didn't have a term for it in the contract agreement?). What I *CAN* say, is that they did listen to rather fiesty young Dolphin, who wrote a long and somewhat blunt report on the Ritek made media they used, and have since discontinued it, and began using CMC and their own Japanese media.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I got a case of the Sony DVD+RWs that are on sale at FactoryDirect. They are MIJ with media type ID: S11.

Here are pictures of what the hubs look like:
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/5282/sonyhub14mn.jpg
http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/5365/sonyhub23xr.jpg

I can’t tell if the rings in the center are a bonding problem or if it’s extra glue to hold the layers together.

It looks fine to me! Even if that is missing glue right at the VERY centre of the hub, the rest of the hub is fine. I wouldn't worry at all! :)

[NG]

Hi DD,

I was wondering if I can get your opinion on the Fuji DL DVDs. Iirc I think it was "not the worst but not the best" with major concerns around compatibility with burners and I was wondering, assuming my burner can handle them, what you think of the actual end results of the discs. PI/PQ errors, longevity etc.

I have a few boxes on order from Best Buy (so even if I try one and my burner coasters it) it can be returned no problem but I'm wondering if even the working end result is going to be a POS anyway compared to the Verbatim/Dynex discs.

Thanks :)

p.s. all this is assuming that it'll be ricojpn coded since even if they worked I'm not trusting anything Ritek lol.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hello DD. I am planning on to purchasing some media to back up my music cds. Are these two products the same except one comes with a case and is branded and the other unbranded?

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=870

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=889

I prefer to get the 80 min media if they are basically the same!

Thanks

One is made for Archiveing (74min packaged and branded) and the other is standard Gold 80min unbranded CD-R media. I doubt most average users would need to go all the way to Archival grade Gold media. That's the kind of stuff universities and some hospitals use, or the RCMP.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I have a question...

are these Fujifilm dvd+r any good? It says Made in Taiwan....

I'm assuming you mean the 8x DVD+Rs, right?

Most likely made by Prodisc, who is known for having some really bad bonding issues (worse then Taiyo Yuden!). But their Fuji media is usually better then their standard generic media. I wouldn't use them, but as long as it is short term stuff, and nothing overly important, you should be ok.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hi DD,

I was wondering if I can get your opinion on the Fuji DL DVDs. Iirc I think it was "not the worst but not the best" with major concerns around compatibility with burners and I was wondering, assuming my burner can handle them, what you think of the actual end results of the discs. PI/PQ errors, longevity etc.

I have a few boxes on order from Best Buy (so even if I try one and my burner coasters it) it can be returned no problem but I'm wondering if even the working end result is going to be a POS anyway compared to the Verbatim/Dynex discs.

Thanks :)

p.s. all this is assuming that it'll be ricojpn coded since even if they worked I'm not trusting anything Ritek lol.

If your burner supports them ok, then they tend to be better made then standard Ritek DVD+RDL. Verbatim is still the better disc to use for sure, but Ricoh discs are a tiny bit better then Ritek. Personally, I don't bother with them at all, since the quality difference between Verbatim and Ricoh coded discs is quite large.

[NG]

If your burner supports them ok, then they tend to be better made then standard Ritek DVD+RDL. Verbatim is still the better disc to use for sure, but Ricoh discs are a tiny bit better then Ritek. Personally, I don't bother with them at all, since the quality difference between Verbatim and Ricoh coded discs is quite large.

Hmmm...a bit better is good but from what I understand Ritek is the bottom of the barrel so a bit better than the worst I'm starting to think I should cancel my BB order and see if I can find someone who wants something to split the $13 shipping to Ontario from NCIX since I have 2 10 pk Verbatims in my cart that are $30 each.

Thanks for the FYI.

[barqy]

']That would probably be defined as problematic bonding, but perhaps on the less severe side of things. What surprises me is that MXL RG02 is a 4X disc, and that would suggest Maxell discs have had this problem for a while, like Taiyo Yuden.

I too have emailed Maxell Canada, and i'm still waiting for a response.

OK, maxell canada emailed me back.

The lady said to take the unopened packs I have BACK to staples for a refund (Which i dont think they'll take?, i don't have a receipt) or will they??


or they can send me replacements :confused:

what should i do

[SaraLee]

Well, I know MAM-A is working on their new MAM-A Gold Phthalocyanine DVD-R, which I'm looking forward to! And yes, I can get a couple archival Gold CD-Rs for free... but only once ;)

No, I don't have a current supplier for Kodak Gold's... I wish!! ;)



Well, that is to say that you think that other CD-Rs do NOT smell like Coconut Milk right? That's a start :cheesygri

Thanks for answering my previous question DD. The reason I am asking about the MAM-A products was because I needed reliable back-ups of my graphics work. This is also available at blankmedia.

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=869

You mentioned this a long time ago. Have you tested them? Are they as good as you hoped they would be?

Thanks

[NG]

OK, maxell canada emailed me back.

The lady said to take the unopened packs I have BACK to staples for a refund (Which i dont think they'll take?, i don't have a receipt) or will they??


or they can send me replacements :confused:

what should i do

If you'd prefer to exchange them instore (which I would unless Maxell was willing to ship out pre-paid mailers for them) I'd print up that e-mail and give it to Staples as proof and let them deal with getting Maxell to cover the return.

You're already ahead actually since on the website the only option for the warrenty is sending them in with the bill to Maxell so the e-mail you has really given you more options.

[NG]

Thanks for answering my previous question DD. The reason I am asking about the MAM-A products was because I needed reliable back-ups of my graphics work. This is also available at blankmedia.

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=869

You mentioned this a long time ago. Have you tested them? Are they as good as you hoped they would be?

Thanks

I don't know if these would be better or not but Ncix has these (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16377&vpn=635070&manufacture=MAXELL) which are used by TV studios for back ups and have a scratch resistant coating.

[[buck]]

I got my reply today from Maxell today, too.


Good morning. Maxell will be more than happy to have these disc replaced for
you. Please feel free to send the defective disc back to Maxell Canada along
with your full name, address and phone number and we will get them replaced for
you. If you are in the US then please mail them to the New Jersey office or to
Maxell Canada

Maxell Canada
50 Locke Street #2
Concord, Ontario
L4K 5R4

Regards

I guess i'm just going to have to suck up ~$10 shipping and hope they send me some extra media, because otherwise it just isn't worth it. :(

[Jon Lai]

']I got my reply today from Maxell today, too.

I guess i'm just going to have to suck up ~$10 shipping and hope they send me some extra media, because otherwise it just isn't worth it. :(

Or you could just return it to wherever you bought it from.

[[buck]]

Or you could just return it to wherever you bought it from.

I don't think they'll take back discs from 8+ months ago.

[The Digital Dolphin]

OK, maxell canada emailed me back.

The lady said to take the unopened packs I have BACK to staples for a refund (Which i dont think they'll take?, i don't have a receipt) or will they??


or they can send me replacements :confused:

what should i do

Try telling Maxell that you don't have a receipt, but were under the impression that discs falling apart fell under their limited lifetime warranty.

Also, can you PM me the message they sent you, including the name of the person who e-mailed you back from Maxell?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks for answering my previous question DD. The reason I am asking about the MAM-A products was because I needed reliable back-ups of my graphics work. This is also available at blankmedia.

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=869

You mentioned this a long time ago. Have you tested them? Are they as good as you hoped they would be?

Thanks

Hehe, well... I've got 10pcs, but to be honest, I haven't tried them out yet :( Everytime I think about burning one, I think of what a waste it would be to use something like that for the purpose. I really need to stop thinking like a collector and just do the darn thing! :razz:

What burner are you using? If I have one, I'll try it out for you tonight :)

You also might want to check with MAM-A about where local distributors of their Gold DVD-Rs are:
Lance (lance.hatami@mam-a.com) is a good guy, and might have some good suggestions for you :)

[digdoug]

don't want to read 188 pages to find out, but I"m sure it was answered. is there a recommended speed at which we should burn dvds for storage? like 8x should be burned at 4x??

also, DD, how's the BenQ 1655 review coming along? I bought one in anticipation that it'll be the successor to the 1640. :lol: Happy New Year, all.

[SaraLee]

Hehe, well... I've got 10pcs, but to be honest, I haven't tried them out yet :( Everytime I think about burning one, I think of what a waste it would be to use something like that for the purpose. I really need to stop thinking like a collector and just do the darn thing! :razz:

What burner are you using? If I have one, I'll try it out for you tonight :)

You also might want to check with MAM-A about where local distributors of their Gold DVD-Rs are:
Lance (lance.hatami@mam-a.com) is a good guy, and might have some good suggestions for you :)

My burner is old. It is TOSHIBA DVD-ROM SD-R5112. I can burn up to 4x and with -R only. Yeah, the Gold DVD-R is quite expensive. They come to about $2 a piece. I am actually surpised you haven't tried them :) I couldn't find any user review of the Gold DVD-R other than the product description from their homepage.

Thanks.

[Y2Jared19]

So i bought a spindle of benq 16x -R before i noticed the badreviews of them. Doh! Anyways, being the nerd I am, I had to rip it open and check things out, as i didnt mind the discs before (8x) at all, and I know they aren't great, but i was hoping somebody could take a look at this scan and let me know where things should be, whats terrible etc...


My Scan Burnt as 12x - Benq 1620 with latest FW (http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/7792/16xbenqrburnt12x3sx.jpg)

[wlee]

So i bought a spindle of benq 16x -R before i noticed the badreviews of them. Doh! Anyways, being the nerd I am, I had to rip it open and check things out, as i didnt mind the discs before (8x) at all, and I know they aren't great, but i was hoping somebody could take a look at this scan and let me know where things should be, whats terrible etc...


My Scan Burnt as 12x - Benq 1620 with latest FW (http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/7792/16xbenqrburnt12x3sx.jpg)
if you set test speed lower say from 16x to 8x, would it give better scan result?

[Dealz-4-U]

Hey DD, I looked everywhere and no stores have the BenQ DW1640 in stock? Any idea where I can get one? Or is the DW1655 with lightscribe basically has the same chipset and is as good as the DW1640?

Thanks :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

don't want to read 188 pages to find out, but I"m sure it was answered. is there a recommended speed at which we should burn dvds for storage? like 8x should be burned at 4x??

also, DD, how's the BenQ 1655 review coming along? I bought one in anticipation that it'll be the successor to the 1640. :lol: Happy New Year, all.

Half speed is as low as you want to go. For 4x DVDRs, burn at 4x (you don't USUALLY have a choice with newer burners). 8x DVDRs can again be burned at 4x, but *SOME* higher quality 8x DVDRs will do better at 8x (or the same) then at 4x, so keep and eye on it. 16x DVDRs will USUALLY do better at 8x then 16x. Taiyo Yuden, Prodisc, Optodisc, Ritek/RiData, are all examples of ones that almost always do better at 8x. Verbatim and Maxell, depending on the drive, can do better at 16x.

As for the DW1655, I'm waiting for the next firmware before I do any hard media testing. Here's a *VERY* well done review while you're waiting:
http://www.dvdrwinfo.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=hard_review&no=100

It's no in english, but the test results speak for themselves in most cases. It looks to be quite good, but in need of some tweaking still... not unlike how the DW1620 or DW1640 started out... although it's aleady better then the DW1620 I believe ;) I have have strong hope it will surpass the DW1640 in compatability and burn quality in one or two firmwares.

[The Digital Dolphin]

My burner is old. It is TOSHIBA DVD-ROM SD-R5112. I can burn up to 4x and with -R only. Yeah, the Gold DVD-R is quite expensive. They come to about $2 a piece. I am actually surpised you haven't tried them :) I couldn't find any user review of the Gold DVD-R other than the product description from their homepage.

Thanks.

Hrm... I don't have any Toshiba, or even any Samsung DVD burners (Samsung and Toshiba work together on DVD Burners, so they share some traits). But I know one thing about the older Toshiba's... they do NOT burn most 8x DVDRs (and even more so 16x DVDRs) very well! So immediately the Gold DVD-Rs, which are REAL 4x DVD-Rs, are at a major advantage (I stress "real" since, Taiyo Yuden 4x DVD-Rs are often 8x or 16x discs, downrated for quality reasons).

[The Digital Dolphin]

So i bought a spindle of benq 16x -R before i noticed the badreviews of them. Doh! Anyways, being the nerd I am, I had to rip it open and check things out, as i didnt mind the discs before (8x) at all, and I know they aren't great, but i was hoping somebody could take a look at this scan and let me know where things should be, whats terrible etc...


My Scan Burnt as 12x - Benq 1620 with latest FW (http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/7792/16xbenqrburnt12x3sx.jpg)

Yeah, wlee is right.... could you re-scan at 8x please? It's easier for me to form an opinion on, since I'm more used to seeing scans at that speed with that model of drive.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, I looked everywhere and no stores have the BenQ DW1640 in stock? Any idea where I can get one? Or is the DW1655 with lightscribe basically has the same chipset and is as good as the DW1640?

Thanks :)

Sorry, I don't know anywhere in the world, let alone LOCALLY (to Canada) to get a DW1640. The last place to get them was Europe, and now they're getting their DW1640 orders filled with DW1655s! So I'd recommend either going for the DW1655 or the LG 4167B. The DW1655 is not yet up to the DW1640's standards for burn quality and compatability, but it's not that far off either. I posted a link to a review of it done by another person a few messages ago. The review is done in such a way that it rivals my own methods in terms of effort and attention to detail. Check it out!

[Y2Jared19]

My bad. the scan turned out better at 8x. im guess Max is justa bit unrealistic for players and such.

Scan 8x - Benq 16x -R Burnt 12x (http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/6746/16xbenqrburnt12xscan8x4bn.jpg)

[iamthehub]

Sorry to get back on this Bonding issue...

I read somewhere in this thread that the bonding issues got bad when they started producing 8x. Is this true? :confused: I have a bunch of 4x Maxel (TY) discs, are they 'safe'?

Any idea on the TDK 16x (made in luxombourg) discs? I got 200 from Costco when they had a sale... Looks like one of the packs will be going back >:(

[lynk]

All of the Maxell DVDs (MIJ) I bought recently seem to have bonding problems, so I'm planning to try some Verbatim DVDs... either the 16x DVD+R (Advanced AZO) or the 8x DVD-R (no mention of AZO on the label).

Which of these two is better? (for burn quality, longevity and bonding)

My burner is an NEC 2500A, and I do all my burns at 4x. Thanks for any help.

[othy]

Question about the 1655..

I seem to notice that for actually playing DVDs (I lack a tv right now so have to watch my DVDs on the PC) this drive doesn't perform as well as the NEC ND2500 I had previously. Aside from being pretty noisy with the spin-up etc, it seems to have trouble keeping up with the speed so occasionally I get strange goings-on with the frames. It is most noticable when I try to watch simpsons episodes, where it just looks plain nasty. Lots of issues with what I am guessing is field tearing (the two interlaced frames looking spotty sometimes).

Any recommended settings to try to improve things on this drive? It is on ultra DMA mode now.. Perhaps a firmware fix will address this..

I know it's not related to the burning of discs too, but thought I would mention it if you don't want a seperate drive for just watching DVDs..

[BirdFlu]

any opinion on Philips 16X DVD-R or DVD+R from futureshop boxing day sale

CMC MAG AM3 for Philips 16X DVD-R
CMC MAG M01 for Philips 16X DVD+R

bonding seem very good when i test inside hub with fingernail
but i not know about dye quality and if it long lasting quality
maybe i should burn 8x or 12x speed for better quality
anyone can advice?


may be same like Memorex 16x

good review here for CMCMAGAM3 CMC MAG. AM3 http://www.dvd-recordable.org/Reviews+index-req-showcontent-id-132.phtml
and here for CMCMAGM01 CMC MAG.M01 http://www.dvd-recordable.org/Reviews+index-req-showcontent-id-159.phtml

but i wait for doplin opinion

[The Digital Dolphin]

My bad. the scan turned out better at 8x. im guess Max is justa bit unrealistic for players and such.

Scan 8x - Benq 16x -R Burnt 12x (http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/6746/16xbenqrburnt12xscan8x4bn.jpg)


Ok, the error levels are fine, but the beginning part does concern me a bit. BenQ brand media is quite often poorly bonded, so don't expect the disc to last very long, but it should work fine for short term stuff.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Sorry to get back on this Bonding issue...

I read somewhere in this thread that the bonding issues got bad when they started producing 8x. Is this true? :confused: I have a bunch of 4x Maxel (TY) discs, are they 'safe'?

Any idea on the TDK 16x (made in luxombourg) discs? I got 200 from Costco when they had a sale... Looks like one of the packs will be going back >:(

Bonding issues DID exist on 4x media, but were much more rare.

As for TDK... the stuff Costco has been selling seems to be really low grade. I've seen lot's of complaints.

[The Digital Dolphin]

All of the Maxell DVDs (MIJ) I bought recently seem to have bonding problems, so I'm planning to try some Verbatim DVDs... either the 16x DVD+R (Advanced AZO) or the 8x DVD-R (no mention of AZO on the label).

Which of these two is better? (for burn quality, longevity and bonding)

My burner is an NEC 2500A, and I do all my burns at 4x. Thanks for any help.

Stick with Verbatim that says Advanced Azo on it.... that'll limit it to being made by MCC, CMC, or Taiyo Yuden ;)

[[buck]]

Bonding issues DID exist on 4x media, but were much more rare.

As for TDK... the stuff Costco has been selling seems to be really low grade. I've seen lot's of complaints.

*My* made in Luxembourg TTH02 is really great stuff... but that could just be my batch.

[[buck]]

Stick with Verbatim that says Advanced Azo on it.... that'll limit it to being made by MCC, CMC, or Taiyo Yuden ;)

And the good news is you can pick out the Taiyo Yuden by "made in Japan". Oh yeah, it also helps that I haven't heard of CMC or Taiyo Yuden Verbatim media in North America. :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Question about the 1655..

I seem to notice that for actually playing DVDs (I lack a tv right now so have to watch my DVDs on the PC) this drive doesn't perform as well as the NEC ND2500 I had previously. Aside from being pretty noisy with the spin-up etc, it seems to have trouble keeping up with the speed so occasionally I get strange goings-on with the frames. It is most noticable when I try to watch simpsons episodes, where it just looks plain nasty. Lots of issues with what I am guessing is field tearing (the two interlaced frames looking spotty sometimes).

Any recommended settings to try to improve things on this drive? It is on ultra DMA mode now.. Perhaps a firmware fix will address this..

I know it's not related to the burning of discs too, but thought I would mention it if you don't want a seperate drive for just watching DVDs..

Download Nero Drive Speed here:
http://www.cdspeed2000.com/files/NeroDriveSpeed_300.zip

It'll allow you to throttle your drive's read speed to say, 4x, and that should make it so your drive doesn't buffer a whole bunch of the movie, and then play "catch up" once the buffer is empty.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']And the good news is you can pick out the Taiyo Yuden by "made in Japan". Oh yeah, it also helps that I haven't heard of CMC or Taiyo Yuden Verbatim media in North America. :)

Ok, I goofed a bit....

I checked with a source, and this is how it should break down:
Advanced AZO on the packaging means the disc is made by CMC, Prodisc, or Mitsubishi, and carries an MCC code, *OR* is made by Taiyo Yuden with Taiyo Yuden code

If the packaging mentions AZO (only), then the media is likely made by CMC, with a CMC MID code

No mention of Azo at all usually means it's made by Ritek

Now, this info is based on European packaging... so I'd say ignore the Ritek part, since I've never seen Ritek sold as Verbatim in Canada, let alone the rest of North America (at least in the last year or so!).

[[buck]]

There deffinately has been CMC made Verbatim in North America.... but yeah, almost certainly no Taiyo Yuden.

Lot's of Verbatim is made by Prodisc though... but I don't think they can use the Azo dye comment then.

CMC coded discs? I know virtually all the MCC 004 out there is CMC, but I didn't think there were any true CMC discs in North America.

[othy]

Download Nero Drive Speed here:
http://www.cdspeed2000.com/files/NeroDriveSpeed_300.zip

It'll allow you to throttle your drive's read speed to say, 4x, and that should make it so your drive doesn't buffer a whole bunch of the movie, and then play "catch up" once the buffer is empty.

Thanks DD, that's great! I'll give it a try when I get home..

Loving the burn speed on that drive in any case.. Burns the TDK printables I bought in mass quantity from costco just fine ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

any opinion on Philips 16X DVD-R or DVD+R from futureshop boxing day sale

CMC MAG AM3 for Philips 16X DVD-R
CMC MAG M01 for Philips 16X DVD+R

bonding seem very good when i test inside hub with fingernail
but i not know about dye quality and if it long lasting quality
maybe i should burn 8x or 12x speed for better quality
anyone can advice?


may be same like Memorex 16x

good review here for CMCMAGAM3 CMC MAG. AM3 http://www.dvd-recordable.org/Reviews+index-req-showcontent-id-132.phtml
and here for CMCMAGM01 CMC MAG.M01 http://www.dvd-recordable.org/Reviews+index-req-showcontent-id-159.phtml

but i wait for doplin opinion

I have no personal opinion of the media yet... but I know the MID codes aren't that well supported yet. Sticking with 8x will give you the best results in most cases.

[BirdFlu]

I have no personal opinion of the media yet... but I know the MID codes aren't that well supported yet. Sticking with 8x will give you the best results in most cases.
want discs i buy from futureshop?
i buy -r and +r

[wlee]

I'm assuming you mean the 8x DVD+Rs, right?

Most likely made by Prodisc, who is known for having some really bad bonding issues (worse then Taiyo Yuden!). But their Fuji media is usually better then their standard generic media. I wouldn't use them, but as long as it is short term stuff, and nothing overly important, you should be ok.
Fujifilm MIT 8x +R I have are Ritek-R03-002, they scan pretty good on my NEC3520A (not really a drive to give accurate scan), even better than MIJ (YUDEN000T02) :confused:

If it's burnt at 8X, they doesn't play very well on Panny DVDS77S, sometimes the video goes blank for half a second, couple times for a whole movie; however no such issue if burnt at 4X.

[wlee]

It looks fine to me! Even if that is missing glue right at the VERY centre of the hub, the rest of the hub is fine. I wouldn't worry at all! :)
What a relief :!: My MIJ Maxell is missing less glue, however the photo I posted earlier was the worst (as I stated) ;)

[Pavel]

I got the 100 pack spindle of Maxell's from FS today. Haven't opened it up yet, I am probably going to return them. My primary use for them would be for back-up of data and archival of home movies.

I tried to locate any particular branding but all I was able to see was Made in Taiwan and P/N:050992/MDM. Is this MIJ brand or ?? Also, should I return these dvds back to FS?

Thanks

[ootb98]

Taiyo Yuden and Mitsui (now known as MAM-A) Gold CD-Rs are generally the best for long term archiving. I wouldn't recommend BASF or any current Kodak media though... both have gone QUITE down hill!

Maxell's Pro CD-Rs are pretty good too. They've got an extra protective coating on the disc, and they're a Taiyo Yuden OEM as well, so it's a good combination!


Yep, my old Gold Mitsuis were $5 each back in the day, so they better have lasted!

I have contacts with Kodak, and they have NOTHING to do with the current media being produced. They have just licensed their name to a separate company, which simply imports the media from cheap suppliers.

The old Kodak media is no longer available, I don't think even the old Kodak PhotoCD discs exist anymore.

I was reading a client's Kodak DVD-R in a Pioneer 109 today, and the crap wouldnt even read! I got it to read in a NEC burner, but the vibration the disc made was horrible.

I thought the Pioneer drives were more tolerant of reading bad DVDs?



Well, in this case it's only half Maxell's fault. Maxell made the decision to use Ritek's media for their OEM'ing based on the media Ritek sells in Japan (Maxell is based in Japan remember). Once Ritek was approved for the deal, Ritek sold them substandard media. Maxell's fault lies in the fact that they didn't check the media carefully enough afterwards, and that they didn't pull it and return it to Ritek (maybe they didn't have a term for it in the contract agreement?). What I *CAN* say, is that they did listen to rather fiesty young Dolphin, who wrote a long and somewhat blunt report on the Ritek made media they used, and have since discontinued it, and began using CMC and their own Japanese media.

Bah, so I guess I just have to wait until the junk passes through the stores. Looks like its happening already though, since people have been commenting about seeing MIJ packages again.

[Orick]

I was at the sony store and picked up a pack of DVD+R and a pack of DVD-R (25 for 10$).

It turns out the DVD-R actually all has air pocket near the hub and all the DVD+R seem to be better made. This is opposite of what's being said in this thread. Can anyone confirm this or tell me which I can trust more? I am using them to back up wedding videos.

Also, I notice the DVD+R has a stronger chemical smell than the DVD-R.

I have been using them on my new BenQ 1655. Seems like a nice drive, a bit noisy though. I managed to get it to work fine with a no name external enclosure even though it's been mentioned that BenQ drives don't like external enclosures.

(first post, go easy on me)

[Jon Lai]

I was at the sony store and picked up a pack of DVD+R and a pack of DVD-R (25 for 10$).


By the way, I just saw the Factory Direct flyer for this week, and with the coupon, you can get 2 x 25 dvd-/+ spindles for $18.88, slightly cheaper than what you can get at the Sony Store.

[The Digital Dolphin]

want discs i buy from futureshop?
i buy -r and +r

It doesn't look like you're local to BC... otherwise I'd take you up on that ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Fujifilm MIT 8x +R I have are Ritek-R03-002, they scan pretty good on my NEC3520A (not really a drive to give accurate scan), even better than MIJ (YUDEN000T02) :confused:

If it's burnt at 8X, they doesn't play very well on Panny DVDS77S, sometimes the video goes blank for half a second, couple times for a whole movie; however no such issue if burnt at 4X.

Pretty rare to Ritek in Fuji these days... but it's possible (obviously). I'd say stick to 4x if that's what works for you :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

I got the 100 pack spindle of Maxell's from FS today. Haven't opened it up yet, I am probably going to return them. My primary use for them would be for back-up of data and archival of home movies.

I tried to locate any particular branding but all I was able to see was Made in Taiwan and P/N:050992/MDM. Is this MIJ brand or ?? Also, should I return these dvds back to FS?

Thanks

If it says Made in Taiwan then it's probably fine. Check to see if they're Ritek (need to open the package and read the MID code)... if they're Ritek then it's not good. If they're CMC then it's good :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

Yep, my old Gold Mitsuis were $5 each back in the day, so they better have lasted!

I have contacts with Kodak, and they have NOTHING to do with the current media being produced. They have just licensed their name to a separate company, which simply imports the media from cheap suppliers.

The old Kodak media is no longer available, I don't think even the old Kodak PhotoCD discs exist anymore.

I was reading a client's Kodak DVD-R in a Pioneer 109 today, and the crap wouldnt even read! I got it to read in a NEC burner, but the vibration the disc made was horrible.

I thought the Pioneer drives were more tolerant of reading bad DVDs?


Yeah, I forget the name of the guy who runs KMP (the company who licensed Kodak's name), but I'm told he's also connected with Dynex brand of media. From what I can tell, he's not a very quality conscious or service oriented kind of person. Although he does seem to make many members of this forum quite happy since "bottom dollar" is his middle name :rolleyes:


Bah, so I guess I just have to wait until the junk passes through the stores. Looks like its happening already though, since people have been commenting about seeing MIJ packages again.

Yeah, give it a bit of time... the Ritek stock should be gone in another month or so I imagine (maybe longer since sales slow down in January).

[[buck]]

Pretty rare to Ritek in Fuji these days... but it's possible (obviously). I'd say stick to 4x if that's what works for you :)

Actually, i've only ever heard of RitekR03 in Fuji 8X DVD+Rs...

According the videohelp, there's 1 ProdiscS03 report, and 13 RitekR03 reports for Fujifilm 8X DVD+Rs.

EDIT I should add that the 1 ProdiscS03 report was from Malaysia, too.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I was at the sony store and picked up a pack of DVD+R and a pack of DVD-R (25 for 10$).

It turns out the DVD-R actually all has air pocket near the hub and all the DVD+R seem to be better made. This is opposite of what's being said in this thread. Can anyone confirm this or tell me which I can trust more? I am using them to back up wedding videos.

Air bubbles don't mean everything.... you can have well bonded discs with air bubbles, and you can have poorly bonded discs without them. They are a cause for random checking of bonding quality, but not a cause for panic.


Also, I notice the DVD+R has a stronger chemical smell than the DVD-R.

Doesn't really mean anything. If you had REALLY enhanced nasel abilities, and had been exposed to large variaties of dye formulations, maybe you could use smell to help differentiate who made what and how... but it won't tell you quality... and probably it'll just make people look at you funny. Speaking from experience here ;)


I have been using them on my new BenQ 1655. Seems like a nice drive, a bit noisy though. I managed to get it to work fine with a no name external enclosure even though it's been mentioned that BenQ drives don't like external enclosures.

(first post, go easy on me)

Well, I'd say most internal drives to like most external enclosures... it's more when it comes to firmware upgrades, and software support (like QSuite in your case, or Plextools with a Plextor, etc...)... but that doesn't seem to be the case in EVERY scenario. Sometimes people get lucky ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

By the way, I just saw the Factory Direct flyer for this week, and with the coupon, you can get 2 x 25 dvd-/+ spindles for $18.88, slightly cheaper than what you can get at the Sony Store.

True... but then you don't know where it's coming from ;)

Factory direct deals with the worst kind of importing scum style companies. Let's just say that stuff sold through there is not guarenteed to be standard North American grade Sony (or whatever brand).

I've been digging around lately about how some of these companies work. The media isn't always even FAKE brand media... but sometimes it's media that was meant to be destroyed for quality reasons, and then sold out a back door. Sometimes the media is meant for China or Asia, and sold at discount prices since it's low grade, for a low grade market.

Let's just say that at this time, I don't know of even *1* retail or online store that does not abuse this sort of system, either knowingly or unknowingly. It's enough for companies to ask their suppliers if it's A Grade, or "legit", and then leave it at that.

[[buck]]

I was at the sony store and picked up a pack of DVD+R and a pack of DVD-R (25 for 10$).

It turns out the DVD-R actually all has air pocket near the hub and all the DVD+R seem to be better made. This is opposite of what's being said in this thread. Can anyone confirm this or tell me which I can trust more? I am using them to back up wedding videos.

Also, I notice the DVD+R has a stronger chemical smell than the DVD-R.

I have been using them on my new BenQ 1655. Seems like a nice drive, a bit noisy though. I managed to get it to work fine with a no name external enclosure even though it's been mentioned that BenQ drives don't like external enclosures.
(first post, go easy on me)

My MIT Sony DVD+Rs with air bubbles are very poorly bonded, so i'd certainly check for bonding problems.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Actually, i've only ever heard of RitekR03 in Fuji 8X DVD+Rs...

According the videohelp, there's 1 ProdiscS03 report, and 13 RitekR03 reports for Fujifilm 8X DVD+Rs.

Hrm... it's possible I'm looking too much at current information and not remembering there's a few month delay in what I hear and when it shows up in our market :o Or I could just be too completely out of it from the flu I have right now... Either way, Fuji isn't a brand I overly trust, and don't recommend it. However if you're having problems, they DO have a local branch in Canada, and you can at least complain and get replacements. More complaints will mean more of a chance to get better results. So I *HIGHLY* recommend complaining.

It's funny... In Canada people are much more likely to complain about problems to people who can't do much about them, then they are to complain to the people who can :razz:

[JAC]

My 8x -R TY seems to have glue that dripped down the edges. Is this unusual?

[Pavel]

If it says Made in Taiwan then it's probably fine. Check to see if they're Ritek (need to open the package and read the MID code)... if they're Ritek then it's not good. If they're CMC then it's good :cheesygri
Hmm. Sounds like a gamble. If I open it up and it's Ritek then I am stuck when the DVDs. I don't do well when I gamble. >:(

[P__S__2]

I'm assuming you mean the 8x DVD+Rs, right?

Most likely made by Prodisc, who is known for having some really bad bonding issues (worse then Taiyo Yuden!). But their Fuji media is usually better then their standard generic media. I wouldn't use them, but as long as it is short term stuff, and nothing overly important, you should be ok.


yup there the 8x DVD+Rs....

ya the movies i burn on them arent too important...thx.

[Gevaltech]

OK, so I've scanned through pages of posts, and I'm left feeling totally confused. I have an unopened package of Maxell DVD -R MIJ from Walmart's sale which I would use for random back-ups, short term none-archival type stuff. Should I keep or return? And any recommendations on alternative not too costly media available in the GTA (NXIC shipping costs too high). Thanks.

[wlee]

OK, so I've scanned through pages of posts, and I'm left feeling totally confused. I have an unopened package of Maxell DVD -R MIJ from Walmart's sale which I would use for random back-ups, short term none-archival type stuff. Should I keep or return? And any recommendations on alternative not too costly media available in the GTA (NXIC shipping costs too high). Thanks.
I would keep them. Big retailers like FS and BB always have better deal when it goes on sale.

[akito925]

Air pockets = dead disc. If it took you 10 seconds, that's a bad sign. It also means you have longer/stronger fingernails then me :razz:

The Maxell Professional DVDs are only the PLUS series discs, or the BQ series discs:

http://www.maxellcanada.com/computer_prod/menu/catleaf.asp?cat1=Professional+Video&cat2=DVD%2DR+Plus+Series&cat3=
and
http://www.maxellcanada.com/computer_prod/menu/catleaf.asp?cat1=Professional+Video&cat2=DVD%2DR+BQ&cat3=

Both are available from NCIX. Blankmedia.ca has also been offered the products, but I don't think they've picked up the line yet.

Futureshop and Staples do NOT have access to these products. Only a Maxell P/I dealer can sell them (you can check www.maxellcanada.com for a list of official dealers), and NCIX and Blankmedia.ca only can get them through an arrangement I personally put together to open the product line up to the public ;)

guess I'd be inspecting my dvd-r's discs through out my months of burning on many brands across the board.

[digdoug]

anyone want to compile a definitive list of which media have the bonding problems? I have a variety of discs with a variety of media ID. it would help if I could track down which ones were bad. I feel peeved since I bought all these MIJ DVDs. :mad: anyway, how likely are the bonding problems with the Maxell +/- 4-8x with the yellow tops? I have more of those than any others.

without physically prying the layer off, how likely is this problem to surface in the future?


As for the DW1655, I'm waiting for the next firmware before I do any hard media testing. Here's a *VERY* well done review while you're waiting:
http://www.dvdrwinfo.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=hard_review&no=100

It's no in english, but the test results speak for themselves in most cases. It looks to be quite good, but in need of some tweaking still... not unlike how the DW1620 or DW1640 started out... although it's aleady better then the DW1620 I believe ;) I have have strong hope it will surpass the DW1640 in compatability and burn quality in one or two firmwares.

Hi, DD. I installed the Benq 1655 and it initially caused some problems with my computer. It kept crashing/refusing to boot, even after I went to my BIOS and made sure the auto part got the right drive info. Things seem all right now though.

But there was one curious thing I've run into. It seemed to refuse to burn two of my MIJ DVDs. My Fuji DVD-R 4x TYG01 and my Maxell -R 4x MXL RG02 (yellow top) both wouldn't work on this burner. I get these sorts of errors:

W 14:14:21 Failed to Write Sectors 0 - 31 - Write Error
W 14:14:21 Retrying (1 of 20)...
W 14:14:21 Retry Failed - Invalid Address For Write

any idea what's up? I haven't had any problems with the other media I've tried, including +/- RWs.

[Jon Lai]

Hey DD, we've been talking about the quality of dvds lately. This thought suddenly came to mind. Are there any specific dvd burning programs that would make better quality burns in general? Would specific programs prefer specific media? Are there specific programs that perform better when burning data/music/video/console games? I just want to gather information about the different things that might effect the quality of burns.

[robattoronto]

I installed the Benq 1655 and it initially caused some problems with my computer. It kept crashing/refusing to boot, even after I went to my BIOS and made sure the auto part got the right drive info. Things seem all right now though.


I'm glad you posted the above. I bought both the pioneer dvr610 and the Benq1655 and was trying to decide which one to keep. I read the reviews of dvr610 and the Benq1640. I was all set to keep the Benq and return the pioneer based on the reviews. It was a no brainer.

I got the chance to install and test the Benq and guess what. It keeps freezing on me too. In the span of 30 min it crashed on me 4 times. I've got a stable system running Win2k, I know what I'm doing.

Well I'm glad you posted that. It could be a design issue. And well the other factors I took into consideration was, the Benq is way louder than Pioneer. Or should I say, the pioneer is more quiet than other drives.

Anyhoo, I can live with the drawbacks mentioned about the pioneer I guess. Would be interesting to see if others have the same problem with the Benq. But for now, the Benq 1655 goes back.

[The Digital Dolphin]

My 8x -R TY seems to have glue that dripped down the edges. Is this unusual?

"too much glue" so far has not been seen as a problem with regard to media quality. Actually, it HAS been studied (since Ritek is the worst offender!) and so far it doesn't seem to cause any real problem.

Now, if it's the purple DYE doing that... that's a different story ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

OK, so I've scanned through pages of posts, and I'm left feeling totally confused. I have an unopened package of Maxell DVD -R MIJ from Walmart's sale which I would use for random back-ups, short term none-archival type stuff. Should I keep or return? And any recommendations on alternative not too costly media available in the GTA (NXIC shipping costs too high). Thanks.

Well... in a worst case scenario, you can contact Maxell and have them replace your Maxell media (and they will throw in extra media to offset the shipping costs if you ask).

Here's the thing... it's a gamble. If the media is properly bonded, then you're fine. If it isn't, then it could fail at any time. If it fails you've got warranty support for replacements, but shipping is on you (one way).

[The Digital Dolphin]

anyone want to compile a definitive list of which media have the bonding problems? I have a variety of discs with a variety of media ID. it would help if I could track down which ones were bad. I feel peeved since I bought all these MIJ DVDs. :mad: anyway, how likely are the bonding problems with the Maxell +/- 4-8x with the yellow tops? I have more of those than any others.

without physically prying the layer off, how likely is this problem to surface in the future?


There's no way to make a deffinative list. Things keep changing, and it depends on what part of the world you live in even! It's like that DigitalFAQ thing people keep posting. It was only somewhat accurate when it was made, and it's garbage now, but people keep referring to it like it's the Bible! I'm not putting my name on something which could end up being used like that.

As for 4x Maxell.... I think they're better off then 8x. I'm not 100% sure though, since I don't have any to test anymore :razz:


Hi, DD. I installed the Benq 1655 and it initially caused some problems with my computer. It kept crashing/refusing to boot, even after I went to my BIOS and made sure the auto part got the right drive info. Things seem all right now though.

But there was one curious thing I've run into. It seemed to refuse to burn two of my MIJ DVDs. My Fuji DVD-R 4x TYG01 and my Maxell -R 4x MXL RG02 (yellow top) both wouldn't work on this burner. I get these sorts of errors:

W 14:14:21 Failed to Write Sectors 0 - 31 - Write Error
W 14:14:21 Retrying (1 of 20)...
W 14:14:21 Retry Failed - Invalid Address For Write

any idea what's up? I haven't had any problems with the other media I've tried, including +/- RWs.

Hrm... I'll talk to BenQ about this when CES is over. Other then the posts here, I haven't heard of this problem before, and I'm not sure HOW it could happen... but it's obviously not a fluke, so I'll see if I can find out what's up. However, results will be better if you contact BenQ directly, since they will need to ask you details about your system setup.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, we've been talking about the quality of dvds lately. This thought suddenly came to mind. Are there any specific dvd burning programs that would make better quality burns in general? Would specific programs prefer specific media? Are there specific programs that perform better when burning data/music/video/console games? I just want to gather information about the different things that might effect the quality of burns.

Programs aren't media specific luckily... it's confusing enough as it is! :lol:

However some programs are known to have problems with certain media formats (I don't mean DVD+R or DVD-R, but DVD-Video, or CD-Audio). For instance, Nero 7 seems to be garbage when making audio CDs or DVD-Video... ESPECIALLY on DVD±RDL media!

Imgburn, Nero 6.6, DVD Decrypter, DVD Shrink, Easy CD/DVD Creator, Roxio... all seem to be fine.

[Dealz-4-U]

Hey DD, I just got a BenQ1655 (OEM) and have a few questions. Im new to this new BenQ craze, I used to be a die hard NEC supporter, but have decided to make the switch to BenQ because of all of the reviews. What I need your advice on is the settings on the burner (Qsuite program)... Here is what I currently have it set to:


WOPC - Disabled (I hate that flickering sound it makes when burning)

OverSpeed - Disabled (I dont think overspeed is necessary, I just burn what the media can handle)

SolidBurn
Supported Disc - Disabled
Non-Supported Disc - Activated

Again, Im new to all this BenQ things, so any input on those options would be cool.

Thanks :)

[Jon Lai]

Programs aren't media specific luckily... it's confusing enough as it is! :lol:

However some programs are known to have problems with certain media formats (I don't mean DVD+R or DVD-R, but DVD-Video, or CD-Audio). For instance, Nero 7 seems to be garbage when making audio CDs or DVD-Video... ESPECIALLY on DVD±RDL media!

Imgburn, Nero 6.6, DVD Decrypter, DVD Shrink, Easy CD/DVD Creator, Roxio... all seem to be fine.

Thanks. Good thing I have Nero 6.6, didn't feel like getting it upgraded :P Mainly, I burn console game ISOs quite often, usually decrypted via DVD Decrypter, sometimes with DVD Shrink. If I decrypted with Decrypter, I usually just burn with that, but when I use Shrink, sometimes I wonder if I should use Nero or Decrypter to burn the ISO onto disk. Guess there's not a big problem between software then.

[digdoug]

As for 4x Maxell.... I think they're better off then 8x. I'm not 100% sure though, since I don't have any to test anymore :razz:

Hrm... I'll talk to BenQ about this when CES is over. Other then the posts here, I haven't heard of this problem before, and I'm not sure HOW it could happen... but it's obviously not a fluke, so I'll see if I can find out what's up. However, results will be better if you contact BenQ directly, since they will need to ask you details about your system setup.

guess I'll have to figure this out on my own. add the Maxell TYG01 to the list that it wouldn't work on. of the 4-5 different MIJ dvds I've tried, only the YUDEN000-T02-00 Fuji +R 8x worked. it seems to have burned all the MIT stuff I've tried so far... really strange. wonder if it's that WOPC thing that's causing it?

[Gevaltech]

Well... in a worst case scenario, you can contact Maxell and have them replace your Maxell media (and they will throw in extra media to offset the shipping costs if you ask).

Here's the thing... it's a gamble. If the media is properly bonded, then you're fine. If it isn't, then it could fail at any time. If it fails you've got warranty support for replacements, but shipping is on you (one way).


Since I can still return the unopened package to Walmart, is there a decent alternative that is not a gamble and doesn't cost a fortune?

[Pavel]

Why is that? I thought paying a bit more for this media will give me some piece of mind to do back-ups , now it doesn't. :confused:

[Sgt_Strider]

I want to make a 1:1 copy of my DVD's. I have already ripped the DVD's to the hard drive. I want to use Imgburn to load up the files and burn it on to Verbatim DVD+R DL. All I have to do is just change the bitsetting to DVD-ROM and that's all I need to get it to work with DVD players? Any other settings that I need to worry about?

One last thing, how do I change the bitsetting with IMGburn? Thanks!

P.S: I'm using BenQ 1640 with BSMB firmware, should I be using the newest firmware? I understand this is the 2nd newest BenQ firmware

[pluto]

I read in a few threads about the Sony DVD-R 25 packs for $9.99 at Sony Store for boxing day. I didn't get around to going till today. All my local store had left was 3 spindles of MIT DVD+R. I haven't opened them yet and they said I could return them within 30 days - does anyone know if these discs are any good, is there something I can look without opening or a mfg. code I can check for after opening one?


I really liked the Sony MIJ DVD-R I picked up a Walmart a few months that were on sale for $19.99 for a 50 pack. Too bad I didn't stock up on more of them.

[Sgt_Strider]

Also another question. Where can I still buy TY CD's in GVRD? Thanks!

[ootb98]

True... but then you don't know where it's coming from ;)

Factory direct deals with the worst kind of importing scum style companies. Let's just say that stuff sold through there is not guarenteed to be standard North American grade Sony (or whatever brand).

I've been digging around lately about how some of these companies work. The media isn't always even FAKE brand media... but sometimes it's media that was meant to be destroyed for quality reasons, and then sold out a back door. Sometimes the media is meant for China or Asia, and sold at discount prices since it's low grade, for a low grade market.

Let's just say that at this time, I don't know of even *1* retail or online store that does not abuse this sort of system, either knowingly or unknowingly. It's enough for companies to ask their suppliers if it's A Grade, or "legit", and then leave it at that.

I found its always interesting to look at the cardboard box that the spindles come in, unfortunately the customer rarely sees it. For example, at a previous workplace, we sold generic 'Global' CD media in a 50pk, and HP for about 4 bucks more. They both came from the same kind of cardboard box, from the same factory - only the branding was different.

People would buy the HP because its HP - but in my experience the blue top branded HP CD-Rs have been the WORST. With a lot of them you could see visible specks of sand grit under the top coating. Actually, I think the Global CD-Rs were of better quality! The newer HP blue top CD-Rs with the blue centre hub seem to be better, though.

[iamthehub]

Hey guys,

I contacted Maxell about my DVDR spindel, hoping to get a replacement... Here's what they sent me:

Good afternoon. I am sorry but where on the internet was this information. I
have not been informed of any problems, nor have I had returns for bonding
issues. You should be fine in opening this spindle that you have. If we were
having a problem with the dvd's I would have been informed and have not.

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me.

Regards
Melanie




XXXXXXXX@yahoo.ca on 01/06/2006 10:05:18 AM

To: "support@maxellcanada.com"
cc: (bcc: Melanie XXXXXXXX/Maxell)

Subject: Maxell Contact Us, from XXXX XXXX



********************************************
Received on: Fri Jan 6 10:05:18 EST 2006
********************************************
Company Name:
First Name: xXXX
Last Name: xXXX
Address: 1364 xXXXxXXX Road
City: oakville
Province/State: ontario
Country: canada
Postal/Zip Code: xXXX
Phone Number: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Fax Number:
Email Address: XXXXXXXX@yahoo.ca
Product of interest: Maxell DVD-R 4x
Uses Maxell products: Yes Maxell DVD-R 4x
Inquiry To: CustomerService

Information Request / Comments: (below)
============================================
Hi,

I've been reading all over the internet about problems with the bonding during
manufacturing of your DVD's. Will there be a recall? I currently have an
unopened 25 pack spindle that I'm afraid will have this problem. I don't have a
receipt anymore, and besides, I paid way more than what they're selling at now,
so I don't want to lose my $$ that way. Can I ship it to you for replacement a
product that does not have this bonding issue?

Thanks,

xxxx



Which leads me to this question:

Does anyone else have any links to articles on the interenet regarding this bonding problem? I googled "Maxell Bonding Problem" and couldn't find anything really....

[bushin]

I am planning on buying the Maxell Plus Series DVD-Rs from NCIX, anyone have any experience with these on an LG 4136B ?
How good are the Plus Series ?

[Mike71]

So DD or anyone whats the general opinion on the new BenQ 1655 drive? Does it live up to the high standards set with the 1640? Any opinions welcomed. :)

[Jon Lai]

So DD or anyone whats the general opinion on the new BenQ 1655 drive? Does it live up to the high standards set with the 1640? Any opinions welcomed. :)

DD's mentioned that the firmwares for the new 1655 are still pretty unstable. They are comparable with the 1640, but not until newer firmwares be released will the 1655 become better and more superior than the 1640.

[Kamloops]

How do you know if its crap from Costco if you dont have any info on them?
I have burned well over 400 dvd on the tdk from costco and had no problems.




Just some general news:

I've been sitting on this for a few days, basically trying to work out all the details. I don't know everything I'd like to yet, but I'm going to share what I know.

There is a problem with much of the Taiyo Yuden DVDRs on the market. Currently, all brands that use Taiyo Yuden, including That's, Sony, Fuji, the odd Maxell here and there, and of course Taiyo Yuden's own unbranded media. The problem is that the media is not properly bonded. What does this mean? It means that over time air can get between the two plastic discs sandwhiching the organic dye, and it leads to oxidyzation. That's bad. It basically makes your disc unreadable. Unfortunately, the media LOOKS the same as properly bonded discs, so it's hard to tell by simply eyeballing it (for hard, read: Impossible). You can *TEST* the media though, to see how much it is affected by this problem. If you have medium or long length fingernails, you can use them to attempt to pry the two layers of plastic apart AT THE PLASTIC HUB OF THE DISC (Not the outer edge of the disc!). Now with Taiyo Yuden, you will likely find your finger nail slips between the layers QUITE easily. This is not neccessarily a bad thing, but it's NOT a good thing! If you can pull the two layers apart from this point, using your fingernails, then the disc was bad. Unfortunately... if you try to hard even with a good disc, it's going to effectively destroy it also. So it's not a very useful test for learning which discs can be used or not... but I'm sure SOME people will try it out for themselves. Another way of knowing if the disc is prone to early failure is by bending it by the outer edges (not recommended for media you intend to use, or keep!), if you hear the two plastic layers squeaking against each other, then you know there is movement between them, and therefor inproper bonding!

The highest quality brand that uses Taiyo Yuden media, worldwide, is the Plextor brand of DVDRs. They pay TOP DOLLAR (err, Yen) for the best media Taiyo Yuden has to offer... and even Plextor brand discs have been positively identified as having this problem.

What this problem means, is that Taiyo Yuden can NOT be trusted for absolute longevity at this time. What this does NOT mean, is that Taiyo Yuden is going to fail when you attempt to burn it. The media will almost NEVER fail! and all the quality tests will show excellent results.... UNTIL the oxydization begins. Then it'll suck.

Some media that is also known to have this problem is as follows:
Maxell Consumer Grade Japanese DVDRs
Prodisc manufactured media (may not be applicable to Prodisc made media sold under Verbatim's brand name... but *IS* applicable to Prodisc brand media with Verbatim's code!!!)
Most cheap Hong Kong made stuff

Somed media that is known to be WELL bonded is as follows:
Maxell Professional (Plus series and BQ) DVDRs (not perfect bonding, but much better then regular Maxell from Japan!! and of satisfactory quality)
Acro Circle / Optodisc A Grade DVD-Rs (Same as above, it's not perfect, but good enough to score quite high on longevity tests!!)
Ritek (So far Ritek media is manufactured with the best bonding seen anywhere, however Ritek suffers from so many other problems it's hard to recommend!!)
TDK A Grade media (This is true for TDK A Grade media in Europe... I'm still trying to find details on the differences between the good stuff sold there, and the crap that gets sold in Costco from time to time over here!)

At this point, I'm recommending people use Maxell Plus series DVDRs or BQ series DVDRs for their most important stuff. Mitsui Gold may also be good... but I have't checked yet.

I also don't know how long you can expect it to take for a poorly bonded Taiyo Yuden DVDR to fail from oxydization. These, and other things I'm still trying to find out! But I wanted to present what I *DID* know now, so people could at least be informed.

More news as I get it!

[pluto]

I had a spindle of the TDK from costco, they burned OK on my NEC 3520 *but* probably 50% + failed verifying.... lesson is, verify your discs especially when you are testing a new/unknown brand.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD, I just got a BenQ1655 (OEM) and have a few questions. Im new to this new BenQ craze, I used to be a die hard NEC supporter, but have decided to make the switch to BenQ because of all of the reviews. What I need your advice on is the settings on the burner (Qsuite program)... Here is what I currently have it set to:


WOPC - Disabled (I hate that flickering sound it makes when burning)

OverSpeed - Disabled (I dont think overspeed is necessary, I just burn what the media can handle)

SolidBurn
Supported Disc - Disabled
Non-Supported Disc - Activated

Again, Im new to all this BenQ things, so any input on those options would be cool.

Thanks :)

Well, other then WOPC, I'd agree with the settings you have completely, for regular use conditions. WOPC can greatly increase the burn quality of a disc, especially if it isn't Taiyo Yuden media (Taiyo Yuden could probably be burned fine without it).

[The Digital Dolphin]

Since I can still return the unopened package to Walmart, is there a decent alternative that is not a gamble and doesn't cost a fortune?

On RFD the term "Decent Price" takes on whole new terms. Personally, I consider $0.50 for a good disc to be a decent price. Many people on here would consider $0.20-$0.25 to be a decent price.

My general recommendation right now is Maxell Plus series media, which is mostly available from NCIX, but you can also look at www.maxellcanada.com for a list of their Professional/Industrial dealers in Canada, who will also have access to this product line (and probably charge 1.5x as much for it!).

[The Digital Dolphin]

Why is that? I thought paying a bit more for this media will give me some piece of mind to do back-ups , now it doesn't. :confused:

Not sure what the problem is?

There are different grades of MAXELLRG03 media, and the Plus Series of Maxell is the highest. Consumer grade MAXELLRG03 is lower grade.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I want to make a 1:1 copy of my DVD's. I have already ripped the DVD's to the hard drive. I want to use Imgburn to load up the files and burn it on to Verbatim DVD+R DL. All I have to do is just change the bitsetting to DVD-ROM and that's all I need to get it to work with DVD players? Any other settings that I need to worry about?

One last thing, how do I change the bitsetting with IMGburn? Thanks!

P.S: I'm using BenQ 1640 with BSMB firmware, should I be using the newest firmware? I understand this is the 2nd newest BenQ firmware

Check your PM

[The Digital Dolphin]

I read in a few threads about the Sony DVD-R 25 packs for $9.99 at Sony Store for boxing day. I didn't get around to going till today. All my local store had left was 3 spindles of MIT DVD+R. I haven't opened them yet and they said I could return them within 30 days - does anyone know if these discs are any good, is there something I can look without opening or a mfg. code I can check for after opening one?


I really liked the Sony MIJ DVD-R I picked up a Walmart a few months that were on sale for $19.99 for a 50 pack. Too bad I didn't stock up on more of them.

They will be Sony code 8x DVD+Rs, made by Daxon most likely. They should be fine on almost any burner, and unlikely to have bonding issues (although one bad report has come in).

[The Digital Dolphin]

Also another question. Where can I still buy TY CD's in GVRD? Thanks!

www.ncix.com
www.precisionduplication.com
www.wimmedia.com (not really recommended!)

[The Digital Dolphin]

I found its always interesting to look at the cardboard box that the spindles come in, unfortunately the customer rarely sees it. For example, at a previous workplace, we sold generic 'Global' CD media in a 50pk, and HP for about 4 bucks more. They both came from the same kind of cardboard box, from the same factory - only the branding was different.

People would buy the HP because its HP - but in my experience the blue top branded HP CD-Rs have been the WORST. With a lot of them you could see visible specks of sand grit under the top coating. Actually, I think the Global CD-Rs were of better quality! The newer HP blue top CD-Rs with the blue centre hub seem to be better, though.

CMC makes all kinda of grades of media, so it doesn't surprise me. I'm guessing that the company providing them was M3?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey guys,

I contacted Maxell about my DVDR spindel, hoping to get a replacement... Here's what they sent me:



Which leads me to this question:

Does anyone else have any links to articles on the interenet regarding this bonding problem? I googled "Maxell Bonding Problem" and couldn't find anything really....

I've got a meeting with Maxell on the 19th to give them a demonstration (actually, they asked me for the meeting, I've got NO idea what they want to tell me, but that's what I'm telling them).

There's stuff posted about bonding on CDRlabs and CDFreaks, but Maxell is not always mentioned by name. Mostly it's Taiyo Yuden or bonding in general.

[The Digital Dolphin]

So DD or anyone whats the general opinion on the new BenQ 1655 drive? Does it live up to the high standards set with the 1640? Any opinions welcomed. :)

CDRinfo has a pre-review on it, I haven't personally put together an opinion yet, as I'm still waist deep in a LiteON drive review, and waiting for a new DW1655 firmware.

[The Digital Dolphin]

How do you know if its crap from Costco if you dont have any info on them?
I have burned well over 400 dvd on the tdk from costco and had no problems.

I get a lot of media reports, even when I don't have the media myself ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Man.... I can't make it to this site for *3* days, and I've got a page full of messages to reply to :lol:

[Nightwing]

Some of you might be interested in this story........


Optical discs may not be your best bet for storing digital media long term, expert says. (http://http://pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124312,00.asp)



Mark

[Pavel]

Yeah, they say tape is the best choice!

[sleepyguy]

Don't be fooled into thinking tapes all they are made up to be... SDLT/LTO are damn sensitive! I cant account for the amount of times media has gone bad on me. As for the drives as well! So damn picky!

UGH... most reliable for me has be DLT... yes the first 35/70Gb series. They didn't compact the data so much and the tapes were not so 'touchy'.

But back on topic... for consumers DVD/CD is generaly a cheap/affordable way to backup data... as always though have a 2nd backup play either it be another form of media or some fault tolerance of somekind.

Yeah, they say tape is the best choice!

[Jon Lai]

Some of you might be interested in this story........


Optical discs may not be your best bet for storing digital media long term, expert says. (http://http://pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124312,00.asp)



Mark

That article, you got from MSN.com, eh?

BTW, that link is wrong. But it's funny - when you click on this "broken" link, it actually refers you to microsoft.com! Lmao.

[Nightwing]

BTW, that link is wrong. But it's funny - when you click on this "broken" link, it actually refers you to microsoft.com! Lmao.

Looks like they pulled the story. Can't find a copy anywhere. I think I first saw the link off Tom's Hardware.

Mark

[Sgt_Strider]

www.ncix.com


No way...I don't see it on their website.

[The Digital Dolphin]

No way...I don't see it on their website.

My bad, looks like they pulled it.

Well, then there's the last two links :P

[Barutsu]

I just got a BenQ DW1655! By testing, the best results that I got were from Taiyo Yuden DVDs found in a FujiFilm spindle, but no longer in stock (got them at The Source). Where can I get them online? Is blankmedia.ca is reliable? I see that they also have very good price on lightscribe CD/DVD if I compare with FS/BB/TS:CC. So, are they reliable? Or is there any better place? I'm totally new to the DVD burning world ;) Thanks! :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

I just got a BenQ DW1655! By testing, the best results that I got were from Taiyo Yuden DVDs found in a FujiFilm spindle, but no longer in stock (got them at The Source). Where can I get them online? Is blankmedia.ca is reliable? I see that they also have very good price on lightscribe CD/DVD if I compare with FS/BB/TS:CC. So, are they reliable? Or is there any better place? I'm totally new to the DVD burning world ;) Thanks! :cheesygri

They're mostly reliable. Their Taiyo Yuden DVDs are reliable. The rest of their stuff can be grey market, or purchased through proper channels (on occasion). For instance, according to packaging, the Ricoh DVDs they have sold in the past appear to be the ones Ricoh uses in China/Asian markets only. The TDK discs appear to be of European origin. But their Taiyo Yuden DVDs are always purchased through proper channels, and you know what you're getting.

I'd also like to say, that Blankmedia.ca NEVER tries to fool people. I just don't think they always know all their products as well as they think they do.... but in all fairness, they try harder then 95% of all places in Canada.

[Pavel]

I read the article last week sometime before it was removed. Here is a bit of reading that comes close to what was written in the original article: http://www.tasi.ac.uk/advice/delivering/cdr-dvdr.html

[callous]

Hey dolphin, what method do you use to remove dust particles from the bottom of your dvd recordables?

I tried using a film brush, but even that will leave minute scratches on the transparent material.

[wlee]

That article, you got from MSN.com, eh?

BTW, that link is wrong. But it's funny - when you click on this "broken" link, it actually refers you to microsoft.com! Lmao.
:confused: the article is there :cheesygri at http://pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124312,00.asp, OP's link had extra "http://" needs to be removed :idea:

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey dolphin, what method do you use to remove dust particles from the bottom of your dvd recordables?

I tried using a film brush, but even that will leave minute scratches on the transparent material.

I recommend compressed air :)

[MrWizard]

Is the BenQ 1620 Pro any good?

[ootb98]

CMC makes all kinda of grades of media, so it doesn't surprise me. I'm guessing that the company providing them was M3?

Sorry, unfortunately I don't know who the suppliers were for the blank media. However, I would not consider them to be reputable suppliers!

As an aside, I found some remaining Kodak Ultima Gold CD-Rs in jewel case :razz:

DD, have you seen the eFilm Archival Gold CD-Rs? They claim a lifespan of 300 years :lol: , but they also have Gold DVD-Rs as well!

http://www.delkin.com/delkin_products_archival_gold.html

I *think* they may be Mitsuis, given the branding on the disc.... I have some lying around here somewhere, I'll try to find it and run an ID.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Is the BenQ 1620 Pro any good?

Good for its' time, but the DW1640 is better.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Sorry, unfortunately I don't know who the suppliers were for the blank media. However, I would not consider them to be reputable suppliers!

As an aside, I found some remaining Kodak Ultima Gold CD-Rs in jewel case :razz:

DD, have you seen the eFilm Archival Gold CD-Rs? They claim a lifespan of 300 years :lol: , but they also have Gold DVD-Rs as well!

http://www.delkin.com/delkin_products_archival_gold.html

I *think* they may be Mitsuis, given the branding on the disc.... I have some lying around here somewhere, I'll try to find it and run an ID.

They are deffinately Mitsui/MAM-A.

If the company was less then reputable, then there's a good chance it was M3.

[Jon Lai]

I'd also like to say, that Blankmedia.ca NEVER tries to fool people. I just don't think they always know all their products as well as they think they do.... but in all fairness, they try harder then 95% of all places in Canada.

Don't you like work for them/have extremely close relationships with them? Lol.

BTW, one quick question. About CDs, is it better, performance-wise, to burn CDs with a CD-Burner or a DVD-Burner, in general? Also, I always believe in depreciation, so if I have a spare CD Burner, is it theoritically better to burn only DVDs with the DVD Burner and use my CD Burner for CDs so that the life of my DVD Burner will be longer? Also, if I don't use my CD burner, would it eventually depreciate as well (from no use)? Last question (I promise), if I only use the DVD Burners for DVDs, would it eventually be not used to burning CDs after years of not burning one?

[sunnybwoy]

Boy was that hard to read. Also, I think you mean deterioate rather than depreciate, cuz a burner is hardly worth anything to begin with. :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Don't you like work for them/have extremely close relationships with them? Lol.

I work for me ;) And no company *OWNS* me. Not Blankmedia.ca, not NCIX.com, Not Maxell, Not Optodisc, Not even CDRlabs.com.

I *DO* have a good relationship with blankmedia.ca. I hope to CONTINUE having a good relationship with them. But the fact is that I think they're making mistakes. But you know what, I don't know ANY company that doesn't make mistakes. And blankmedia.ca puts in more effort regardless, then almost any other company I can think of in Canada or the US! So while I do have some beefs with them, that does not change my opinion that the service is good, or make me think they are trying to mislead their customers (they are not!).


BTW, one quick question. About CDs, is it better, performance-wise, to burn CDs with a CD-Burner or a DVD-Burner, in general? Also, I always believe in depreciation, so if I have a spare CD Burner, is it theoritically better to burn only DVDs with the DVD Burner and use my CD Burner for CDs so that the life of my DVD Burner will be longer? Also, if I don't use my CD burner, would it eventually depreciate as well (from no use)? Last question (I promise), if I only use the DVD Burners for DVDs, would it eventually be not used to burning CDs after years of not burning one?

How is that a quick question? :P (J/K)

Generally, CD Burners perform better when burning CD-Rs then DVD Burners do when burning CD-Rs. I highly recommend getting a Plextor Premium CD Burner, since they're awesome.

If you have a setup where you can burn CD-Rs with a CD Burner instead of a DVD Burner, then go for it! I do that most of the time myself.

Do CD Burners stop working over time with no use? Probably yeah. It happens with HDDs and a lot of the same STYLE of moving parts are used in CD/DVD Burners. So dusting them off and using them from time to time is probably a good idea. I should mention however, that since the data is not STORED in the CD/DVD Burner, the number of things that could go wrong with it during long term storage is much smaller, so there is less of a risk. That doesn't make it impossible though!

As for whether or not a DVD Burner would not be able to burn CDRs if you only burned DVDs with it... no, it doesn't work like that.

[[buck]]

Just a heads up for people looking my Japanese Sony 8X DVD-Rs, the last few Sears i've been to have had MIJ 25pks for $25. You'd be best waiting for a sale elsewhere (of course) and price matching them.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Just a heads up for people looking my Japanese Sony 8X DVD-Rs, the last few Sears i've been to have had MIJ 25pks for $25. You'd be best waiting for a sale elsewhere (of course) and price matching them.

TYG02? or SONY08D1?

[[buck]]

TYG02? or SONY08D1?

I'm 99% sure all MIJ Sony 8X DVD-R is SONY08D1, made by Sony is Japan.

[The Digital Dolphin]

that's weird?!? i thought SONY08D1 were MIT's???

SONY08D1 is USUALLY made in Taiwan or Malaysia.... a VERY small amount is made in Japan by Sony... but I think production has stopped now, in favour of SONY16D1.

[[buck]]

SONY08D1 is USUALLY made in Taiwan or Malaysia.... a VERY small amount is made in Japan by Sony... but I think production has stopped now, in favour of SONY16D1.

Made in Malaysia, by Daxon? Strange, i've never heard of, or seen, Malaysian Sony media.

Dolph, any idea when we'll start seeing 16X Sony media in Canada?

[The Digital Dolphin]

']Made in Malaysia, by Daxon? Strange, i've never heard of, or seen, Malaysian Sony media.

Dolph, any idea when we'll start seeing 16X Sony media in Canada?

Yeah, a couple weeks ago in Futurshop ;)

And Malaysia made media is Daxon, yes. But most of the time only BenQ brand media with SONY08D1 is made in Malaysia ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

>Yeah, a couple weeks ago in Futurshop
i'm usually pretty 'on top' of what FS carries & i haven't seen any sony 16X disc YET......can you tell me which FS store they were at??

i've haven't seen any MIJ sony 8X-R's in any of the BIG stores such as FS, BB or stooples in canada yet......but i have come across the MIJ sony's 8X-R's in the USA only........

I meant BenQ's 16x is now at Futureshop. As is Fuji's 16x and Philips' 16x.

All that remains is Maxell's 16x really (the various no name brands are all 8x still too).

[The Digital Dolphin]

that's weird again- correct me if i'm wrong.....sony08D1 (-R's) (in canada, anyways) that i've come across are all made in taiwan. it's right beside the UPC barcode- "Made In Taiwan".
other post have stated they have seen MIJ sony 8X-R's @ Sears canada, i'll going to check it out.......

I haven't seen any Sony 8x DVD-R Made in Japan at all personally (I checked Sears at Metrotown, and even Futureshop at Metrotown!), but some people seem to have found them.

[NG]

I'm running into some very baffling problems trying to burn d/l media for the first time using Sony dw 22a that's been updated to a retail 710A with firmware BYX5.

Fuji (Ritek coded) stutters and Verbatim MKM discs stutters in exactly the same spots as well with the same item being burnt on both discs. Nero Quality scans stop and stall at the 57% mark for both media (MKM has a 95% quality rating at that point and 0% for the Ritek)

Videohelp lists both codes as working great in the 710A and other reviews showed both codes working in my DVD player (Philips 642) however there are no reviews for either code for both being together (burning on a 710A and playback on a 642.) Tried playing back the vobs from my HD and they played back perfectly so it's not the source material.

The really weird thing is that the burner itself will sometimes have the disc show up in the My Computer area but asks to insert a disc when I try to view it. Other times It'll still recognize as a blank disc after the burn (after re-inserting it).

As it stands now the only thing I have that plays either of these fine is my LG dvd-rom drive.

I realize that my burner is pretty crappy but I am pretty surprised that is screwed up a Verbatim disc.

I'm frankly a little baffled by it. Any idea what is going on here and if there's a way I could fix this?

[The Digital Dolphin]

from your maxell connections....any word as when we can expect to see their 16X +/-R's disks to arrive in canada? (in the big stores like FS, BB & stooples-ncix & WIM already has the small packs) (hopefully MIJ's, too)

I'll ask them on Thursday when I see them ;)

So far 16x DVD-Rs are MIJ, and 16x DVD+Rs are MIT. And was for WIM.... UGH! (I have a grudge against them)


DD, another thing- how do you rank the current crop of 16X discs?

memorex
fuji
benQ
verbatims
philips
tdk's (costco, only place i've seen these ones)


Give me some time on this one. I've got Memorex, BenQ, Verbatim, and TDK 16x DVDRs, but my TDK's come from elsewhere, and I don't think it's the same grade of disc as the ones from Costco. I'll be picking the Costco ones up probably at the beginning of Feb when they go on sale again. I'll have to pick up the Fuji and Philips 16x at the next Futureshop or Bestbuy sale.

What I *CAN* say is Verbatim's 16x DVDRs are good ;)
I can also say that BenQ's have bonding issues, and need better support on more drives. Memorex's have somewhat better support then BenQ (mostly CMC stuff), but it depends on what batch you get. If you get the MCC codes, they tend to work well... if you get the CMCMAG codes, then it depends on your burner (it may need to be burned at 12x or even 8x!).


& why does my 1640 sees the sony08D1 as 16X?? (it never overspeeds my other media)

It's the ONLY media the DW1640 naturally overclocks. Probably because BenQ uses SONY08D1 code media in their BenQ 8x DVD-Rs.

[The Digital Dolphin]

I'm running into some very baffling problems trying to burn d/l media for the first time using Sony dw 22a that's been updated to a retail 710A with firmware BYX5.

Fuji (Ritek coded) stutters and Verbatim MKM discs stutters in exactly the same spots as well with the same item being burnt on both discs. Nero Quality scans stop and stall at the 57% mark for both media (MKM has a 95% quality rating at that point and 0% for the Ritek)

Videohelp lists both codes as working great in the 710A and other reviews showed both codes working in my DVD player (Philips 642) however there are no reviews for either code for both being together (burning on a 710A and playback on a 642.) Tried playing back the vobs from my HD and they played back perfectly so it's not the source material.

The really weird thing is that the burner itself will sometimes have the disc show up in the My Computer area but asks to insert a disc when I try to view it. Other times It'll still recognize as a blank disc after the burn (after re-inserting it).

As it stands now the only thing I have that plays either of these fine is my LG dvd-rom drive.

I realize that my burner is pretty crappy but I am pretty surprised that is screwed up a Verbatim disc.

I'm frankly a little baffled by it. Any idea what is going on here and if there's a way I could fix this?

Hrm... that *IS* weird! What software are you using to do the burning with? (and what version?)

[NG]

Hrm... that *IS* weird! What software are you using to do the burning with? (and what version?)

Doh! Forgot to mention that I'm using Nero 6.6.0.14. I tried using Imgburn at first since I've heard such good things about it but everything it burns seems to require it be in a compressed format which I don't know how to do.

To be honest this drive has always been crappy but no more crappy than what other models of this drive (be it the 22a, 710a or 1633) seemed to be from other online posts (never been able to burn Arco Circle for playback on a standalone for example). I am keen on upgrading this bastard however was hoping to wait a tad longer till the DL format shakes itself out a bit more.

Thanks for any info I'm really scratching my head over this.

[The Digital Dolphin]

have you come across any MCC codes for the memorex 16X-R's in canada?
if so, which retailer? seems like FS only has the cmc's. (i get power calibration errors sometimes w/cmc's-whatever the hell that means!)

Yeah, I've got 8x and 16x DVD-Rs with MCC02RG20 and MCC03RG20 respectively. I didn't BUY these ones though, they were provided by Memorex themselves.


*funny about your vendetta against WIM- they must must have really pee'ed you off for you to mention it again!!

I *REALLY* don't like them. For one, they basically laughed at the idea of media quality testing or overburning when I approached them with an offer way back when. I've returned to their location once or twice since then, and been treated to the same incredible lack of service skills. Calvin, the head sales person is basically nice, but very uninformed, and seems to lose interest in a person the moment he has their money. Gorden, the owner of the company has a nack for purchasing, but no interest in quality products (their poly boxes, while excellently priced, fall apart if you look at them wrong!). It also doesn't help that I'm constantly dealing with issues caused by people who've bought their cheap CD/DVD duplicating towers instead of buying one made by someone who knows what they're doing.

... but in the whole scheme of things... I just hate them for being stupid. I don't hate them like I hate some other companies. For instance, I hate Ritek for being corrupt SOB's who're out to abuse their customer base as much as they can get away with.


*funny too....that you go sale-hunting like the rest of us....i thought you got most your stuff for free. FYI-fuji 16X-R's are currently $30/100 (if you think that's a good price), i was able to score 3 spindles during box-week for $17.49/each w/30% coupon.


Yeah, I might buy some... still thinking about it. I'd rather get 25pcs if I could.... I don't *NEED* 100pcs!!


**good to hear verbatims 16X-R's are *good* -i was to get the 3-50 disk spindles for $11.89+tax/each @ stooples canada 2 weeks ago-(don't ask me how?!?) :D

Yup... although I don't pay for Verbatim stuff either... like Memorex, I go direct for samples ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Doh! Forgot to mention that I'm using Nero 6.6.0.14. I tried using Imgburn at first since I've heard such good things about it but everything it burns seems to require it be in a compressed format which I don't know how to do.

To be honest this drive has always been crappy but no more crappy than what other models of this drive (be it the 22a, 710a or 1633) seemed to be from other online posts (never been able to burn Arco Circle for playback on a standalone for example). I am keen on upgrading this bastard however was hoping to wait a tad longer till the DL format shakes itself out a bit more.

Thanks for any info I'm really scratching my head over this.

It could just be a really crappy burner. LiteON has pretty big variations in the performance of their drives sometimes... maybe you got one that's just on this side of being defective?

Probably a good time to retire it!

[NG]

It could just be a really crappy burner. LiteON has pretty big variations in the performance of their drives sometimes... maybe you got one that's just on this side of being defective?

Probably a good time to retire it!

It is crappy. I'm seriosuly thinking about seeing what's out there to pick up (now that the DW1640 is oop) that might be worth it or just waiting a bit to see if FS puts those Comstar's on sale again and see if I can find one with a LG burner.

I was checking through some stuff in the ASPI tab for Nero InfoTools and saw that the Nero ASPI is working but the system one is corrupted - could this make any sort of improvemnt or perhaps downgrading to an older firmware?

Replacing these drives so soon seems like almost letting them win with a cheap product.

[The Digital Dolphin]

It is crappy. I'm seriosuly thinking about seeing what's out there to pick up (now that the DW1640 is oop) that might be worth it or just waiting a bit to see if FS puts those Comstar's on sale again and see if I can find one with a LG burner.

I was checking through some stuff in the ASPI tab for Nero InfoTools and saw that the Nero ASPI is working but the system one is corrupted - could this make any sort of improvemnt or perhaps downgrading to an older firmware?

Unless you're running windows 98 or previous, that'll be normal. ASPI is not installed on 2k or XP. You have to force install it. It doesn't always cause proiblems, but it's not a bad idea either. Do a search for "Force ASPI", and you should find what you need (don't know if it will make a difference though!).


Replacing these drives so soon seems like almost letting them win with a cheap product.

Technically, they won when you bought the drive. You only win when you have a drive that works for you ;)

[Evil Techie]

hey DD, im wondering if you know of any decent 700mb CD-Rs that wont cost me too much
im looking for like 50 pcs but the only place that sells TY is blankmedia and i dont want to buy 100 pcs and spend like $50 + in total

are the riteks 100 pcs @ NCIX above par?

[[buck]]

hey DD, im wondering if you know of any decent 700mb CD-Rs that wont cost me too much
im looking for like 50 pcs but the only place that sells TY is blankmedia and i dont want to buy 100 pcs and spend like $50 + in total

are the riteks 100 pcs @ NCIX above par?

Riteks are good for everyday stuff, but don't archive anything on them.

DD's very conservative (IMO) lifetime estimates:

TY: 5-10yrs
Ritek: 2+ years

[The Digital Dolphin]

As usual, [buck] is completely on the ball ;)

[[buck]]

As usual, [buck] is completely on the ball ;)

:cheesygri

[Evil Techie]

so is blankmedia the only place to get genuine TY CD-Rs?

[The Digital Dolphin]

so is blankmedia the only place to get genuine TY CD-Rs?

*NO*

But one of the only places that sells TY CD-Rs without the levy. Most TY dealers have respect for Canadian law... Blankmedia.ca doesn't care as long as they don't think they'll get in trouble for it.

Heck, even tigerdirect sells TY CD-Rs (actually, they sell them without the levy too, last I checked).

[pandaharo]

Quick question..

are Made in Luxemberg TDK DVD-R better than BENQ DVD+R(MIT and MIM)? In terms of storage time/shelf life.

TY

[The Digital Dolphin]

Quick question..

are Made in Luxemberg TDK DVD-R better than BENQ DVD+R(MIT and MIM)? In terms of storage time/shelf life.

TY

I can't say right now. The TDK's have really mixed results, and until early February, I won't have some of my own to play with. I would say that European TDK is DEFFINATELY better.... but the stuff selling out of Costco is not the same grade at all, or at least not consistantly.

[killbillvol1]

DD, what are some good quality CDRs I can buy? What decent archival life in terms of quality - something I can by i a spool of 50 or so at a retail place like Raples or Future Shot Thanks (Seems like all the MIJ TYs are gone)

[Evil Techie]

so do you know anywhere local i can buy TY CD-Rs so i can avoid shipping?

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD, what are some good quality CDRs I can buy? What decent archival life in terms of quality - something I can by i a spool of 50 or so at a retail place like Raples or Future Shot Thanks (Seems like all the MIJ TYs are gone)

Futureshop and Staples don't really carry good archival life CD-Rs. Staples MIGHT carry Maxell Pro CD-Rs in 25pc spindles if you're lucky... those are good, but that's the only consumer CD-R that is in the ballpark.

[The Digital Dolphin]

so do you know anywhere local i can buy TY CD-Rs so i can avoid shipping?

Well, precisionduplication.com has Taiyo Yuden CD-Rs, but they'll charge you the levy.

[killbillvol1]

Futureshop and Staples don't really carry good archival life CD-Rs. Staples MIGHT carry Maxell Pro CD-Rs in 25pc spindles if you're lucky... those are good, but that's the only consumer CD-R that is in the ballpark.

That's muchacho crappo, dude. Would you know off the top any places in the GTA (I'm in Mississauga/Brampton) area that would have decent quality stuff? (maybe even TD or Canada Computers)?

Thank you

[[buck]]

Futureshop and Staples don't really carry good archival life CD-Rs. Staples MIGHT carry Maxell Pro CD-Rs in 25pc spindles if you're lucky... those are good, but that's the only consumer CD-R that is in the ballpark.

I think Staples carries Maxell CD-R Pro's in *10pks* for well over $10. And FS/BB carry Fujfilm CD-R for Photo 5pks which are also Taiyo Yuden.

You might want to check Giant Tiger and any of the Loblaws chains for Japanese Fujifilm CD-Rs in 50pks. A few people have reported seeing them there.

edit - IIRC WalMart carries Maxell CD-R Pro's too.

[miss_swan]

Don't you like work for them/have extremely close relationships with them? Lol.



Yeah, that was some brilliant deductions from DaVillen. Absolutely brilliant. :) Oh, my sides hurt ...

Back to the thread, i'm glad that I still have quite a few Kodak Gold cdrs hanging around ... if only to look good. :lol:

[[buck]]

']I'm 99% sure all MIJ Sony 8X DVD-R is SONY08D1, made by Sony is Japan.

Just to follow up on this comment.. it's appears that I was wrong.

Jovo has reported getting TYG02 in a 50pk of MIJ Sony 8X DVD-R at London Drugs.

See here (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2719489&postcount=36) and here (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2719562&postcount=39).

[pluto]

']Jovo has reported getting TYG02 in a 50pk of MIJ Sony 8X DVD-R at London Drugs.

I just picked some up at Wal-mart

[[buck]]

I just picked some up at Wal-mart

Interesting.

I hypothesize that since Sony has stopped making 8X media in Japan, they are now supplementing their Taiwanese stuff with Taiyo Yuden instead.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Yeah, that was some brilliant deductions from DaVillen. Absolutely brilliant. :) Oh, my sides hurt ...

Back to the thread, i'm glad that I still have quite a few Kodak Gold cdrs hanging around ... if only to look good. :lol:

Once again, I don't work for them. I do some volunteer Q&A for them, and we chat sometimes. They, like any other company, don't own me. I'm a free dolphin ;)

[ricosuave]

dumb question, but is there such a thing as dual layer dvd-rw?

if so, where can i buy it?

rico

[The Digital Dolphin]

dumb question, but is there such a thing as dual layer dvd-rw?

if so, where can i buy it?

rico

Not a dumb question at all! Many companies have seriously considered making DVD+RWDL media, but so far it has remained non-existant. No drives support DVD+RWDL either.

[[buck]]

Not a dumb question at all! Many companies have seriously considered making DVD+RWDL media, but so far it has remained non-existant. No drives support DVD+RWDL either.

I don't think the spec is even finalised...

I doubt we'll see it for at least a year, if ever.

[The Digital Dolphin]

']I don't think the spec is even finalised...

I doubt we'll see it for at least a year, if ever.

You are quite correct! And as you say, it is unlikely it will happen. It will be difficult to make, and unlikely to have enough demand to make it worth it.

[IVNP]

Kinda OT, I just noticed my notebook's dvdrom drive won't read the +R discs I burned with BenQ 1640.(which suppose to have automatically bitset feature right?) How do I find out if a disc is been bitset to -rom or is it even with bitset, some dvd drive just won't read +R discs? Thanks in advance.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Kinda OT, I just noticed my notebook's dvdrom drive won't read the +R discs I burned with BenQ 1640.(which suppose to have automatically bitset feature right?) How do I find out if a disc is been bitset to -rom or is it even with bitset, some dvd drive just won't read +R discs? Thanks in advance.

Is it a Toshiba laptop? If it is, you might as well give up... they're REALLY picky!

Nero CD/DVD Speed will tell you if the disc is bitset though.

[Quick_lude]

I'll be picking the Costco ones up probably at the beginning of Feb when they go on sale again.
If you don't mind, could you post up your findings about these please? I'm planning to buy them once they are on sale..

Have a favour to ask of someone that lives in Mississauga. If you have already or are planning to buy these, can I buy one from you? My DVD player is picky wrt the burnt media, I need to try one out first before I commit to 200 of them. If you can help me out, send a pm, thank you. :)

[The Digital Dolphin]

If you don't mind, could you post up your findings about these please? I'm planning to buy them once they are on sale..

Have a favour to ask of someone that lives in Mississauga. If you have already or are planning to buy these, can I buy one from you? My DVD player is picky wrt the burnt media, I need to try one out first before I commit to 200 of them. If you can help me out, send a pm, thank you. :)

Well I will... but I don't rush things, and I'm going to be buying them late in the sale. There is little chance you'll get any info until after the sale is over.

[woof]

Hey DD are you still going to be doing a review on that new BenQ drive?

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey DD are you still going to be doing a review on that new BenQ drive?

I'm working on the DW1655 and will be working on the DW1670 ;)

[Evil Techie]

I'm working on the DW1655 and will be working on the DW1670 ;)

cool,
DD, whats this solidburn thing Benq has on the DW1670?

also how long will it take to burn a DL @ 8x?

also do you know when we will get it in canada?

[IVNP]

Is it a Toshiba laptop? If it is, you might as well give up... they're REALLY picky!


DOH! The drive is toshiba though. By the way, I'm starting to suspect those Verbatim DL +R coasters(7 of them...damn...waste all those money and time to figure out the problem.) I made are actually defective discs. Sucks I can't get refund or exchange on them since they're from Netlink. Next time I'm buying non spindle ones.

[Quick_lude]

Well I will... but I don't rush things, and I'm going to be buying them late in the sale. There is little chance you'll get any info until after the sale is over.
D'oh! :D

It's not THAT important, I won't be using them for any critical data.. My main concern is that I can play them in my DVD player after I burn a movie on it, hence I would like to buy one from someone and test it first.

[[buck]]

DOH! The drive is toshiba though. By the way, I'm starting to suspect those Verbatim DL +R coasters(7 of them...damn...waste all those money and time to figure out the problem.) I made are actually defective discs. Sucks I can't get refund or exchange on them since they're from Netlink. Next time I'm buying non spindle ones.

You can get replacements through Verbatim directly, if they are indeed defective. I can't tell you if they're defective though.

http://www.verbatim.com/documents/5168_VLLWarranty_052104sb.pdf

And i'm just curious... anyone know what's up with Netlink's super crappy return/exchange policy on defective media? I can understand that they don't want to get into the media/burner incompatibility crap and having to deal with newbies and their "coasters" (like FS/BB), but I think there are times that a product is clearly and truly defective (think dye splotches) that they *should* replace the discs.

[[buck]]

I just want to report that someone at CD Freaks has reported getting TDK 003 in a 16X made in India of spindle of those BOGO TDKs.

I was not aware that TDK outsources to MBIL... this is certainly news to me. Up until now I thought TDK 003 was only made in Japan and Luxembourg.

Quality (http://club.cdfreaks.com/showpost.php?p=1256465&postcount=33) looks good, too.

[IVNP]

Thanks for the info! Guess it wouldn't hurt to try since I'll be just out of 7 useless coasters to begin with.^^; I wonder if you need receipt or something though. Might have to dig that up somewhere.

[The Digital Dolphin]

cool,
DD, whats this solidburn thing Benq has on the DW1670?

also how long will it take to burn a DL @ 8x?

also do you know when we will get it in canada?

SolidBurn is a learning process used (started on the DW1640) to make new writing strategies for media, when the media isn't burning properly for some reason, or for media that doesn't have a burn strategy (this is pretty rare on BenQ drives!). It's usually only needed with media where high quality samples were sent to BenQ for writing support strategies, and then low quality crap is manufactured and sold on the market. So stuff like Dysan, Arrita, Princo, Onidtech, AML, and similar can benefit from this a great deal!

the BenQ DW1640 takes between 15min and 18min to burn DVD+RDL at 8x... not sure about the DW1655 or DW1670 yet. I assume it'll be similar.

The DW1655 is available in the US, Canada now... the DW1670 should be available around the end of March, to maybe mid April... hopefully.

[The Digital Dolphin]

DOH! The drive is toshiba though. By the way, I'm starting to suspect those Verbatim DL +R coasters(7 of them...damn...waste all those money and time to figure out the problem.) I made are actually defective discs. Sucks I can't get refund or exchange on them since they're from Netlink. Next time I'm buying non spindle ones.

Heh... I thought as much. Problems with Toshiba Laptop drives are very common, and it's always the first thing I ask about when someone mentions problems with a laptop drive reading things. Check your DVD+RDL discs on ANOTHER drive before ruling them as coasters (and it's quite unlikely to have 7 DVD+RDL coasters because of defective from Verbatim!).

[The Digital Dolphin]

And i'm just curious... anyone know what's up with Netlink's super crappy return/exchange policy on defective media? I can understand that they don't want to get into the media/burner incompatibility crap and having to deal with newbies and their "coasters" (like FS/BB), but I think there are times that a product is clearly and truly defective (think dye splotches) that they *should* replace the discs.

Dye Splotches are actually quite normal on B Grade media, to an extent, and are NOT indicative of defective media. I've seen B Grade (Dynax brand) MKM001 DVD+RDL media with dye splotches that burned fine, and Verbatim expects will last about as long as good looking media. They just don't like selling bad looking media under their Verbatim brand!

[callous]

The DW1655 is available in the US, Canada now... the DW1670 should be available around the end of March, to maybe mid April... hopefully.

What chipset is the 1670 based on? Will it do dvd-ram?

[The Digital Dolphin]

']I just want to report that someone at CD Freaks has reported getting TDK 003 in a 16X made in India of spindle of those BOGO TDKs.

I was not aware that TDK outsources to MBIL... this is certainly news to me. Up until now I thought TDK 003 was only made in Japan and Luxembourg.

Quality (http://club.cdfreaks.com/showpost.php?p=1256465&postcount=33) looks good, too.

I think I remember hearing about TDK using MBIL previously, it's not a surprise to me either way though. I think MBIL is suffering the same problem with bonding as many other manufacturers though...

I'll look for the MII discs when I head to Costco next week.

[The Digital Dolphin]

What chipset is the 1670 based on? Will it do dvd-ram?

It's not known yet what chipset it's based on, but yes it will do DVD-RAM.

[Evil Techie]

What chipset is the 1670 based on? Will it do dvd-ram?

yup
it will be an all-in-one drive

probably a philips chip but i dont know which one since its new

[S...]

Does anyone know what the best blank cd-r media is on http://blankmedia.ca? I only want to spend about $29.99 for a 100 pack pref. white inkjet. I am leaning towards the Ritek $24.95/100 http://blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=900 , but I am not sure if this would be a wise decision or not.

Thanks,
S.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Does anyone know what the best blank cd-r media is on http://blankmedia.ca? I only want to spend about $29.99 for a 100 pack pref. white inkjet. I am leaning towards the Ritek $24.95/100 http://blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=900 , but I am not sure if this would be a wise decision or not.

Thanks,
S.

I'm not a big fan of Ritek's regular (non hub) printable surface for CD-Rs... but the discs are roughly ok. Taiyo Yuden doesn't have a MUCH better surface, but the quality is MUCH better (and you PAY for it!).

I won't call the Ritek's a BAD choice though.

[[buck]]

I think I remember hearing about TDK using MBIL previously, it's not a surprise to me either way though. I think MBIL is suffering the same problem with bonding as many other manufacturers though...

I'll look for the MII discs when I head to Costco next week.

Yeah, they've been using MBIL coded stuff for a while, but this is the first time i've heard of MBIL making media using TDK stampers..

[S...]

I'm not a big fan of Ritek's regular (non hub) printable surface for CD-Rs... but the discs are roughly ok. Taiyo Yuden doesn't have a MUCH better surface, but the quality is MUCH better (and you PAY for it!).

I won't call the Ritek's a BAD choice though.

Thanks.

So I guess I would be better off getting these TY's for $35.95 ?
http://blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=51

Even though one of the reviews says that the lacquer comes off easily.

Thanks again,
S.

[[buck]]

Thanks.

So I guess I would be better off getting these TY's for $35.95 ?
http://blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=51

Even though one of the reviews says that the lacquer comes off easily.

Thanks again,
S.

The printables are only a few bucks more:

http://blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=266

[Jon Lai]

Wow, BenQ is already looking to the next model? I thought BenQ were one of the slower moving companies in terms of new models for DVD burners?!

Also, 2006 is the year of High Definition in the media industry.. shouldn't they start making Blu-Ray drives and burners in 2006?

[IVNP]

Heh... I thought as much. Problems with Toshiba Laptop drives are very common, and it's always the first thing I ask about when someone mentions problems with a laptop drive reading things. Check your DVD+RDL discs on ANOTHER drive before ruling them as coasters (and it's quite unlikely to have 7 DVD+RDL coasters because of defective from Verbatim!).

No no the DL coasters are a seperately problem I had earlier. They all only burns like first layer then having error in Nero with both BenQ 1640 and the LG 1430. The Toshiba problem I mentioned is just the damn thing doesn't read +R whether it's bitset to -rom or not. It's a cdrw/dvd-rom drive with my notebook.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Thanks.

So I guess I would be better off getting these TY's for $35.95 ?
http://blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=51

Even though one of the reviews says that the lacquer comes off easily.

Thanks again,
S.

Sure it'll come off.... if you stick ductape or a label on it, and then pull it off... or leave it in a vinyl sleeve in a room with high humidty for a long time, and then let the sleeve adhere to the disc.

Under regular circumstances, the laquere will stay on.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Wow, BenQ is already looking to the next model? I thought BenQ were one of the slower moving companies in terms of new models for DVD burners?!

Also, 2006 is the year of High Definition in the media industry.. shouldn't they start making Blu-Ray drives and burners in 2006?

Normally they are pretty good about it... it's kind of weird, we never even GOT the DW1650! and we're almost ready for the DW1670!

So basically the DW1640 is being replaced by the DW1670, and the DW1625 is being replaced by the DW1655. the DQ60 shouldn't exist (but technically would ALSO be replaced by the DW1670).

And as for BluRay... yeah they're making them. Believe me, I'm on the list to get a demo unit when it's ready :cheesygri

[The Digital Dolphin]

No no the DL coasters are a seperately problem I had earlier. They all only burns like first layer then having error in Nero with both BenQ 1640 and the LG 1430. The Toshiba problem I mentioned is just the damn thing doesn't read +R whether it's bitset to -rom or not. It's a cdrw/dvd-rom drive with my notebook.

Oops, nevermind then!

[Evil Techie]

DD, why dont they (manufacturers such as TY) put another layer of protection on CD-Rs like they do with DVD-Rs?

like not considering cost wise

[callous]

Hey Dolphin, where's a cheap place to buy compressed air? What is a good price?

[Jon Lai]

Normally they are pretty good about it... it's kind of weird, we never even GOT the DW1650! and we're almost ready for the DW1670!

So basically the DW1640 is being replaced by the DW1670, and the DW1625 is being replaced by the DW1655. the DQ60 shouldn't exist (but technically would ALSO be replaced by the DW1670).

And as for BluRay... yeah they're making them. Believe me, I'm on the list to get a demo unit when it's ready :cheesygri


Who knows. Maybe BenQ is pushing it now that they know HD is coming. Newer models means it'll lure more people into buying them.

Oh, and be sure to fill us in with the BluRay info.. do you have any info on when the commercial burners and readers are appearing on the market, and approximate value?

[The Digital Dolphin]

DD, why dont they (manufacturers such as TY) put another layer of protection on CD-Rs like they do with DVD-Rs?

like not considering cost wise

They do... for OEM customers, when they ask for it. Like in the case of Maxell's CD-R Pro media. It has a top layer protective coating. They don't do it on the bottom, because scratches on the top of the disc are much worse then scratches on the bottom ;)

[The Digital Dolphin]

Hey Dolphin, where's a cheap place to buy compressed air? What is a good price?

A tire store? :lol:

Honestly, I don't really know... I don't shop around for it a lot. When I buy it, I either go to London Drugs or Maxell.

[The Digital Dolphin]

Who knows. Maybe BenQ is pushing it now that they know HD is coming. Newer models means it'll lure more people into buying them.

Oh, and be sure to fill us in with the BluRay info.. do you have any info on when the commercial burners and readers are appearing on the market, and approximate value?

BluRay/HDDVD burners will appear on the market at the EARLIEST around the end of the second quarter of the year, but more likely in the third quarter. Expected pricing is like this:

$499 USD for Toshiba HDDVD player
~$1000 USD for Panasonic or Pioneer BluRay player
$500-$600 USD for Sony PS3 BluRay player (guesstimated by some)

[[buck]]

Dolph,

I've got a quick question for you. :)

Just out of curiousity, do you know if the "F" in RitekF1 is for Fujifilm, like it is with ProdiscF01/02? In other words, does RitekF1 use a Fujifilm dye?

Thanks.

[Evil Techie]

Hey Dolphin, where's a cheap place to buy compressed air? What is a good price?

Costco is the cheapest place in Canada
period

ive done my hw so trust me