DVD media codes same, but different brand?

[mcamp]

This is probably a stupid question, but I was wondering if differnet brands (TDK, Fujifilm, etc.) use the same disks, only difference being their own branded label and packaging?

Reason I ask is that I put a TDK disk in my drive and ran DVD Identifier and found that it's media code is RITEK G04, then I put a Fujifilm disk into my drive and ran DVD Identifier again and found that it's ALSO a RITEK G04.. Are these two disks the same??

The TDK plays fine in my Sony DVP NS715P, but the Fujifilm gives me the freezing and 10 second skips toward the end of the disk. If they're essentially the same disks, why the difference in play??

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[888888]

I imagine Ritek has a number of factories, or at least production lines and quality control lines. Maybe the Fuji is just a bad burn, since Ritek is not that great anyway apparently.

[mcamp]

I burned 3 of the Fuji's and they all turned out crap, with the pausing and 10 second skips at the end..

I just don't get it.. So Ritek might have several factories, different quality controls.. I can buy one spindle, RITEK G04's and everything great.. Then when I run out, I go and buy another spindle of RITEK G04's and they can be crap? There's no consistency?? I'm playing the lottery every time I buy a spindle??

[888888]

I personally don't have any experience with Ritek DVD-Rs although I have used Ritek rewritable discs. There are people on this board who have used Ritek for a long time without any problems and suddenly burned dozens of coasters. This is with the same brand type and package, just new batches. Since Ritek makes such a tremendous amount of recordable media, I think it is possible that different batches sent to different resellers could vary in quality as well. Also, Ritek has a quality control structure where discs that aren't Grade A are resold cheaper under different brands.

The point is that Ritek seems to be somewhat inconsistent in quality. After having problems with the similar "ok but not spectacular" Taiwanese manufacturer Optodisc, I recently decided to spend the extra money and order Maxell DVD-Rs. They should arrive next week and I hope they are coasterless.

[FulciLives]

Ritek was once considered crap. Then they got their act together and became very good. Now they are back to well not exactly crap but like you say now it is a gamble. Some Ritek G04 discs are good and some are not and it's almost impossible to tell from packaging what kind of batch you will get.

As far as a cheap DVD-R disc goes the newer 4x DVD-R Prodisc discs are supposedly very good and very cheap. I just ordered some from supermediastore.com for something like $38.00 for a 50 pack (4x DVD-R). That price includes shipping too!

Hopefully they will burn well (fingers crossed ... I be getting them by mid-week next week).

If you want to truely be the safe the best DVD-R discs are Taiyo Yuden. You will almost NEVER EVER have a problem with them.

The FUJI DVD-R packs that say MADE IN JAPAN are Taiyo Yuden discs. Only the 10 and 5 packs say this.

The other way to buy Taiyo Yuden DVD-R discs is to order them on-line. The best price I have seen for them is at rima.com

They are expensive but damn they do work a charm!

The next disc "down" which is probably really just as good (or very nearly as good) would be the Maxell DVD-R discs. Again you can buy 10-packs that say MADE IN JAPAN. Best place I have found to get these is at WalMart.

I wouldn't buy shit that says MADE IN TAIWAN although I do think Prodisc is but apparently they are VERY good ... how long that will last remains to be seen. Ritek sure fell from grace so I wouldn't be surprised if that eventually happens to Prodisc as well.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman