Can someone please help me choose the best media for me?

[movie freak]

http://www.blankdiscshop.co.uk/acatalog/DVD_Section__DVD_R_RW___DVD_R_RW___DVD_RAM_.html

this is where i buy my dvd's and hope to buy future dvd's

ok i'll need to know what to use for

DVD+R (1, 2.4, or 4x)
DVD-R (1, 2.4, or 4x)
DVD+RW

My DVD burner is the Sony DRU-500a.. thanks alot in advance...
i'm terrible when it comes to this stuff.

P.S. I have used the yellow top datawrites, and they seem ok but someone told me not to use them.

Also i will deffinetly need to get them from that site.

[SaSi]

Your (our) burner is a very sensitive baby. It doesn't like whatever you through at it.

If you record for archival purposes (one copy for backup of data, media, etc), I'd suggest you use high quality media. I have found that TDK (both for +R and -R) have never failed me in any speed. I was even once able to record a 2X -R disk at 4X without any problems.

On +RW, I'd say that any descent brand would do. Buy cheap. Perhaps an expensive disk could last 1000 recordings while a cheaper one will fail at 500 times. I bed you'll have scratched it (as I) before you reach 300 sessions.

The on-line store you use provides a sample pack of disks. I'd suggest you buy 2 sample packs and try them. You'll see which of the disks is better suited (compatible) with the recorder and which ones actually deliver 4x recording speed. Don't expect them all to achieve that with DRU500A.

The Ritek disks are very much discussed and several people on this forum describe how the SONY can't write at 4X (depending on the f/w revision in the drive).

BTW, -R disks don't come at 2.4X speeds. Just 2X.

[movie freak]

thanks for your help... hmm... i may just stick with the yellow datawrite tops, but i am going to get 2 of the packs to see what's best.

[garryheather]

Please remember that just because you can write to a disc doesn't mean your playback device will be able to read it.

Some standalone DVD players for example are even more temperamental when it comes to media than the recorders are.

[BobK]

I have a Sony DRU 500AX. I've tried a lot of differnt disks and had problems with a lot of them. The only ones that I use now are TDK +R or -R- 2X or 4X, Ritek 2X (I tried a pack of 4X and had errors on 4 out of 4- returned the other 46).

I've also used Fuji +R and they generally work okey, but I don't like them as well as the TDK or Riteks.