So whats the best duplicator DVD media today?

[gwoiler]

I have been using Ritek Ridata G05 for a few years but I get quite a few that just stop working when they played just fine previously. The inkjet surface is very good too. If I were to switch brands for longevity, what do you suggest? I print a few hundred to a 1000 per month. I just fear that one day all my clients will tell me that their DVD's don't work anymore! Is the organic dye changing over time? I burn them on Pioneer burners with ily controllers. Maybe Plexter would be a good move?

[MOVIEGEEK]

Ritek uses an inferior dye,use Verbatim DLP(MCC) or Taiyo Yuden.

[lordsmurf]

Use Verbatim.

It's not the Ritek discs, it's the players and laser age, in a complex mix of problems that all happen at the same time. The discs were never good, but you notice it more as your equipment ages, and as the quality of new products lowers.

[Alan69]

Use Verbatim.

Of course, things are always subject to change.. Last 100 spindle of Verbatim from Newegg is junk compared to normal, Liteon based items seem to hate it, and still work fine burning older discs I have. Kept it only because it's still working fine with the NEC 3550A, so usable, but well off from normal.

Also, have heard quite a few similar complaints about recent Verbatim. Hopefully just a bad batch or two though..

[gwoiler]

So for me... burning hundreds at a time, [I am a home based freelance video editor], I need to have confidence in a brand that is always good. Ritek USED to be such a brand. But now, I feel as if I am sitting on a time bomb and my door is going to get beaten down from unhappy people because their DVD's quit working! So I guess Taiyo Yuden or a brand that puts their name over them is where I need to go?

[awhitney]

Been using taiyo uden media for the past 3 and a half years and haven't had a problem.

[SCDVD]

I like Taiyo Yuden because Taiyo Yuden makes Taiyo Yuden. When a brand outsources their production, it's a potential concern.

[gwoiler]

Been using taiyo uden media for the past 3 and a half years and haven't had a problem.

Seems like I see a few kinds of Taiyo Yuden media. Which are you using? Or is anything made by Taiyo Yuden OK?

[lordsmurf]

Better test your systems with both TY and Verbatim, see which works best. Some burners hate TY out there too.

[gwoiler]

I am just using Pioneer burners with a sony reader thru an ILY controller. Pretty generic. I have often wondered if I should be using Plexter burners. With as cheap as a Pioneer burner is these days, I wonder if Plexter is better?

[Alan69]

Isn't just by price, some recent Plextors have had only mediocre reviews.


Everything that's good is only good until it isn't. Verbatim has been outstanding for me, until this last spindle. PS, there is mention that it's only the 100 spindles with the short lip on the edge, the thin raised part around the top edge, about 1/8" on this spindle. The other Made In Tiawans with the higher edge are supposedly still fine. Hard to tell if you're getting a mail order deal.

While discs are relatively simple now and the equipment is automated, it's still a fairly exact process to make a good disc. Even a very minor upset in either the real world or the machine's operation and anyone could easily make thousands of bad discs. And they could easily get shipped, especially if they pass on their equipment. These worse discs I have are burning fine in my NEC, yet don't burn in my Liteon items, even though they work great with all of the other Verbatims I've ever had. The difference is probably something extremely minor that the Liteons aren't handling.. You just about have to just burn, and treat everything on a batch by batch basis. A single spindle should be fairly consistent, spot check a few across the spindle for burn quality and you should have a good idea for the rest.

PPioneer usually makes very tolerant burners, and it may be something very specific between the Liteon and this batch of Verbaitms. Likely you could burn these just fine.. Heck Verbatim is cheap, usually less than $25 after rebates and shipping etc. Easy enough to get some and check.