Media quality question

[stevedore]

What makes a given brand of blank DVD media "bad"? Does it mean that you're more likely to get failed burns? Shorter lifespan of good recordings? Both?

I'm a little new at this, and bought some Khypermedia blank DVD-R's a while ago. Dvdinfo says they're CMC (2X) brand, which I've read some unfavorable things about. I've burned a few, and they all work fine (so far). But am I likely to have problems with these a few years from now?

I've since bought a quantity of Ritek G03's, and have been using them. Just wondering whether I should return the unopened packs of the Khypermedia.

Thanks!

[lordsmurf]

The "wearing out over time" argument is not proven. Often facts are missing. The media may have ALWAYS been bad. Or the verification test on the burning software may be faulty (like the one in Nero). A term "laser rot" exists for LaserDiscs, but that is for a large pressed media that shares little with burnable CD or DVD in terms of physical construct.

There are rumors of bad glues and uneven plastics, but again, that is little more than speculation at this time.

The real reason is balance. Media must balance to spin at those high speeds and be hit by a finite little laser beam. If the disc is unbalanced, the wobble will make the data spew outside the area where it is SUPPOSED to be, causing it to fail.

CMC 1x/2x and Princo 1x/2x and Leaddata 1x/2x are guilty of bad balance and cheap dyes (which mostly causes the bad balance).

[Laddydaddy]

Are the DVDs you burned greater than 4 gigs in size? Some people seem to have problems when the file size goes over the 4 gig limit.

[lordsmurf]

Are the DVDs you burned greater than 4 gigs in size? Some people seem to have problems when the file size goes over the 4 gig limit.

That's often where the imbalance begins, but it can start as low as the 2.5GB area.

[Gees]

But am I likely to have problems with these a few years from now?

Only time will tell. :c0

Let us know how they're doing in 2+ years. :c)

By that time (hah!) we may all be learning how to make halographic DVDs :cD

[stevedore]

Thanks for the replies; I think I'll return the unopened packs, & use the few I have left for copies of some things I'll continue to have access to, should I need to re-burn them.

The few I've done are 3-4GB, and as I mentioned, no problems so far, either burning or viewing them on my $80 Panasonic player. As Gees said, time will tell.....

[overloaded_ide]

If the primary problem is balance, then will the disk die overtime?
I mean if it works today out of ballance, then why not next month or a year or two? Does it get further out of balance the older it gets, or the more it is used?

Now I could see if the dye rots/fades the disk dying. If it just fades out like a bad ink in the sun does.

Hmm, new product Idea, Mr. disk balancer!

[lordsmurf]

If the primary problem is balance, then will the disk die overtime? I mean if it works today out of ballance, then why not next month or a year or two? Does it get further out of balance the older it gets, or the more it is used? Now I could see if the dye rots/fades the disk dying. If it just fades out like a bad ink in the sun does. Hmm, new product Idea, Mr. disk balancer!

No, that's not how it works. The dye won't shift after manufacture.

[ricky1756]

i have had problems with both khypermedia and optimum once they got past a certain size. but, im pretty sure the problem is with the dyeing process, and not imbalance. you can usually actually see the discoloration in the dye.

[overloaded_ide]

No, that's not how it works. The dye won't shift after manufacture.

Yea, that's what I thought.
So what I meant really was if the disk works today, then it should not die later to a balance problem. Balance wise, it either works or doesn't when first burned, but for dying in 6months or a few years would be due to something else right? Like dye fade? Melting, crystalizing or whatever it might do???

[dlawedor]

it's oxydation i think ... because of the may be bad enclosement of the dye