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  1. Member
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    I'm really trying to figure this one out. I only use high quality media (Ritek) and I've never had a problem with them. Burn, play fine on everything, and I can get them for less than $2.00 Canadian.

    My question is, when quality media is so cheap, why are people still using inferior media? I mean, is it really worth burning dvds that may not play properly, or can degrade in order to save a few cents? I'm not trying to criticize anyone, I'm thinking that maybe there's a reason a can't see.

    By all means, please, share your opinions.
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    i use inferior media for my friends.
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  3. Banned
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    Mebbe "cheap" is relative. I mean, to a "bigshotceo, 10 bucks, US, might be cheap. To the average habtue here, it might just be a little high.

    Then, too, mebbe some people don't have the problems some of you do with any "lesser" media.

    To each his own. At least that's what the lady said when she kissed the cow's behind.

    Keep on keeping on, "upper cruster".

    Mebbe half will take your side, the other half, "Hey, I got no probs with some of the "Class D " stuff".

    Oh, well, keep the thread alive. Interesting, at least.

    Cheers,

    George
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  4. i'm guessing that some people are looking for a good deal and dont even realise they're buying shitty media..

    dvd media is like hookers.. if you spend alot you usually get good output.. if you spend very little, it usually sucks.. although sometimes its good, really good.
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  5. DVD Ninja budz's Avatar
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    Have you ever thought that people buy cheaper dvd media because that's all they can afford? Or that they are economical because they have families to support and buying the best dvd media which is costly would put a cramp in there budget? Ever thought about that? I'm sure everyone has there own opinions about this topic.

    I buy those cheap COMPUSA FMI DVD-R which are PRINCO media because they work fine on all my standalone dvd players and on my family and friend's one too. I also buy the expensive media RICOH & RITEK G04. Everyone has there own budget restraints and reasons on why they buy the cheaper media. The cheap dvd media is only inferior if it doesn't work for you.
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  6. When I got my DVD burner, it came with a Sony +RW

    I used that to test it out and it worked fine...and I just use that to test stuff out with


    my first DVD Rs were a sample pack of different brands of -R, +R and -/+ RW, that were said to be compatible with my burner, just to see which ones worked best for me - they all work perfectly (never made a coaster yet) and I really don't see any difference in quality at all.

    I started buying Ritek only ever since I started reading this forum, and have stuck with that 'cause they all work great and I have no reason to switch to something else - I get both + and -R in balk for under a dollar each and only order online.

    I've burn over 200 DVDs so far, and haven't had any fail on me as of yet.

    I've followed Lordsmurf's guides from the start and that works for me.
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  7. A lot of it will be because they are used to buying cd-r's and anything goes in them so you would think the same applies to dvd-r's. Now we all know better dont we....
    Started of using Princo's as they seemed to be a good deal and i knew no better now use Riteks all the time for movies.
    Riteks cost around £17 to £20 for 25 printable ones approx 80p per disk yet the cheapest from the same source is 40p a disk (Longten Tech White Top 4x DVD-R ) one hell of a saving and if they work who cares its money in my pocket... I might not be here in 6 months when they dont work anymore and i can always blame them for it not working anymore....
    Not bothered by small problems...
    Spend a night alone with a mosquito
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  8. Member
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    If they work in my burners why should I consider them crap just because someone else, or everyone else has posted to that effect.

    Yes i use Princo, 40 to 60 cents/ea-us. Don't have a problem, family and friends have not had a problem.

    Have tried other brands that don't work and just return for refund and the dealer usually eats the 1 or 2 coasters
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  9. There's nothing wrong with trying to get a good deal. Why spend more than you have to? I just got some of the CompUSA DVD+R's today and so far they're fine. Of all the cheap disks I've bought over the years, the only ones that were junk were some Memorex CD-RW's. Otherwise, the positive experiences far outweigh the negative ones....
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  10. Originally Posted by jeex
    i'm guessing that some people are looking for a good deal and dont even realise they're buying shitty media..

    dvd media is like hookers.. if you spend alot you usually get good output.. if you spend very little, it usually sucks.. although sometimes its good, really good.
    Excellent as always jeex, keep em coming.
    If it's wet, drink it

    My DVD Collection
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  11. What about their application ?

    If I need to get a number of files from one machine to another, or just keep a record of e-mails or something like that, a cheapo disc is fine so long as it verifies OK. Sometimes it's easier to use one DVD instead of a couple of CD-R's and a gig or so rarely causes problems for even the cheapest discs.

    However, I wouldn't use those discs for anything important or of value, and if I were to put video on them, they would not play on my Sony standalone. I have to feed that decent discs.

    So on occasion, I buy dirt cheap discs. But I also by the more "premium" ones which, in bulk, don't really cost all that much more.
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  12. I guess the main reason is most people are not well informed about what is good or bad media. Lets face it if you buy somwthing to do a job, you would expect it to be able to do what it says on the tin. Which as we are all aware is not necessarily the case with all DVD media.

    We are all lucky enough to have found this site and can read reports on media from thousands of other users here. But if you have just bought your new PC with a DVD burner in it, and are not aware of such issues, you could be forgiven for buying DVD media and actually expecting it to do what it is supposed to.
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  13. Originally Posted by snafu099
    If they work in my burners why should I consider them crap just because someone else, or everyone else has posted to that effect.

    Yes i use Princo, 40 to 60 cents/ea-us. Don't have a problem, family and friends have not had a problem.

    Have tried other brands that don't work and just return for refund and the dealer usually eats the 1 or 2 coasters
    My sentiments exactly I use princo's which you consider inferior but I have never ever had a problem, so they are not inferior to me.
    If it's wet, drink it

    My DVD Collection
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  14. Use what works for you, and cross your fingers that you'll still be able to read the data years from now.
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  15. Member
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    Originally Posted by gmatov
    Mebbe "cheap" is relative. I mean, to a "bigshotceo, 10 bucks, US, might be cheap. To the average habtue here, it might just be a little high.
    I personally feel that $2 Canadian is cheap though, that's my personal opinion and others may feel differantly.
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  16. Member
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    I use princos AU$1 each and longtens 60c each , both regarded as shitty media and I have never burnt a coaster yet (130 so far).
    All work perfectly in my pioneer no matter what burning program I use.
    For me ,I don't see the point of paying AU$2.20 for riteks when they are not going to give me any added benefit.
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  17. Member
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    Originally Posted by budz
    Have you ever thought that people buy cheaper dvd media because that's all they can afford? Or that they are economical because they have families to support and buying the best dvd media which is costly would put a cramp in there budget? Ever thought about that? I'm sure everyone has there own opinions about this topic.
    I guess I can kind of see your point there. But DVD burning is a luxury and if things are that tight then I'd question why someone would be shelling out for such goodies as DVD burners and blanks. Not my place to tell people what they should and shouldn't do though

    Anyway, I can afford to buy grade A media and will buy nothing less. My only two experiments with lesser media resulted in a) Read Errors at the outer edge of a disc (Longten C-Rap) and b) incompatibility with one of my standalones (Optodisk).

    My advice is to buy the best you can afford at the time. If it works, stick with it.

    I think that goes for pretty much anything in life.
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  18. I'v been using a cheap media that is very good,i'm talking 8x rip speed on these 4x's.
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  19. The Old One SatStorm's Avatar
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    Yeah, and in 2 years most, those discs gonna be unplayable, like dozens of cheap princo cdrs...

    I agree most with Craig Tucker on this. People don't know what is good or what is bad. You can't trust lebels, price, suggestions, reviews... What looks OK turns shit and vise versa...

    Today, you buy something under a well know lebel at a high price and it is shit. Or, you buy a bulk at a lower price and you discover that it is the same with that High end overpriced model you dreamed and couldn't afford to get!
    It is a crazy world if you ask me.
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  20. I think Craig and SatStorm have it pretty much correct.

    Most people simply don't know any better!

    You often get a few disks thrown in when you buy your burner. These will work fine. The you go shopping for more and find some cheap. Hey, its still DVD+/-r folks, why waste money on the expensive stuff.

    Go home, burn. If you are lucky the burn will finish without errors. Put it in your DVD player and nothing or stuttering, pixelation and general crap.

    Hmmm, what have I done different from the last 'backup', maybe I need to defrag or re-install windows.

    Nope, its the cheap media you just wasted your hard earned on. Thats when you end up here asking what did I do wrong.

    To those that have success with cheap media. Good for you, you are the lucky ones, but it does give problems to many.
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  21. Originally Posted by SatStorm
    Yeah, and in 2 years most, those discs gonna be unplayable, like dozens of cheap princo cdrs...
    All of the disks I've bought that I still use, even the cheap ones from 7 years ago, still work (except for the Memorex CD-RW's). Maybe I'm just lucky. One thing I've noticed is that it all depends on each person's particular system. Having sold computers in the past, I quickly became aware of the fact that no two computers are really the same.

    Even off the box brands like HP or Sony become individualized once their owners start using them, downloading files or installing new applications. So what works for one person won't for another...
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  22. Member
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    I have probably burned 600 DVDs .
    They cost me around $0.79 ea
    They all still work (i think)
    $720.00 savings is not trivial
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  23. Member
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    Why do people buy $300 DVD Players? Do they think they are 'Better' than a $39 APEX? Or a $49 Operite with Progressive and Optical output?

    People buy cheap because they assume all media is the same (except for burn speed).
    To Be, Or, Not To Be, That, Is The Gazorgan Plan
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  24. Originally Posted by FOO
    I have probably burned 600 DVDs .
    They cost me around $0.79 ea
    They all still work (i think)
    $720.00 savings is not trivial
    Can you go and check them all, all the way through from beginning to end please.
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  25. Member
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    Sure, no problem
    600 x 2 hours = 1200 hours = 50 days.
    I'll get back to you in a couple of months.

    Actually I use a statistcal approach. Pick a random one and watch it
    every couple of days. Surely if there's a systematic problem , I'll find
    out eventually.
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  26. I use the Comp USA DVD-R for about $1.00 each and they work just fine. NO need to buy more expensive media. I have a Sony DRU 500a burner.
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  27. The Old One SatStorm's Avatar
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    All my Princo's and Samsung's from 2000 - 2002 today are unplayable... I mean the true manufactures, not what the lebbel said when I bought them. You know the story...

    With my DVD-Rs, I use only original Japanish Tayon Yuden and nothing else. Cost about 1.10 Euro each (4x), but I count on them!
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  28. Member Schmendrick's Avatar
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    One very important thing with respect to long term readability I have found out for CD-Rs (I don't know if this applies as well to DVD-+R's) is that some media gets unreadable if you stick inkjet printed labels on them. It appears that colour or some chemical diffuses into the medium and renders some areas unreadable by apparently changing the reflective properties. Another problem with longterm storage I have found is if you keep the CD-Rs stored in a paper sleeve which has an adhesive lid. Over time the adhesive degrades (turns yellow/brown) and seems also to diffuse into the CD-R as this therafter has a slight brown colour on this part. The result is that these CD-Rs are unreadable.

    Therefore an appropriate storage place is also very important. Then I guess these problems especially applies to cheap media which hardly has any proper coating.

    I hope you others don't find my comment too off topic.

    CU

    Schmendrick
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  29. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    The only reason I ever used cheap media was because:
    - A. I didn't know better yet (2001) .. it used to be okay with cheap CD-R, I figured why not DVD-R too? dumb, stupid mistake
    - B. had unusual good experiences with said brand (used Princo for 2 years without flaw, but not any more), even had to drop Optodisc from 4x dye melting
    - C. or got suckered (infamous CMC or fake TDK/MXL swindles).

    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I try to learn the first time, thanks.

    I pay monthly homage to MXL, RICOHJPN, TDK and RITEK these days
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
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  30. Originally Posted by Schmendrick
    One very important thing with respect to long term readability I have found out for CD-Rs (I don't know if this applies as well to DVD-+R's) is that some media gets unreadable if you stick inkjet printed labels on them.

    Not just sticky labels, but also printing onto the disc itself.

    I've rented official released DVDs where there was so much ink covering the face of the disc that it was all chipping/peeling/rubbing off making one hell of a mess.
    There was no way I was gonna chance sticking that into my player!

    I would imagine heat from the player would cause ink to rub off in time.

    Why are fancy labels so important to a lot of people?

    I would think that is the cause of most problems.

    You really only need to ID the DVD -not paint all over it.


    If many Hollywood studios release their movies with only hub labels, why would people think you need a picture covering the disc to make it look professional?


    Save the printing for your cases - I often wonder who it is some of you are trying to impress anyway


    What counts is what's on the disc - not how pretty you can make it look.
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