CDN users of Pioneer DVDR-AO5

[Jedi27]

For you Canadian owners of this drive, a few questions about media:
1. What is the most successful and cheapest ($$ wise) type you've used
2. Where do you buy your media?

I've been using the Verbatim DatalifePlus 2x 4.,7 GB DVD-Rs. I've yet to burn a coaster in 4 tries since the weekend. I haven't bought any yet b/c I got them as part of my deal with Futureshop, but they are normally $9.99 + Taxes, which is too expensive. I'd like to find a decent online Canadian store so I don't pay any duty charges or worse, pay through my teeth b/c of the US Exchange.

I'm also looking for a comparable media at a lower price.
www.oemexpress.com has optodisc DVD-Rs (maybe only 1x's) for $150, but I don't know if they are good.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Jedi27

[Seraphic]

my experiences with the rima.com sample pack and my new Pioneer DVR-105 with firmware 1.0 First time DVD burner here. happy as hell too.

everything burned properly at 1x and ran on all my dvd drives. my burns were all 4gb or less each. Used Nero 5.5.9.17 with UDF/ISO, aspi 4.6 installed. XP sp1.

DVD drives TESTED , Pioneer DVR-105, DVD-119, Toshiba Satellite notebook 2800 and Toshiba set top DVD player SD2800.

Tonight I Ordered a cheap 100 spindle of Princo $59 since they burn and play just as fast and as well as the more expensive Ritek G03's. I also ordered a 10pak of Princo RW for $12 to back up my computer. If you want to ship by US postal service you need to call them. toll free 888-777-7462.

It looks like a rant but this place has THE BEST customer service I have ever had from an internet merchant. All my e-mails are answered with 24hrs (4 so far)and they called me back 30mins later with a shipping quote tonight. So Order a sample pack test em out if of course you want 2x or 4x media the sample pack is all 1x stuff.

Unless I can get a DVD-R for $1.50 cdn tax included each in Canada I'm always going to order/buy from rima.

Looking forward to seeing Ritek 4x media at less than $1 US per disc before summertime. hopefully.

good luck to all.

[Jedi27]

Thanks Seraphic.

I check the site out..very nice prices. I just ordered a sample pack.

Quick question: i take it you are from Canada as well...what was the duty or custom fees like?

Cheers,
Jedi27

[Seraphic]

UPS shipping is ok for the sample pack since it flew under the UPS brokerage charge value of min. $20 so no brokerage charge bu tI should get a tax owing bill in the mail in the a week or so since they did not collect tax at my door when it was delivered. If your order is going to be more call them and ask for US postal service instead.

It took 7 days for my sample pack to get to Montreal from Cali by UPS.

Tonight my order of 100 spindle and a 10 pack by US post parcel was $23.
This is more expensive initially than the $11 quote for UPS on the website but then UPS will charge $25 or so dollars to broker the $100 - $200 CDN value item by ground. So US post is a little more Economical.

Vendors are too greedy here. I could easily sell the media I buy at Rima at 200% markup and still be competitive to their 300 -500% markups

[Jedi27]

I agree...the prices here are ridiculous. I wonder if the govt secretly did tack on the electronic luxury tax they were speaking about. That will really hurt CDN business for electronic media/MP3 players etc...
I'll let you know how I make out.

[Seraphic]

Please do let us know

Got to be nuts to pay $8.00 for a Blank DVD-R even if it might be a 2x I can wait 25 more minutes and save $6.75.

Futureshop will gladly sell yuo a DVD burner for less hoping they fill their coffers with your cash spent on their media

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/subclass.asp?logon=&langid=EN&dept=1&WLBS=fs%2Dweb3&catid=12501

[Seraphic]

BTW I bought a 5 pak of Princo DVD-R from a local dealer here to tide me over until my Rima order comes in.

http://www.frostys.qc.ca/e_products.phtml?category=media

Its not the same as Rima's

Rima's is white all the way to the center hole and the Princo from the local dealer is clear a half inch before the center hole.

Anyways I burnt a movie just now with the Princo I bought locally and it was total crap 1 hour into the film started to pixlate and then it just freezes. Not all Princo is built the same.

The stuff from Rima was perfect 2 for 2 in the Sample Pak.

So if you are buying Princo in Canada sold in full size Jewel case with black label on the front & white lable at back jewel case in singles or boxed 5 paks ..........DON"T STAY CLEAR of this sub=par media.

[Seraphic]

If you are in Montreal Quebec area then read on: Staples 150% Pricematch bonanza!

I freaken LOVE Staples!!!!!!!!

I was going stir crazy having to wait a week for a DVD-R blank order so I went to Staples with a copy of this.

http://www.frostys.qc.ca/e_products.phtml?category=media

Price matched that for this

http://www.staples.ca/products/catalog/skuset.asp?SuperCategoryId=3&skusetid=10026

Came out to $3.35 before tax each Saved like $5.00 a pop.

Good stuff too. It burns at 2x

Damn if only Staples would sell the 4x?

I cleaned out 3 Staples Stores! Total 16 DVD-R

Gonna be tuff going back to 1x burn speed when my order from rima.com comes in oh well. just a matter of time and these crazy media prices will settle down.

Staples is out to put the HURT on the Competition! BIG TIME!

[dhardy123]

Thanks Seraphic for the idea

Went to my nearby Staples with a web page selling Verbatim DVD-Rs for $4.60 Cdn

Salesman charged me the regular price for 1 ($8.29) and $2.75 on the other 9. He charged me full price on the 1 because he said he needed to factor in shipping costs. That was OK by me.

I love the 150% guarantee....10 Verbatims 2X DVD-R, tax included $38.21
or $3.82 each...

[Seraphic]

$2.75 a pop! very nice snag

hehe rima.co sells them for more in US currency.

What a deal! too bad I can't afford a 100 of em.

[Jedi27]

Hey guys,

Better yet, find a CD/DVD duplication outfit in your area. Tell them you are running a home business of transferring VHS to DVD (which is what I'm now doing) etc.. I called one place with whom I used to be the contact point at my old job.

I'm testing a 5 pack of generic (don't even know if they are 1x or 2x's, but will find out). I copied one of my authored DVDs onto the new media and it worked beautifully - both a successful burn and successful play in my DVD player. I'm going to further test it on my buddy's DVD player, but I have no doubt it will work.

My cost: $1.89 after taxes PER...this is for 25-99 and over 100 is $1.78 after taxes.

Cheers,
Brian

[herbapou]

Stay away from Princo, they have lots of playback problems.

They should play on certified DVD-R drives, but expect lots of problem in drives that do read DVD-R but are not suppose to.

If you want quality at a good price go with Ritek G03 or G04 or BeAll from Samsung