Maxell To Shutdown Media Manufacturing Business

[Ian]

I came across this at PC Watch. Here's a rough translation:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/ ... maxell.htm

Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. announced that they ended its own production about the optical disk businesses such as CD-R/W, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and HD DVD at the end of March on the third. The media business of the Maxell brand continues. It takes charge of the business as the number of men in which it is involved in the design, the project, and the procurement, etc. of the product continues, too, and it will become shape to consign production to a domestic and foreign manufacturer in the future now.

The one clarified in organization change and personnel changes announced on the third. The production of the optical disk that does in the Tsukuba office is fully ended in March now. The disk business group will be abolished April 1, and the number of men moves to the newly established consumer sales division commodity etc.The number of men in which it takes charge of production etc. takes charge of the battery, the optical component, and the functionality material, etc. that are three emphasis reinforced businesses out which this company hangs.

While this probably won't have any effect on those of us in the US (Maxell is already selling media from other manufacturers here), I am a bit concerned about DVD-RAM media. They are the only company producing 12x DVD-RAM media. Without them, the format is going to die.. if it isn't on its last legs already.

[dolphinius_rex]

DVD-RAM is already pretty much toast. There have been price INCREASES on the media coming through already.

As for Maxell's media, it means that BQ Series media is going to be a thing of the past. That stuff is some of the best media available *ANYWHERE*. Only a couple other disc types are on par with it, and they're even harder to get for most people.

[jacktheripper]

Crap...time to stock up in a hurry.

[Scour]

Maxells own is very hard to get here, only the Jewelcase-versions are avaible, but very high price

What a pity, another one bites the dust

[dolphinius_rex]

By the way, I got confirmation that Maxell's BQ is officially discontinued, and they're also almost out of stock in all North America.

[SithTracy]

Crap... I use the Maxell CDR-Pro's... Gotta buy them up while I still can.

[dolphinius_rex]

Crap... I use the Maxell CDR-Pro's... Gotta buy them up while I still can.

CD-R Pro is just a Taiyo Yuden disc with a protective coating... no need to worry there.

Maxell BQ is gone now I'm told... no more stock at all in Maxell's warehouses in North America.

[Grain]

I picked up a few 5 packs of Maxell's Video Quality DVD's a year ago at London Drugs. MIJ, with really good quality full size cases. They also had Maxell's hard coat, whatever that was called. Good discs, I should have bot a lot more, but at the time I wasn't familiar with them, and I was scared they would have a RITEKG05 MID, even though marked MIJ.

[sbug]

So with the Maxell BQ gone, what's the next best archival DVD?

[Scour]

Hard

I would say Verbatim MCC

[Empathic]

Since about 6 mo ago when maxell stopped making their good 2.4x DL media and started with their so-so (mediocre) 8x DL media...it doesnt make sense..if a co was shutting down media mfgring, why 2-3 mo before closing would it release 8x DL media replacing the better 2,4x? can someone explain this to me (also why is every companies 8x media not very good..these arent cheap & when i get 8x media i burn at 4x..i get 90% less burn errors..i dont realy mind the extra burntime...besides all 2,4x mediaa thats any good ie verbatum, sony will burn at 4x anyway..slow enough for a deep burn not as prown to smudges and scratches on the acrylic protecive plastic...any comments or answers please?? thanx BTW personally i havent noticed a quality or bad burn difference in sony +R DL media made by RITEK or not..they all seem to be roughly equal to verbatum..2 best co's. I even used a microscope to see perhaps if RIEK made +R DL dvds had a more irregular surface..honestly every test i can think of RITEK or not all sony DL media seems equal...I know RITEKS poor rep...but this doesnt seem tobe reflected in the ones by ritek sony is releasing...anyone know why?? maybe extra quality control??

[Ian]

I'm not sure where you're located Empathic, but here in the US. most of the media sold by Maxell isn't manufactured by them. I'm not sure who makes their DL discs, but their single layer DVD media is usually manufactured by Ritek.

I've been pretty happy with most of the 8x DL media I've used. Ritek's 8x DL media is a lot better than their 2.4x discs IMO. The only 8x DL media that I really don't like is the stuff made by CMC. I have yet to see good results with it at any speed.

[Scour]

Maxell DVD+R DL is imho with Ricoh and Ritek-Code