Which CD-R for archiving videos?

[osman]

Hi !

Do you recommend Verbatim DataLife Plus CD-R for archiving videos or which brand do you recommend for video archiving?

Thank you

[evilboy]

I recommend Plextor, That's, Verbatim Pastel Disc CD-R (all Made in Japan TY).

Verbatim DataLifePlus is ok, but rather average nowadays as Moser Baer India makes them. As MBI originally was started as a clock making plant, the quality of MBI CD-R are below average. They should go back making clocks again

[dolphinius_rex]

I recommend avoiding unbranded TY (Taiyo Yuden) CD-Rs. The Maxell Pro CD-Rs are probably the best. They are a high grade TY CD-R with a protective coating. Verbatim Datalife Plus isn't too bad either, neither is Plextor or That's brand TY, but I'd place them all below the Maxell Pro CD-Rs.

Avoid Fuji TY!

[evilboy]

I recommend avoiding unbranded TY (Taiyo Yuden) CD-Rs. The Maxell Pro CD-Rs are probably the best. They are a high grade TY CD-R with a protective coating. Verbatim Datalife Plus isn't too bad either, neither is Plextor or That's brand TY, but I'd place them all below the Maxell Pro CD-Rs.

Avoid Fuji TY!

Why is Fuji TY so bad?

My That's are ceramic coat and I like them, but not all are ceramic coated.

I would use:
1. Maxell Pro (Made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden)
2. That's Ceramic Coat (Taiyo Yuden)
3. Plextor (Taiyo Yuden)
4. That's non-Ceramic Coat (Taiyo Yuden)
5. Verbatim Extra Protection (only the Made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden, the made in China and made in India Extra Protection are only average but not really good!)
6. Unbranded TY Printable
7. Verbatim Pastel Disc (Taiyo Yuden)
8. Verbatim Super Azo (Made in Taiwan or China by CMC Magnetics)
9. HP (Made in China by CMC Magnetics)
10. Unbranded TY shiny silver
11. Verbatim Super Azo (Made in India by Moser Baer)
12. Mitsui/MAM-A (Made in the USA by MAM-A)
13. BenQ (Made in Malaysia by Daxon)
14. Maxell (Made in China by Ritek)
15. Ridata (Made in China by Ritek)

Stuff below 10. or 11. only for daily use

[dolphinius_rex]

1. Maxell Pro (Made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden)
2. That's Ceramic Coat (Taiyo Yuden) (if it was available in North America )
3. Verbatim Medical Grade CD-Rs (White Thermal Printable, made in Taiwan by CMC).
4. Plextor (Taiyo Yuden)
5. That's non-Ceramic Coat (Taiyo Yuden) (if it was available in North America)
6. Verbatim Super Azo (Made in Taiwan by CMC Magnetics)
7. Verbatim Pastel Disc (Taiyo Yuden)
8. Verbatim Super Azo (Made in India by Moser Baer)
9. HP (Made in Taiwan by CMC Magnetics) (Watch for counterfeit!!)
10. Unbranded TY Printable
11. Unbranded TY shiny silver
12. BenQ (Made in Malaysia by Daxon)
13. Maxell (Made in Taiwan by Ritek)
14. Ridata (Made in Taiwan by Ritek)
15. Mitsui/MAM-A (Made in the USA by MAM-A)


And the reason I don't EVER recommend Fuji TY is because I've seen way too many bad batches of it around. I would classify it as roughly RiData or MAM-A quality/longevity.

As for TY unbranded media, I'm seeing more and more with laquer problems, and also printable surface issues.

[[buck]]

And the reason I don't EVER recommend Fuji TY is because I've seen way too many bad batches of it around. I would classify it as roughly RiData or MAM-A quality/longevity.

I don't think that's fair... you're basing your opinion on some questionable Fuji branded TY DVD±Rs that were sold about 2 years ago. I have never heard any such reports for Fuji branded TY CD-Rs, and I see no evidence to suggest the problems associated with some Fuji branded TY DVD±R would have implications in Fuji TY CD-Rs nearly 2 years after the fact.

Having said that, my list would go something like this:

1. Maxell CD-R Pro
2. That's Ceramic Coat CD-R
3. Verbatim Extra Protection TY CD-R (I've heard the Extra Protection surface is pretty similar to That's ceramic coat)
4. Plextor CD-R
5. Fuji TY CD-R
6. Verbatim Super Azo/DataLifePlus CD-R (MIT/MIC by CMC)
7. Verbatim Super Azo/DataLifePlus CD-R (MII by Moser Baer)
8. Unbranded TY CD-R
9. -
10. -
11. -
12. Everything else!

[dolphinius_rex]

And the reason I don't EVER recommend Fuji TY is because I've seen way too many bad batches of it around. I would classify it as roughly RiData or MAM-A quality/longevity.

I don't think that's fair... you're basing your opinion on some questionable Fuji branded TY DVD±Rs that were sold about 2 years ago. I have never heard any such reports for Fuji branded TY CD-Rs, and I see no evidence to suggest the problems associated with some Fuji branded TY DVD±R would have implications in Fuji TY CD-Rs nearly 2 years after the fact.

No I'm not.... there have been reports of bad Fuji CD-Rs as well. Fuji has a remarkably bad habit of either screwing up TY products, or being sold bad TY products. Mind you I'm not sure how much better unbranded TY is then Fuji now either...

And I could say that YOU are biased, since the only reason you rank Fuji TY CD-Rs so cheap is because you get them almost for free, and because you hate shiny silver surfaces, and the Fuji's are branded

[evilboy]

And I could say that YOU are biased, since the only reason you rank Fuji TY CD-Rs so cheap is because you get them almost for free, and because you hate shiny silver surfaces, and the Fuji's are branded

This avoids trouble at least

[RJW]

Well I personally find it strange that folks are recommending media they haven't used themselves.

I will be putting my list of still available( in europe) which I personally used myself in a couple of days up.

[SkaarjMaster]

"Maxell Pro (Made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden)"
So these are the best CD-Rs right now?

Are these the unbranded TY CD-Rs that you say have lacquer or printable surface problems?
http://www.rima.com/Merchant2/merchant. ... TAIYOYUDEN

I have a stack I bought around 6-8 months ago that I haven't touched yet. Hopefully, these are still good.

[evilboy]

Well I personally find it strange that folks are recommending media they haven't used themselves.

It is guessing with information from the manufacturers themselves and user reports.

Here in Germany we see lots of MIC (CMC, Prodisc...) CD-R but MIT CD-R is rather rare. Seems to be the other way round in the Dolphin land...

FYI, I have used That's Ceramic Coat CD-R, and I'm lovin' it!

[dolphinius_rex]

I guess I should clarify my list a bit

1. Maxell Pro (Made in Japan by Taiyo Yuden)
2. That's Ceramic Coat (Taiyo Yuden) (if it was available in North America )
3. Verbatim Medical Grade CD-Rs (White Thermal Printable, made in Taiwan by CMC).
4. Plextor (Taiyo Yuden)
5. That's non-Ceramic Coat (Taiyo Yuden) (if it was available in North America)
6. Verbatim Super Azo (Made in Taiwan by CMC Magnetics)
7. Verbatim Pastel Disc (Taiyo Yuden)
8. Verbatim Super Azo (Made in India by Moser Baer)
9. HP (Made in Taiwan by CMC Magnetics) (Watch for counterfeit!!)
10. Unbranded TY Printable
11. Unbranded TY shiny silver
12. BenQ (Made in Malaysia by Daxon)
13. Maxell (Made in Taiwan by Ritek)
14. Ridata (Made in Taiwan by Ritek)
15. Mitsui/MAM-A (Made in the USA by MAM-A)

I've used all the ones in bold But the Plextor brand stuff I've only used one or two of, since I only get it in Plextor Brand burners

[RJW]

Well I personally find it strange that folks are recommending media they haven't used themselves.

It is guessing with information from the manufacturers themselves and user reports.

Here in Germany we see lots of MIC (CMC, Prodisc...) CD-R but MIT CD-R is rather rare. Seems to be the other way round in the Dolphin land...

FYI, I have used That's Ceramic Coat CD-R, and I'm lovin' it!

Yeah but compare Buck's with your list and you see that the plextor TY disc's were rated lower as the extra protection verbatim's is weird.
I have used both and as you also listed yourself the plextors are the better disc's.

Incase of that's ceramic coat I haven't used them but if they come anywhere near the quality of my old EMTEC (made by TY) ceramic coated disc's then I can understand why you rated these number 1. Because the emtec ceramic ty's were probably the best disc's I('ve) use(d). (Still got some left for special cases.). And that makes me wonder how good those maxell pro TY's are.

Currently busy with re-testing some old media after that reburning newer stock to see how things are these days.