Ritek discs get scratched...switch to Leda?? ARGH!

[dolphinius_rex]

As I've mentioned elsewhere on the forum, I work for a company that does CD/DVD duplication and replication, also a major distributor of various blank media brands. After a *GREAT* amount of convincing, I managed to get the "powers that be" to start letting us stock Ritek G03 and Ritek G04 media. Previously we had only been using Mitsui DVD-Rs, and Leda 4x DVD-Rs... and every once and a while Maxell DVD-Rs, and DVD+Rs.

We have a single DVD duplicator for our in house duplication (this one: http://www.microboards.com/new/article.php?story=20030415153905918), and generally it works very well. Well, we just sent our first duplications orders to our production department to be done on Ritek G04 media and I was astonished to hear the following: 23 out of 100 DVDs failed in the duplicator, due to a problem it had with scratching the discs during the duplication process. No other DVD duplicated on (either the Leda or Mitsui, Maxell is never duplicated onto) had ever had this problem. Now we are no longer able to do duplication orders using Ritek DVDs the person who manages that end of production already hated Ritek media (from back when they really sucked!) and consistantly rejects Ritek CD-Rs for duplication, in favour of CMC of all media!!! (luckily we usually use Taiyo Yuden, since it is cheaper to us then CMC). So now I'm left with a prediciment where I know that if I have a DVD duplication order, if I have it done in house, I have to have it burned on DVDs that I know suck, and are very poor quality (from personal experience unfortunatly!), and I just can't do that

So, what's the point of this message?

#1. if you are having a DVD duplicated, find out what it's being duplicated on!

#2. Ritek media is physically different, possibly thicker then Mitsui and Leda DVD-Rs, and possibly most others?

#3. I'm looking for a new DVD-R supplier, can anyone suggest a cheap manufacturer of reliable DVD-Rs that has a plant preferably in California?

[RJW]

reliable DVD-R's.
Based on all the test info I have this means something made by one of the following manufacturers.

Sony(made by Sony)
Pioneer(made by ritek and lead data under Pioneer supervision)
MCC (MCC made by MCC and CMC under MCC supervision)
Maxell(Made by maxell )
TY(Made by TY)
Matushita(?)
TDK(Made by TDK )

Ehh isn't this all Expensive media. Yes it actually is. But you get what you pay for.

To prefer CMC over Ritek is something which might actually be quite fair for DVD recordables. Not for rewritables. That way Ritek is supperior against CMC.
CMC looks to be trying to do there best for DVD recordables.
However they got a bad reputation and for that reason most brands will not do some work on there optimalisations. So in the end this means a bad quality burned disc's on most recorders.

MAM-E disc quality may suck these days they still got a excellent coating.

Isn't that duplicator based on a pioneer if I am right ?
Hmm should I mail you a package of testresults which say enough about Mitsui and Lead data quality ?

1 My local duplication stores only use real maxell or TY. Unless you really want something else !

2 It depends I have seen huge differences between printable and non printable ritek media.

3 Look above. Don't know a cheap adress and good media is not cheap.

Ritek g04 comes in a lot of different tastes when it comes to scratch resistantance.

[dolphinius_rex]

YES! please mail me details on the quality of Mitsui and Leda DVDs! I want to shove it in the face of the people who keep ordering the crappy things!

I agree about the printable Ritek G04s, we have had VERY good results with them, in fact they are our best selling DVD-R! (my manager told our purchaser not to get them, but our purchaser listened to me instead... lucky thing!).

Hrm, I will look into CMC made DVD-Rs, and see if they duplicate ok. Grr... I wish I could just convince my company to buy some Pioneer A06s and make a tower duplicator like our sister location in Edmonton is doing!

I may also have a chance at getting TY or MCC, but I'll have to do some major convincing/butt kissing, and even then I'd need a miracle! The main problem I have with my management is that they will not stop using the Leda DVD-Rs because they have not received any complaints from any customers about them. Well, I bought some (25pcs) and I complained. I also mentioned that people may just NOT be coming back. The leda discs will not even be recognised as blank media in the Pioneer A04 drive!

[RJW]

YES! please mail me details on the quality of Mitsui and Leda DVDs! I want to shove it in the face of the people who keep ordering the crappy things!

Sure I will mail you the stuff

Hrm, I will look into CMC made DVD-Rs, and see if they duplicate ok. Grr... I wish I could just convince my company to buy some Pioneer A06s and make a tower duplicator like our sister location in Edmonton is doing!

CMC is gambling. Since CMC is known for the same thing as RITEK. Releasing a lot of media with great variances in quality. And even if there good manufactured your burner needs a excellent OPC because CMC is not a brand most drive manufacturers will do much when it comes to optimalisation.

I may also have a chance at getting TY or MCC, but I'll have to do some major convincing/butt kissing, and even then I'd need a miracle!

I think the tests say it all or they might be convinced to usseing Maxell in favour over them. Something I can understand quite good for -R media.

The main problem I have with my management is that they will not stop using the Leda DVD-Rs because they have not received any complaints from any customers about them. Well, I bought some (25pcs) and I complained. I also mentioned that people may just NOT be coming back. The leda discs will not even be recognised as blank media in the Pioneer A04 drive!

1.4 firmware for the a04 should be able to write Piodata which is also made by Lead Data.

[dolphinius_rex]

Hrm, I don't know what firmware revision my friend is using on his Pioneer A04, all I know is when I gave him the discs, he told me he could only burn them in his A05, and that most of the time the A04 wouldn't recognize the media as being burnable.

I eagerly look forward to the results of the Leda and Mitsui DVD-R tests!

Thanks for the help!