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Buying and Burning Blank DVD and CD MediaA spindle of blank DVD media
© Luke Arnott 2009–2011
With so many choices in blank DVD and CD media, it can be hard for consumers to find reliable discs. Spindles of blank media can vary wildly in price, making it even tougher to sort through the many available brands. Unfortunately for bargain hunters, cheaper discs can fail to burn so often that they become a waste of money. Why Some DVDs and CDs Burn as "Coasters" "Coaster" is slang for a blank disc that has burned unsuccessfully – it's only good for setting a drink on it. Other discs may be usable, but still have errors that appear during disc verification. The occurrence of coasters, or other faulty burns, is due to the way discs are replicated by home users. Store-bought DVDs and CDs are mechanically pressed, a very precise copying method. But duplicating discs on a home computer or other device is done by marking organic dyes on the disc with a laser. This "burning" process is much more susceptible to error and to degradation. A blank disc's quality, therefore, has a great influence on whether it burns successfully or not. The Difference Between Disc Brand and Manufacturer It's hard to find reliable blank DVD and CD media because the brands that discs are sold under often have little relation to their quality. A wide range of established electronics brands package blank discs from a much smaller pool of manufacturers. Thanks to outsourcing, name brands that make other products very well may not sell similarly high-quality blank discs. For instance, Office Depot store-brand DVDs are made by Ritek, while discs sold under the Apple name are actually made by Mitsubishi or Maxell. Also, when companies change suppliers, disc quality may change as well, even if the packaging does not. Failed disc burns make coasters.
The Importance of Blank Discs' Media ID for Replication
The only way to tell who made a disc is by its Media ID code, which is specific to each manufacturer. Unfortunately, this information is never printed on packaging for shoppers to scrutinize. The ID can be found by inserting a blank disc into a computer, then using software to read the Media ID imprinted by the disc's maker. Applications which can read the Media ID include DVD Identifier and DVDInfo (for Windows), DVD Media Inspector (for Mac), and dvd+rw-mediainfo (for Linux). Some DVD drive makers provide software suites (Plextor's PlexTools, for instance) which also identify disc manufacturers. Such programs can help spot counterfeit DVD media as well. The Most Reliable Blank CD and DVD Brands Unfortunately, testing for the Media ID can only be done after purchasing blank discs, although some retailers may allow returns if discs don't burn successfully. Consumers with concerns about media brands should check store policy before buying. According to DigitalFAQ.com, Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden, and Sony are currently considered safe bets – these brands have a record of quality discs in recent years. DigitalFAQ also maintains a list of Media ID codes and their quality rankings. Armed with this knowledge, consumers who burn CDs and DVDs at home can better gauge the quality of discs they have already bought, and make informed choices in the future. They may think twice the next time they see a discount spindle of blank media at an electronics store. |