[dougbrad81]

hi,
i was wondering what the best most reliable blank cd-r are? a friend told me it was taiyo yuden, so i want to confirm if this is true. i'm looking for 40x, so any advice is appreciated.

 

[zowie]

Those are good, but the best blank is different for each type of burner (of the first rate blanks). Don't get the cheap computer store blanks, they have significantly shorter life.

Professional archivists long considered Kodak gold to be the best or among them (again, subject to certain burners liking others). The last time I bought a stash they were around $1 each in bulk.

 

[mikeg]

Quote:

Originally posted by zowie Don't get the cheap computer store blanks, they have significantly shorter life.

I thought that CDRs never wear out, unless handled carelessly. Is there a real difference between brands?

 

[Zin_Ramu]

Here is a good post with some intersting information and good links. http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/index.p...&t=3462&hl=Ír%

I personally decided not to take any risks and purchased the Mitsui Gold disks. I have had no problems whatsoever.

Zin

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by zowie Professional archivists long considered Kodak gold to be the best or among them (again, subject to certain burners liking others). The last time I bought a stash they were around $1 each in bulk.

Kodak's are no longer in production. Mitsui's are not all that great. Avoid store brands as well as Memorex, Verbatim and even Sony cdr's.

I suggest TDK and Fuji cdr's (i just bought 300 fuji cdrs from bestbuy.com for $80). Brands to make a difference, the cheaper ones tend to act up on certain cd players, like car stereos. Also, cheap generics will give you hell if you ever want to extract data or audio from them.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by mikeg I thought that CDRs never wear out, unless handled carelessly. Is there a real difference between brands?

Yes, a lot of them are made in Taiwan which seem to be the culprit for "bad" cdr's. Those will give you problems extracting data or audio you burned onto those cdr's...believe me, it's happened enough for me to avoid them. I've found Fuji cdr's sold at bestbuy are made in Japan which are considered good quality. There's different manufacturing plants for all these brands, i've also used Taiyo Yuden cdr's with success...although the silver top can be trouble if it ever gets scratched. I highly recommend TDK and Fuji cdr's. You can tell where their made by looking on the wrapping on the spindle.

 

[Zin_Ramu]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloco Mitsui's are not all that great.

Doh ... these are the ones I bought. May I ask why you say this?

Zin

 

[dougbrad81]

i knew the memorex brand i've been using ain't thank great, but it's the most commonly sold brand 'round here. what's a good online store to purchase blanks?

 

[kerelybonto]

American-Digital carries a lot of the good brands. (Click the sidebar brand names for more options.) They also sell the completely unbranded discs for professional labelling and inkjet printable discs if you can do that. Not real sure on their prices, but their selection's definitely top quality.

kerely

 

[zowie]

Mitsui's are well regarded.

The discs do not wear out from use, they break down chemically over time. Remember, they work with dye, not like regular CDs. Kodak's were estimated to last 100 years based on lab tests and also have a good quality extra coating. I've got a stash. Cheapies may not even last for 5 years. Storage environment makes a big difference.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by Zin_Ramu Doh ... these are the ones I bought. May I ask why you say this? Zin

I've had several problems extracting audio from them over...but i assume these must have been the crummy versions produced in a different plant:

check this site out:

http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware..._quality.shtml

I personally found bestbuy to have some great prices every other week. If you find Fuji cdr's onsale, buy a pack. Mitsui's are not well regarded in cdr trading circles.

 

[Zurg]

>>Best CDR Blanks?

This is a complicated question. As pointed out earlier, certain CDRs may work better with your particular writer and/or CD playback equipment than others. It is best to try out a few brands in small quantities, if possible.

Additionally, you need to consider the archival longevity of the CDRs that you burn. Interestingly, it is quite possible to copy an audio CD to a CDR and end up with a disc that has a lower bit error rate (BER) than the original and has a greater longevity. This is possible because of the error correcting codes built into the CDs digital audio data. It is a well documented fact that that "pressed" CDs typically have BERs that are significantly higher than found on high-quality CDRs. The BER is, of course, unimportant unless it gets to the point where it overcomes the ability of the error correcting codes to correct the error.

Mitsui says that the patented "Phthalocyanine" dye used in their CDRs is much more stable than than the dye used other CDRs and thus have a greater longevity. They also claim that their discs are constructed to higher physical tolerances than other CDRs. YMMV

You should note that CDRWs can easily become corrupted in just a few weeks/months. They are NOT recommended for any kind of long term storage. I use them only as temporary scratch discs to test various disc layouts.

My recommendation is that you only use the very expensive "archival" discs for irreplaceable data, such a your digital photographs of your once-in-a-lifetime trip to kilamanjaro. For music CDs that can be replaced or reduplicated I simply use name-brand CDRs that work well with my equipment.

-Z

 

[Pepsione1]

Quote:

Originally posted by dougbrad81 i knew the memorex brand i've been using ain't thank great, but it's the most commonly sold brand 'round here. what's a good online store to purchase blanks?

I heard that the new screw-top memorex are much better now then ever. It not the same cheap blanks they used to make before. I burned about 150 of them and not a single coaster yet.

check out CDFreaks and their forum they have lots of good info.

 

[D-Audi]

FujiFilms. Make sure you get the right ones. Occasionally bestbuy will sell them at discounts. Get them!

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by D-Audi FujiFilms. Make sure you get the right ones. Occasionally bestbuy will sell them at discounts. Get them!

yes, make sure their made in japan.