The summary of CD-R brands - READ BEFORE ASKING!

Ok folks, perhaps it's time to summarize. Lets list the brands, identifify who are they generally made by and then give an opinion whether they should be trusted.

[bold]The CDR-FORUM.DE database:[/bold]

Search around this amazing database that features virtually all CD-Rs, with pictures and ATIPs: http://www.cdr-forum.de/index_cdrohlinge_e.php

[bold]THE SUMMARY OF CD-R BRANDS:[/bold]

[bold]Recommended:[/bold]

-Manufacturers selling under their own label, or using an exclusive brand name:

Ritek (Ritek)
Taiyo Yuden (T.Y.)
Kodak (Kodak - manufacturing discontinued)
Mitsui (Mitsui)
TraxData (Ritek)
SmartBuy (Prodisc)
Ricoh (almost sure they are always from Ricoh)
Mitsubishi (Mitsubishi)
HiSpace (CDR section of MPO) Gold CDRs (*)

-Brands that so far have maintained high quality of media:

Hewlett-Packard (T.Y., Ricoh, previously also Mitsui)
Arita (Ritek) (can someone verify - always Ritek?)
Prostore (4M, Moser Baer India)
Plextor (T.Y.)
Teac (Mitsui)
Yamaha DiscT@2 (Mitsubishi)

[bold]Varying quality:[/bold]

Mr.Platinum (NAN-YA (bad), Ritek (good)
MMORE (used to be CMC(bad), but now everything is Moser Baer India (quite good))
Verbatim (Mitsubishi, 4M, CMC, T.Y.) (Note that "Azo" on the box means Mitsubishi)
Sony (T.Y., Sony)
TDK (T.Y., Ritek, TDK, CMC)
Memorex (Ritek, CMC)
Fuji (Fuji, T.Y.)

[bold]Low quality:[/bold]

Imation (CMC)
LG (CMC)
HyperMedia (CMC)

(*) HiSpace Carbon are reported to have problems (http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59220). HiSpace Gold don't have the problems of the Carbon ones. We have no user reports about HiSpace Metal yet.

[bold]THE SUMMARY OF CD-R MANUFACTURERS:[/bold]


[bold]High quality:[/bold]

The manufacturers you can trust

Kodak (discontinued)
Mitsubishi
Mitsui
MPO
Prodisc
Ricoh
Ritek
Taiyo Yuden

[bold]Medium quality:[/bold]

These manufacturers are slightly lesser quality, or display varying quality, or there isn't sufficient data to mark a manufacturer as 'high quality'

4M Multimedia Masters & Machinery (actually 4M makes CD-R plants, not CD-Rs)
Moser Baer India
TDK (quality varies a lot)
Sony (Good and bad reports)
Fuji (Good and bad reports)

[bold]Low quality:[/bold]

NAN-YA Electronics
CMC Magnetics


[bold]Changelog:[/bold]
15.05.2003: Mr.Platinum also ships Riteks

Moderators - feel free to update this list.__X_X_X_X_X_[small]http://CD-RW.ORG - Online since 1996
Millions of burners served[/small]

 

There's a biiig list of brands/factories here:

http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_factories.shtml

 

The LG 16x and 24x ones that I've seen were Prodisc.

 

ok, you've id'ed the good, bad & ugly.... now, where can ya get 99-min., high-quality cd-r's online (CONUS)?

 

Well, if you check out this link it says that imation is recommended and of good quality !!

http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_quality.shtml

 

Try here

http://nationalaudiocompany.com

This is where I get my TY's

 

Thanks, wayofcain.... looked all over their site, but found no 99min disks... left them an email. Has anyone ever done biz with this next outfit, http://www.promedia-usa.com ? They have 99min disks, but NO WARRANTY.

 

Darshan

A slightly out dated information, don't you think?

 

amosj,

I placed an order at http://nationalaudiocompany.com today. After thinking about it I decided to call them. The person I talked to said that their TY rep said 99 minute discs don't technically exist. He said that what it most likely is, is software designed to push the limits on an 80 minute CD.

This got him and I both curious so after talking for awhile we found that certain Nero software can push those limits.

TY said they do not make 99 minute discs so I assume he is right.

 

Thx wayofcain, I got a message from a Dan Grimes with Nat'l Audio, saying the same thing. Guess everyone there is now familiar with the term 99min cd-r, eh...;o)

 

cd-rw.org,
lolz...I am really sorry , didnt see the date !!
Well I have just one more question !! I am from India...and the market for cd-r`s is quite huge...so basically there are bound to be duplicates, so was wondering as to how one would know that the cd-r`s are not fake ??..(I am talking about Sony specifically )

 

Folks, additions needed to the lists. Please contribute with your input.

Moderators: Feel free to update the initial post.

 

You can add this to reccomended:

Discplanet (Prodisc)

I have found these to be very reliable and cheap.

 

chriso,

How certain you are that Discplanets always actually are Prodisc?

 

Well, on high recommendation from you guyz I downloaded feurio...as I thought it would help me to know my cd-r`s details...I recently bought sony from the market...and these were the ATIP results that feurio gave me....

lead in start position -02:35:60 (sector: -11685)

vendor code: 97 24 15 - SONY Corporation (Type: 5)

max lead-out position: 79:59:74 (sector: 359999)

reference speed: -

minimal recording speed: -

maximum recording speed: -

unrestricted use: No

disc type: 0: CD-R (Write once CD)

disc sub-type: Medium Type B, low Beta category (B-)

indicative target writing power: 5

power multification factor p: -

target y value of modulation/power function: -

recommended erase/write power ratio: -

so what can I conclude from this ?...are my sony cd-r good enough ?
please reply thankx

 

cd-rw.org,

I'm not sure, I'll continue my tests.

 

darshan,

As you can read from above, reports of Sony performance have varied from good to bad. So in best case they perform ok, but they are not the safest pick you can make.

 

Just pulled out a Discplanet CD I burned a whild ago and used CD Speed to get the ATIP. Here it is:

Manufacturer : Ritek
Code : 97m15s11f
Disc Type : CD-R
Usage : General
Recording Layer : Dye Type 1: Long Strategy (Cyanine, AZO)
Recording Speed : n/a
Capacity : 79:59.74
703 MB
Additional Capacity : n/a
Overburn Capacity : not tested

As you can see they are made by Ritek. So far Discplanet are known to use Prodisc and Ritek (both good manufacturers). I will post an update if I find a Discplanet CD-R manufactured by someone else.

 

Well, as you have stated that sony comes in the medium peformance category...but the probelm for me is that here I get the following brands :-
Sony
Imation
LG
Samsung
Princo
Mmore
and other cheap brands...

so i guess sony would be the right choice from the above ?

 

After quite a few tests on my Discplanet CD-Rs I have found a mixture of Ritek and Prodisc for manufacturers and a mixture of Cyanine and PhthaloCyanine for recording layers.

EDIT: The Discplanet CD-Rs in spindles of 25 that are labeled "24x Multispeed" are Ritek PhthaloCyanine.