Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Blank DVD's recommendations?

ravenvii

ravenvii

macrumors 604
Original poster
Mar 17, 2004
7,588
494
Melenkurion Skyweir
I need to buy some blank DVDs to burn a movie on. I have previously used Apple-branded DVDs and had great luck with them (I bought a different brand - Memorex or some such - and the disc turned out horribly - the video is all skippy and bad-looking. But with the Apple-branded DVDs, they turn out beautifully). But I know Apple's DVDs are likely overpriced, so I turn to you guys for recommendations, what brand should I get my DVDs in? Should I stick with Apple?
 
i went to staples the other day to look for blank dvds. i asked the guy which is best and he first told me the dvd+R are better for video than the dvd-R. i picked up some pretty cheap memorex ones and they seem a little choppy but they are pretty good. so if it helps...you might wanna check that you have dvd+R and not dvd-R.
 
Normally I would say "you get what you pay for", as that axiom usually applies in pretty much all cases. However, I have found a bit of an exception to the rule it would seem with BenQ DVDs. Form some research I had done, at least on their CD-Rs, their quality was not very good. However, I got a great deal on a spindle of 200 BenQ DVDs, and have not had one problem or one coaster yet. So for me, a supposedly cheaper brand works just fine! But in general, (and to contradict myself!), I normally would say that you pay more for better quality, but it's worth it. :cool:
 
I would recommend

verbatim..verbatim..verbatim..verbatim..verbatim..verbatim..SONY..verbatim..verbatim..TDK..verbatim..baked beans..verbatim..spam..and verbatim.

Did I mention verbatim?

Max.

P.S. the plus format is absolutely the worst choice you could make for video, Very incompatible.


Max.
 
I've used Sony, Fuji, TDK, and Maxell. No problems with any of them, and no coaster. But then again, I'm pretty picky about which ones I get. I always look at the labels first to see where they're made and mostly try to buy Made in Japan ones as they're usually of the best quality.

Here's a list of DVD media quality. Basically, discs with the TY (Taiyo Yuden) or MXL (Maxell) media codes are the best, IMO.

I also tend to burn my discs at a slower speed to give them better burns. If you always burn at the maximum speed, that might explain the choppiness in your videos. Or maybe it's a combination of bad quality discs and fast burn speeds. :confused:
 
I don't think you guys get it... When I used the Memorex discs (I got 5 of them, so gotta use the remaining 3) for DATA, they work great. No problems at all. It's for MOVIES, that I insert into the DVD player that blows. I even tried twice with the same result. I burned at 2x, which is the highest the iMac I had then can go. When I got the Apple discs, they worked beautifully in the DVD player.

Bah I'll just buy the Apple discs - I make others pay for their copy anyway (no profit, just the actual cost of the DVD). I want them to be the highest quality possible, "a little choppiness" is not good enough.

Thanks anyway guys.
 
Raven VII said:
I don't think you guys get it... When I used the Memorex discs (I got 5 of them, so gotta use the remaining 3) for DATA, they work great. No problems at all. It's for MOVIES, that I insert into the DVD player that blows. I even tried twice with the same result. I burned at 2x, which is the highest the iMac I had then can go. When I got the Apple discs, they worked beautifully in the DVD player.

Bah I'll just buy the 25-disc spindler from Apple for $35.
Click to expand...

I guess you gotta go with what works for you, yet once again, my media plays movies fine in all DVD players I've tried, and I can buy about 5 times as many blanks for the same price. :eek:

Good luck, I hope you find something that works! :)
 
~Shard~ said:
Ah yes, very good point - I always make a point to buy minus format. Always.
Click to expand...
I believe they're technically called "dash R" not "minus R"
 
Maybe it's the DVD player? I've burned over 50 DVDs and my player (Toshiba) handles them without a single problem.
 
Maybe have a read around on the cdfreaks forum.

The word there is that genuine Taiyo Yuden are great. These are sometimes hard to find, but if you see Fuji branded discs that are made in Japan (and have a TY... code) then they are genuine TY factory made discs. But be aware that there are a host of fake TY-coded discs around, usually sold at cheap er prices and with different brand names ('Mirror' is one of them).

Verbatim get good reviews too.
 
deebster said:
Verbatim get good reviews too.
Click to expand...

Yah, you can never go wrong with Verbatim, for pretty much anything. I always used their CD-Rs, which were solid, and their DVDs are high quality as well. More pricey in some instances, but worth it for sure if you want reliable, high quality discs.
 
I've been using these "That's Write!" DVD-R for a while, first because they were really cheap, later because they seem quite reliable. That is they are reliable when I burn the 4x discs in my borrowed 4x LaCie d2 burner at 2x. Of course that might seem slow to some, but when considering that I pay the same for these DVD-Rs as I do for the cheapest CD-Rs I can get, then I can endure burning at half speed... ;)
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
I've been using these "That's Write!" DVD-R for a while, first because they were really cheap, later because they seem quite reliable. That is they are reliable when I burn the 4x discs in my borrowed 4x LaCie d2 burner at 2x. Of course that might seem slow to some, but when considering that I pay the same for these DVD-Rs as I do for the cheapest CD-Rs I can get, then I can endure burning at half speed... ;)
Click to expand...

Hey, you gotta go with what works for ya! Like I said, my BenQs are working great for me, and usually I shudder at the cheaper brands!
 
i use verbatim for cd's cause sam's sells a huge spindle for cheap :D and when they were on sale at circuit city i got some philips dvds. they've worked great for me so far, and any coasters were cause im an idiot! (burn with no data on it, etc.) and when i ran out of those i bought some 16x memorex and they've been fine too.
 
I've been using the Fuji DVD-Rs for movies. No problems. I buy them in the ten pack with each in a mini/thin case. They may not be as cheap as a spindle but I like the idea of having a thin case. Cheers
 
zagato27 said:
I've been using the Fuji DVD-Rs for movies. No problems. I buy them in the ten pack with each in a mini/thin case. They may not be as cheap as a spindle but I like the idea of having a thin case. Cheers
Click to expand...

You can buy thin cases separately you know... ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back