CDFreaks Most Popular DVD Mediacodes

I get a lot of off brand media. Sometime this is just to test but when shopping for blank media it is advised no matter of the brand to look on the labeling package and ensure it is made in Japan or Taiwan.

I was so looking forward to see the new polls!


1) In my opinion, in this poll, there should be a more extensive description for each mediacode, which includes: writing speed, format and manufacturer, p.ex. CMC MAG.AM3 (16x DVD-R CMC).
This will definitely help both inexperienced and more members.
In addition, this is the way the mediacodes were described in the old polls:
Which DVD+R media is best for long-term storage? [2006-2007] and Which DVD-R media is best for long-term storage? [2006-2007]

Mediacodes and descriptions for the current poll:

• AML 003 (16x DVD+R Advanced Media Ltd)

• CMC MAG E01 (8x DVD+R CMC)

• CMC MAG AE1 (8x DVD-R CMC)

• CMC MAG M01 (16x DVD+R CMC)

• CMC MAG AM3 (16x DVD-R CMC)

• DAXON AZ2 (8x DVD+R Daxon)

• DAXON AZ3 (16x DVD+R Daxon)

• DAXON008S (8x DVD-R Daxon)

• FTI 016 (16x DVD+R FTI)

• INFOMEDIAR30 (16x DVD-R Infomedia)

• MBI 01RG40 (16x DVD-R Moser Baer India)

• MBI 03RG40 (16x DVD-R Moser Baer India)

• MBIPG101R04 (8x DVD+R Moser Baer India)

• MCC 003 (8x DVD+R Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MCC 004 (16x DVD+R Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MCC 02RG20 (8x DVD-R Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MCC 03RG20 (16x DVD-R Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MKM 001 (2.4x DVD+R DL Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MKM 003 (8x DVD+R DL Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MKM 01RW6x (6x DVD-RW Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MKM A02 (4x DVD+RW Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• MKM A03 (8x DVD+RW Verbatim/Mitsubishi)

• OPTODISC R16 (16x DVD+R Optodisc)

• OPTODISCR016 (16x DVD-R Optodisc)

• ProdiscF02 (16x DVD-R Prodisc)

• RICOHJPN R03 (16x DVD+R Ricoh)

• RITEK F16 (16x DVD+R RiTEK)

• RITEKF1 (16x DVD-R RiTEK)

• RITEKG05 (8x DVD-R RiTEK)

• SONY D21 (16x DVD+R Sony)

• SONY S11 (4x DVD+RW Sony)

• SONY16D1 (16x DVD-R Sony)

• TDK 003 (16x DVD+R TDK)

• TTH02 (16x DVD-R TDK)

• TYG02 (8x DVD-R Taiyo Yuden)

• TYG03 (16x DVD-R Taiyo Yuden)

• YUDEN000 T02 (8x DVD+R Taiyo Yuden)

• YUDEN000 T03 (16x DVD+R Taiyo Yuden)

• I don't trust any media code, only special stuff - please specify in a post

• Other - please specify in a post

2) From the one hand, the DVD+/-R DL and the DVD+/-RW belong in the general category of DVD+/-R media, but from the other hand, they are separate categories: one is for DVD+/-R DL and one is for DVD+/-RW. These products could be compared in separate polls and not to be included in this current poll.

Besides, a malicious viewer could accuse CDFreaks forum of being one-sided as in this poll there are only Verbatim's DVD+R DL, although there are other considerable brands and manufacturers of DL media, too, such as Maxell, TDK, Philips, Ricoh, etc.

Of course, any one can claim that there is also the option of voting "Other - please specify in a post". However the total result of any poll in obvious by the charts and the percentages and less by the posts. I think that is unfair for the members to vote considerable brands of DL media (although they were not nominated) by posting and not by voting directly in the poll.




I hope that moderators will understand that I wrote all the above having goodwill.
I do not want to slight moderators' efforts and contribution to the CDFreaks forum.

Thanks for the suggestion, poll updated with a short description of what's what

! IMO now some visitors will think the name mentioned is the name of the brand / disc model.
Personally I don't think it was a good idea. - the mediacode is a descriptor, and if a visitor doesn't know that, then better ask somewhere on the board about it, rather than (very possibly wrongly) extrapolate from what he sees in these descriptions.
I think such a presentation, without a clear explanation of what is a Mediacode (something this board lacks BTW ) , will add to the confusion of visitors looking for hints.
But well. My two cents of course.Sharp observation. I agree with this.
That's a downside of the nomination process i guess. With DL, no one thought about naming anyting else than Verbatim, and there were no anti-nominations. (but personally, actually I thought the poll would be for SL only.)

You can't please all the people all the time, so the poll's been returned to it's former state.

As for what is and what isn't in the poll. The nominations were open for a little longer than they should have been, and people had ample chance to get their nominations in - however, we are only allowed 40 options per poll, which is still an improvement on last time as we had only 30 then.

We also didn't want to end up with a poll for this, a poll for that, and a poll for the other, as too many polls in itself would have confused people, especially newcomers to the forum.

However. Any suggestions from hereon in will certainly be considered for next year's round of polls - how many polls to have, what to have polls for etc.

Oh well, my choices are: MCC003 (i didn't pick MCC004 for forever being problematic to me), MCC 02RG20 & 03RG20, RICOHJPN R03 and TYG02/T02 (Never had the chance to find any locally, but they're still among my fav's )

well.. i still have some other less-common and almost-extinct MIDs that have proven to match, if not surpass the ones mentioned above: OPTODISCR008, GSC003, GSC001, PRODISCR04, PRODISCR05, RICOHJPN R01, RICOHJPN R02 and my Last Caveman Alive MCC 00RG200

Are RICOHJPN R03 still up to par with the best out there? I thought the new batches were a bit so so.

well, honestly they're incomparable to the very few R02s i had... but still they're of a really good quality when burned with the right burner, and i can't say anything about how they became or how the new R03s are... the last one i got is at least 1 year old... i guess i need to have a new scan for to see if it really was worth the trust!

I thought Ricoh was being made by Ritek nowadays, and we all know to stay away from Ritek.....

Aaaha, once again I beg to differ...

Unbranded/generic Ritek can be crap and usually is mediocre.
El-cheapo-branded (Arita, Rimedia etc..) Ritek can be crap and usually is mediocre.
Ritek G05 discs are time bombs.

Well, this doesn't mean in the least that everything Ritek is bad.
If one avoids the 8X-R and the cheapo stuff, Ritek can be decent to very good.

Ritek-made Ricoh-tech discs are mostly decent in my experience. Some on this board swear by them under certain brands, but I don't remember which ones.

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Last edited by Wizzu; 24-06-2008 at 20:07. Reason: correcting awful typos !

Maxell, Ricoh, Panasonic, and Memorex seem to get the better of RICOHJPN R03. Maxell is preferred by some in Europe when talking RICOHJPN R03, while [personally] Memorex RICOHJPN R03 has been better [in the U.S.].

Office Depot has some RICOHJPN R03 under its brand. RadioShack sells Gigaware [their house brand, I think] -branded RICOHJPN R03, but it's quite variable. Other brands have also seen R03, but my memory fails me right now as to which brands.

Maxell and Memorex also have other 16x Ritek MIDs that peform fairly well [between the two, RITEK F16 and RITEKF1 come to mind immediately, along with RITEK R05--the twin to RICOHJPN R03-- performing well when it's supported well].

Ricoh branded gold discs with RicohjpnR03 MID are MII by MBI

does that mean that they are not performing well? (i.e. they suck?)... recommendations?!

Most used SL media these days: MCC004
Most used DL media: MKM001
Most used CD media: Taiyo Yuden

Favourite SL media that is widely available: MCC004, MCC 03RG20, TYG03, YUDEN000 T03

Favourite DL media that is widely available: MKM001, MKM003

Favourite media for archiving important data (still widely available): MAXELL 003 (Xtreme Protek), MXL RG04 (Xtreme Protek), MCC 02RG20 (Verbatim Archival Grade)

Favourite CD media: Taiyo Yuden, Mitsubishi, Sony


With media prices so low these days, there simply is no point in buying lesser quality media. Life is too short for that anyway.

di just found RIDATA F16001 (01h)
its better than the genuin VERBATUM PAPA and MAP sold in South Africa.
Burnt 9 movies since Sunday.
no "OUCH what kitty said" meaning no Pretty Colours
going to post in blank media ,getting the Ducks in a row

Have you ever tried to explain to a TEC selling y da stuff about Stamp codes and Hub codes
the looks are as BLANK as the Media

Oh yes!!! and it just feels soooooo sweet somehow you feel superior, and they just look completely powerless on their knees
You should see the look on his face when you explain that "No, I DON'T want THIS pack of Verbatims, they might look the same to you, but son, THIS is Moser Baer, and that's pretty dangerous stuff!!!"

you only do that with DL discs I hope? Single Layer MBI Verbs perform very similar to their MIT counterparts.

Hi there! Newbie here, still very much learning but it would be really helpful if the few people could say which discs haven't degraded, maybe not a poll as you say, but assuming good burns & correct storage. That's what I care most about tbh, I don't mind the odd coaster but for data backups longevity seems the most important to me. Most of my data is on RITEK G04/5 so will definitely be getting some more discs to copy them in case they become unreadable, if they aren't already.

Thanks

Welcome to CDFreaks, and yes, that's a good idea.

Thanks, unusual of me to have a good idea but maybe I've got to start sometime lol.

It's been done around already.

Assuming that :

1. The burns are good (good burner, reasonable burning speed like @12X max for @16X rated media)
2. The discs are in good condition before the burn (no excessive dust, no scratches, no defects)
3. The discs are stored in good conditions (humidity <65%, temp < 30°C, no daylight, no horizontal storage, no free standing in paper or plastic sleeves, no paper labels)
4. The disc are handled carefully
5. The batch of blanks is not a problematic one
6. The discs are genuine (no fake mediacode)

...the following MIDS are then fully reliable *in terms of stability* according to my personal experience and what I gather on this board and others:

TDK TTG02 (out of market) / MCC02 RG20 (disappearing) / MCC03 RG20 / MCC 003 (disappearing) / MCC 004 / YUDEN000T02 (disappearing) / TYG01 (out of market) / TYG03 / CMC MAG AE1 (disappearing) / CMC MAG E01 (disappearing) / CMC MAG AM3 / DAXON AZ3 / RITEK M02 (out of market) / RITEK F1 / SONY D21 / YUDEN000T03 / RICOHJPNR01 (out of market) / RICOHJPNR02 (disappearing) / RICOHJPNR03

Then, you have to understand that except for some proven unstable MIDs like Ritek G04 and G05, the 6 points above are MORE important, in terms of longevity, than the disc model used.

Thankyou!!! Thats really helpful.

I've just bought 600 Verbatim 16x -R MCC03 RG20 (ze0599-dvr-J47c1 whatever that is) Made in india (i didnt check, i should have been looking for Taiwan or Japan I guess).
I'm going to buy a LiteOn DH-20A3P (because I can get one cheap) as my old drive is an Liteon SOHW 812S which many years ago I thought was a cunning idea to update to an SOHW 832S) so flashing it again is probably not a good idea.

I had a search & found this, not sure but looks good.

I use big cd wallets for storage, I hadn't thought about being horizontal mattering. Thanks a lot!!!!

EDIT: I was using CD wallets, but from what I gather this is bad too so I've just ordered an aluminium case This forum is excellent!

It sure is.

Welcome to CDFreaks!

Thankyou, btw I love Terry Pratchett ^^