Resource Center > Media Resource Guide >  Media Selection Guide & Comparison

1. How to choose a good CD-R/RW?
2. Difference between low and high speed of CD-RW discs
3. How to pick a good DVD-R?
4. What is the advantage of DVD +R over –R?
5. Why does DVD+RW cost more?
6. What is the advantage of DVD over VCD?
7. How do I choose one DVDR over the other?
8. What is the difference between single and double-sided DVD+/-R?
9. Difference in storage life between RW and R
10. Replication vs. duplication
11. Which DVDR media is better than the others?
12. Musicians: is DVD for me?

1. How to choose a good CD-R/RW?

Someone may get confused when having numerous different discs to make a purchase. So how to choose a good one is an inevitable issue, and it often really does matter. Actually, some of the cheapest ones are really bad, and you have to choose wisely if you want to find something that’s reliable.

There isn’t really one best type of discs for all recorders. But several good ones exist. The problem here is how do you know what you are buying? As with all products, discs produced by competing companies are distinct from one another because they may adopt different designs, utilize optical materials from various suppliers all over the world and are manufactured by different factories, equipment and workers. However, all blank discs should conform to Orange Book Part ? (CD-R) or Part ? (CD-RW) specification. Most discs, which are available in most stores, are marked with the brand name and the country of origin. Some recorder companies may test their brands of discs more frequently than others so it may be helpful to inquire the companies for specific recommendations depending on your particular applications.

2. Difference between low and high speed of CD-RW discs

CD-RW disc present additional problems in that it is not possible for one kind of CD-RWs to support all recording speeds. Low speed discs are compatible with all CD-RW recorders and can only be written from 1x to 4x speeds. High speed discs, on the other hand, can be written from 4x to 10x but only on recorders bearing the high speed CD-RW logo.

3. How to pick a good DVD-R?

A better question might be, which is going to be the most compatible for my needs? Far from being the decisive answer you’re looking for, it may actually serve you better to know that what works for the goose doesn’t always work for the gander—particularly if the goose is using a BenQ1620 and the gander is working with a NEC 3500AG. Confused yet? That’s the point. Get in there and get your hands dirty. Buy a computer magazine and do some reading. Find out for yourself, for in the end, you’re the one that must be satisfied and you don’t want to blame somebody that wrote a post or a blog two years ago for the personal line of coasters that you’ve decided to release based on unreliability of the writer you’re using, or the compatibility issues you’ve run into.

Can you go out and look at the forums and get a general idea of what might be a good way to pick? Yes. But there’s still a good chance you’re going to get confused, particularly if you’re a beginner (being a Geek does have its advantages). 1) Before you pick your DVD-R, make certain you’re armed with the information about your writer. Brand, type, and often, the manual will tell you specifically which media is the correct one to use. Barring that, a little testing can’t hurt. 2) Make certain that compatibility is not a problem. This is easier than it sounds—just don’t make silly mistakes when choosing your media. Make sure that not only is it the right kind for your burner, but that it’ll play back on whatever you’re looking to eventually play it on. Is it for your DVD player? Do you want to also burn CD backups to play in your car stereo? Are you going to back up your files and archive your computer? Remember, compatibility, compatibility and compatibility. The media must be compatible to both your target writer and player. There are many uses for media these days, and you can’t be too careful. Neither can you be too safe. Consult the frequently updated thetechgeek.com Compatibility Table.

4. What is the advantage of DVD +R over –R?

The biggest thing to worry about is that DVD-RW drives only record on -R and -RW discs, and DVD+RW drives only record on +R and +RW discs, so you have to make sure you get the right kind of blank discs. You may worry that one of the formats might "win" and the other format could disappear, leaving you with abandoned hardware. This is not very likely, since both formats are doing well. Luckily there is a simple solution to both concerns: buy a dual-format, or "combo" drive.

Many companies make DVD-/+RW drives that write to both kinds of discs. Dual-format drives cost a bit more, but it's cheap insurance. Very roughly, DVD-R and DVD+R discs work in about 85% of existing drives and players, while DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs work in around 80%. The situation is steadily improving. In another few years compatibility problems will mostly be behind us, just as with CD-R (did you know that early CD-Rs had all kinds of compatibility problems?).

5. Why does DVD+RW cost more?

DVD+R is a write-once variation of DVD+RW, which appeared in mid 2002. It's a dye-based medium, like DVD-R, so it has similar compatibility as DVD-R. Original DVD+RW drives did not fulfill the promise of a simple upgrade to add DVD+R writing support, so they have to be replaced with newer models. The original Philips DVD+RW video recorders, on the other hand, can be customer-upgraded to write +R discs. There is generally less production volume of DVD+RW, thus lower production yield, and they’re made of a more expensive material.

6. What is the advantage of DVD over VCD?

This, like so many other things, is a matter of opinion as well as functionality. As long as we understand our terminology, then we stand a good chance of perhaps not even having to ask the question at all. So, in the interest of keeping it all clear, let’s make sure we have our definitions right. That way we can ensure that the format follows function. VCD, simply put, is a high density optical storage medium. It looks the same as a music CD, though it mostly holds movies, using compressed MPEG-1 video. It has the capacity to hold up to 80/90 minutes on a 700MB/800MB CD respectively, of video along with stereo-quality sound. VCDs are stored on CD-Rs, making them one of the least expensive storage media, and compatible with a wide array of devices.

DVD: DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disc. A DVD-R can store up to 8 hours of very high quality DVD-Video encoded in MPEG-2 format. DVD files can be burned on DVD-Rs to play the video with standalone DVD players. If you plan to play your DVD on a PC, then you need a MPEG-2 decoder. If such a decoder is not installed, Windows Media Player will output an error saying that it was unable to find a codec to play the file. DVDs have a fixed pre-defined dimension. If you play them on your PC, they may seem to be stretched; however, the video should look fine on your DVD player.

So, which one? You have the Freedom of Choice. VCD offers a cheaper solution and easy copying ability, but you lose both audio and video resolution. DVD allows for more flexibility; you can skip ahead or back, enjoy broadcast-quality image and sound and more functionality in general. Geek tip: Did you know that DVDs are in general easier to scratch and go bad than CDs and therefore VCDs? Something to think about.

7. How do I choose one DVDR over the other?

When determining your media requirements you need to consider the following:

Do I have a budget requirement?
Do I have a user compatibility requirement?
Do I have a hardware compatibility requirement?

When buying DVD media the most important consideration is playback compatibility. Lots of budget DVDR is recognized as recording on anything while playing back on nothing. So, before you buy, check out what is being said in the forums. Check all information stated for the DVD you intend to buy, product description, compatibility, etc. All media sold from TheTechGeek is certified A-Grade, so even when you spend the least money, you can be assured that the product will be reliable. If you do have compatibility issues with your system, it may be necessary for you to upgrade the firmware on your recorder. Also be aware that the price of media does determine its aesthetic qualities and durability. A cheap disc might feel (in the hands) quite simply cheap. And, a cheap disc is unlikely to offer the same protection as the more expensive ones. Determine what do you really need and select from the wide variety of DVDR thetechgeek.com offers.

8. What is the difference between single and double-sided DVD+/-R?

DVD-R and DVD+R discs can be either single or double-sided. A single-sided (SS) disc is composed of a recording side and a dummy side while a double-sided (DS) disc consists of two recording sides. The recording side of a DVD-R and DVD+R disc is a sandwich of a number of layers. First comes a polycarbonate plastic substrate containing a shallow spiral groove extending from the inside to the outside diameter of the disc. A DVD-R disc additionally includes pits and lands on the areas between the coils of the groove (land pre-pits). Added to this substrate is an organic dye recording layer (azo, cyanine, dipyrromethene or others) followed by a metal reflective layer (silver, silver alloy, gold). The dummy side of a single-sided disc consists of an additional flat polycarbonate plastic substrate (sometimes with an additional metal layer to obscure the bonding layer from view for aesthetic purposes). An adhesive then bonds two recording sides (for a double-sided) or a recording and dummy side (for a single-sided) together into the final disc. Some single-sided discs are also topped on the dummy side with decorations or additional layers that provide surfaces suitable for labeling by inkjet, thermal transfer or re-transfer printers.

9. Difference in storage life between RW and R

DVDs are read by a laser, so they never wear out from being played since nothing touches the disc. Pressed discs (the kind that movies come on) will probably last longer than you will, anywhere from 50 to 300 years.

Expected longevity of dye-based DVD-R and DVD+R discs is anywhere from 20 to 250 years, about as long as CD-R discs. Some dye formulations (such as phthalocyanine and azo) are more stable and last longer, 100 years or more, compared to 20 or 30 years for less stable dyes.
The phase-change erasable formats (DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW) have an expected lifetime of 25 to 100 years.

In all cases, longevity can be reduced by poor quality. Poor quality pressed DVDs may deteriorate within a few years, and cheap recordable DVDs may produce errors when recording or may become unreadable after a while. For comparison, magnetic media (tapes and disks) last 10 to 30 years; high-quality, acid-neutral paper can last 100 years or longer; and archival-quality microfilm is projected to last 300 years or more. Note that computer storage media often becomes technically obsolete within 20 to 30 years, long before it physically deteriorates. In other words, before the media becomes unviable it may become difficult or impossible to find equipment that can read it.

10. Replication vs. duplication

Replication is a process for producing CD and DVD products using a physical production process. Using a glass master CD and DVD discs are pressed on machines. CD and DVD duplication processes produce discs using a red laser to record on recordable discs including CDR, DVD-R and DVD+R.

• Duplication:
Small quantities of CDs/DVDs (less than 500) are typically 'duplicated' which is also referred to as being 'burned'. This is the most cost-effective way to produce small numbers of discs. In order to provide you with the best quality product as possible, use only good quality CDR/DVDR discs and state-of-the-art duplicators found on thetechgeek.com.

• Replication:
For quantities of 1000 CDs/DVDs or greater, a glass-master is used to physically 'replicate' the discs. This is the most economical way to manufacture. DVD replication equipment typically costs millions of dollars. A variety of machines are used to create a glass master, create metal stamping masters, stamp substrates in hydraulic molds, apply reflective layers, bond substrates together, print labels, and insert discs in packages. Most replication plants provide one-off or check disc services, where one to a hundred discs are made for testing before mass duplication. Call a thetechgeek.com representative to assist if you need help.

11. Which DVDR media is better than the others?

For the answer to this, which is largely relative, the geek once again says, “Get thee to the forums.” There are as many opinions about this as there are users. There are some good benchmark tests out there on different web sites that are dedicated specifically to that question. You’ll find graphs, read speeds, write speeds, compatibility tests, failure rates, etc. Do a search on media differences and find out for yourself what works best for you. Failing that, do a little testing yourself.

The Geek doesn’t like to show preferential treatment to one brand over another; after all, it’s my job to make sure to keep you informed on all the brands, which, like all players and writers, have their own functions, which in turn support different formats. In some sense, there is no “better” than another, unless you get right down to scraping the bottom of the barrel. What worth you to note is the compatibility, that’s what work best between your writer and the media. Thetechgeek.com always shows compatibility on our site. Check the Compatibility Table at thethechgeek.com

12. Musicians: is DVD for me?

DVD as a recordable format has until recently garnered little interest from recording musicians. High prices on both media and hardware, together with a deal of uncertainty surrounding which DVD format to choose, have led to musicians doubting the wisdom of switching to CD-Rs’ big brother. The dramatic price reductions of CD-R and CD-RW media together with the very low cost of writers has resulted in these formats becoming the de facto standard for storage of recorded audio to date. When one considers how simple Windows XP‘ renders recording to CD-R and CD-RW formats together with the ubiquitous, ever-faster, ever-cheaper nature of the drives themselves, it is clear why the uptake of these formats has been so dramatic in terms of both size and speed. As to the future, usage of CD-R and CD-RW will continue to grow to the point that recordable DVD will have become a firmly established format in the wider world. For recording musicians though, the adoption is likely to be a much earlier affair; given in particular the increasing demands on memory resulting from the need to work with picture and sound in the same domain and the potential demands on memory created by surround sound applications.

But why aren’t we seeing DVD being rapidly adopted as a recordable format by musicians now? After all, DVD offers vastly greater capacity for storage of related video images, and even if we’re working with audio alone that extra capacity can be nothing but advantageous in a good many situations. The answer we need to look at lies in several factors: the attractiveness of available hardware, format functionality and compatibility issues, media costs both current and potential, as well as the unprecedented and understandable degree of confusion amongst potential end-users. Check the DVD blank media for yourself.

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