Excellent test article on DVD-+R discs

[Jkun]

The latest C't magazine (German paper edition, on the shelves today) has an elaborate and in-depth technical test of various brands of DVD-R and DVD+R discs.

They verified the number of errors after burning versus the allowed number by the DVD specs, HF signal, tracking etc. It's a very technical article, so I can't translate it in just a few minutes, if there's interest in it, I'll try next weekend. (unless someone else here wants to give it a go?)

Short summary: cheap discs suck Good results from Maxell, TDK, Mitsubishi (Verbatim), Sony... Bad from Princo, Datatrack, Ritek...many more brands tested.

Very obvious: large differences in quality between various DVD-R. DVD+R is more level (easier to make) playing field. However, the best DVD-R discs are better than best DVD+R discs.

The article promotes DVD+R nonetheless, since it's cheaper to make, and has less copy protection for consumers.

They also test the latest DVD-R drives. Sony gets thumbs up but only because it has dual standard support. For best quality writing, even at 4x, the Pioneer A05/105 wins by a large margin.

J-kun

[keithm]

So what are you calling cheap I have used some of the Bulk Pac DVD-r, £12.50 for 25 and they were fine. I'm now using an unbranded disk which is a gen 4 and is 95pence each (still cheap). They have all been fine. There is the odd glitch, but whether that's the disk or the capture is difficult to tell, and it's a lot less then VHS tape dropout!

The one thing that concerns me is the ability to label or write on a DVD. The ones I am using are printable, they have a thick frosted surface. Now having cut one open I can see that there is a really thick layer above the bit the laser write to (not very technical). Looking at the disc i would think you could write on the surface with any soft feltpen wothout any danger of damaing the disc...What do you think.

How about a link to that story too.

[wkulecz]

Its really easy to see if its the disk or the encoding.

Play the mpeg file in media player, if the glitch is in the same place can't blame the media or the player. Then you can go back and see if its in the original AVI file to further troubleshoot.

OTOH if the file plays fine then its either the authoring, the media, or the player is not fully capable of playing burned disks.

--wally.

[Ted222]

Just a note. Some of the cheapest DVD-R disks I have used from Meritline decode as manufactured by TDK.

Sometimes hard to tell what you are buying.

Ted

[Jerry Jones]

> decode as TDK

Yes, but that doesn't mean the same manufacturing standards are imposed on the off-brand even if TDK commissioned the job.

The C't study is consistent with what has already been reported by DV MAGAZINE's July 2002 issue:

BRAND MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

http://www.ct.heise.de/ct/english/

I'll be watching for the C't article.

Hopefully, they'll include it in the English translated site above.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[thop]

Just a note. Some of the cheapest DVD-R disks I have used from Meritline decode as manufactured by TDK.

unfortunately you cannot always trust the manufacturer id anymore. they found princos with a bogus TDK manufacturer id (TDKG010000d9). TDK wasn't very happy to hear about it.

[Brian Ellis]

Creation DVD-R disks are beginning to look promising as a low-cost, quality, European product (manufactured in Greece). I've burnt 2 with no glitches, so far. See
this thread.

[keithm]

The biggest problem i am having is with disks vibrating in my stand alone player, strangely the ones that do vibrate don't in a friends player

[Brian Ellis]

Keiith

Time to get a new player?

[keithm]

It is new!

[Brian Ellis]

Oops! Sorry!