Updated May 12, 2009   

Reviews > Blank DVD Media Quality

Article last updated June 23, 2009

Not all media is good. Buying a good disc is not a simple matter of using a "name brand" disc, or paying for the most expensive disc on the shelf. With the continued influx of cheaply-made Chinese, Malaysian, Korean, and Hong Kong media (not to mention a few "bulk-quality" Taiwanese companies), about half or more of all media is inferior quality. Bad discs are a complete waste of time and money. 

This review/guide is meant to shed some light on who manufactures and brands good and not-so-good quality DVD media. Use this list as an assistant when selecting what media to buy and use. It shows what generally works as the best media. Individual results may very, depending on the burner and how the media chooses to cooperate, though typically not by much. 

While some cheap media may work for you, it's a gamble that often loses. Try to use 1ST class media, maybe 2ND class if the situation must budget tightly. Do yourself a big favor and just outright avoid 3RD class media, if at all possible. 

Be sure to read the other media guides and reviews, if you want to fully understand this complex topic. 


Looking for the Best Media at the Best Prices?

Not everybody has the time or the need to learn about media. If you're simply after the quick advice on what discs will almost always work the best in any DVD player or DVD burner, then get one of these:
1. Verbatim DVD-R, DVD+R or DVD+R DL, made in India, Singapore or Taiwan.
2. Taiyo Yuden DVD-R or DVD+R, from an authorized dealer only.
3. Sony DVD-R or DVD+R, made in Taiwan only.

Verbatim DVD-R and Verbatim DVD+R DL are our top suggestions for the ultimate in disc quality, as Mitsubishi-made media have been a consistent high-quality performer since 2001. Taiyo Yuden media is an excellent second choice. We've got some deals picked out for you too! You'll be hard-pressed to beat these prices, or the convenience of having it delivered right to your door, tax-free. Deal list last updated June 23, 2009.

USA Deals: 
 - Verbatim DVD+R 16x 100-pack - $28 with free shipping
 - Verbatim DVD-R 16x 100-pack - $31 with free shipping
 - Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 8x 100-pack - $26 with free shipping
 - Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 8x 100-pack - $30 with free shipping
 - Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 8x 100-pack - $34 with free shipping 
 - Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 8x Premium 100-pack - $34 with free shipping
 - Inkjet-Printable: Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 8x 100-pack - $28 with free shipping
 - Inkjet-Printable: Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 8x 100-pack - $34 with free shipping
 - Inkjet-Printable: Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 8x 100-pack Premium - $36 with free shipping
 - Inkjet-Printable: Verbatim DVD-R 16x 100-pack - $40 with free shipping ($28 after rebate)
 - DVD+R DL: Verbatim DVD+R DL 20-pack - $26 with free shipping
 - LightScribe: Verbatim DVD-R 16x 25-pack - $24

Canada Deals:
 - Verbatim DVD+R 16x 100-pack - $35 with free shipping 
 - Verbatim DVD-R 16x 100-pack - $35 with free shipping 
 - DVD+R DL:  Verbatim DVD+R DL 20-pack - $35 with free shipping
 - Also Browse BlankMedia.ca, BestBuy.ca and FutureShop.ca for more deals.

UK and Europe Deals:
 - Verbatim DVD-R 16x 100-pack - £22 with free shipping
 - Verbatim DVD+R 16x 100-pack - £22 with free shipping 
 - Sony DVD-R 16x 100-pack - £26 with free shipping
 - Sony DVD+R 16x 100-pack - £29 with free shipping
 - DVD+R DL: Verbatim DVD+R DL 8x 10-pack - £13 with free shipping
 - Inkjet-Printable: Verbatim DVD+R DL 8x 25-pack - £28 with free shipping 

More deals can be found in the forum. 

Now if you're still interested in learning about which DVDs are good, not so good, or outright miserable, then by all means, keep reading... 


Who Makes the Disc — Brand vs. Media ID

The thing that must be realized is that most media is produced by a relatively small number of factories, located in several different places. These factories are mostly present in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, some European locations. There are more, but those are the largest ones. The best media generally comes from Japan, Taiwan and Singapore. The worst typically comes from China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Also understand that the media brand means nothing. Apple is a great brand, but they do not make their own discs, instead outsourcing to a company like Mitsubishi Chemicals. Companies like Memorex, Maxell and Imation all outsource to media vendors. .

It is the media ID that is important, as it reveals the disc manufacturer. Unfortunately, this is not written on packaging or anywhere else. Companies want consumers to be oblivious to this sort of behind-the-scenes information. To learn the media ID code, a blank disc must be put into a computer DVD burner drive and the ID read by a special utility. Some burning software reads the code, such as ImgBurn. There are also a handful of freeware tools available: DVD Identifier (Windows), DVDInfo (Windows), DVD Media Inspector (Mac OS X), and dvd+rw-mediainfo (Linux).

Media ID Quality Guide — by DVD Manufacturers

The following information is arranged in three groupings. Some companies may have listings in different classes because quality is better/worse in other disc formats. The "media ID" column is an example of media codes available from that manufacturer, it is not supposed to be a complete list of all available codes, and some codes have been abbreviated for space.


1ST CLASS MEDIA - EXCELLENT DISCS: 
Almost flawless burns with 95-100% reliable results. These discs are suited for pretty much anything. They will usually serve as excellent archival quality media, as well as video masters. 

2ND CLASS MEDIA - OKAY DISCS: 
Mixed quality media, average 75-90% of discs tend to be good. These discs are not suggested for archival data or video masters. These are best suited for data that can be replaced easily, such as secondary backups or data/video distribution. In bulk, can often be purchased at low prices.

3RD CLASS MEDIA - CRAP DISCS: 
Quality can be very questionable, sometimes less than 50% of a spindle is usable. Some of these discs serve no other purpose aside from filling our landfills. These are discs best suited for small burns (under 2GB of data). Be prepared for failed burns. Also be prepared for various DVD-ROMs and players to not see the disc or freeze up because the player cannot read it very well (not the same as a bad burn). Many of these are known for sham marketing ("archival grade" and whatnot) and can actually cost more than better-classed media. A lot of these discs are not even made anymore, this information is largely historical.

Grading Notes

- Grading criteria. The review list presented here is a delicate balance between the adjacent concepts of usability and potential burn quality. The ability of the disc to burn in a wide range of burners and DVD recorders determines a coaster count. However, because of disc/drive incompatibility issues that exist (read the advanced concepts guide), potential quality on a perfect disc/drive combination is also considered. Finally, longevity and playability/reflectivity is taken into consideration. This results in the overall grade. This guide is admittedly harsh when it comes to the usability factor, but it need be remembered that this was written to assist the masses, so a disc with generally poorer disc/drive compatibility will rate lower. If you want specific suggestions for your make/model of drive, ask for advice in our forum.

- What do the % numbers mean? This list is constructed from many tests on many burners from a handful of experienced people that use a lot of media, and has been ongoing since 2001. These numbers reflect the number of discs in a spindle that will give good results. For example, out of a 100 spindle of media, 1st class discs may kick out a few bad discs (0% to 5% of the media may have playback imperfections or be outright bad burns). The 2nd class media may have anywhere from a dozen to a half-spindle of duds. And the 3rd class stuff can be pure trash, with most discs ending up in the local landfill. These are mean averages too, simple statistics math, meaning best tests and worst tests are discarded, and the middle range of tests is the basis for these numbers. You may sometimes find the rare instance where a CMC spindle will be perfect and a Taiyo Yuden spindle will be completely flawed, but those times are the exception rather than the rule (and are not part of a mean average).

- Can media ever change class? Sure. But it rarely happens. It is not a quick move either, these things take much time and many tests. SONY, RITEK, CMC, DAXON and LEADDATA have changed grades in the past. Media cannot change quality overnight or even in a few weeks/months.

- Testing procedures: Burns are subject to playability/reflectivity tests (usage tests), as well as software verification. Test equipment is under controlled hardware/software environments, and performed by knowledgeable individuals, to eliminate user variables. Burns are at least 4GB or more to test the entire length of the media. 

- Anwell Notes: Anwell Technologies does not make media. Anwell is a production equipment supplier that sells blank DVD media creation technology to media manufacturers. By default, an ANWELL "test code" or "test ID" is on the stamper. Anwell is often blamed for making shoddy media, but in reality, it's the work of a lazy media manufacturer who bought Anwell production supplies. As with all other low-quality media of dubious origins, the likely offender is Infosmart, or some other small Chinese or Hong Kong company. 


Fake DVD Media ID Guide

Luckily, it does not happen often, but it does happen often enough to be a major annoyance to media buyers everywhere. Most fake media comes from Hong Kong, as a general rule. Fake media tends to float around Europe and Asia more than it does the USA. Fake media is normally sold in street markets, on eBay and online. Major brand name media sold in stores is probably never going to be fake.

Branding Guide

Although this will change on an annual basis, the following brands are known to use the following media makers for their outsourced discs. Some companies prefer dollars over quality, so be careful. Also be especially careful of "house brands" or no-names. If you end up with an unfavorable media ID, do not burn a test, just take it back for a refund and take your business elsewhere. Some stores have horrible return policies too, so beware.

If you can add to this branding list, feel free to post some information in our forum. As time allows, we'll track down some of the media for our own testing purposes, or request it from the manufacturer. For unusual brands and media IDs, check out the VideoHelp.com DVD media list or CDFreaks.com media forum, to see what other consumers like yourself have reported. In most cases, unknown media IDs are of dubious quality. Some unknown brands are overstock from other media manufacturers. This is often the mark of very cheap media. Buyer beware.

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