CD-R Quality Guide from DigitalFAQ.com?
 

continued from email...

We get this question about once a month, and it's a good one! We actually used to have more information for CD-R available on our "tips blog" that was discontinued in 2006 after some hacking. Blogs in those days were pretty terrible code, so we just gave up for a while. There was full intention on restoring it in 2008, but it just happened. Instead, that information is going to be revived into our new site, which is about to launch.

However, for those that want info right now, know that CD-R and DVD-R quality really do not differ that much. You have the same basic players, and even the same basic materials going into the discs.

The best CD-R are from Taiyo Yuden, Mitsubishi, MPO, Pioneer, TDK, Maxell and Kodak -- several of which are now defunct, so some of that is archival information, for people who already have burned DVDs and are curious about the quality. Azo dye tends to be in the better discs, while others fall behind (TY being the primary exception).

Like with DVD-R/DVD+R, don't believe all the BS hype about "gold CD-R" being the best. That's crap. Gold discs have actually failed miserably in our archives, as they have in the archives of many others. It was usually an issue with dyes and lacquers in the CD-R era. The longest surviving media has been Pioneer and Verbatim/MCC azo media.

These days, you have the same choices with CD-R as you do DVD-R -- buy Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden online. Possibly buy Verbatim in stores, if it's good Taiwanese media.

The only good thing about CD-R is that you get less bad burns or utter failures, due to the wider spacing between the wobble grooves. But the discs may age much faster if they're garbage. Unlike DVD media, CD is not protected from the top -- no upper polycarbonate means that the elements and mother nature can eat away at the lacquer, foils and dyes. Handling and storage because twice as important.

Get the "good" Verbatim, at the best prices, from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.ht...reative=390957
Or Taiyo Yuden CD-R: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.ht...reative=390957

That's my suggestion. :)

The blue-packaged Taiwanese Verbatims, as seen at the top of the linked Amazon page, are readily available at CompUSA and Fry's. They seem to always be in stock, for those who prefer to shop in person. :)

Microcenter and TigerDirect, too.
Unfortunately I'm not anywhere near any of those specialty computer stores. :(

It's either buy online, or do without. (Or worse, generic junk from Office Depot, Best Buy, etc!)

Once in a blue moon (Smurfy blue, of course!) OfficeMax will have Verbatim CD-R on sale.
Same for DVD-R, DVD+R and DVD+R DL -- but Amazon prices are lower.

CD quality and longevity
 

I am in Thailand and several of the points raised in this thread may not apply. Brand names, for instance. I have seen CD-Rs branded as TDK, Sony, Imation and Princo all being rebranded CMC Magnetics, sometimes with the same manufacturer ID code. So I have o faith in a brand name on the package, at least in most of the shops. How do I find what I want?

What I want is longevity! I just tried playing an audio CD that I burned less than 10 years ago, and it shows up on all my tools as empty!! It was a Ritek and the Discinfo tool reads it as Xcitek. (I will post a request for help on this one in another thread).

I was intrigued by the MAM-A/Delkin Gold Archivals util I read the posts here. Now I am confused how to proceed.

Quality to me seems to have three different issues:
1. errors in burning
2. Surface durability
3. Longevity.
can someone comment on how a moderately tech savvy user can make decisions on these issues? Thanks.

It's unfortunately really no easier than with DVD, or any number of other electronics, where various outsourcing is used by the company.

If brands had things their way, we'd never know about true manufacturers, media IDs, etc. So they'll never put such information on packages. And most merchants won't take the time to share what they know either.

The only way to find what's in the package is to buy some, put them in a drive, and see what you got. Then look to share that information with others. And then others tend to share their information. And from that, we can usually get a pretty clear picture of what's going on out there.

Indeed, the available brands, and the manufacturers used by those brands, varies from country to country. Or rather, more often, from continent to continent.

Buying online, from a company that sells by the media manufacturer, tends to be the best course of action. JVC Taiyo Yuden CD-R is always a safe bet, as it tends to only be sold online, and not under some secondary brand name. And it's one of the best (if not THE best) CD-R available.

CD-R has a much higher tolerance compared to DVD media, so the cheaper brands can actually still perform pretty well.

It does really depend on how that "batch" (several hundred thousand discs) is performing, and how far into the stamper life the discs were made. Remember that cheaper brands often push their manufacturing equipment past optimal conditions, which is what causes the highly variable quality from month to month. So several "batches" (millions of discs) can be crappy, and for quite a few months.

That alone is reason enough to seek the better discs, from the better manufacturers, whom are less tolerant of using equipment that has gone out of spec.

Worldwide, Mitsubishi and Taiyo Yuden are the discs to seek out.