but what does "having no problems with the discs" entail? you burned them, and your software says it burned successfully? or did you at least do a file check with Nero CD Speed to make sure all the files were readable?

we need to be clear on what "no problems" means.

(in reply to UHT)

OK, These discs.

Datawrite are Ritek type K media, cyanine type 2. They are very high quality (average C1 error rate 0.17 at 24x) but most of my burners will only accept them to 24x burning. They will burn at 52x with SMARTBURN disabled but the C1 error rate increases to around 30 towards the end of the disc. Still a perfectly useable result mind.

The discs themselves are carefully manufactured, with no obvious blemishes. They look like good media to me.

Bulkpaq 40x are Ritek type J media, phthalocyanine type 7. Again very good media, these will burn at 52x with average C1 error rate of 0.45. The C1 errors do thicken up a bit towards the end of the disc but never rise above 10 or 11. These are another very creditable media type. The 48x Choice branded media is the same stuff, and performs in much the same way. The top of those is white and not as good as the Bulkpaq/Datawrite but still pretty good.

Bulkpaq have been known to use MBI and Princo in the past. MBI media is not bad at all, Princo is shoddy but the Princo stuff is no longer available (believe me Datasafe (the parent company) tried to get Princo media in because it works well with the kind of user who buys Datasafe product, ie pirates). Datasafe/Datawrite, White Label and Choice use Ritek or Prodisc only these days. FWS use Ritek exclusively.

Apart from FWS all the brands listed above are owned by the same Scottish distributor.

(in reply to UHT)

As an aside, ebuyer.com have just introduced some 48x-rated white-top media at a cheap price (around 15p/disc). These discs are made by Nan-Ya Plastics in Taiwan. I have been able to write to these at 52x (and all my drives see them as being writeable at full speed) and the C1 error count is around 1.5. Not quite as good as the Riteks but a highly creditable result (similar in quality to Prodisc and MBI).

(in reply to UHT)

What do you recommend for consumers that
buys 100 CD-R's at a time?

Is there a good way to determine the best
value on quality discs?

(in reply to UHT)

Best buy has Fuji 80m. 100pcs. 2x50packs on sale for $8.99, after rebate..Right now, this week...gotta come up with $30 to start, then wait for rebate checks..Best deal goin' for quality TY media...

(in reply to UHT)

Thanks Joel,

This is the kind of deal I was hoping for
in that it is easily available at a local
Best Buy or CompUSA.

Are there any sites that track deals like
this so that I can keep up-to-date on
the best deal of the week (or month)
with or without rebate?

(in reply to UHT)

1st post after about 1 minute of lurking : What an excellent Forum

Anyway, cheeseness aside, UHT, I am very much in the same boat as you, with the same CDR Drive, the same location, the same desire to purchase decent CDR's, and the same stumbling across bigpockets.co.uk . I like to have Jewel Cases, primarily because I have a good deal going with a local record shop, whereby they will swap 50 cases for a record (and sometimes that record can be £8, so its a good deal)....

I've not had a problem with any media, (Is there another reason other than speed issue's that people wouldnt recommend the SuperAzo Verbatim if I have a 24x LiteOn?) and I was thinking of going for (looking at Bigpockets.co.uk), the Verbatim SuperAzo, the TDK's, or the Memorex's (Memorexii?).

I have loads of TDK discs (Riteks + TY's <-- I have been a lucky chap), so I feel sort of loyal to the brand; any idea who manufactures these particular ones?... But then I hear many good things about the Verbatim SuperAzo cdr's - anyone here had any problems with them? And the memorexii : Who manufactures them?

So which would you go for, kids?

(in reply to UHT)