CD-RW Media Observations

From the postings in this forum and others I have visited, it definitely appears InCD is getting a lot of heat on the packet writing front.

As time goes by I for one become more convinced that most packet witing issues are media related. I also have seen suggestions that state "try a bunch of different manufactuers until you find one that works." Well, I don't know if that's a viable alternative for everyone. Most CD-RW disks are sold in five packs from $5 on up in my area. Accordingly, this selection process can get a little pricey.

I have noticed one similarity in CD-RWs brands that work in my machine that I would like to pass on. Also for reference purposes, please refer to you CD Writer's manual. I know mine from Cendyne has a page dedicated to explaning the the various CD media formats and ISO standards applicable.

To date, I have tried CD-RWs from four manufacturers; Memorex, Maxwell, TDK, and FUJI. I had problems with either InCD or sector errors using Memorex and Maxwell. What's interesting these two brands were the most expensive.

The common denominator that exists for the TDK and FUJI brands is that on the back of the packaging it states "Orange Book, Part 3 Vol 2 certified". My only complaint with TDK is the wording is so small you need a magnifying glass to read it!

My conclusion is for starters, if the media is not so above certified, don't buy it. I don't want to leave the impression that the above guarantees it will work 100% of the time in your machine but I think it will certainly improve the odds of it.