"It's not the brand, but the dye."

[packmule123]

How does one know which media one's drive prefers and does firmware fall into that equation?? Also, I do not know what DYE is and how one would find out it's importance to the burning process. I tried to reply to an apparently locked post, so this may just float out there without any context. Please advise for an ignorant newbie.

[chewy]

a gross oversimplification

 

dye is related to the mid code of the blank, for genuine disks, your drive's firmware has a "strategy" to burn that dye according to the mid code which identifies it

 

some brands of disks use several mid codes/dyes, some are better than others

 

for example some generic brands(house brands) will have several different manufacturers, you have to use clues like where the media was made, type and size of package, even the color and shape of the foam spacer

 

disks made in japan are usually the best, made in tawain can be good or bad, made in china or hong kong are usually the worst, including ones with good mid codes(fake or clone)

 

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia?dvdmedia...h+or+List+Media

 

quite a variation of mid codes

[spinningwheel]

Here is a fairly good discussion of dyes and their value to the whole dvd disc system.

[volvofl10]

How does one know which media one's drive prefers and does firmware fall into that equation?? Also, I do not know what DYE is and how one would find out it's importance to the burning process. I tried to reply to an apparently locked post, so this may just float out there without any context. Please advise for an ignorant newbie.

 

Trial and error is your answer

 

if you start at the best media and work downwards you'll find the answer quicker than starting with crap media and working upwards

 

the "Dye" or "Ink" is the purple/lilac coloured layer you can see when looking at the bottom of the disc. Your burner actually burns into this layer which in turn becomes the binary data your players read.

you can check the burners manufacturers web site to see what brand media they say is compatible for a starting point.

 

Just as importantly , you also need to find what media will work in your standalone players as well, as this can be a task within itself.

example is, my 3 panasonic players wont play TDK or single layer Verbatims very well, but our cheep and cheerful 10$ special plays ANYTHING you throw in it...

 

the recommendation is

for single layer 4.7GB disc's use Taiyo Yuden , although not usually available from local stores these seem the most consistent for use amongst burners and players

 

for dual layer 9GB disc's, use verbatim 2.4x with the MKM-001 ink/dye that are made in Singapore and stick to the 2.4x burning. also set booktype to DVD-ROM

 

I read half of the link spinner posted and in all honestly , there talking shite ( no disrespect meant to spinner) . You cant decide if a disc is good because of its colour. the only way is to find a good brand that works on all your devices and stick with it. what works on your player may not work on mine and vice versa .listening to others experiences is a good way to rule half of the worlds medias out. we have a media test forum thats worth looking at Click HERE for drives and media forum

you will pay more for good/decent media but its worth it in the long run.

 

as for firmware , its worth keeping it up to date for the reason chewy explained above. the newer the firmware the better chance of being able to burn the latest type of media

[spinningwheel]

I read half of the link spinner posted and in all honestly , there talking shite ( no disrespect meant to spinner)

 

None taken mate . I was just trying to show that there are all kind of opinions about what is good or bad about the manufacture of discs the way it's currently done. The fact that the posters were having a fit about colors masks the fact that the dye manufacturer and the company that applies it are the main reason for a disc working or failing. Our media tests all show that there are only two consistent dye/media manufacturers...