BD-R Disc Lifetimes

[rysktkr]

I am considering verbatim after I have had several RITEK BR2 disk go bad on me:

Memorex (Blue disk) RITEK BR2 burned 6/09. Have had 7 disks fail out of 15.

RiData (silver disk) RITEK BR2 burned 6/09 had 1 disk fail out of 4 checked.

RiData (printable disk) RITEK BR2. The oldest I have of these are from 4/10. I have not yet seen any failures. Scanned 4 disk using Nero Disk Speed all 4 clean.

I am wondering if these Verbatims would give the longetivity I am looking for:

http://www.meritline.com/verbatim-4x...--p-30268.aspx

I want to stay away from the LTH as this is a relatively new technology and prefer not to be a guinea pig at a small savings. I have learned my lesson on that route ;(

[signals]

Please post in this thread if you have tested your BD blanks to see if they still playback well over time. This is very valauble for all users trying to make informed purchasing decisions on blank media.

It would be helpful to supply the approximate date recorded, the model of the burner and the firmware that was used, along with the brand and model of disc with its MID code if available.

[GadgetVictim]

@rysktr & signals,

I previously posted a reference to the article in the General Chat section, re: "what's the best blank dvd to buy". The focus there was mainly on DVD discs.

As the author of the article points out, the first problem in finding a good recording media (DVD, BD-R, etc) is to understand what constitutes a good media (i.e.; how do you define a/the good media). This article gave me a good background on the "what's" and "why's". Also, to ensure as best, that you get what you paid for.

In the Q/A section, date/time: April 18, 2011 at 11:40am, there's a question and discussion on Verbatim and JVC/TY blu-ray discs.

Hope this article helps:

http://adterrasperaspera.com/blog/2006/10/30/how-to-choose-cddvd-archival-media

Best Regards,
GadgetVictim

PS: FYI, I had already purchased some Optical Quantum BD-R, before I read this article.
However, my choice on the OQ BD-R was driven by cost/disc. Maybe next time I'll get some TY BD-R from SMS.:o

[kelson]

Maybe next time I'll get some TY BD-R from SMS.:oJust so you know, T-Y BD-R are LTH, not standard BD-R.

I've burned quite a few Optical Quantum disks without any problems. We'll see how long they last.

[GadgetVictim]

Just so you know, T-Y BD-R are LTH, not standard BD-R.

I've burned quite a few Optical Quantum disks without any problems. We'll see how long they last.

@kelson,
Thanks for pointing this fact out. I'm learning something new about BD-R and DVD discs every day, which helps me make more informed purchase decisions.:)

I Googled "LTH media" and found this enlightening info in Wikipedia:
"... BD-R LTH is a write-once Blu-ray disc format that features an organic dye recording layer. The advantage of BD-R LTH is it can protect a manufacturer's investment in DVD-R/CD-R manufacturing equipment. .... Old Blu-ray players and recorders cannot utilize BD-R LTH, however, a firmware upgrade could enable the device to access BD-R LTH..."
After doing some further googling, it looks like there's two camps in this area of blu-ray discs: Low to High (LTH) and High to Low (HTL).

SOME LINGERING QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN UNRESOLVED:

1. I assume the older BD-R were all HTL, and the reason for switching over to the newer LTH is that it's less expensive to produce?

2. I'm assuming also, that when people refer to "non-LTH" or "standard BD-R", they're referring to BD-R HTL discs?

3. Since this particular forum addresses "BD-R life expectancy", the question now is, aside from initial incompatibility issues, which of the two technology would have a longer data retention/storage life span? Seems like this depends a lot on who the disc manufacturer (i.e., TY, Verbatim, OQ, etc) is the ingrediants/standards/qualities they apply.

4. Finally, when I purchase BD-R from places like Amazon, can I assume that all the BD-R not specified as being LTH are infact, HTL discs? Example:

a. Not all the BD-R offered are not clearly labeled as being either LTH or HTL. Examples:

- http://www.amazon.com/Optical-Quantum-Double-Inkjet-Printable/dp/B002LZMY10/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304542987&sr=8-1)

- http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-97339-DataLifePlus-Single-Layer-Recordable/dp/B004477BQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1304545933&sr=1-1

b. However, there a some that are clearly marked as being LTH. Like the Verbatim brands: http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-97090-Blu-ray-Single-Layer-Recordable/dp/B002WCRC2S/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304543172&sr=1-1

However, note the difference in per disc price between the two Verbatims above: #97339 vs #97090.

Live Aloha,
GadgetVictim:cool:

[Krukester]

Im confused as to why Blu-Ray wouldn't last? I've been burning DVD's for years, some of which have been mistreated and have tons of scratches on them (usually ones with cam movies or something) and they still play back fine, without issues.

I have a huge binder, that holds 300+ dvds, all that are in excellent condition. Im assuming if you kept your blu-rays in a cool, dry, dark place (such as a binder) and handled them properly and didn't leave them in the disc drive, you shouldn't have a issue with them.

[Krukester]

Also, regarding the new Verbatim LTH discs.

I haven't used these discs yet. Im in the process of purchasing a blu-ray burner, and choosing the discs to go along with them.

From what i've read, these discs seem to have high reviews. If you use the right burner, and have UPDATED FIRMWARE, and use a player that supports them (most do) you shouldn't have any issues with them.

I know technically there a new technology, but im sure within time they will be all over the markets. Verbatim is one of the best leaders in blank media, and I doubt the company would back a product that was crap. Im sure they were trying to discover a cheap, efficient way of making blu-rays, so they could pull ahead in the market, and distingush themselves.

I've used Verbatim DVD's for ages, and not had a single issue. You should see how badly some of my discs are scratched up, and they still play back fine.

[DiabloZoe]

@kelson,
Thanks for pointing this fact out. I'm learning something new about BD-R and DVD discs every day, which helps me make more informed purchase decisions.:)

I Googled "LTH media" and found this enlightening info in Wikipedia:
"... BD-R LTH is a write-once Blu-ray disc format that features an organic dye recording layer. The advantage of BD-R LTH is it can protect a manufacturer's investment in DVD-R/CD-R manufacturing equipment. .... Old Blu-ray players and recorders cannot utilize BD-R LTH, however, a firmware upgrade could enable the device to access BD-R LTH..."
After doing some further googling, it looks like there's two camps in this area of blu-ray discs: Low to High (LTH) and High to Low (HTL).

SOME LINGERING QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN UNRESOLVED:

1. I assume the older BD-R were all HTL, and the reason for switching over to the newer LTH is that it's less expensive to produce?

2. I'm assuming also, that when people refer to "non-LTH" or "standard BD-R", they're referring to BD-R HTL discs?

3. Since this particular forum addresses "BD-R life expectancy", the question now is, aside from initial incompatibility issues, which of the two technology would have a longer data retention/storage life span? Seems like this depends a lot on who the disc manufacturer (i.e., TY, Verbatim, OQ, etc) is the ingrediants/standards/qualities they apply.

4. Finally, when I purchase BD-R from places like Amazon, can I assume that all the BD-R not specified as being LTH are infact, HTL discs? Example:

a. Not all the BD-R offered are not clearly labeled as being either LTH or HTL. Examples:

- http://www.amazon.com/Optical-Quantum-Double-Inkjet-Printable/dp/B002LZMY10/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304542987&sr=8-1)

- http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-97339-DataLifePlus-Single-Layer-Recordable/dp/B004477BQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1304545933&sr=1-1

b. However, there a some that are clearly marked as being LTH. Like the Verbatim brands: http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-97090-Blu-ray-Single-Layer-Recordable/dp/B002WCRC2S/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304543172&sr=1-1

However, note the difference in per disc price between the two Verbatims above: #97339 vs #97090.

Live Aloha,
GadgetVictim:cool:

LTH is pressed on the same press they make DVD's thats why the cost is cheaper, these disc's were first developed back in 2007. I know verbatim makes them but not sure of who else. I think most disc's that you come into contact with will be normal BDR. It comes down to basically you get what you pay for! If you buy the expensive disc's e.g. Verbatim, TDK you are most likely not going to encounter any error if you go with the cheap BD R's its a crap shoot! I use TDK and I don't burn coasters nor do I get any errors!

[HIDEF]

Taiyo Yuden is now making them but they are inkjet printable. I believe at supermediastore but don't quote me. I use the verbs LTH with my lite-on 220 burner. No problems so far. Panasonic standalones were upgraded quite awhile ago to play these.

[Confused1966]

I also use TDK BD-Rs and haven't had any problems with them. If you buy them in bulk (aka 50 pack on spindles) from Smart Imports Japan or Amazon Japan, the cost per disc isn't that great (~AU$2-3), even with postage and handling costs.

[Mdy4Blues]

http://forum.dvdfab.com/showthread.php?t=12449

"General advice regarding (royal blue) Memorex BD-R, 25gb media. I have backed up several of my blu-ray discs using Memorex BD-R, 25 GB 1x-4x media and ALL of them have now failed to play in my blu-ray player or on my computer using PowerDVD 9.x after a mere 4 months!
Please beware. So far, TDK and Verbatim media have held their data and play fine."

Update:
As of today, 5-23-2011, I have been using Verbatim without any problems or failures. All of the TDK's have also held up fine.

[btufail]

http://forum.dvdfab.com/showthread.php?t=12449

"General advice regarding (royal blue) Memorex BD-R, 25gb media. I have backed up several of my blu-ray discs using Memorex BD-R, 25 GB 1x-4x media and ALL of them have now failed to play in my blu-ray player or on my computer using PowerDVD 9.x after a mere 4 months!
Please beware. So far, TDK and Verbatim media have held their data and play fine."

Update:
As of today, 5-23-2011, I have been using Verbatim without any problems or failures. All of the TDK's have also held up fine.
I heard numerous cases of memorex failing or losing data. That's a disgrace. Memorex should take responsibility for this.

[Intelp4]

http://forum.dvdfab.com/showthread.php?t=12449

"General advice regarding (royal blue) Memorex BD-R, 25gb media. I have backed up several of my blu-ray discs using Memorex BD-R, 25 GB 1x-4x media and ALL of them have now failed to play in my blu-ray player or on my computer using PowerDVD 9.x after a mere 4 months!
Please beware. So far, TDK and Verbatim media have held their data and play fine."

Update:
As of today, 5-23-2011, I have been using Verbatim without any problems or failures. All of the TDK's have also held up fine.

Are you talking about the dark blue discs with the old logo or the light blue ones with the new logo?

[Mdy4Blues]

The dark blue I suppose. I've never seen the so-called light blue ones so I don't have any comparison. Ever seen the Navy Blue Angels fighter jets? That blue! :o

Everyone of them ended up losing their data and went into the local recycle program. And they weren't cheap ($$) either! :mad:

[Intelp4]

The dark blue I suppose. I've never seen the so-called light blue ones so I don't have any comparison. Ever seen the Navy Blue Angels fighter jets? That blue! :o

Everyone of them ended up losing their data and went into the local recycle program. And they weren't cheap ($$) either! :mad:

Oh ok, the one's I have are the light blue ones with the new Memorex logo on them.

[Mdy4Blues]

Oh ok, the one's I have are the light blue ones with the new Memorex logo on them.

I hope I clarified which discs Intelp4. Please check your discs to see if they play for you. The purpose of this thread is to share information and knowledge. Perhaps you can enlighten the rest of us if you've had problems with your (light blue) Memorex discs. Have you had any of them go bad? If so, how many? When did you purchase/burn them? Any additional information you can furnish would surely help others here.

Cheers!

[Intelp4]

I hope I clarified which discs Intelp4. Please check your discs to see if they play for you. The purpose of this thread is to share information and knowledge. Perhaps you can enlighten the rest of us if you've had problems with your (light blue) Memorex discs. Have you had any of them go bad? If so, how many? When did you purchase/burn them? Any additional information you can furnish would surely help others here.

Cheers!

Purchased and burned Dec 2010, they all still play fine. :D

[CER]

I have been burning with these discs for a little over a year now:

http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-97238-Blu-ray-Recordable-10-Disc/dp/B003EE08S8/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1307640095&sr=1-3

I never burned a lot of blu-rays, so I don't know if these are the same as in the bigger spindles that are linked above. However, even the oldest ones I have (about 12-13 mos) still play perfectly in our playstation blu-ray drive or our older Sony Blu-Ray player in another room.

I use a Buffalo BR-X816U2 External DVD/BD RW connected to my laptop via USB cable (to save the wear and tear on my internal drive). I've had it for a couple of years now, and that thing is a total workhorse. It uses some connection Buffalo calls "Turbo USB". I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it does make the drive (and the connection between it and the computer) run pretty darn fast. I've scanned / burned hundreds of discs, and can probably count on one hand the number of times they came out bad. You can even watch a blu-ray movie from that drive on the computer without any stutter at all. Pretty cool.

[SuperFist]

Does anyone have any Optical Quantum discs they can report about that they burned a year ago or longer? Also, if you can, post the Manufacturer's ID. I'm curious because I only started burning blu-rays at the the beginning of this year and I have a lot of those discs since they seem to be on sale the most. I'm assuming the worst but I would like to be pleasantly surprised. :D

[kelson]

Does anyone have any Optical Quantum discs they can report about that they burned a year ago or longer? Also, if you can, post the Manufacturer's ID. I'm curious because I only started burning blu-rays at the the beginning of this year and I have a lot of those discs since they seem to be on sale the most. I'm assuming the worst but I would like to be pleasantly surprised. :DAt $1/disk they are hard to pass up. I've burned about 30 of them so far over the past couple months so I don't have any longevity data, yet. Of the 30, all except one burned and verified without any issues. The one coaster was my fault -- I tried to burn it much faster than the rated speed.

[btufail]

Does anyone have any Optical Quantum discs they can report about that they burned a year ago or longer? Also, if you can, post the Manufacturer's ID. I'm curious because I only started burning blu-rays at the the beginning of this year and I have a lot of those discs since they seem to be on sale the most. I'm assuming the worst but I would like to be pleasantly surprised. :D

From what I understand disc code that contains RO4 are ok. They show up as phillips on imgburn. Anything else I'm assuming is Ritek which have been known to fail.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817607025
Notice the part/model# has RO4 in it? Those should be good!

[dave412]

I my self has started to back up on disc and this was the first question that came to mind was the life span of the media.

I bought this brand to test out some burning and at a little over $1 a disc these are reasonable.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817607025

So far I have only backed up two movies burned using the VSO ingine. sucker punch which played fine and Battle of LA now i did have problems with this playing correctky do not know if it was because of CINAVIA or because the disk seem to have had a small scratch on it prior to burning.

I will check back on my burned backups.

[Jerrinfla]

This thread is depressing. I was under the impression that blu-ray was going to be manufactured under more stringent manufacturing guidelines than DVD+R, -R, RW etc. However, if manufacturers keep outsourcing their production to companies that manufacture garbage, like CMC Magnetics, brand names that worked a year ago might not be the same disks nowadays at all.
The only brand that's been consistently good has been verbatim, and I am probably only saying that because I never tried their LTH disks or the new lower priced version of their brand.

My view on reading threads about blu-ray quality gives me the impression that buying them is going to be as much of a crapshoot as buying dvd-5 or -9 blanks. What a shame.

[Oetboy4]

My LG BD550 player had played Verbatim LTH media without a glitch... until a couple of weeks ago. Just stopped supporting LTH. Plays BD-R (non-LTH) without a problem. I called LG. They deny any firmware updates (player is connected to ethernet) which would have changed compatibility with LTH. Could it be "only my BD550"? Perhaps, but I googled BD550 and LTH and found other BD550 owners complaining of a change in compatibility too. I now am only using BD-R (non-LTH) type disks. If manufacturers decide not to support LTH with a simple firmware update, it just seems prudent to pay a tiny bit more for the non-LTH disks to better "guarantee" it will play.

[sherwood1948]

I have been using Panasonic BD-R's single layer Printable discs for the past several months with a LG burner and had no issues at all. Have burned around 80 discs now and not had any fail so far. I have not tried many other brands yet, apart from a Verbatim BD-R that came with the burner. I have had a problem with DVD stick on labels. Some DVD players don't like them at all. Half way through the disc they can give all sorts of playback issues.Some discs don't even read in some players at all. At first I thought it was the disc. I took the label off with some Label Remover and it now plays back fine. I have done this with several discs that were giving playback problems, and now with the labels off they have jumped back into life. It's very strange.

[Rich86]

I have been using Panasonic BD-R's single layer Printable discs for the past several months with a LG burner and had no issues at all. Have burned around 80 discs now and not had any fail so far. I have not tried many other brands yet, apart from a Verbatim BD-R that came with the burner. I have had a problem with DVD stick on labels. Some DVD players don't like them at all. Half way through the disc they can give all sorts of playback issues.Some discs don't even read in some players at all. At first I thought it was the disc. I took the label off with some Label Remover and it now plays back fine. I have done this with several discs that were giving playback problems, and now with the labels off they have jumped back into life. It's very strange.

Stick-On labels and optical media are a very bad combination. I have told folks for many years to not ever use stick-on labels on CDs, DVDs, etc. under any circumstances. Sooner or later, they will spoil your day big-time when the titles refuse to play or be read.

[GregiBoy]

Or even worse when parts of them come off inside the player!!!!

Use printables and get a printer that can print direct to them.

[berdman]

Been using a Epson printer for the past year AND using this CIS ( Continuous Ink System )

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Compatible-Bulk-Ink-CISS-CIS-Epson-R260-R280-R380-/110689387376?pt=BI_Toner&hash=item19c59a0370

Which saves you a ton of money on ink costs and they are just as good as the OEM inks

[bmiller]

I've been using VinPower and Optical Quantum which are both Philips R04. Never had a problem and they still work almost 2 years later.

[Whale2]

I've been using VinPower and Optical Quantum which are both Philips R04. Never had a problem and they still work almost 2 years later.

I also have not had any failures in my Optical Quantum discs. I did manage to purchase some recently (silver colored rather than white) that were not Phillips RO4 but rather a Ritec. Hopefully the Ritec's will last too.

[sonydude1966]

I read over at Amazon that some of the Quantum's now say "value" on the package and are lesser quality.

I haven't seen that myself and have been using the "regular" Quantum's for 2 years or more. I get 1 coaster for every 100 or so discs, but when they burn correctly (99 out of 100), they have been lasting this whole time. (knock on wood).

Just ordered another 50 pack, and hope I don't get the "value" style. Atleast there's a very easy return policy.

[Whale2]

I read over at Amazon that some of the Quantum's now say "value" on the package and are lesser quality.

I haven't seen that myself and have been using the "regular" Quantum's for 2 years or more. I get 1 coaster for every 100 or so discs, but when they burn correctly (99 out of 100), they have been lasting this whole time. (knock on wood).

Just ordered another 50 pack, and hope I don't get the "value" style. Atleast there's a very easy return policy.

Verbs are less than a buck a disk until 1-11-12 at New Egg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?SID=u731699t3791796f9fp0dd0c0s701&AID=10440897&PID=1225267&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16817130187

Optical Quantums are also very reasonable at $38 for 50 disks. My last order about a month ago was was the Phillips type even though it was the silver finish rather than white. Media is now routinely less than a buck. I love the Quantums the best. They burn at 8x according to imageburn. I set them for 6x and get no coasters. I suspect they would burn correctly at 8X.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817607054

[unknownbluray]

Problem is those are the LTH type which not all player let alone burners use. They are better for data than movies. I used one last yr my computer and PS3 played it this yr nothing reads it. Maybe they make them better but I heard nothing truely good with the LTH BD's.

[btufail]

Has any tried the new Optical Quantum 50 gb discs? So far i have had good luck with their 25 gb discs(as along as they're made by phillips and not Ritek).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817607055

[jfan24]

Recently, I came across 50GB BR-DL made by Digistor on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/DIGISTOR-50GB-BD-R-Media-pack/dp/B004DNEZUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329972207&sr=8-1 Decided to pull the plug and bought the 10-pack at first to make sure I didn't get burned. Low and behold 10 perfect burns with not a single coaster. Went ahead and picked up the 25-pack for $106 and got the same thing; no coasters. Seems to be a great product with an amazing value, the lowest price per disk I've found so far at $4.25/disk.

[SuperFist]

Recently, I came across 50GB BR-DL made by Digistor on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/DIGISTOR-50GB-BD-R-Media-pack/dp/B004DNEZUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329972207&sr=8-1...

Those DIGISTOR's are now over $2 per disc, plus they're too new for me to trust shelf life. I would stick with Optical Quantum over at Supermediastore for $4.50 a disc...

http://www.supermediastore.com/product/u/optical-quantum-bd-r-50gb-6x-blu-ray-recordable-double-layer-media-oqbdrdl06lt-10-10pk

[SuperFist]

In the interest of this thread and those who wish to purchase the most reliable media they can at the most affordable rate, I decided to go back and test the first discs I burned with the computer I built a few days after New Year's 2011. I will give you the model Blu-ray burner I copied them with along with the movie I backed up, the media ID of the discs I used, the brand name, speed, the speed I recorded them at as well as the date I actually made them. All of the following backed up movies currently play flawlessly in my PS3 with the latest 4.10 update.

Blu-ray Burner: LG 10x BD-RE WH10LS30


Backed Up Movie - Media ID - Brand - Speed Burned - Date Created

Entourage Season 6 (All Discs) - RITEK-BR2-000 - RiDATA 4x 25GB BD-R - 4x - 1/8/11

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - RITEK-BR2-000 - RiDATA 4x 25GB BD-R - 4x - 1/13/11

The Town - RITEK-BR2-000 - Optical Quantum 4x 25GB BD-R - 4x - 2/15/11

The A-Team - RITEK-BR2-000 - Optical Quantum 4x 25GB BD-R - 4x - 3/19/11

Hero - RITEK-BR2-000 - Optical Quantum 4x 25GB BD-R - 4x - 3/23/11

Spider-Man - RITEK-BR2-000 - Optical Quantum 4x 25GB BD-R - 4x - 3/19/11


As you can see, all of these discs were burned a year ago and they still play just as good as if I just burned them today and the data side still looks very deep and pronounced without any visible fading.

[s9ac3r]

ive been using Digistor BD-R's. I havent had one fail me yet. I'm on my 4th spindle of 25pack. I thought price was good. its about a dollar for bd-r or about $4.50 for dl bd-r. im a little comfused about the htl or lth and i dont know which one it is with Digistor. I havent had one coast on me just yet.

My computer config.

Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV5
Windows 7 64bit
Intel Core i5-460m 2.53- (2.8GHz turbo boost)
Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 350M with 1GB GDDR3 discrete graphics memory
o Total Available Graphics memory 2781MB
RAM Configured with 8GB DDR3
Samsung 830 series SSD 128GB on sata3
1x Matshida fixed optical blu ray disc rom
1x LG External 12x Super Multi Blue LightScribe BE12LU38 on esata


PS. I hate them media disc that slips when loading in a slot drive.

[p2nenga]

What seems to be missing in this discussion is blu-ray is a data disk format whereas dvd was a streaming disk format. BD-R has the capability to mark bad segments and branch around to a good segment during the recording process. For example, in Nero you have to turn this option ON: "BD defect management (for blank discs only)"

Even high-quality blanks have defects. But the recorder finds these on-the-fly by immediately reading back the segment just recorded and, if it's bad, mark that segment and branch to try again -- and again, and again,.. -- until a good segment is made. You can actually see this after recording as the color shift around e.g. a pin-hole defect outlines the problem.

As a result, NO COASTERS. No stutters. No mid-movie full stops. Pretty cool. And you can dare to buy cheaper media.

[jimp124]

I've been using Optical Quantum for over 2 years and I've had excellent luck with play-back, even on the earliest ones I burned. I've been using a Pioneer BDR-205 for most all my burns. Optical Quantum is also sold under the name Vinpower Digital which are the exact same discs. I DO NOT however recommend the ones with printable tops, they seem to produce more coasters. The prices are very reasonable.

[SuperFist]

Very interesting, p2nenga.

What I'm understanding from the clarification about this feature below is it's inherent in the blu-ray writers themselves and is defaulted to "On". It's just that Nero gives you the option to turn it off.

Here is further explanation from the avsforums...

Recordable Blu-ray supports defect management within the drive, this defect management is handled entirely by the writer and the computer/player has no part in handling defects, they just see a big lump of free-space which is all defect free. Defect management also takes place when creating a Blu-ray video disc and this is a big change from DVDs. DVDs for video do not support defect management as video data must be in a continuous stream, and for data, DVD needs the host to deal with defect management (except for DVD-RAM). This defect management is not just used on BD-RE, but also write once BD-R.

This should mean more reliable burns to Blu-ray media as any defects while burning can be remapped to a spare sector, and the Blu-ray player will be able to play this back without a problem, a good job considering the price of blanks at the moment. It also makes Blu-ray great for storing data.

Because of defect management, burning speeds can be less than half of the advertised speed (just like DVD-RAM) as everything written is read back and verified and if necessary sectors are remapped by the drive. Software packages can let you disable defect management to get the full burn speed, but this might mean a coaster which could have been avoided. Also when defect management is in use free space is slightly reduced in order to reserve space for defects.

Another change that can look like a fault when recording to BD-RE, is that BD-RE is a truly random access format. Where CD-RW/DVD-RW/+RW always records sequentially from the last point recorded, so on a new blank disk you can see the recording sequentially grow from the centre outwards with no gaps, Blu-ray BD-RE can record anywhere to the disk (like a hard-drive) and so isn't constrained to always recording from the very last point written to. This means on a clean blank Blu-ray BD-RE disk, as you add and remove recordings, you can see concentric rings with gaps where no data has been recorded. On a DVD/CD this would show something had gone terribly wrong, but is quite normal on BD-RE and is not a problem. (See picture below).

http://www.avforums.com/forums/attachments/blu-ray-dvd-recorders-media/169829d1269087827-blu-ray-pc-drives-defect-management-some-info-bd-re.jpg

[GadgetVictim]

@jimp124: I have been using OQ BD white printable top version for several years now, and not been having much problems.

I like the convenience of printing BD covers directly on my backup disc, and would like to find out what kind of failure rate others have been getting.

Out curiosity: What kind of coaster stats per batch of OQ have you been getting from the OQ printable tops do you base your NON-Recommendation on?:confused:

I'm on about my 4th batch of the 50 stack OQ BD purchased from Amazon, and estimate that I've getting about 1 defective disk per stack of 50 (that's about 2% failure rate). So, I'm interested in finding out what others been getting???? It also comes down to cost-benefit/defect trade-off.

Would be nice if we can get others to provide statistics on number/% of defects on other makes/models BD discs, they have had experience with.:)

I have the LG BD burner, and I'm also, looking at getting 2nd BD burner and would like to know if you would recommend the Pioneer BDR-205 or possible 206? I'm look for something other then an LG model, and want recommendations from those that are HAPPY with models that they're using.:confused:

Mahalo,
GadgetVictim