Hey guys, I bought some Memorex blanks a few months ago, (I know, they are the worst I have since found out from a previous thread). Anyway, I tried to burn with them and they keep being rejected. I looked at the package and they are DVD-R which is what I usually buy. I then noticed they are up to 16x and some notice inside about updating your Drives and Recorders. No idea where to do that. Anyway, can anyone tell me, can I some how use them or are they junk? Thanking all in advance!
Blank DVD's Don't Work!
- Thread starter hungry
- Start date
I wouldn't even trust them for storage.Ben Hogan said:
DVD media are more fragile than CD media.
If you use a poor media like Memorex it probably will fail to open in a couple years...it's happened to me! CDs you burn hold out longer than DVDs you burn.
I went back to storing important files on HDDs. Hard drives have huge capacity now and are cheap. Important stuff goes on two drives, the main PC drive and an External HDD for backup.
I don't trust DVD media anymore for storage.
I agree re Memorex, I bought a spool of 100 minus at CTC about a year ago, out of about 25 attempts, I was running 50% failure on both my computer & stand alone DVD recorder, gave them away and been stickig to verbatim, Imation, and Maxell....with virtually no fails.
data1960 said:
Good point, but I will clarify,,,, A friend insisted that memorex is a good name & he had not experienced any problems with them,, so I gave them to him.....
I'd just like to point out the existence of a piece of software called DVD Identifier. When you want to know if you have a well manufactured disc, use that.
Quite simply put, you have to update your burners firmware to be able to burn x16 discs of any brand, not just memorex.
http://www.k-probe.com/firmwareupdates.php
http://www.k-probe.com/firmwareupdates.php
I have Memorex DVD-R's and use them for some of the back ups. Never had any problem in the past 2 years with their discs, but then again, I never burn faster than x16 ( sorry, I meant x4 )
As for backing up more important data, I'd advice both HD and DVD-R. Never too safe.
As for backing up more important data, I'd advice both HD and DVD-R. Never too safe.
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Thanks guys. I don't understand it. I always burn at 4x. I think it has to be fautly DVD's. I had a dual layer disc kicking aroud and I used that and it worked. I see Future shop has 100 Verbatium on sale for 30 dollars. I will buy that and see what happens. I bought the Memorex on sale at Walmart for 20 dollars at Xmas time and threw out the receipt so I guess they are trash now. I will let you know how the Verbatium work out tomorrow. Pretty well all DVD's these days is sold at 16 speed but should play at the max of your system. Thanks for all your advice.
Taiyo Yuden is the best of the best.data1960 said:
Shop online for Taiyo Yuden and it's just as cheap.
There you can get 200/$60 and a couple places have free shipping. You have to do a little hunting for the deals.
Just did a Google for, 'Taiyo Yuden media' and hit 2 places in < a minute.
Quality media is important!
Most of my burned media, were CDs with an 8 yr old Plextor PleXWriter.
Plextor was rated best back then, first to use 'burn proof' technology.
Tech reviewers said it would flawlessly burn any media, one commented it could probably even burn a 'postcard'! My son and I have burned several hundred CDs over the years and NOT ONE coaster, using many types of media......but never used Memorex. The only failure I had was due to me 'trying something not kosher'....this produced my only 2 coasters ...I just wanted to see 'what would happen'....
Right now I'm listening on a Linux player, to my first two audio CDs (used Fuji media) burned 8 yrs ago using Roxio with Win98 and they still sound perfect.
The only CDs that fail to open from back then were Data CDs with MP3 files on them. The media used was CompUSA generic silver blanks.....they sold tons of them blanks back then. They started to fail 5 year after burning as MP3s but those burned as audio CDs with the same CompUSA media still play fine!
I didn't know much about media back then.
The only reason I bought that CompUSA media, besides it having a great sale price, was because the CompUSA techie said since I have a Plextor burner not to worry because that burner will handle any media you use. He was right, it never made a coaster, it just didn't last as long as a better quality media.
CD media is more forgiving than DVD media. If you want DVDs to last as long as possible you have to use the best available media.
Most of my burned media, were CDs with an 8 yr old Plextor PleXWriter.
Plextor was rated best back then, first to use 'burn proof' technology.
Tech reviewers said it would flawlessly burn any media, one commented it could probably even burn a 'postcard'! My son and I have burned several hundred CDs over the years and NOT ONE coaster, using many types of media......but never used Memorex. The only failure I had was due to me 'trying something not kosher'....this produced my only 2 coasters ...I just wanted to see 'what would happen'....
Right now I'm listening on a Linux player, to my first two audio CDs (used Fuji media) burned 8 yrs ago using Roxio with Win98 and they still sound perfect.
The only CDs that fail to open from back then were Data CDs with MP3 files on them. The media used was CompUSA generic silver blanks.....they sold tons of them blanks back then. They started to fail 5 year after burning as MP3s but those burned as audio CDs with the same CompUSA media still play fine!
I didn't know much about media back then.
The only reason I bought that CompUSA media, besides it having a great sale price, was because the CompUSA techie said since I have a Plextor burner not to worry because that burner will handle any media you use. He was right, it never made a coaster, it just didn't last as long as a better quality media.
CD media is more forgiving than DVD media. If you want DVDs to last as long as possible you have to use the best available media.
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So they got back to me, the usual crap, sorry for your problems, check your firmware to see if you are compatible with 16x, then the too bad and basically referenced me to "sex and travel". I replied back telling them that I bougth Verbatium which are 16x that, my burner is rated to 16x and that I only burn at 4x. I also told them Memorex was junk, how poorly rated they are and about your comments. I told them I would curse them till the day I die. Further, when I was in Future shop I saw some one looking to buy Memorex. I told him my story, he thanked me and bought Verbatium (true story). I was going to reference them to "sex and travel", but I am too nice a guy. I never got a reply to this response.hungry said:
Little do we all know that both can be made by the same factory.Gentle Ben said:
Check the DVD manufacturing code to determine which media you buy. Also, some DVD burners will NOT work with all DVD media.
I have had good Memorex DVD-R and Maxell DVD-R (from Ritek) and bad DVD-R media (from CMC Magnetics). My Philips DVD+R DL were from CMC Magnetics and were crap with 100 % coaster producton from all my LG burners, until I bought a Philips DVD burner (hopefully, optimised for ther media).
Bottom line is that you cannot paint all a company's product with such a broad brush. Also, much depends on the burner and its firmware update status.
