In the few video-related forums I visit online, this being one of them, there has been much debate over which recordable DVD discs and disc formats are the best. I just read an article that revealed a few interesting tid-bits of imformation.

To begin with, today, as so many of you have said, the compatibility issue boils down to the player. It’s no longer a question of –R, +R, or RW (these are more expensive) “because the format you use is transparent to the viewer.”

Perhaps the most revealing piece of information (to me, anyway) was that Taiwanese-based Ritek makes the discs for many of the “brand names you recognize,” Verbatim being one of them.

Granted, Verbatim “has very high standards for the discs it orders from Ritek.” But I’d bet what you’re really paying for is the Verbatim name. So my question would be: Why pay a dollar more per disc?

Another interesting item came out of the article as well. Some have suggested that the 4x discs are not as stable as the 1x discs, either during recording or playback. However, because of the increased speed, the 4x capability, “these discs are generally of higher quality.”

For my money and piece-of-mind, I’m sticking with Ritek’s 4x discs exclusively.

J--