http://www.tapeandmedia.com/detail.asp?product_id=MIT00041889

Same product, better price

Seems like you MAY have some issues writing to this kind of media reading the decription on the above link, guess it depends on the burner and having to buy 50 could make for a rather expensive experiment. That's a pity as it get around most of the objectsions to ink jet printed labels.

I wonder if anyone sells them in smaller qty, would seem silly not to for a new product that users would like a chance to try before commiting such a large some of money to.

Mitsui makes exceptionally fine media. I have never tried the particular discs discussed in this thread, but I have used their CDR and DVD-R media for quite a while with absolutely NO problems.

John

Thanks John. Mitsui/MAM-E make these discs and I'm glad they are working out to be as good as their unprintable/white-top-printable cousins.

! TY also make silver dye printables !

I have it on record from a very reliable source that the TY silver top 4x -R are fantastic. You even get a slight mirror reflection on what you print on the surface (if you leave an area unprinted it is more noticable).

So, in my book, writable media from Japan and France is the best. Ritek G4 is close behind but can be the cheapest.

I'm using Panasonic 4x -R white printables at the moment. Excellent so far. I actually like to have the brand name mentioned on the hub ring. The lab they are from is TY (for my batch). I quite like Verbatim too, but they do have more than one manufacturing plant.

I wish I could get 50s of any manufacturer's silver dye printables. The closest I can get in the UK is 100s (UK£150 a stab). I don't make or duplicate that kind of volume with my own gear so they'd be sitting. Maybe if the prices get better I'll go silver dye printable for everything including machine backups...

I wasn't questioning the quality of the media BUT there was a note that you may need a firmware upgrade to burn them, the note only specifically mentioned the drives in G4/G5s which left it a bit open ended.

Further I think there's one type of printable media that has a silver compound in the printable surface which should have no impact on how they're burnt. These seem to have a clear finish with a transparent matt surface to hold the ink, that could make a difference to the burner.

Ok I've been using the White inkjet printable DVDs up to this point which work ok but give a rather dull, matte appearance. I'm using the Epson R-300 printer .
-----------------------

I posted the same thing when I bought my R300. Some disagree, but I think it's their eyes. My solution was to run it through twice. It makes a huge difference. Experiment with the settings until you get the right combination of the setting for the first pass through and the setting for the second. There is absolutely NO setting which will give acceptable results (to the discerning eye) with that printer on a single pass through particularly on Ritek white inkjet printable G04 media.

John
It takes so long to find a really compatible media. When you have found it (in my case Ritek G04) you don't want to have to switch to something else because of a stupid printer.

farss,

There was an issue with Pioneer 2x DVD burners not recognizing 4x media of any brand properly and actually damaging the drive. There was a firmware update that dealt with this and that's what the disclaimer is all about. This was a drive problem, not a problem with the media. Assuming you have a 4x (or faster) DVD burner or a 2x Pioneer/Apple burner with the latest firmware, the Mitsui media is perfectly safe to use.

John

Ah,
I thought that might have been it but the warning didn't seem to specifically mention that as being the problem. If that's all it is when I get back I might buy some to tryout, anything for a flashier looking product although most clients are just amazed to get anything printed on the DVD.

I'm using the "SILVER Inkjet printable media" with an Epson R-300 printer and consider it a great alternative. There is considerable distortion of color but a totally "different" yet very professional look.

Just my not so humble opinion.

MrPat,
Finally someone with the answer!
I appreciate you posting your experience.
What DVD burner are you using?
I am loving the R-300 printer, great results so far, may have to try the Silver if I can get a sample maybe.

Mark

I tried the silver and it had a great "silk" look for a 4th of July flag disk.
Somewhat transparent.

From my experience with white vs. silver printable media (and i've had LOTS of experience) The silver media while it can give a nice look, can very easily show fingerprints if you touch the surface of the discs. Even the smallest bit of oil or water on your finger will make a VERY noticeable diffrence. I would try to stick with white if at all possible, simply becasue the surface is more durable and more smudge resistant. IF you still want to try them I would suggest ordering like 5-10 just so you can try them out and see what they are like before getting hundreds of them.

Jsnkc,
I would be all for trying a small qty of Silver. Do you know where I can get just a few?
Or would someone here be willing to sell me a couple?
Thanks in advance.
Mark

Mark,

Currently using the TDK 420N and a Pioneer DVR-106D

Would someone be willing to share some scans or digital pics of printed silver media? Perhaps compared with the raw graphic files for comparison?