Picking Blank CD & DVD Media

Standing in front of a blank media wall at a local superstore can be very intimidating. Oftentimes, there are so many options, it can take a long time to finally select one. There are different colors, brands, and types, and the prices vary just as much as the selection. With a little know-how, selecting a blank disc can be much less overwhelming.

Not all blank media is made the in the same way. There are variations in the materials used and manufacturing process that can affect how long the disc will last, how reflective it will be, and whether or not it will play in one particular player over another. Rewritable discs like CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, and DVD+RW work on very different principles than write-once discs like CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R. The information in this article is focusing on write-once media, and how to differentiate them.

There are many things that make buying blank media confusing. Things like brand and disc color often confuse shoppers, which lures them into buying one disc type over another for the wrong reasons. Below are some of the things to look for when purchasing blank media.

Disc Type

Disc type refers to whether or not it's a CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD+R. It's necessary to know what type of disc it is that you need to buy before considering any of the other factors.

For more information on the different types of DVD formats read Understanding: The Different Types of Recordable DVDs.

Color

The different colors of "write-once" recordable discs (such as CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R) come from the combination of the reflective metal layer and the dye formulation in the recordable layer. The metal layer is usually silver or gold, while the recording layer color is based on the dye. Today, there are several combinations and variations of dye formulas, but most are based on the basic ones below. Some of the common dyes are:

• Cyanine

  Dye color: blue / Patented by: Taiyo Yuden
  
  Cyanine is one of the oldest dye formulations found in recordable discs. It is chemically unstable, and somewhat sensitive to light. Cyanine discs are not usually recommended for archival purposes since they can cheimally breakdown after a few years. Many companies use proprietary additives to make the formulation more stable, and therefore improve their archival life up to 50 years. Cyanine discs will usually appear blue in color, but can appear green when coupled with a gold reflective layer. Cyanine is more tolerant of variation during the writing process, and since it is a sensitive material, is recommended for high speed recording.
  
  The majority of blank media is produced with Cyanine. It can be the least expensive kind of disc to manufacture, and can provide excellent results for the money. The adaptation of this dye formulation by other blank media companies, such as Fuji and TDK, can yeild similar performance to other dye formulations. Although Cyanine is typically the cheapest of formulations to use, additives and other factors can make these discs just as expensive as others on the retail shelves.
  
  Recommended uses:
  • Mix CD's
    
  • Short-term Data Storage
    
  • Sharing photos with friends and family
    
  • High speed recording (Recording at greater than 32X speeds)
  
  

• Phthalocyanine

  Dye color: clear / Patented by: Mitsui Toatsu Chemical
  
  Since the dye is clear, these discs are usually a silver, gold, or a very light green in color, depending on the color of the reflective metal layer. Phthalocyanine formulations are extremely stable, and can have a archival life of hundreds of years, as well as top-notch performance. Phthalocyanine is a more difficult substance to write to, and is less tolerant in power of the laser during the writing process. Therefore, it is not recommended to use Phthalocyanine for high speed recording.
  
  Phthalocyanine seems to be the second most common dye formulation used in blank media. Since the dye itself is clear, discs of these types tend to have the highest reflectivity of any blank medium. Where older drives have difficulty reading other types of blank media, these types of discs will most likely be compatible. However, the cost of quality phthalocyanine discs tend to make other dye formulations more attractive.
  
  Recommended uses:
  • Long term data storage, such as photos and documents
    
  • Duplicating CDs
    
  • Duplicating DVDs
    
  • Working with older playback devices
    
  • Holds up better in extreme conditions, like exposure to UV light

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