If you create or distribute duplicated content on DVD-R in any way, you need this information. Home users, you may want to read this as well. In either case this short article explains the difference between cheap DVD-R media and professional, fully-compatible DVD-R media.
When recordable DVDs, or DVD-R discs came on the market, many DVD players would not play them because they had a different reflectivity than commercially-pressed discs. The laser in older DVD players could not read the "burned" DVD-Rs so these disc were not "compatible" with the players... Now all players can read both disc types, the issue of compatibility is all about the quality of the disc.
I recently had the opportunity to interview CCI Solutions Director of Media, Mark Bradley regarding DVD-R disc compatibility. Mark stated, "The fact is most DVD-R discs on the market today have a failure rate of about 20%". He said, "We refer to these disc failures as incompatibility. If you burn a DVD-R it might play in one player but not the next, the more players you try the disc in, the more compatibility issues you may encounter".
Mark went on to explain: "CCI Solutions not only provides blank DVD-R media for many large-scale businesses, churches and government agencies. We also provide disc duplication services and are daily using the same products that we offer for sale. Most of our blank media and duplication clients have critical compatibility requirements. In either case, our business is responsible for their success. So we supply blank media and finished duplication projects that meet these strict requirements".
Mark added, "The truth of the matter is, if you purchase a quantity of blank DVD-R discs from a local retail outlet (office supply store) and duplicate copies that end up being played in different players, you will experience about a 20% failure rate".
I asked Mark what causes incompatibility with some players? Many things contribute to these compatibility problems. The physical properties of the disc, how flat, how round and how smooth or tapered the edge of the disc is. The dye used to create the disc is also very important. The laser burns the pits into the disc to store the information. The more consistent the dye and the physical nature of the disc is, the better the laser can read the information and the more compatible it is with all machines.
What makes CCI Solutions DVD-Rs different than the competition? "We have been in the media business for over 30 years. We were one of the leading cassette tape manufactures in the country supplying our customers with the best quality available. When our customers moved to CD and DVD recordable media to distributer their message, we moved with them. Our challenge along the way was to supply the same quality our customers have come to rely on. Now we offer the best DVD-R solution available: Media Safe Professional and Media Safe Premium DVD-R discs. They are nearly 100% compatible and come with a lifetime guarantee.
If you have a DVD Duplicator, or you are planning to have a duplication project done for you, make sure that your content gets seen by choosing a DVD-R product that has been tested and is guaranteed to play!
Wayne DuCharme is a
25 year pro audio veteran,
active worship musician, producer/engineer
& technology product specialist