I know there's a 'sticky' with media issues but I think this is slightly different.

I have a Pioneer 105 and am using 1.33 official firmware.

For months, I've been using Datawrite Reds without any problems. I still don't have problems at my end (they read and copy OK) but for the last couple of weeks, other people have had problems reading the discs I have produced in other machines, both PC and standalone.

I have bought them from SVP and the local computer fair and the guy at the fair said that they have changed the dye recently (they can apparently be distinguished by the ring around the centre on the top of the disc which has changed from white to silver) but said that they should be fine if you're using 1.33 firmware.

My question is this, as they burn OK and can be read on my PC but other people cannot read them, is it likely to be a problem at my end, could it be the people at the other end who have the problem or is it simply a media problem ?

green_blade it prolly is the media m8, there are plenty of threads in here with tales of woe regarding the Datawrite brand and inconsistentcy. If you are after a good disc at a great price then I can highly recomend either the Princo or ICE branded 4X discs from SVP, I have had no playback problems with one single disc and they work every bit as good as a Ritek for me and no complaints from anyone else either so far. ;)

Like Lazza said it is a media problem. Just because one drive or player reads a disc doesn't mean all of them will. I would definitely recommend a Ritek dye disc for universal compatibility (not the datasafe/datawrite overprints though).

Yep .... almost definitely the Datawrite Reds. The first batches were ok, but subsequent batches are useless .... they dont even make good coasters :D

I haven't tried the ICE 4 X yet, but like jester says, can thoroughly recommend Riteks.

Datawrite/Datasafe stuff does seem to have taken a turn for the worse IMO

Thanks all, I was hoping it was just media rather than something more critical ! Shame I bought 100 from the guy last week !

Mind, you, they seem to work OK if I stick to my PC so I guess I'll be able to use them.

Just another question. It's been suggested that you can put too much data on a DVDR and that this can cause read errors.

I understand the lead in / out on DVDRs is around 200Mb. This explains why the old red marker is around 4.5Gb on Nero.

Although I do tend to pretty much fill them up to the marker, it seems daft to me to produce a DVDR which can hold say 4.5 Gb and then have a 'safe' data limit below that.

Any truth in the comment ?

I dont know about you guys, but I find it so frustrating trying to find a REGULAR RELIABLE source of blank DVDR's, remember a few years back, it was the same with blank CDR's, continual changing of dyes/manufactures, then it seemed to level out, & things were fine & dandy.
Now with the DVDR market, it's the worse I've ever seen it, with certain manufacturers constantly changing their dye /disk specs, with Datashite & Bulkcrap being by far the worst offenders, then the old buy someone elses DVDR stock & overprint them etc, it's a contsant struggle to find a decent supply of say, Ritek blanks, without having to resort to buying them by the hundreds, I only use, say maybe 25 a week if that, so when I do find & buy a decent batch that works on other players, a week or so later, I go to buy them again, & behold....none in stock, so have to chance trying some other crap.
I'm not having a go at certain suppliers, but just 2 weeks back, the Datashite Reds where being advertised on their sites as, One of our BEST selling x4 speed disks ever, excellent value for money, then, a week later, same sites saying, withdrawn from site, for obvious reasons I think, the old sell as much as the shite as we can, while we can........I wonder how long it's going to be before we see the redtops being "overprinted" with another pretty colour label, being sold under another brand name, in an attempt to make a few quid on a couple of hundred thousand redtops which will otherwise prove VERY hard to shift...........just my thoughts guys, sorry about the moan, but this find a decent DVDR on a regular basis thing is really starting to piss me off......................Tony92

Well i've used the Yellow Topped 4x ones and they were OK, but i'am sticking with Ritek, by the time you've replaced the faulty discs it just as cheap, Rizel

From what I understand Traxdata are a safe bet for Ritek branded discs (at least for uk users).

Originally posted by green_blade

I have a Pioneer 105 and am using 1.33 official firmware.



My question is this, as they burn OK and can be read on my PC but other people cannot read them, is it likely to be a problem at my end, could it be the people at the other end who have the problem or is it simply a media problem ?

just read your post m8 ,and just wondered,are you only testing your discs on your pc ?

as ive had a few discs,that i have bought of peeps ,that will not play in my standalone,xbox or ps2 but will play fine in the pc.

i have been able to re-rip them and burn back ,and they then play fine.

so could be problem at your end,i know there is batch probs with the reds but surley you wouldnt get 100 duffs

just a suggestion.

regards jay

Whenever I burn a DVDR (usually full of MP3 albums), I always check the disc on my PC after the burn to make sure all the directories show up and I can copy the first and last album as I understand this is where errors can occur, at the beginning and end of the burn.

I bought 25 from a fair a couple of weeks ago and it seems to be limited to this batch. I haven't had '100 duffs' (yet). I mentioned above that I have since bought another 100 from the same guy so am hoping that they are not from the same batch. As I say, they seem to work fine on my PC so I'll just use them for my own storage purposes and look for another brand for 'other requirements' !!

4x datawrite *ritek* white topped overprints been good here,no scratchs or dust or anything that would show extra handling due to the reprints

just got through a batch of 4,now just moved onto the 4x FWS ritek,infact evet brand i used princo,ritek,ect,ect i've had no probs with

PC's are a bad way to test discs out. PC drives are designed to read all types of recordable media. Videogame systems and DVD Players are not. I always test out movies on my XBOX or PS2 as they have picky drives so it is a pretty good indicator of what would actually work on a standalone DVD Player that is media picky.

Take your point jester but I only deal with MP3s, I leave the movies to everyone else !

I have queried the problem with the people who cannot read the discs and it seems to affect part of the disc only. For example, the final 3rd of the folders on the disc cannot be read / accessed.

It still sounds like a media issue to me. You always hear people say to leave some extra space but I have filled my unbranded Riteks up to the brim on numerous occasions and never had a single problem. I wouldn't try doing it with cheap quality discs though. As mentioned by a number of people there are quite a few different "anomalies" in the Datawrite/Datasafe line so it seems logical that you have a bach of disc that won't work towards the end.

Went to the computer fair on Monday and not one seller was selling Datawrite Reds. Looks like they've either been withdrawn or just not selling anymore !

Be on your guard next week though, because .... as Tony92 says .... there are probably millions of these in a warehouse somewhere near you and someone is probably already deciding what their new Brand & Colour will be.
Let's see Datashite, Bulkcrap ... Blue, Purple ....... I wonder what it will be :D

Good point Phil !

Last week, I ordered what I thought were Ritek's and they must be the overprints you're referring to. They were sold as Ritek G04, are blue and have the good old Datawrite stamp on. How are you supposed to tell, or guarantee, that they are Riteks ?

That having been said, they've been fine so far and have worked on other machines (the original problem I had with the 'Reds').

The only gaurantees people can give on Riteks at this point are on the Traxdata labeled discs and the actual unbranded Riteks. Anything with the Datawrite/Datasafe/Bulqpaq labels should be avoided no matter what the dye is. BTW UK users need to get together and sue the pants off that lame company. Sounds like they are robbing people blind over there.

And .... unfortunately the word is getting around, as SVP have sold right out of Traxdata 4 X.

I just had to order FWS Ritek 4 X, which I have used before, with success.
I just hope they are not a different dye this time around.

I will let you know how they go ;)

People are still saying good things about FWS so you should be okay.;)

FWS are fine all G04 and working fine at 4x

Thanks guys

Thanks 4 all the infor, a good read.