Which are the best brands of MD media?

[daibhead]

Hi

This has probably been asked a squidjillion times but I'm having trouble finding the correct words to search for.

Basically, can anyone put together a top ten of media manufacturers?

Who is number one for manufacturing reliable and robust media?

[Jacques]

Hmm,. Knowledge Center Product Reviews/Pictorials?? ..

Well, give HHB a try.

Features:

• Block error rates 10 times lower than consumer media

• Lubricating agent gives optimum contact with recording head

• Durable shell and foil shutter assembly

• Secure archival life in excess of 50 years

[mercury_in_flames]

From what ive hear ever since I started with md, five years ago, there isnt any HUGE difference in the disc thats inside. What matters alot is how susseptable the case is to dust. A lot of people have the sony ES series discs. In geneneral, go for TDK, Sony, and you should be absolutely fine.

[Ishiyoshi]

*topic moved to its appropriate section of the forum. Note: Please do not create a thread in "Product Reviews/Pictorials" unless one has a Pictorial or Review to share.

[jaylen]

Personally, I'd stay away from Memorex. Those gave me skipping problems for some reason.

In addition to Greg's comments, I remember reading that people also pay some attention to the sliding door - preferring metal shutters over plastic ones.

[Stuge]

This topic wil also help me ..SO i will keep an eye on this topic ..Good Question ..

I think i will also go will Greg ..As TDK & Sony as very well known companies in this regard .

[Ishiyoshi]

Basically, can anyone put together a top ten of media manufacturers?

Who is number one for manufacturing reliable and robust media?

You can go no wrong with any of these:

*list by order of preference in terms of overall design and quality(for both the disc and case itself)

1. TDK
2. AXIA
3. Sony
4. Victor
5. Denon
6. Maxell
7. Saehan
8. PrimeMedia
9. Daiso (most recent offerings are likely made by Saehan with older ones likely produced by TDK on its behalf)

[jaylen]

TDK is my top choice, too, for MD and DVDs. If you're interested in seeing examples of their designs, this forum has a good section for discs in "Product Reviews/Pictorials." And also, this one shows TONS of brands of MDs (both designer and non-designer discs):

Oliver Richter's MD

[Stuge]

You can go no wrong with any of these:

*list by order of preference in terms of overall design and quality(for both the disc and case itself)

1. TDK
2. AXIA
3. Sony
4. Victor
5. Denon
6. Maxell
7. Saehan
8. PrimeMedia
9. Daiso (most recent offerings are likely made by Saehan with older ones likely produced by TDK on its behalf)

Thanks Ishi for the names ..I will be getting DH10P in few days ..I`m mor ethan Excited

I will keep this list ..

[daibhead]

Thanks everyone for your help. Humble apologies for posting in the wrong forum, cringe, tugs forelock, doffs cap and squirms.

I agree about Memorex: I've had nothing but trouble with them.

TDK: I've had one bad disk so far and gosh was it annoying.

Haven't had many others or many issues with the disks themselves but I needed to know if I was missing something - yes, yes, no smart responses to that, please!

Again, thanks.

[Damage]

I've had no troubles with Memorex oddly enough. Though they are fairly rare in the US (i.e. I've not seen any with these), there are enough ancedotal evidence that discs with plastic shutters are nothing but trouble.

If you can still find them, Fuji's MDs are supposedly tops in class. I've a mix of those, Memorex's Neige Clones, Sony Neige, Sony Colored, Sony Premium Golds, 1G HiMD Blanks, and 2G HiMD Blue Blanks. Of all of these, the 1st Gen HiMD blanks gave me the most trouble.

[A440]

Just to avoid confusion: when Damage says 2G Hi-MD blanks, he means second-generation, not 2 gigabyte. The largest capacity Hi-MD is 1 GB.

Memorex and Hi-Space, two cheap MD brands, should be avoided. The only Hi-MD blanks are made by Sony--get the translucent blue (2d generation), not the opaque black (1st generation) if possible.

[daibhead]

Just to avoid confusion: when Damage says 2G Hi-MD blanks, he means second-generation, not 2 gigabyte. The largest capacity Hi-MD is 1 GB.

Memorex and Hi-Space, two cheap MD brands, should be avoided. The only Hi-MD blanks are made by Sony--get the translucent blue (2d generation), not the opaque black (1st generation) if possible.

Funnily enough, I got a batch of Hi-Space when I first bought my md and not a single one of them has given me a any problem, despite heavy usage and a sometimes less-than-careful treatment. Just luck, I suppose.

[Damage]

Sometimes, it does all boil down to luck.

Though, these days, at least in the US, you only have one or two options when it comes to MD Blanks: Sony or Memorex. And if you can afford the extra $1 or $2, then by all means, get the Sony branded disc (if that'll give you piece of mind).

[jaylen]

Sometimes, it does all boil down to luck.

Though, these days, at least in the US, you only have one or two options when it comes to MD Blanks: Sony or Memorex. And if you can afford the extra $1 or $2, then by all means, get the Sony branded disc (if that'll give you piece of mind).

BestBuy in the US has Fuji 80 min discs online. I've also seen them in their stores, but no Memorex cheapies.

[Jacques]

... --get the translucent blue (2d generation), not the opaque black (1st generation) if possible.

What is your basis for this approbation?

[A440]

What is your basis for this approbation?

Well, it might have been just luck. But I had a disc defect with a black 1GB disc that caused a gap, ruined a recorded song and messed up the upload (in whatever the current SonicStage was back then), and had another, less crucial gap in another black disc. I've never had a problem with a blue disc, so my hypothesis is that with experience, Sony improved the manufacturing process.

[danielbb90]

Funnily enough, I got a batch of Hi-Space when I first bought my md and not a single one of them has given me a any problem, despite heavy usage and a sometimes less-than-careful treatment. Just luck, I suppose.

I have alot of those MD's the only problem is when "Grape POP" is spilled onto them!

Thats a total of 2 MD's! LOL

I like Hi|Space but I don't think you can get them now!

I have 2 Sony and I haven't at all had a problem with them! And my 4 1GB discs are fine too, I don't have any problems with the black ones... Or The Blue ones... they both work as well to me!

Edited April 17, 2006 by danielbb90

[KrazyIvan]

BestBuy in the US has Fuji 80 min discs online. I've also seen them in their stores, but no Memorex cheapies.

Don't buy Fuji. Out of a ten pack I bought at an FYI, 9 of them were bad. After trying them is several units only the SHarp MD-MT170 was able to use them. They are those smoke black discs. I'll never buy Fuji again.

[jonny mac]

I have 30 Sharp cheapie discs with plastic shutters and have never had any problems with them. In fact, the only disc that's ever given me problems was a Sony Premium which would seem to record and then later would contain nothing. Oher than that, no probs from Sony, Sharp or TDK.

[SaturnNyne]

Don't buy Fuji. Out of a ten pack I bought at an FYI, 9 of them were bad. After trying them is several units only the SHarp MD-MT170 was able to use them. They are those smoke black discs. I'll never buy Fuji again.

Once again, it looks like it often just comes down to luck. I just last weekend used the last of my 30 or 40 of those Fuji disks (I've used them more than any other kind) and I have never had any problem of any kind. Only thing I don't like about them is that their labels require trimming to fit well.

The only disk failure I've had was with my very first, the Sony Color that came with my N707.

[mrsoul]

Once again, it looks like it often just comes down to luck. I just last weekend used the last of my 30 or 40 of those Fuji disks (I've used them more than any other kind) and I have never had any problem of any kind. Only thing I don't like about them is that their labels require trimming to fit well.

The only disk failure I've had was with my very first, the Sony Color that came with my N707.

I agree. I have used these Fujis from Best Buy manytimes in my MZ-S1 and I have never had a problem. I own at least 20 and have rewritten and played since 2003 without any problems. Of course, YMMV!!! The only MDs I have had problems with are the Memorex because the cheap shutter got caught and broke. Funny, the 2nd Gen Blue HiMDs sure are noisy in comparison to the 1st Gen purple ones...

Edited August 30, 2006 by mrsoul

[greenmachine]

Funny, the 2nd Gen Blue HiMDs sure are noisy in comparison to the 1st Gen purple ones...

Mechanically noisy? Please explain.

[The Low Volta]

I find them noisy as well (perhaps in another sense than mrsoul meant) but when I (carefully ) shake an old/dark 1gb disc I hear close to nothing, when I (carefully again of course) shake a new/blue disc, it clings and clangs like the actual disc is just loosely thrown in its casing and the shutter as well

still, never noticed any specific drawbacks of this (had a gap in recording twice, once on an old and once on a new 1gb disc)

[mrsoul]

Mechanically noisy? Please explain.

I can hear more mechanisms moving inside the player when using the blue as opposed to the purple. The casing just doesn't mask the sound as well as the purple. Happens with almost all of them and I have over 20 blue and about 10 purple.

[DATfan]

Any way to tell from the Hi-MD (blank disc) product numbers which are 1-generation vs. 2-generation?

Edited December 1, 2006 by DATfan

[Richard]

Any way to tell from the Hi-MD (blank disc) product numbers which are 1-generation vs. 2-generation?

If I'm not mistaken the newer blue 1GB discs are HMD1GA and the 1st gen simply HMD1G.

[DATfan]

If I'm not mistaken the newer blue 1GB discs are HMD1GA and the 1st gen simply HMD1G.

Here's what I came up with from further research:

HMD1GA = Europe 2nd-gen Hi-MD discs

HMD1GL = North American 2nd-gen Hi-MD discs

[ZosoIV]

The only discs I ever had problems with were Memorex, both in terms of shoddy shutters and numerous disc errors. One five pack I bought in 2000, in fact, had FOUR bad discs - each one would say "TOC error" when trying to save something. I've not been impressed with any of their products, actually - I used to have quality-related problems with their audiocassettes back in the day.

"Is it shit, or is it Memorex?"