Panasonic DMR-EX98V - blank media, cases and suppliers

[wasleys]

I will soon be getting a Panasonic DMR-EX98V which will be my first venture into DVD recording so have a fairly steep learning curve ahead. As a newcomer to these forums I have found them a valuable source of information which, together with that from other sources, has been of great help but there are a few questions about blank media I would appreciate some comments on.

First some background. The DMR-EX98V will mainly be used for general recording off-air via its own tuner and transferring old VHS tapes onto DVD. Initially it will be connected to an old CRT TV but before long this will be replaced, probably by Panasonic's TX-P37X10 plasma TV.

Now the questions about blank media, which are primarily motivated by concerns about success in burning and life.

From what I have read the most reliable brand is considered to be Taiyo Yuden with Verbatim being a reasonably acceptable (and perhaps more easily available) alternative. Confirmation of this, other suggestions and comments about reliability of other brands claiming to use TY dyes as well as MediaStar's claim to be manufactured by TY would be appreciated.

Is it better to use DVD-R or DVD+R? As I understand it there is no great difference although some comment that +R can be more reliable. Is it more sensible just to buy the cheaper?

Same sort of question about speed of media. Do lower speed media give more reliable results?

After some initial playing with things I'm assuming the cheapest and easiest way to buy blanks will be in 50s or 100s which will mean cases for storage of burnt DVDs. What sort are regarded as most effective in terms of protection, space, price etc?

Some of the packaging is described as 'wraps', some as 'spindle tubs'. What's the difference and does it matter?

Finally what about suppliers? The name I have seen most frequently in terms of reliability and honesty is SVP. Are they OK? Are there others worth considering?

Thanks.

 

[ramjet]

I would more or less agree with the above , with a few caveats

firstly I have used svp for years and have no problems with them , any problems with stock or packing errors etc have always been dealt with with speed and efficiency. so I always use svp more than anyone else , and never buy supermarket lower end disks either

-R are considered the most compatible , and the GO dyes , although there are others that seem ok

-R disks also give the more usual disk structure in VIDEO MODE on a dvd recorder , meaning all you get is a VIDEO_TS folder containing the standard vobs , bups and ifos , same as on the commercial pressed disks

as for speed , its the speed the disks are burned at that matters , not the disk speeds quoted , and the general rule is the slower the speed , the better the burn , so as dvd recorders may be limited to say 4 speed or 6 speed then that is what they use , assuming the disk is quoted at that speed or higher , otherwise they would burn lower , so a x4 disk burns at that or lower , and a x16 speed disk may be burned at x4 if thats the maximum speed of the dvd recorder ( pc burners can manage higher speeds )

the hardback cases sold by svp are excellent , and can hold between 1 and 12 disks depending which you buy
( I buy the black hardback ones )

spindles are usually plastic wrapped with no "cake stand" or anything for storage , some are sold in cake stands or tubs , which are just containers , check the descriptions at svp for details , but no it doesnt matter as long as you have a means of storing the unwrapped disks ( I use old tubs for this )

also bear in mind it is considered that dvd disks will have a shorter shelf life , so make more than one copy of treasured possessions , and try to keep the original tapes , just in case

they are also easily scratched too , although you can buy some with tough coatings to try to stop scratching etc

 

[wasleys]

ramjet,

Many thanks for your helpful reply.

 

[Gavtech]

ramjet has more or less covered all the ground above...Just a few additional points:

Your target with this machine should be DVD-R's for general archiving.
Only stray into other types if you have to.

+ types are best avoided as you will encounter aspect issues.
They are deliberately not fully supported.

Also it is worth having a few RAM discs to hand as they can be useful for special applications.

This machine has greatest compatibility and reliability with 16X TYGO3 dyes.

 

[steve12]

Sorry to jump the thread i've just purchased a panasonic dmr-ex79

What -RW discs would you guys advice on.

also if i could stop my panasonic blue ray player turning on when i turn the recorder on that would be handy

Cheers,
Steve

 

[alsina]

Sorry to jump the thread i've just purchased a panasonic dmr-ex79

What -RW discs would you guys advice on.

also if i could stop my panasonic blue ray player turning on when i turn the recorder on that would be handy

Cheers,
Steve

Change the remote code for the Bluray player in its setup menu.

 

[steve12]

Cheers mate,

Off to watch depeche mode now so will have a go later.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[tinytim]

Sorry to jump the thread i've just purchased a panasonic dmr-ex79

What -RW discs would you guys advice on.

Cheers,
Steve

Verbatim.

 

[steve12]

Cheers mate