Now that HDD DVD Recorders are fast disappearing in the US, I am considering buying more basic DVD Recorders. And using -RW media.

I have been waiting for the usual "monthly sale" of name brand -RW media (eg, Sony, TDK, Verbatim) for months. Other than last week's sale of OD branded -RW media, I have not seen any sales.

Has production of name brand -RW media shifted to HD media?

I just went online to Rima.com, SuperMediaStore.com, and MeritLine.com to check on DVD-RW's and they don't have nearly what I remember them carrying maybe even a year ago.

It's mostly Ritek (RiData), Verbatim, and Optodisc brands that you can even find online now. I had no idea they were getting scarce.

Top quality -RW discs have always been hard to find. I get good results with Sony -RW (10 for $15 at Kmart, on sale occasionally at Walgreens) and the Office Depot brand. Wally World carries Imation -RW, and despite the fact that digitalfaq.com designates them as "bottom of the barrel" I've gotten consistantly good results from them. In fact, none of the 3 brands above have ever failed me.
If you haven't bought a new machine yet, I strongly advise you to get a Panasonic ES-15 (on sale practically everywhere) and use DVD-RAM for storage. Finding a player that plays DVD-RAM will be difficult, but if your aim is to play them back on the machine they were recorded on, that's the way to go. DVD-RAM is a hardier medium and you will get editing options on the ES-15 that you won't get on -RW or +RW.
Or, wait for the ES-17 and get the ATSC tuner.

I like to permanently archive in VR mode but I don't like to waste my DVD-RAMs doing so (since Panny DVD recorders will only record to DVD-RAM in VR mode). Therefore, I regularly buy WallyWorld Maxell brand -RW's at $12 per 15 pack and use Intervideo DVD Copy 5 to do on-the-fly disc to disc copies from RAM to RW. FWIW - I have never been successful at creating playable VR mode -R's, so using write once discs is out of the question in my case.

So if you need -RW's in a pinch - WallyWorld Maxell cake boxes are a good deal and have been reliable for me.

I like to permanently archive in VR mode but I don't like to waste my DVD-RAMs doing so . . . . I have never been successful at creating playable VR mode -R's, so using write once discs is out of the question in my case.Hello Vic,
Your comments above got me thinking about some burning experiences from a while ago and so I did a little experiment I'm sure you'll be interested in.

I used my E-85 to burn off 2 episodes of Lost onto a Panasonic RAM.
I took the RAM to my PC and used DVD Decrypter to rip an ISO of the RAM.
I then used DVD Decrypter to burn the RAM image onto a T-Y DVD-R to make a VR mode -R.

First I played the VR mode DVD-R on my PC under Nero Showtime and it played just like the RAM.
Then I put it in my Panasonic S-29 player (RAM compatible player) and it functioned and played just like a VR mode RAM disk (selection menu for the episodes with full recording information just like with a RAM).
Then I put it in my Sony player (VR mode compatible but not RAM compatible) and it played just fine and functioned as a VR mode disk).
Finally, I put it in my E-85 and the E-85 wouldn't recognize the disk.

3 out of 4 isn't bad. So I guess the issue is not the making of a VR mode DVD-R, since that clearly can be done. In my case, the issue is the Panasonic E-85 won't recognize a VR mode DVD-R. You on the other hand have an EH75 which is a couple generations newer and multi-format. You might want to try the DVD Decrypter route with a DVD-R and see how your EH75 reacts.

Curious Kelsons want to know.
- cheers

I have been waiting for the usual "monthly sale" of name brand -RW media (eg, Sony, TDK, Verbatim) for months. Other than last week's sale of OD branded -RW media, I have not seen any sales.

OD seems to cycle between sales on OD DVD-RW media and Maxell DVD-RW media every couple of weeks.

The OD ones are usually 25 pack for $8, and the Maxell ones are 15 packs for $8. Of course the OD brand ones are a better deal, but they're now 4X and the Maxell ones are 2X.. the only 2X ones I still see once in a while.. (but I haven't actually gotten any Maxells in a long time.. I think one of my original packs is Maxell..) I might get a few Maxell packs the next time they do a sale..

The XS32 can't do 4X -RW, and the burner in my XS32 has been going bad for a while. I thought it was totally shot, but I had two Verbatim DVD-Rs that I could fill up about 1/2-2/3 of the way, then the machine wouldn't write any more... (Though possibly coincidentally, both failures happened after I wrote a bunch of stuff, stopped for hours/days, and tried to write more stuff.) But at least a few weeks ago, I was able to write something to DVD-RW to pretty much fill it up..

I got a 50 spindle of Verbatim -RW's at Sam's Club for about $30.00 a few weeks ago, I thought that was very reasonable and I've never had a problem with their discs.

Kelson,

Thanks for the tip on your experimentation with VR mode DVD-R, I'll give it a shot at some point to see if I can get it to play in the EH75V.

Vic

Our Sams Club has 30 Verb DVD-RW for $20.
But not many left.

They also carried 30 Verb DVD+RW for $20.
No more.

They do, however, carry 50 DVD-R for $30.

I got a 50 spindle of Verbatim -RW's at Sam's Club for about $30.00 a few weeks ago, I thought that was very reasonable and I've never had a problem with their discs.

CompUSA has 25pks of TDK -RW. I have seen them on sale once ($10/40c per blank), but I haven't been keeping up with sales lately so I don't know if it's repeated.

I had great success with the ODP -RW until the last spindles I got refused to format. I am not sure what the problem was (maybe my recorder?). The older ODPs continue to work and (re)format, but not the ones from newer spindles (which I returned, and I am not brave enough to buy more ODP -RW now). I couldn't find any visible difference between them (other than the batch #s).

I had great success with the ODP -RW until the last spindles I got refused to format. I am not sure what the problem was (maybe my recorder?). The older ODPs continue to work and (re)format, but not the ones from newer spindles (which I returned, and I am not brave enough to buy more ODP -RW now). I couldn't find any visible difference between them (other than the batch #s).

Ok, you've been here longer than I have.. but I'll ask anyway.

You're sure it's not a speed thing? I don't remember if you have a Toshiba or not, but I wouldn't doubt if some of the other older recorders can only handle 2X DVD-RWs too.

Ok, you've been here longer than I have.. but I'll ask anyway.

You're sure it's not a speed thing? I don't remember if you have a Toshiba or not, but I wouldn't doubt if some of the other older recorders can only handle 2X DVD-RWs too.

I can't say 100% for sure since I have not put them in a PC to test them, but I haven't had problems with 4x -RW (I have a Panasonic ES20). The ODP branded -RW I bought before the last group (same package, same upc code, same-looking disc) worked and still work and (re)format, but the ones from newer splindles won't format. The only thing different is the batch #, everything else looks the same...

But may be there are other differences that I am not aware of or perhaps my burner is starting to wear down or ????

I can't say 100% for sure since I have not put them in a PC to test them, but I haven't had problems with 4x -RW (I have a Panasonic ES20). The ODP branded -RW I bought before the last group (same package, same upc code, same-looking disc) worked and still work and (re)format, but the ones from newer splindles won't format. The only thing different is the batch #, everything else looks the same... hoops, I may have missed it in a previous post, but any indication on the media ID of the office depot -RW you are having trouble with. I bought a spindle a while back when their first -RW sales were posted here and they turned out to be Ritek -RW. I was pleased with that because I had been using Ritek-RW for some time and they have performed perfectly. The ODP Riteks have similarly performed. I wonder if they have switched from Ritek to some other maker for the house brand.

hoops, I may have missed it in a previous post, but any indication on the media ID of the office depot -RW you are having trouble with. I bought a spindle a while back when their first -RW sales were posted here and they turned out to be Ritek -RW. I was pleased with that because I had been using Ritek-RW for some time and they have performed perfectly. The ODP Riteks have similarly performed. I wonder if they have switched from Ritek to some other maker for the house brand.

I don't know what the media ID was. I returned the troubled ones, and I don't have a dvd burner so unfortunately I can't check any of them. The previous ones were as good as any other brand and very consistent from spindle to spindle, and the lowest price I've found for -RW. Those along with the made in India green/yellow Staples -R were the only brands of media that failed en masse (failed reliably!) for me. Everything else is at most a small percentage of the spindle

But it could be that my burner is starting to wear down after all the hammering?

I was a bit surprised that some of their employees interpreted their "guarantee" (I forgot what they call it exactly) as 30 days :) They forgot that they are both the manufacturer and the seller :)