Verbatim 8x DVD-R Dual Layer review

Conclusion

This new 8x DVD-R Dual Layer media from Verbatim has just been put through the usual CDR-Zone.COM tests and from it I hope I have managed to give the reader a good indication of exactly how well this new media has performed with a range of popular recording devices offering the full certified 8x recording speed.

But what do all these tests actually say about the quality of these recordings? As always here at CDR-Zone.COM,we are quick to say that attaining the quickest recording time doesn't always mean that the quality of the recording is going to be optimized. This is why many recording devices employ advanced logic such as Power Record, WOPC, Smartburn etc to adjust to media variation and adjusting recording speed to suit. The very best media in the world can be made poor by a bad recording strategy. Recordings made on the Plextor PX-760A and Optiarc AD-7173 showed that a quality recording could be achieved inconjunction with the Verbatim 8x DVD-R Dual Layer DVD-R media, whilst the recording made with the Samsung SH-182M also seemed very usuable but displayed minor issues near and around the layer break. Both the Pioneer DVR 111D and Liteon-It SHM-165P6S recording devices offered usuable recordings with their respective recording strategies but I do feel that further firmware updates would bring these recordings more inline with the better results achieved with the Plextor and Optiarc recording devices.

In summing up I would say that Verbatim have yet again strifed to deliver a consistently good quality media where firmware/ hardware support allows. This is what you come to expect from a brand such as Verbatim who try to keep the quality of their media high on a consistent basis. I would like to stress though that results on some used recording devices could of been of a better standard. Support for new media sometimes takes a couple of firmware revisions to become fully optimised. The DVD playback device compatibility was of a good standard with a very high percentage devices showing no issues during playback and no unusable recordings with any recording device were noted during this review. Of course the tests carried out in this review are really only a gauge of quality and it is the long term reliability that I am keen to test at a later date. As always I look forward to hearing your comments and results with this media in the Media forum.

About Verbatim :

Since 1969, development in data storage technology has been led by Verbatim – ranging from floppy disks and magneto-optical storage media to the latest CD and DVD formats, USB keys and flash memory cards. As part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation Group Verbatim benefits from outstanding research and development enabling countless innovations shaping today’s storage media market. Verbatim’s demanding quality control during manufacturing processes guarantees first-class products. The company has been awarded numerous international comparative product reviews and is the market leader for optical media in Europe. For more information please visit: www.verbatim-europe.com

More information about the Verbatim company can be found at the Wikipedea database. A great knowledge base!

Sponsors of this review

I would like to take this moment to thank the companies who provided the media as well as most of the hardware for this review. Without the generous and ongoing support of these companies this review would not of been possible in such detail - Thank you!

• Verbatim Europe for providing the Verbatim 8x DVD-R Dual layer media used in this review.
• SVP Communications for providing the Pioneer DVR 111 and Optiarc AD-7173A DVD writers used in this review.
• Plextor Europe for providing the Plextor PX-760A DVD writer used in this review.