Introduction
After spending the last several months perfecting and producing their range of DVD+R Double Layer media, Verbatim have unleashed their DVD-R format version of what in CDR-Zones opinion has been the most consistent Dual Layer media produced so far to date.
Early problems with the DVD+R Double Layer version where cause for much discussion on forums and not every DVD player could read them without some incompatibility issues although we must say this was limited to older models and newer DVD playback devices have started to have very good support for this media. The introduction of bitsetting on recording devices to trick DVD playback devices into believing what they saw was a pressed, original DVD-ROM overcame many of these incompatibilities.
With the DVD-R Dual Layer media, hopefully we would expect Verbatim and Mitsubishi Chemicals to take all that they have learned from their experiences with the DVD+R version and produce a very good and compatible DVD-R Dual Layer media.
We would also expect as this is a premium media that all pieces of media tested should be of equal quality with slight variances understandle but we would hope to see all pieces record well in drives that fully support this media. As we are reviewing this media early on in its production we can also maybe expect better as recording device manufactures tweak their recording strategies in future firmwares.
| Detailed media information for the Verbatim 4x DVD-R Dual Layer media | | Media name: | Verbatim 4x DVD-R Dual Layer | | Brand: | Verbatim | | Manufacturer: | Mitsubishi® Kagaku Media | | Made in: | Singapore | | Media ID Code: | MKM 01RD30 | | Media Type: | DVD-R DL | | Rated speed: | 4x | | Max. storage capacity: | 8.5GB | | Writing surface colour (dye): | Purple | | Top surface colour: | Silver with Verbatim branding | | Printable top surface? | No |
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Here's what Verbatim said about this new media in their recent press release:
"Verbatim has now completed the testing of its new 4x DVD-R Dual Layer (DL) media to DVD burner manufacturers and their software suppliers for read/write and compatibility. Verbatim DVD-R 4x Dual Layer will be available to consumers from Q2. The finalized specification enables the new DL-compatible burners to write a complete 8.5GB Verbatim Dual Layer DVD-R disc in about 25 minutes.
Verbatim and its parent company, Mitsubishi® Kagaku Media (MKM), were among the first to confirm the technical feasibility of 4x speed recording of Dual Layer DVD-R media. To ensure high performance without sacrificing reliability or compatibility, Verbatim and MKM developed unique dye materials and coating techniques, as well as manufacturing techniques for stamping the grooves into the media that guide the write and read processes.
By offering two recording layers, Verbatim’s new 4x DVD-R DL discs provide almost double the capacity on a single side compared to the 4.7GB DVD-R media. With the higher capacity, consumers can store up to nearly 4 hours of DVD-quality video (nearly 8 hours of VHS-quality video) or 8.5GB of data on a single side while maintaining read compatibility with the majority of today’s DVD players and DVD-ROM drives."
So we can expect good but not full playback device compatibility, extremely good quality with very well written recording pits and the usual Verbatim standard of excellence. Okay so thats what the manufacturers claim and in the past they have always delivered on their claims and more. In this review we will be looking at exactly the points mentioned in the press release to see if our recording devices can achieve the quality we come to expect from a recording on Verbatim media.
As the picture above shows, the Verbatim 4x DVD-R Dual Layer we recieved came in packs of 5 with each disc having its own jewel case and the now trademark Verbatim non printable silver top surface. Infact they look identical to the Verbatim 2.4x DVD+R Double Layer media we reviewed sometime back upon its first release onto the recordable media market.
So it looks and comes packaged just like its DVD+R conterpart and everything looks very familar to Verbatim media users but can it live up to the high quality that Verbatim and Mitsubishi® Kagaku Media have prided themselves on in the past? - read on to find out what we thought about this latest offering from Verbatim.
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