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Topic: Black CD-R (Read 6205 times) previous topic - next topic
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Black CD-R

Are "Black" Cd-r's any better than regular cdrs?
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

Black CD-R

Reply #1 –
they are supposed to be harder to damage with UV (like sunlight) - because the "black" polycarbonate acts as an optical filter - red waves of 780nm length pass through it without problem, while other lenghts (most of visible light, and supposedly Ultra-Violet) are "darkened" or "weakened". You can try and look through a black CDR on a white light source, like a lightbulb (just not for too long  ) - You should see the light "reddish"

Black CD-R

Reply #2 –
ahhh, that makes sense.  I spent too long taking optics and physics courses, shouldn've just thought of that.  The dye isn't any different, is it?
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

Black CD-R

Reply #3 –
ones i tested (Dysan Universal), had Phtalocyanine Gold type of dye. i don't think it's any special for "black" CDRs

Black CD-R

Reply #4 –
Some black cd-r's are worst than normal cd-r's. They are more difficult to be read by some cd-roms, but maybe this is only a problem that has occured only to me:(

Black CD-R

Reply #5 –
"Understanding real Gold media is as easy as it's name. This type of media generally uses the best dye available which is phthalocyanine, yet is no longer being produced because of the obvious expense of using actual gold as the reflective layer. In the early days, this type of medium was produced because CDRs were going for $10USD a pop, but today to make somthing like that is just too expensive. What is the advantage of the reflective layer being Gold? Not only has gold has always been stable... The gold resists the effects of oxygen, moisture and solvents compared to Silver. This enhances the long term storage and archiveability. It is so ironic, GOLD media is probably the oldest type of media on the market, yet it is still the best media ever made. Only a handful of vendors carry them! No less than $.75 cents each! Today ONLY MITSUI manufacture 100% GOLD CDRS, Kodak only makes a mixture of silver and gold. Other than mitsui & or kodak, you might get lucky and get your hands on some old real gold inventory"

Just a little clip I found I use the Kodak ultima gold.  They quit producing them this year but still have a large inventory on line.  I just purchased 400 from the kodak site at $15.00us for 50 pretty resonable for what they are.  They supposably have a 150 yr archive capability.  Just something I read.  But they are supposed to be one of the best.  get them while you can.
What if the Hokey Pokey....is What it's all about?

Black CD-R

Reply #6 –
I've been using the Memorex Black CD-Rs for a long time.  They play in all my car mp3 stereos, home stereos, and computers.  They have been quite durable, too.  And people go, "Ooh, look at that cool black CD!", which always makes me chuckle.

Black CD-R

Reply #7 –
Quote
Originally posted by smg
"Understanding real Gold media is as easy as it's name. This type of media generally uses the best dye available which is phthalocyanine, yet is no longer being produced because of the obvious expense of using actual gold as the reflective layer. In the early days, this type of medium was produced because CDRs were going for USD a pop, but today to make somthing like that is just too expensive.

I'm sure glad I recently won two 25-packs of Ricoh Platinum CD-R's (1x-8x) using phthalocyanine dye on Ebay at $1.00 per pack (yes you read that right, $1.00 per 25-pack, and that's with protective paper envelopes, not on a spool).

I haven't tried recording any yet, but I'm sure they'll record faster than 8x without trouble, and will probably last for years.  Ebay might be the place to look, for "new old stock" CD-R's with lower speed ratings (the latest 700M 32X are just crap, every brand I've tried).

Edit -- smg, you're right... vintage is the way to go, even with CD-R's!

Black CD-R

Reply #8 –
There are of course other brands making Gold CDRs.
Kodak themselves had both "Gold+Silver" and "100% Gold" CDRs.

I've already read this nonsense about Mitsui being the only one manufacturing Gold+Pthalocyanine CDRs.
But I also found some Fnac Gold+Phtalo (can't check the ATIP anymore since my new burner can't read ATIP from burned CDRs  . They were MMMM, or maybe a uncommon German name, I don't remember).
And there is also HiSpace, made by MPO : http://www.hispace.com/gb/products/default.asp

To answer the original question, black CDRs behave like normal CDRs.

I've got bad results with Memorex Black (unknown manufacturer code) : C2 errors on freshly burned audio CDs, in two burners, and two readers.

But I use currently HiSpace Carbon CDRs, black also. Not a single problem so far. I burn them at 24x.

I recently turned into HiSpace Gold because I thought that they would last longer than silver ones, but in the Thread for dead CDRs, some young gold CDRs were reported dead too.
So, wondering if the fact that CDRs usually become unreadable starting from the edge came from the fact that when they are stored in jewel cases, only the edge is exposed to ambient light, I'll stick with black ones until they dye, sorry, die.

Also, the 150 years lifespan guarantee is nonsense. The previous line of Mitsui Golden Dye (8x) was guaranteed 100 years, and they last about 3 years before turning unreadable !

And last, Vintage is not the way to go at all. It is advised, I don't know why, to burn CDRs shortly after they are purchased.

Black CD-R

Reply #9 –
Quote
Originally posted by Pio2001

Also, the 150 years lifespan guarantee is nonsense. The previous line of Mitsui Golden Dye (8x) was guaranteed 100 years, and they last about 3 years before turning unreadable !

And last, Vintage is not the way to go at all. It is advised, I don't know why, to burn CDRs shortly after they are purchased.


I Know I see alot of "Gold" cd's However they are gold dye only not real gold as Mitsui - 50/50 mix Gold/Silver Kodak.
I fear your info above is based on Cheap - Fake Knockoffs

lmao 3 years on Mitsui or Kodak....Give Me A Break!!!
Buy the real deals
What if the Hokey Pokey....is What it's all about?

Black CD-R

Reply #10 –
wow, never thought I'd start such a debate.

so here's another question.  I've been burning some vcd's to CD-RW (my dvd player wont read cdr :mad: )  ANy suggestions on what to use.  Right now Im using Memorex 4x (hey, they were on sale!)
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

Black CD-R

Reply #11 –
Quote
Originally posted by Pio2001
And last, Vintage is not the way to go at all. It is advised, I don't know why, to burn CDRs shortly after they are purchased.

Who advises that?  Probably so you'll go buy more as soon as possible!

Black CD-R

Reply #12 –
Quote
Originally posted by smg
I Know I see alot of "Gold" cd's However they are gold dye only not real gold as Mitsui - 50/50 mix Gold/Silver Kodak.
I fear your info above is based on Cheap - Fake Knockoffs


They're definitely gold. Both Fnac and HiSpace ones are sold side by side in two flavors : silver, and gold. I've bought both and saw by myself.

I'm holding a HiSpace Gold 24 carats right now and I can read on the screen what I've just typed through it, so thin is the gold layer.


Quote
Originally posted by smg
lmao 3 years on Mitsui or Kodak....Give Me A Break!!!
Buy the real deals


We're three to have reported Mitsuis from 1999 dead. CD-RW.org, me and Fede at http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/3247

Some other people reports Kodak's top layer peeling off : a friend of mine, and Halcyon, at http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4367

Quote
Originally posted by fewtch

Who advises that?  Probably so you'll go buy more as soon as possible!


That's quite possible, I must admit.

Black CD-R

Reply #13 –
Quote
Originally posted by Pio2001
That's quite possible, I must admit.

Well, I'm curious to see how good (or bad) these things are (no great loss if they won't burn properly), will be burning one pretty soon.  On the box it says "Phtalocyanine dye is an original Ricoh innovation...", I wonder if it's true.  Anyway, these things look to be of super high quality.  You can't see through them at all, even with the brightest light, and they probably did cost $10.00/pop (or maybe $5.00) when they were originally sold.

Edit -- CD-R Inspector reads them as "Ricoh - Pthalocyanine (Gold)"

Black CD-R

Reply #14 –
Quote
Originally posted by fewtch
On the box it says "Phtalocyanine dye is an original Ricoh innovation...", I wonder if it's true. 


Of course not. Pthalocyanine is patented by Mitsui Chemicals, Owners of Mitsui Advanced Media.
Metal-Stabilized Cyanine (raw cyanine was utter crap, it seems) by TDK, if I'm not mistaken.
Azo by Mitsubishi (brand Verbatim)
Formazan by Kodak.

Quote
Originally posted by fewtch
You can't see through them at all, even with the brightest light,


In fact, you can also see through silver CDRs, the problem is that the top printing is opaque. It's quite uncommon to find a transparent label that allows to see through. (exept with no name CDRs, of course )

Black CD-R

Reply #15 –
Quote
Originally posted by Pio2001
Of course not. Pthalocyanine is patented by Mitsui Chemicals, Owners of Mitsui Advanced Media.

Well that's odd... I wonder why Ricoh would claim it as their "original innovation."  They seem to be a reputable company.  Maybe they were the first to use it with CD-R's or something.

Black CD-R

Reply #16 –
You know, nearly every brand in the world claims to be number one. We never know if it was there before the others, if it' number one in quality, prices, tech support, sales, business...

___________

OT joke:

In a busy shopping street in Italia, a little shop was caught between two big ones.
The first one displayed : "best prices of Italia !"
The other one : "Lower prices in the world !"

So the little shop just wrote : "best bargains of the street !"