Showing posts with label dvd-r. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dvd-r. Show all posts
JVC/Taiyo Yuden Discontinues Valueline Products
Recently, JVC/Taiyo Yuden announced that it would discontinue its Valueline CD-R and DVD-R media.
Why the change? According to industry gossip, this line just became too successful for what it was originally intended to be. Valueline was created out of optical media that didn't quite meet Taiyo Yuden standards. They were still excellent discs, but they had not met Taiyo's rigorous standards for the premium grade. So, they created the Valueline brand to move them.
Customers soon learned that buying Valueline discs was a great way to get some really good discs at a more affordable price and they grew in popularity.
Why the change? According to industry gossip, this line just became too successful for what it was originally intended to be. Valueline was created out of optical media that didn't quite meet Taiyo Yuden standards. They were still excellent discs, but they had not met Taiyo's rigorous standards for the premium grade. So, they created the Valueline brand to move them.
Customers soon learned that buying Valueline discs was a great way to get some really good discs at a more affordable price and they grew in popularity.
Taiyo Yuden is Now JVC (explained)
Since Taiyo Yuden discs began appearing with the JVC moniker, forums have been abuzz with speculation, innuendo and rumor as to what this all means to the quality of the beloved Taiyo Yuden media. So, here's the news behind the name change.In May 2008, Taiyo Yuden bought 65% of JVC's magnetic and optical media business. As part of the whole buy-out/merger thing, Taiyo Yuden can use the JVC name on its discs. In fall of 2009, there was a formal announcement from Taiyo Yuden that it would begin to do just that.
(DigitalFAQ did a terrific job of explaining the merger and those of you who follow PolylineCorp on Twitter saw we sent links to the original article to help get the word out. If there's something going on in the industry, keep an eye on our Twitter updates. We'll keep you in the loop and get you good information from reliable sources.)
When the JVC/Taiyo Yuden name change was announced, distributors like Polyline, had warehouses stocked with discs there were packaged with Taiyo Yuden labels. So each distributor announced the name change as they depleted their existing stock of discs labeled as Taiyo Yuden. (We like to keep a couple months of product in stock. So, for us, we started to see the JVC labels appearing in December. Some distributors ran out sooner, because they don't keep as much product in stock. Others are just beginning to announce the change, now.)
Here's what we know about the merger and about Taiyo Yuden discs:
• All Taiyo Yuden discs will now be sold under the name JVC media and the manufacturer's numbers will change.
• The discs are still being manufactured in Japan.
• Your favorite discs are exactly the same...we'll just have to get used to calling them JVC, now.
• Under the name JVC, more disc options and finishes are being added to the product line.
Some discs sold by Polyline are already going out with the new JVC labels. We'll be updating our Web site slowly over the next few weeks to incorporate the JVC name on our existing product pages.
Taiyo Yuden is Now JVC
Recordable CD and DVD media, manufactured by Taiyo Yuden will now be sold under the name JVC. The change follows a merger of the two companies that occurred in March.
As Polyline depletes its current stock of discs labeled Taiyo Yuden, we will change to the new JVC part numbers. The line of available Taiyo Yuden / JVC discs has expanded since the merger, so look for new Value Line and other Taiyo Yuden / JVC offerings in the near future.
As Polyline depletes its current stock of discs labeled Taiyo Yuden, we will change to the new JVC part numbers. The line of available Taiyo Yuden / JVC discs has expanded since the merger, so look for new Value Line and other Taiyo Yuden / JVC offerings in the near future.
Your CD-R & DVD-R Questions Answered
Last month's feature article, "Not all DVD-Rs, CD-Rs Are Created Equal," proved to be our most popular article to date. We received lots of feedback from our readers and several questions, too. We selected four of these questions we thought were representative of your responses to share with everyone.
Q: So when my local electronics store, office supply store or big box retailer offers great prices on their CD-R packs, should I assume they are B or C quality discs?
A: Retail outlet stores typically sell “consumer” grade discs to users who only need to record music files or occasionally download files to a DVD; whereas distributors like Polyline supply “professional” grade media to duplicators, replicators, religious organizations and other organizations. Because the livelihood of these organizations depends on quality and because they are working with thousands and thousands of discs, they have a stronger need for CDs and DVDs that work consistently, meet specifications and can run in any number of machines.
Disc manufacturers provide the highest quality grade product to the biggest and most critical customers. If they don’t, they don’t get the business. If you were a manufacturer, who would you rather lose as a customer: the consumer who buys a pack of 25 discs every six months or the company that buys thousands of discs each month? The retail and professional markets have different needs and quality criteria, and disc manufacturers select the grade of product accordingly.
As we said last month, with digital media, you either have it or you don't. You can buy discs from your retail store down the street but, if you are selling CDs and DVDs as part of your goods and services, you need professional grade media. Consumer users who are, for example, saving family photos on discs may also want to purchase professional grade CD-Rs/DVD-Rs for the same reason the professionals do.
Q: What is truly being done to ensure the compatibility of name brand media?
A: We think the biggest step is being taken by the major patent holders for CD-R and DVD-R technology who are cracking down on patent and licensing violators. When a patent holder extends licensing rights to a manufacturer, that manufacturer is agreeing to comply with the standard specifications of that product. Theoretically, if every media manufacturer and equipment manufacturer creates products exactly to spec, every disc will work in every machine.
The standard specifications, however, also allow for variances. These variances are supposed to allow manufacturers to make innovations and possibly even improvements to existing technology. In the case of CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, manufacturers differentiate themselves with the quality and quantity of dyes that are used in their discs.
That is why Polyline only carries major brand name CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. These large companies have a tremendous amount invested in their brand name and would not risk their reputations by cutting corners or producing inferior product.
Q: I find your original article ambiguous. Name names!
A: Polyline is approached by a large number of suppliers who want us to carry their products. We've decided a long time ago that Polyline will only carry name brands that we know consistently provide good quality CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. So, you could say we're a little bias. There are several sites, however, that pull no punches about making quality assessments on a number of brands:
digitalFAQ.com – several pages have not been updated for a year or more, but we like the organization of the site and its stated policy of avoiding excessive jargon.
videohelp.com – in the DVD Media Lists, users report reviews of media they have used – including the complete media code, the date the DVD-Rs was purchased, equipment used to burn the disc, burn speeds and what equipment they tried to play the disc on.
Q: Why can't I find discs that work with my recorder/burner anymore?
A: We hear this question more from people using DVD-R media than those using CD-R media. This is probably because CD-R recording speeds have pretty much been maxed out. So, unless you bought your CD-R recorder in the late 1990s, you should be able to find media that still works with your equipment. DVD-Rs, however, are continuing to double in speed regularly, which is causing some problems for people with older recording equipment.
We know that the newer 16X drives are able to record on 16X, 8X and 4X media. The reverse, however, is not always true. If you have an 8X or slower DVD-R recorder/duplicator, it's best to avoid the 16X discs. We also know that if you are using a 16X drive and an 8X disc, your recording speed should be set at 8X.
Those of you with 4X drives will remember that your equipment manufacturer provided firmware that allowed you to update your equipment to burn at 8X speeds. You'll also remember that 16X firm wear was not made available. One equipment manufacturer we talked to said that, while the new 16X speeds would be coming down the pike, they thought it would take longer to develop the media than it did. In short, many manufacturers assumed the drives would fail (through natural life expectancy) before the 16X discs were readily available and, therefore, did not make the earlier machines capable of another speed upgrade.
Thanks again for all your questions and comments about last month's article. We look forward to running more Q&A articles like this in the future.
Q: So when my local electronics store, office supply store or big box retailer offers great prices on their CD-R packs, should I assume they are B or C quality discs?
A: Retail outlet stores typically sell “consumer” grade discs to users who only need to record music files or occasionally download files to a DVD; whereas distributors like Polyline supply “professional” grade media to duplicators, replicators, religious organizations and other organizations. Because the livelihood of these organizations depends on quality and because they are working with thousands and thousands of discs, they have a stronger need for CDs and DVDs that work consistently, meet specifications and can run in any number of machines.
Disc manufacturers provide the highest quality grade product to the biggest and most critical customers. If they don’t, they don’t get the business. If you were a manufacturer, who would you rather lose as a customer: the consumer who buys a pack of 25 discs every six months or the company that buys thousands of discs each month? The retail and professional markets have different needs and quality criteria, and disc manufacturers select the grade of product accordingly.
As we said last month, with digital media, you either have it or you don't. You can buy discs from your retail store down the street but, if you are selling CDs and DVDs as part of your goods and services, you need professional grade media. Consumer users who are, for example, saving family photos on discs may also want to purchase professional grade CD-Rs/DVD-Rs for the same reason the professionals do.
Q: What is truly being done to ensure the compatibility of name brand media?
A: We think the biggest step is being taken by the major patent holders for CD-R and DVD-R technology who are cracking down on patent and licensing violators. When a patent holder extends licensing rights to a manufacturer, that manufacturer is agreeing to comply with the standard specifications of that product. Theoretically, if every media manufacturer and equipment manufacturer creates products exactly to spec, every disc will work in every machine.
The standard specifications, however, also allow for variances. These variances are supposed to allow manufacturers to make innovations and possibly even improvements to existing technology. In the case of CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, manufacturers differentiate themselves with the quality and quantity of dyes that are used in their discs.
That is why Polyline only carries major brand name CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. These large companies have a tremendous amount invested in their brand name and would not risk their reputations by cutting corners or producing inferior product.
Q: I find your original article ambiguous. Name names!
A: Polyline is approached by a large number of suppliers who want us to carry their products. We've decided a long time ago that Polyline will only carry name brands that we know consistently provide good quality CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. So, you could say we're a little bias. There are several sites, however, that pull no punches about making quality assessments on a number of brands:
digitalFAQ.com – several pages have not been updated for a year or more, but we like the organization of the site and its stated policy of avoiding excessive jargon.
videohelp.com – in the DVD Media Lists, users report reviews of media they have used – including the complete media code, the date the DVD-Rs was purchased, equipment used to burn the disc, burn speeds and what equipment they tried to play the disc on.
Q: Why can't I find discs that work with my recorder/burner anymore?
A: We hear this question more from people using DVD-R media than those using CD-R media. This is probably because CD-R recording speeds have pretty much been maxed out. So, unless you bought your CD-R recorder in the late 1990s, you should be able to find media that still works with your equipment. DVD-Rs, however, are continuing to double in speed regularly, which is causing some problems for people with older recording equipment.
We know that the newer 16X drives are able to record on 16X, 8X and 4X media. The reverse, however, is not always true. If you have an 8X or slower DVD-R recorder/duplicator, it's best to avoid the 16X discs. We also know that if you are using a 16X drive and an 8X disc, your recording speed should be set at 8X.
Those of you with 4X drives will remember that your equipment manufacturer provided firmware that allowed you to update your equipment to burn at 8X speeds. You'll also remember that 16X firm wear was not made available. One equipment manufacturer we talked to said that, while the new 16X speeds would be coming down the pike, they thought it would take longer to develop the media than it did. In short, many manufacturers assumed the drives would fail (through natural life expectancy) before the 16X discs were readily available and, therefore, did not make the earlier machines capable of another speed upgrade.
Thanks again for all your questions and comments about last month's article. We look forward to running more Q&A articles like this in the future.
Not all DVD-Rs, CD-Rs Are Created Equal
It may be only a year or two before you are faced with the realization that the deal you got on your media was, in fact, not such a good deal. When your customers purchase your services and finished product, they are depending on you to choose media that are of good quality and will last for years. The price of individual CDs and DVDs is so low that consumers tend to think of them as a commodity. Those who think that way will come to a rude awakening in a couple of years.
"CDs and DVDs should last a hundred years," said Bob Daly, co-owner of Polyline. "If the dyes are inferior, however, the disc could break down more rapidly. Then, you're going to have people calling you up and saying they can't play their wedding DVD anymore."
This is totally different than what people experienced with VHS. With tape media, if there is a bad part of the tape, you can still recover a large portion of what was recorded on the tape. (How much you can recover is dependent on how much of the tape is damaged, of course.) With digital media, however, "either you have it or you don't."
"The Internet has really fueled the supply of substandard media," said Daly. "The Internet has been good for many things and is a valuable tool for reputable companies and their customers. It's bad for others, however, because anyone can throw up a Web site and start selling media. We think it's crucial for you to really know your media dealer to assure that the media you purchase today are actually quality, licensed media that will stand the test of time.”
The so-called "substandard media” consist of products that may have been legally obtained but was not intended for sale in this country or for the purpose for which it was sold. There are a couple of ways that substandard media enter the U.S. market place. One way is for a manufactured product that does not make quality specifications to be sold as B or C grade to brokers that are relied on to sell it as B and C grade. Instead, some of these brokers will sell it as A grade to non authorized dealers, thus isolating the dealers from the initial agreement and keeping the quick profits for themselves. Other times, as the disc gets passed along distribution lines, the knowledge of the defect somehow gets lost.
Another way substandard media enter the market is when media that have quality issues is repackaged as a no-name or odd-named media.
What is being done?
Manufacturers are taking steps to control substandard media products. Notably, many are placing serial numbers on their products that identify where the product came from, where it originated and to whom it was intended to be sold.
Also, Philips, a major patent holder for CD-R & DVD-R technology, is beginning to enforce its licensing rights and obligations by actively pursuing manufacturers and importers of unlicensed discs. Products manufactured under standard licenses must comply with the standard specifications of that product and should, therefore, be able to work in a larger number of machines (this is called interoperability). Unlicensed discs may meet the standard specifications of the media, but there is no guarantee that they do.
How do you protect yourself?
"When an authorized dealer, such as Polyline, buys direct from the manufacturer, we know the product has been taken care of, from manufacturer to distributor to end-user," said Daly. "The problem with the 'substandard media' market is most of the media look the same. That makes it hard to know where the media came from, what grade it is, how it was shipped or, most importantly, if it will last. Your media could be stored in a cargo hold somewhere, which is not a suitable environment for media."
There are several things consumers can do, as well, to protect themselves from substandard products:
"CDs and DVDs should last a hundred years," said Bob Daly, co-owner of Polyline. "If the dyes are inferior, however, the disc could break down more rapidly. Then, you're going to have people calling you up and saying they can't play their wedding DVD anymore."
This is totally different than what people experienced with VHS. With tape media, if there is a bad part of the tape, you can still recover a large portion of what was recorded on the tape. (How much you can recover is dependent on how much of the tape is damaged, of course.) With digital media, however, "either you have it or you don't."
"The Internet has really fueled the supply of substandard media," said Daly. "The Internet has been good for many things and is a valuable tool for reputable companies and their customers. It's bad for others, however, because anyone can throw up a Web site and start selling media. We think it's crucial for you to really know your media dealer to assure that the media you purchase today are actually quality, licensed media that will stand the test of time.”
The so-called "substandard media” consist of products that may have been legally obtained but was not intended for sale in this country or for the purpose for which it was sold. There are a couple of ways that substandard media enter the U.S. market place. One way is for a manufactured product that does not make quality specifications to be sold as B or C grade to brokers that are relied on to sell it as B and C grade. Instead, some of these brokers will sell it as A grade to non authorized dealers, thus isolating the dealers from the initial agreement and keeping the quick profits for themselves. Other times, as the disc gets passed along distribution lines, the knowledge of the defect somehow gets lost.
Another way substandard media enter the market is when media that have quality issues is repackaged as a no-name or odd-named media.
What is being done?
Manufacturers are taking steps to control substandard media products. Notably, many are placing serial numbers on their products that identify where the product came from, where it originated and to whom it was intended to be sold.
Also, Philips, a major patent holder for CD-R & DVD-R technology, is beginning to enforce its licensing rights and obligations by actively pursuing manufacturers and importers of unlicensed discs. Products manufactured under standard licenses must comply with the standard specifications of that product and should, therefore, be able to work in a larger number of machines (this is called interoperability). Unlicensed discs may meet the standard specifications of the media, but there is no guarantee that they do.
How do you protect yourself?
"When an authorized dealer, such as Polyline, buys direct from the manufacturer, we know the product has been taken care of, from manufacturer to distributor to end-user," said Daly. "The problem with the 'substandard media' market is most of the media look the same. That makes it hard to know where the media came from, what grade it is, how it was shipped or, most importantly, if it will last. Your media could be stored in a cargo hold somewhere, which is not a suitable environment for media."
There are several things consumers can do, as well, to protect themselves from substandard products:
- Buy your CD-Rs, DVD-Rs and packaging from a manufacturer's authorized distributor, such as Polyline.
- When selecting a distributor, try calling the dealer on the phone first. You want a distributor that not only publishes a phone number, but can actually be reached. You also want a distributor that has media experts who can answer all your questions.
- When selecting a distributor, check out how long the company has been in business and see what other products the company is currently offering. It is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a steady supply of substandard products. If someone is dealing in substandard media, they may be offering a variety of seemingly unrelated products to keep a steady income.
- Be careful of off brands. Stick with major manufacturers that will stand by their CD-R and DVD-R products.
- Finally, Daly reminds us, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you see a really good price on the Internet, don't jump at it -- call your trusted distributor and ask about the pricing.
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