Imation 4x DVD-R Storage Media Review

I have been using Imation DVD media for about six months now, and I have always had nothing but success with this brand of media. When I went to CompUSA I was looking for some DVD media that was reliable and would not cost too much. I hit the jackpot with this media because it is not that expensive and the reliability is alright.

ABOUT THIS MEDIA

The particular 4x DVD media I purchased was priced just right for my budget at the time and since I had heard nothing but good things about Imation, I just could not resist. I paid $9.99 each for two 15 pack spindles.

My new Sony DVD-DL Burner is rated to burn DVDs up to 8x, but since this media can only burn up to 4x I wan a bit disappointed, but you do get what you pay for (in this case anyway). This was still better for me because my old Sony DVD-RW could only burn up to 2.4x and this new drive and media cut my burning time in about half. It used to take me about 35 to 40 minutes to burn a full DVD, but since I purchased my new drive and this media to go with it, I can burn a whole DVD disc in about 25 minutes (most of the time). This Imation media was the first 4x media I have purchased and used, and it burns at 4x without any problems.

EXPERIENCE

All of the discs I have burned using my new drive have performed very well and without skips and stops. So far I have burned movies and data on this media, and I have not noticed any lost data or low-quality movies. There are no logos or little text on the label side of the disc which is one of the reasons I purchased this media. I had never tried a blank label so I was anxious to try it out and make my own customized labels. Everything turned out to be good… for now anyway.

The dye (on the burning side) is purple, but a bit lighter than the more expensive brands. Usually, Imation DVD media is cheaper in price than other media with the same features (the name brands), but since I wanted a blank label side and a good brand of media for my movie and backup needs, I purchased this Imation brand. I mostly use Nero Burning ROM to burn and copy my CD’s and DVD’s, but for movies, I use DVD Shrink (a freeware application) that allows me to copy a regular high-quality movie to any 4.7 GB DVD-R disc. Both of these applications allow you to choose the appropriate speed at which you want to burn the disc.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I have used the Imation brand DVD media for about six months now and I have not experienced any problems while burning or after burning with them. I would recommend this particular brand of media if you want to be sure your content will be secure and safe on this media. Since the price is not as high as other name brand media, I would highly recommend this DVD media for your daily needs. But if you still think it is a bit high priced then I would suggest other brands with similar features and speed.