What Are The Best DVDs To Use For Burning?

This is very difficult to answer, as the way the majority of DVD+/-R manufacturers distribute under numerous labels (the companies buy from them, then distribute)...

There ARE what are considered 'Archival Quality' disks available, they are quite expensive, but are supposed to allow one to be fairly assured that anything burned onto them will survive for many years to come...

However, if you're just looking to burn stuff you have downloaded and things like that, but want to know which disks are the 'best'... That is a matter of some debate.

I'll move to the rest of your question, then get back to the matter of brand names...:
The number with the 'x' indicates the maximum speed the disk can be burned. This way, you know if a given disk is able to be burned at the maximum speeds your drive is able to handle. Personally, I NEVER burn over 8x, as this keeps my drives lasting MUCH longer than people who let the system max out the burn speed, and after having burned over 800 DVDs (for myself and others), VERY few of them have failed (I'm choosing to ascribe my burn speed as at least partially responsible, as I have had folks tell me horror stories of burning at higher speeds, and having numerous disks fail after the burn- but that may just be their drive, who knows)...

'Dual' disks are Dual Layer disks that hold almost twice as much data as a Single Layer disk (regular disks). A single layer will hold 4.7Gb (4.38Gb 'max' load in function- long story, ask if you want it explained. It has to do with binary) of data, while a dual layer will hold 8.4Gb (8.15Gb in practice)... The dual layer disks are more expensive, but for storage, you will burn fewer of them... However, this also means that if one DOES fail, you lose twice as much... You have to decide on cost vs value and make your own decisions.

Ok. Back to brands... This is where there is significant disagreement. I have used exclusively Memorex DVD-R's for years (to the point that if someone gives me a different type with data burned onto it, I'll transfer it to my pc, and burn a Memorex disk), and have had VERY few of them fail... Oh sure, you get the ones that are factory fails, every manufacturer has them, but I mean disks that stop being able to be read at some time after they are burned. I also take good care of my disks, though. I don't keep them in spindles (the other disks can abrade against each other any time the spindle is moved, risks of dropping disks in the process of getting to a specific disk, etc.), but in decent books with soft backs in the pockets. And make sure they are not exposed to the sun or high temperatures for long periods of time.

At the same time I know folks that only use TDK or some other brand, and some that don't care about brand, just buy what's convenient at the time.

So it all comes down to how much YOU want to spend, how important your data is, how fast you just HAVE to burn the disks at, and how much data you feel you need to have per disk. If you want to burn disks to play in a DVD player, I recommend single layer DVD-Rs. The minus(-) R's usually have better reverse compatibility, but as I have come to understand, there is very little difference between them and plus (+)R disks, so it's personal choice again.

I know that's a lot of blather to take in, but it's not a simple question, and I wanted you to know at least some of the issues involved. You can try to search online for information, but it all mostly becomes opinion in the end. I've seen people claim to have had almost an entire spindle of Memorex disks turn out to be bad, but I've never found anything like that, so it's all going to be of limited usefulness.

I hope this gives you SOME useful information, and maybe prepares you a little for that next shopping trip... And you have a great day! (^_^)