SwingDJs

I've been doing some research.

Seems like Taiyo Yuden is the way to go. It's easy to find TY discs because, according to several sites, TY is the only company that manufactures in Japan. There are lots of CDR packaging companies, they all buy from all of the manufacturers; you know it's a Taiyo if you see the "Made In Japan." Also, they generally use a screw top lid and print the label on the shrink wrap.

Sources:
http://javcentral.javtrade.net/
http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/51
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=47167

Download CD-R Identifier:
It will tell you what you're using.
http://cd-rw.org/software/cdr_software/ ... tifier.cfm

Purchase:
Media Supply: Friendly retailer, committed to supplying genuine Taiyos. $25/100 + shipping (there's a link to the shipping calculator next to the weight indicator -- it varies widely between states)
http://store.yahoo.com/cdrsavings/taiyonotfuji.html

NewEgg.com: $26/100 + $4 to ship, sold as TY media.
http://tinyurl.com/5lbo4

Info:

I've burnt over 1500 Taiyo Yuden, and only two coasters were the fault of the media...-http://javcentral.javtrade.net/

About Taiyo Yuden
Taiyo Yuden made the first CD-R disc. They worked with Sony & Phillips as one of Japan’s largest chemical companies to make the dye which would store the data on the CD-R. Each disc is still made in Japan, in fact they are the only company in Japan that still makes CD-R, so if you see a “Made in Japan” on any CD-R disc, be it an Sony, Fuji or Imation, you know its made by Taiyo Yuden.-Media Supply

Tayio Uden also makes them for TDK and Memorex now.
The 50 packs come with a screw top lid like Fuji/HP/Sony and the label is printed directly on the plastic shrink wrap, instead of a paper label thats been shrink wrapped.
Also they all say "Made in Japan"in the small print...if they dont these are proably Ritek/CMC (Cheaply Made Crap) made in Taiwan. -[url=http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=47167]BillyG[/b]

I just remembered,
Taiyo Yuden media was also recommended to me by the recording engineer George Heid.
His studio won a Grammy award for a Basie Orchestra recording.

Hey, that's cheaper than my Memorexes, which I'd been told were the best I could get by running to the store & grabbing some off the shelf.

Funny that people repeatedly told me Memorex was the best, while Sony, Fujifilm, & Imation were "pretty darned good but not as good," but in fact some Sonys, Fujifilms, & Imations apparently are better. *shrug*

Thanks a lot!

there is no correlation between brand and origin of the discs.
every Asian disc manufacturer makes discs for every "American" brand.
you have to look at the fine print: "made in Japan" means Taiyo Yuden.
your Memorex may well be TY. my Memorex may be Korean. lots of variation!

of course, i'm just saying what i learned from these web sites.

Yakov's right. My co-worker/friend had issues with Memorex branded CD-R's which he documented here:
http://www.icantbelieveididthat.com/sysadmin/cdrs

I also bought a spindle of 100 before he told be about the problems he had. Mine appear to be slowly self destructing from the outside edge inward. They're useable but only partial capacity. I now use them where a self-destructing CD (in a Mission Impossible sense) would be handy.

I've had really good luck with some no-name stuff, haven't had a problem with Verbatim branded stuff although I mostly use -RWs from them. I've heard Maxell branded CD-R's are consistent although I've only used their DVD-Rs.

I read an article a couple years back when my old CD burner (an A-open P.O.S.) was having problems. There was one manufacturer that used to make really bad -R's and is not one of the best. I forget the name, I think they were Korean or Taiwaneese but I'm too lazy to google for it. Update: it is RITEK, referenced in the first link Yakov posted.

I bought some Taiyo Yuden CD's this weekend, made by Fuji. You can definitely see a difference in quality between the Made in Taiwan CDs and the Made in Japan CDs. The Taiwanese cds looked warped in areas and seemed to have a streak starting from the outside edge, going inwards to the middle. The Japanese CDs were, quite frankly, without (edit) noticeable imperfections.

Can I make the assumption that this holds true for DVD's as well CDR?