Okay, so I’ve gotten back into burning PS2 games, right? It’s overall been a great time, and I made sure to stick to decent brands like Verbatim, I remember them being the top dog back in the days before my PS2 laser died out.

So, I get the first batch, a simple 25 pack, they all work perfectly. Smooth topside. They’re the kind that are so clear you actually see the verbatim logo on the readable side. No issue there.

Three months later, I get another batch, even contemplating getting a 50 pack. I got the 25 pack, same packaging, same exact description, but then I open the box and these fucking things are NOTICEABLY cheaper. Very scratchy topside, which is basically ALL white besides a tiny verbatim and dvd-r logo on the middle, somehow feels heavier.

Now, out of the first batch, I essentially got every game perfectly fine, and also a few homebrew applications. The SECOND BATCH was essentially half a box of duds. One game was not getting past a sony logo (not the system logo mind you), another gives me a black screen after the playstation logo while still clearly spinning and apparently finding nothing for minutes, and some even give me a DVD error, meaning the burn was so bad it didn’t even qualify as a game backup.

SOME worked, haven’t even checked all of them frankly so I might actually have even more faulty ones, but this is just a complete ripoff. Why the sudden downgrade? Some even downright gave me the deadly “uncorrectable error,” a clear sign that these are complete garbage. I know the console’s drive is fine, I know the computer’s drive burned at least half of these correctly, and I know for a fact the games I ripped are not to blame.

I doubt I can get a refund for discs I’ve used, plus, probably not even worth it. But, maybe take it as a warning, some Verbatims have the same packaging, but are actually hunks of crap.

  • Far_Marsupial6303BEnglish
    3·
    10 months ago

    To those complaining about Verbatim discs, understand that for decades, disc manufacturers have been selling discs from other makers under their brand name and virtually all first tier disc manufacturers around the world, notably Japan, Singapore, India, UAE have closed. CMC Magnetics used only manufacture 2nd & 3rd tier discs until they completely bought out Verbatim and Taiyo-Yuden, including their proprietary formulas.

    What’s always been the measure of quality is the media code https://www.videohelp.com/dvdmediaform.php?dvdinfo=1#dvdinfo which you can then cross reference in this list: https://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia

    lordsmurf at digitalfaq.com gave a list of 1st tier blank DVDs that’s still relevant today since only Verbatim (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) and Taiyo-Yuden are the only brands/formulas in use today. https://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/dvd-media.htm

    Name brands like Sony, TDK and Maxell are still on the market today, but the media code will show the discs are 2nd or 3rd tier inferior products.

    The reason for the quality decline in blank DVDs is that like CDs, the price bottomed out and 1st tier media could no longer be sold at as premium. The good news is you can still get Verbatim AZO discs if you shop carefully and read the package label, lookin for the AZO name and logo. Taiyo-Yuden discs are also still available at a premium.

    Note that the media code can be faked, so be sure to buy from a known, reputable seller where you can return your unused discs if they’re bad.