[quote name='DangerDave']If you want the best DVD-R's you're gonna have to pay a little more.
http://www.rima.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=R&Product_Code=1736-100&Category_Code=TAIYOYUDEN
$26.99 and around 4 bucks shipping. Thats the cheapest I have seen Taiyo's go for.
In case anyone doesn't know, Taiyo Yuden makes the best media ever.[/quote]
QFT.
I used to work (VERY breifly) for a company that made automated CD/DVD duplicator/printers... The taiyo yuden stuff has a really low failure rate compared to the junk off the shelf.. There are actually grades to CDRs.. most of the consumer grade stuff has failure rates between 10% and 20%, while the stuff he linked will be closer to 1%.
The thing is, there are only a handfull of ACTUAL CDR/DVD media manufacturers in the world. Companies buy the media from the producers, and brand them themselves, So you've probobly used their stuff before, and don't know it.. but it certainly wasn't the industrial grade stuff -- consumer CDR/DVDs are TERRIBLE, and the price difference isn't really that great if you buy 100 or more at a time.
If you buy the Taiyo Yuden branded stuff, at least you know you're getting quality media.
As far as the drives go, Lite-on and... Panasonic..? I think? ... are the big 2 boys as far as CD/DVD drives go (if my 2 year old info is still correct). Most of the stuff you see on the shelf is rebranded from one of those two companies.
I would go with a Lite On, personally. Good and cheap -- check
www.newegg.com. They have great prices on most PC parts.. especially video cards, CD/DVD drives, and chips.
