http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.htmlIt's long, but contains literally everything you might ever need to know about DVD media. I like +R, but YMMV. I usually buy -r if they are cheaper, though. So far, both seem to work fine.
What's really important, though, is the dye type.
http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_dye.shtml Some of this still holds true for DVDs. The Azo type/based dyes(Mitsubishi's patent) are still the best, but almost every maker has dropped the more expensive dyes in favor of cheaper purely organic ones. It gets tricky because often they don't tell you. Verbatim, for instance, switched to cheaper dye a few years back and only recently changed back due to market pressures. There's a reason DVDs are selling for $1 each now...
http://club.cdfreaks.com/f33/list-dvd-dye-...03/#post2111824Look at response #9 - it lists dye/chemical types. The cheaper types use Cyanine, which is known, among other things, for the famous "CD fungus" susceptibility. DVDs are better encased in plastic layers, so that's not a problem, but sunlight, ozone, and other factors can make life hard on this type of dye. This is the one to avoid, IMO. This is easily 75% of media, though. It's cheap and works for everything but archival, so it sells well. Easy to spot - looks greenish or blue-green. Avoid.
The second type, Phthalocyanine, is easily seen by the fact that it's nearly colorless. It's much more stable, but has issues with some cheap burners(burner's fault, not the media) and can't be burned at high speeds. That is, while it CAN, you won't get easily-readable-by-other-devices burns unless you stick to abut half the maximum speed.(usually 4-8x is fine - just don't go faster) Much more UV resistant. I personally recommend it for car or portable players as well. Very good with older devices. I've made CDs and DVDs that play in 10+ year old players with this stuff.
Known Issue: I've found that you must use a thick white label if you are going to write on the disc. I've had instances where the ink interferes with the media's reflectivity if I used a Sharpie directly on the disc. And don't try to have the drive burn a label on it, either. This media is what caused the "burn at half speed" mantra. The other types don't care at all - run them as fast as you want.
Azo is the third main type. It's very stable as well and usually a very dark blue. Fairly similar to Phthalocyanine in longevity. Only Mitsubishi licenses it, though, so it's pretty much Verbatim that uses it in *some* of their lines now. Recommended as well - not as UV stable, but can be written easier by most drives(faster, too). Almost as good for storage on a shelf(as opposed to in a car). Less picky about writing on it/labels/etc. Note - Verbatim makes a scratch-resistant version of this, IIRC, which is good for DVD copies/stuff you give to your kids to use(say, PS2 copies in the car to save your originals wear)
A lot of people I know have a PS2 in their SUV or minivan for the kids, so I mention this.
Lastly, avoid Fuji's new "environmentally friendly" stuff. It's purely organic instead of an organic-metallic compound. People suspect that it will be even more susceptible to "fungus" and fading issues. Original pressed media is almost purely metallic and the plastic will degrade before the media layer does. Purely organic seems a bit iffy to me, personally.
