CDRLabs.com

courtesy of MediumRare, here's the link:

http://www.instantinfo.de/index_cdrohlinge_e.php

it contains a database of media (CD and DVD), and can be searched by Brand, Manufacturer, EAN/UPC code (UPC=Universal Product Code, EAN=European Article Number), ATIP code, and also contains more info: pics of the CD cover, info like CDR Identifier output - ATIP; dye type; writing strategy; capacity

a great tool for checking out what CD you buy before you buy it!!!!

WOW!!!
thanks a LOT, MediumRare! and i can only complain why didn't you post this info like months ago?

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by the way, this is a German site, so i don't know how relevant it is elsewhere, especially the pic of the CD and the EAN maybe different? or are they internationally identical?

well, for me at least this is a great tool!
no Fuji in Israel, and most of the time no "made in XXX" on the packaging, so this helps me sift through and find what little Taiyo Yuden can be occasionally found by other brands.

dodecahedron wrote:and i can only complain why didn't you post this info like months ago?

Well I only found out about it about a month ago and I did mention it in a couple of posts, but I thought it was "well known"

G

I think this thread should either become a sticky post or be moved to the FAQ.

MediumRare wrote:

dodecahedron wrote:and i can only complain why didn't you post this info like months ago?

Well I only found out about it about a month ago and I did mention it in a couple of posts, but I thought it was "well known"

then i must have missed those references.

BuddhaTB wrote:I think this thread should either become a sticky post or be moved to the FAQ.

yeah, i've been meaning to write a short FAQ containing all the references to brand/manufacturer info threads etc., i'll add the link to that site there.

while on this subject, can you say BuddhaTB if the info there is relevant in the US? it's a German site, and i don't know if the packaging in the US is different and thus the pics there won't be of any help to ppl in the US.
i know it's good for me, cause i saw there pics of lots of CDs that are exactly what's sold here, also same EAN/UPC codes etc. i hope the same goes for the US.

dodecahedron wrote:While on this subject, can you say BuddhaTB if the info there is relevant in the US? it's a German site, and i don't know if the packaging in the US is different and thus the pics there won't be of any help to ppl in the US.
i know it's good for me, cause i saw there pics of lots of CDs that are exactly what's sold here, also same EAN/UPC codes etc. i hope the same goes for the US.

Will do. I'll check it out this afternoon.

So far, most of the labels look exactly, if not similar to the ones found in retail stores in the U.S. However, this site is lacking big time in the spindle department. 90% of the pics are for single media pieces that come in a jewel case or slim jewel case. I also noticed that we don't get very many of these brands in the U.S. too. Also there are quite a few brands like Intenso, Prime Disc, SilverCircle, and etc. that I have not seen in the U.S.


I think it would be worthwhile for a few of us to make something similar to this in the FAQ section for CDRLabs. Like pics and data of CD-R/RW, plus their casing/spindle.

BuddhaTB wrote:So far, most of the labels look exactly, if not similar to the ones found in retail stores in the U.S.

great!

BuddhaTB wrote:However, this site is lacking big time in the spindle department. 90% of the pics are for single media pieces that come in a jewel case or slim jewel case.

i noticed that too.

BuddhaTB wrote:Also there are quite a few brands like Intenso, Prime Disc, SilverCircle, and etc. that I have not seen in the U.S.

that can't be helped. there are pbly many brands sold in the US that aren't in that database either.

BuddhaTB wrote:I think it would be worthwhile for a few of us to make something similar to this in the FAQ section for CDRLabs. Like pics and data of CD-R/RW, plus their casing/spindle.

well, that would be quite an undertaking...a lot of work to collect and organize the data in an orderly fashion.
also, for it to be effective, pics aren't enought, you would need the UPC/EAN codes too...

my enthusiasm was dampened somewhat when i discovered that there are errors in this database (where aren't there any?...)

a particular TDK disc which according to the database is made by Taiyo Yuden. well, i'm holding it in my hand, identical EAN code, but mine says the manufacturer is TDK and also it's a TDK ATIP, not a TY ATIP.

oh well, nothing's perfect.

but still i think this database is a great thing.

Let me add that the information is not quite up to date. E.g. the only Verbatim DataLife media listed is the 16x CMC, the Intenso (NanYa) CD-RWs I tested here are not listed, the fastest MMores listed are 32x (stores are flooded with 52x disks).

Also, a lot of brands are just as much terra incognita for me as for North Americans.

A practical problem is that I've not always made sufficiently detailled notes to uniquely identify a particular medium. So I end up checking the shelves 2 or 3 times to make sure.

But it does helpa lot of the time.

G