FAQ

Home: Frequently Asked Questions

	General Questions
	1. Are store price, show price, and online price the same? Answer: No, they are not the same.
	2. I am in a hurry! I need those media on weekend or holiday. What am I suppose to do? Answer: It is possible to pick up on Sunday or Saturday for customers who have immediate need of large quantity of media. However, advanced scheduling for pick-up and payment during weekday are required as we usually operate during the weekend in local computer shows. Please come to visit us if it is convenient.

	Media Questions DVD Media
	1. What is the best quality DVD disc? Answer: There is no absolute best quality disc. The burning quality is depended on:
	a.	Brand of drive ¡V each company supports different type of discs. Their drives are modified accordingly.
	b.	Firmware of drive ¡V each company releases new firmware that will support newer type of discs.
	c.	Code of disc ¡V disc producers use different code for their discs.
	d.	Writer Age ¡V older drives no longer have new firmware to update. New direction is required to make the drives recognize the newer discs.
	e.	Reader Age ¡V older readers cannot read newer discs. A new reader can read newer discs.
	f.	Manufacture quality ¡V not all manufacturers produce high quality discs consistently.
		The quality of a disc is rather relative. It is recommended that users update the firmware of their drives to the newest version to ensure burning quality. Our House Brand discs usually work with drives with most recently updated firmware. In term of manufacture quality, Q-MEDiA only carries "A" grade, the top tier quality discs. In fact, we are so confident with our discs, we offer our customers 100% guarantee for all of our House Brand discs. We will exchange any failed discs on our House Brand within 2 month of purchase.
	2. What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R? Answer: DVD-R and DVD+R are different formats of DVD recordable discs. They are different in production process and production coding. Please refer to your drive for compatibility.
	3. What is the difference between most of our discs? Answer: They are different in:
	a.	Brand
	b.	Top surface (Silver, Matte, White/Silver Printable, Thermal, Logo, and White)
	c.	Manufacture speed
	d.	Type of disc
	4. What is "Inkjet Printable" or "Thermal Printable"? Answer: They both have top surface that can be printed using either specific inkjet printer or thermal printer.
	5. I got a new drive, but I don't know which DVD media I should use? Answer: Most of new drives, with new firmware, can write pretty well on most of our House Brand discs. However, if you have never try it, using main name brand discs may be a good idea. If you have a standalone disc recorder, it is best to record on main name brand discs because one cannot update the firmware of those types of recorder. Also, some DVD media companies or some DVD drive companies offer compatibility lists. Please check them accordingly. We also list some compatibility lists on our website. However, for the updated version, please check with the respective manufacturers.
	CDR Media
	6. Which CD-R is best for music or data? Answer: Most of CD-Rs are good for data. For music, it is best to have top coating, so the top surface will not be scratched.
	7. What are the different types of CD-R Media? Answer:
	a.	CD Recordable (CDR) - data is written on this media by making marks on the recording surface, which will correspond to "0" and "1" data representation. Once data is "burned," it is permanent. The current market offers 5 minutes business card-shaped, 21 minutes, 74 minutes, and 80 minutes CDR media. The recordable data is recognizable by all CD-ROM.
	b.	CD Rewritable (RW) - the rewritable media uses a changeable material, which will allow erasing of burned data. The recording laser is able to change pits. A standard CD-RW will allow over 1000 rewrites! Data recorded on this media can only be recognized by the rewriter itself, DVD-ROM, or other CD-ROMs marked with "Multi-Read Function."
	c.	Printable/Matte CDR - this type of CDR is intended for direct inkjet printing on the CDR. Printing on these CDRs will require a special CDR printer.
	d.	Digital Audio (DA) - this type of media is intended for consumers with audio recorders (i.e. Phillips, Pioneer). There are two available capacities, 74 minutes and 80 minutes. Although most of the Digital Audio media on the market will only record audio, we offer CD-DA media that are compatible with computer recorders as well.
	8. I'm confused and I don't know which type of CDR to buy. What are the differences among Diamond, Silver and Light Blue bottom CDRs? Answer: Silver/Silver refers to the top and bottom of the disc. The top can be different for various purposes such as printing or labeling. Bottom is where color matters most. Different colors can represent different types of dye. The basic difference of a CDR beside look lies on the recording dyes. The most popular dyes are as follow:
	a.	Cyanine (Light Blue, Blue, Green bottom disc) - the estimated data storage lifetime for this dye is approximately 40 to 60 years, and it varies from the manufacturer and the grade of the product. In combination with the gold reflective layer, the recording side of the CDR will appear green. On the other hand, with silver reflective layer, it will have a blue appearance. Silver on Blue CDRs takes the majority of the CDRs on the market today as they are the most cost efficient. Recommended use: Computer data backup - short term, 10-20 years (i.e. MP3, program backups) Advantage: Cost efficient.
	b.	Phythalocyanine (Silver, Diamond, Gold bottom disc) - the estimated data storage lifetime for this dye is approximately 70 to over 100 years, it varies from manufacturer and the grade of the product. This dye has a longer life span because it offers more UV protection. Since this chemical is transparent in color, the color of the recording layer of a CDR with this dye will correspond to its reflective layer. In combination with the gold reflective layer, the recording side of the CDR will have a gold appearance. Also, a CDR with silver reflective layer phythalocyanine will have a silver appearance. Recommended use: Computer data backup - long term, 70-100 years (i.e. Family Photos, Document backups), Video CD, Audio CD. Use it on important stuff! Advantage: Long erm data storage, highly reflective.