Archival Gold media has become a very popular storage choice for many of our clients.  Prices for CD-R, DVD-R and DVD+R discs can vary widely depending on the brand and type of media.  Thanks to Lora Swenson of MAM-A for her input!

 1. Gold media is priced higher than most of the standard grade media on the market...why should someone go with a gold disc?

Gold media will last longer than silver.  A Gold reflective layer won't corrode over time but this is possible with non gold media.  MAM-A has a Silver vs. Gold page which answers many of the common questions.

 2. DVD-R or DVD+R...is either format better than the other?

We hear from MAM-A that both formats are essentially equal.  There are some who favor the minus R and others the Plus R; based solely on our sales the DVD-R format is more popular.  Here is more information on DVD-R and DVD+R formats.

 3. What are the ideal record speeds for gold media?

Lora told us:  "Our gold DVD-Rs are indicated to write at a top speed of 8X, but we think 4X is ideal.  Since gold is not as reflective of a metal as compared to silver, the dark organic dye used for all recordable DVDs does not allow for  good performance at 16X.   Gold CD-Rs are made with Mitsui's patented Phthalocyanine dye, which is translucent, therefore allows the gold reflective metal layer to perform at top speeds of 52X."

Visit our Gold CD-R, DVD-R and DVD+R pages for complete product information.